The whisper of Erick's voice echoed in Lumi's ears, sending a chill down her spine. The dark magic in the air felt oppressive, as though it was pressing in from every side, but the corridor remained empty. Lumi's heart pounded, her grip tightening on Glaciel as she scanned the shadows. Erick's presence was all around her, taunting, but he remained unseen.
The flickering runes on the walls pulsed with residual dark energy, remnants of a trap Erick or one of his loyalists had set to destabilize the academy's wards. But there was more to it. Lumi could feel something deeper—a malevolent force stirring in the magic around her. Whatever Erick was trying to do, he was using the academy's defenses against them, drawing power from the relic they had sealed away in the sanctuary.
Lumi swallowed hard, her breath visible in the freezing air. He's not done. He's just getting started.
