The vibrant Novus, celebrated as a jewel of culture and prosperity, saw its final sunset. The ominous aura of Lucius encroached upon it, tinging the horizon with a crimson hue that bode doom. His threatening silhouette overshadowed the sprawling metropolis, like a raptor looming over its prey.
The streets once bustling with merchants, artists, and children now echoed with hushed whispers of dread. "Is this how Novus meets its end?" the town crier, usually boisterous, whispered to a nearby guard, eyes fixated on the darkening sky.
As Lucius's fearsome aura permeated every alley and corner, Aleron and Atrius, enchained within the city's dungeons, felt it too. Atrius, ever the stoic, couldn't help but tremble. "Such might... It's beyond comprehension," he murmured.
Lucius wasted no time. From his fingertips, black and red lightning, pulsating with malice, unfurled. They slashed through buildings, reducing age-old architecture to rubble within heartbeats. The Unyielding, brave warriors who had defended Novus for generations, were instantly consumed. Their metallic armor melted onto their skin, their screams of defiance and agony melding into a haunting chorus.
The civilians weren't spared either. In a quaint home, a young girl clung to her doll, tears streaming down her face, as the walls were eviscerated by the energy. Her mother, in a final act of desperation, shielded her with her body, both evaporating into nothingness. The revered Square of Harmony, which once echoed with laughter and music, now resonated with the cries of the doomed. Lucius's onslaught didn't discriminate between young or old; everyone was prey.
The three mages, sensing the imminent destruction, erected a formidable barrier around them. The second mage, panic evident in his voice, pleaded, "Enough! What would it take for this to cease?"
Lucius, however, would not be swayed. With a swift motion, he ended the oldest mage's life, snapping his neck with ease
With disdain evident in his cold eyes, Lucius shattered their magical barriers effortlessly, rendering them exposed and vulnerable. General Elidor, witnessing this insurmountable might, felt an icy grip of fear constrict his heart. But before he could process this emotion, Lucius was upon him, plunging his hand deep into Elidor's chest, tearing out his still-beating heart. Blood splattered across Lucius's face, but he remained indifferent, his attention now turned to the mages.
The remaining mages, overwhelmed with terror, unleashed their most potent spells. The third, conjuring torrents of flames, aimed at Lucius. But they dispersed harmlessly, their heat and light absorbed into the void of Lucius's being. Lucius retaliated by swiftly approaching the mage, his hand morphing into a sharp blade, and with a swift motion, decapitated him. Blood sprayed like a fountain, painting a grim picture of death.
The last mage, seeing his comrades fall so effortlessly, dropped to his knees. "Mercy! We beg of you!" His voice, usually commanding, was now filled with despair. Lucius simply glared, channeling his dark energy directly into the mage's soul, fragmenting it into a thousand pieces.
As Lucius's wrath continued to decimate Novus, Aleron and Atrius led the remnants of their forces out of the doomed city. The sight that met them was apocalyptic – a city razed, its citizens annihilated. The generals, while relieved, could not help but feel an overpowering dread at the sheer might of their emperor.
Gazing upon the ruins, Lucius commanded, "Return to the nearest Imperial city. Regroup." His voice, cold and indifferent, carried the weight of absolute authority.
Elsewhere, in the Mage Covenant's headquarters, the Grandmaster, named Alden, grasped the gravity of the situation. He had underestimated the being they had provoked. In a solemn decision, he beckoned a trusted academy professor. "Take our most promising students and escape to the mainland. Above all, protect young Harry. His potential is unparalleled; he may very well reach the power of a Sage one day."
The professor, although bewildered, did not question the urgency in the Grandmaster's voice. Using a grand teleportation array, they vanished, moments before Alden, with a heavy heart, destroyed it.
Outside the covenant's ancient castle, Lucius appeared, an imposing figure heralding doom. Grandmaster Alden, resigned to his fate, knew that the end was imminent. But he took solace in the hope that one day, balance would be restored.