Volume 2, Chapter 21: Shadows in the Academy
The gates of Aurelius Magic Academy loomed before Cael, towering and ancient. Students bustled about, practicing spells, summoning familiars, and showing off their abilities to one another.
> "It begins," Selene whispered, her shadow form stretching along the walls.
"Your world of nobility, magic, and politics… all before you."
> "Yes," Cael said quietly.
"But appearances matter. I walk as a background character… and in the shadows, I prepare."
He wore the guise of a weak noble student, his powers hidden, his aura suppressed. No one could guess the Absolute Atomic force lurking just beneath his calm exterior.
The Tournament Announcement
In the main hall, professors and nobles announced the upcoming Inter-Kingdom Magic Tournament, a competition to determine the strongest young mage and knight from all surrounding kingdoms.
> "This will be a perfect opportunity," Cael murmured.
"All the princes, princesses, and noble students will come to challenge each other… and I will remain unnoticed, observing and preparing."
Students whispered, impressed by other prodigies and underestimating him, unaware that the Shadow Sovereign himself walked among them.
Hidden Organization and Early Threats
Unknown to everyone, remnants of the evil organization had infiltrated the academy. Cultists, disguised as students and staff, sought forbidden magic to awaken dangerous monsters and destabilize the kingdom.
Cael sensed the disturbance immediately, his suppressed aura brushing against the dark energy like a fine-tuned alarm.
> "Selene… we have company," he whispered.
"A shadow faction seeks to exploit this place. We cannot allow it."
> "Shall we move?" Selene asked, her eyes glowing faint crimson.
> "No," Cael replied.
"We observe first. Let them believe they are hidden. At night… they will fall."
First Night: Absolute Atomic Judgment in the Academy
When darkness fell over the academy, Cael activated a suppressed form of Absolute Atomic, carefully controlled to avoid detection.
Cultists attempting forbidden rituals were erased silently, their magic collapsing instantly.
Monsters summoned within the academy grounds were destroyed before they fully manifested, fragments scattered across dimensions.
Even the most skilled rogue mages could not perceive him, as Cael and Selene moved through walls, shadows, and hidden spaces seamlessly.
By dawn, the academy remained untouched, and the students awoke none the wiser. The whispers of "strange occurrences" were quickly dismissed as imagination.
> "This world is safe… for now," Cael said quietly.
"And the tournament will reveal everything I need to prepare."
Selene hovered beside him, shadows coiling protectively.
> "You truly are the unseen guardian," she said softly.
> "And that is exactly what they will always think," Cael replied with a faint smirk.
"Let the nobles, princes, and princesses parade their power. Let them underestimate me… it will make their defeat all the sweeter."
Foreshadowing the Tournament
The Inter-Kingdom Magic Tournament promises clashes with other nobles, princes, and princesses, some of whom will become allies, and others future rivals.
Cael's secret organization begins forming quietly within the academy, recruiting students and mages who have latent potential and a desire for justice.
Rumors of ancient magic and hidden monsters returning from other worlds begin to stir, hinting at threats far beyond the academy walls.
> "This is only the beginning," Cael whispered, gazing across the academy.
"The multiverse, my old world, and even this kingdom… all will witness Absolute Atomic."
The shadows stretched across the grounds, silent and eternal, as the unseen guardian prepared for the challenges ahead.