The laboratory was quiet except for the soft scribbling sound of a pen on paper in the air. Lira wore a simple but elegant blue dress that hugged her figure, the soft material rippling as she moved. Her long curly hair, cascading around her shoulders, freshly styled with bangs framing her face. A few strands of bangs brushed gently against her forehead, which made her exude a feminine charm.
"Well, it looks like your auxiliary spells are unaffected," Lira said, finally breaking the silence, then glanced at Alexander with an encouraging smile. Alexander had just lifted his invisibility spell, his body reappearing in the center of the room like a shadow coming to life.
Today, they had been practicing a series of types magics, testing to see which of his abilities remained unaffected by his dark power. So far, the lighting, substitute, and invisibility spells had all worked without any issues. The issue only arose with fire magic. Now, it was time for the final and most daunting test of the day.
"Next, let's move on to the more advanced spells," Lira suggested, glancing up from her notes. "Starting with the magic that you're best at."
Alexander nodded, then raised his hand, chanting the familiar spell, the Burning Man magic. The words left his mouth with practiced ease, the incantation swirling through the air like the embers of a dying flame. A Burning Man appeared before them, its figure wreathed in bright orange flames, with some black patches in its center.
But it wasn't long before black patches started to spread across the fiery figure like a sickness. The fiery figure became distorted, the once stable flames became erratic and crackled violently, the heat it emitted becoming sharper, more manic. It became stable again until the Burning Man was consumed entirely by black fire. The black Burning Man stood, exuding an ominous and oppressive energy, even the temperature around it seemed to be colder, as if the very heat had been swallowed by the black fire.
"Just as we expected," Lira nodded, his brow furrowed in concentration. "that's enough for now."
After heard that, Alexander dispelled the magic with a simple flick of his hand, and wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead. "I feel like it takes more energy to cast this magic than before," Alexander admitted, his brow furrowed.
"How many times can you cast this kind of magic with your current energy?"
Alexander closed his eyes for a moment, reaching inward to assess his reserves. "Maybe three times," he said after a pause."after that, I'd be completely drained."
"Three times is enough," Lira nodded, noting the answer down. "Now, try summoning the fire dragon. Let's see if it reacts the same way."
Lira had seen that fire dragon magic in the Legacy of Fire, where Alexander used it against Head Ignis.
Just like with the Burning Man, the vibrant flames of the dragon quickly turned black before them, twisting and writhing in the air. The transformation was quicker this time, the black fire spreading with alarming speed. Sweat beaded on Alexander's forehead as he struggled to maintain control.
"The flame!" As its fiery wings unfurled, a dark fire shot from the dragon's mouth in a torrent at the target across the room. The room shook, and the heat pressed against their skin, which exuded an overwhelming sense of menace.
The flames moved fast, vaporizing the target in an instant. There was nothing left—no dust, no ashes, just an empty space where the target had once been.
Lira stared at the now-vanished target, fell silent for a moment. "The power is incredible," she said quietly, and jotted down another note: After the high-level magic has undergone black fire transformation, the attack power and magic consumption increase exponentially.
But before she could finish writing, the fire dragon suddenly vanished. Alexander, who had been standing resolutely, faltered. He collapsed to one knee, his breath coming in short, ragged gasps. His face had turned pale, and beads of sweat dotted his forehead.
"Alexander, the next...." Not hearing a reply, Lira turned to see Alexander on one knee, his face pale.
"Alexander!" she cried, her voice filled with concern. She rushed to his side, half-kneeling on the ground next to him.
"Huh...," Alexander clutched his chest, his chest heaved as if he had just run for miles, and his vision blurred. His heart raced uncontrollably, each beat sending a wave of sharp, burning pain through his body. It was the same pain he had felt before, back in his dormitory that night—the same sensation of something foreign, something dark, spreading through his veins.
His mind grew hazy, and the edges of his vision blurred. He tried to focus on Lira's voice, but it was distant, muffled, as if coming from far away. Her lips moved as she spoke, but he couldn't make out the words.
Through the fog, the only thing he could clearly see was Lira's face, close to his, her delicate features bathed in the soft light of the room—her delicate lips, the gentle curve of her collarbone and the smooth line of her neck. The rhythmic beat of her pulse thudded in his ears, clear and insistent, like the calling of something deep and primal.
He felt a sudden, unbidden urge—a hunger, he wanted to lean in, to bite the carotid artery, to suck that hot and delicious blood.
No. He shook his head, trying to push the desire and hunger away, but it clung to him, pulling him deeper into the abyss. His hands tightened into fists as he fought to suppress the dark power rising within him, the hunger growing stronger with every passing second.
"What's happening? Are you okay?" Lira asked, her voice soft as she knelt beside him. She reached out, her fingers brushing his forehead to check for a fever.
Her soft touch made Alexander's entire body tensed. He turned his head sharply, trying to pull away from her touch, but it was too late.
Something snapped.
Alexander lunged swiftly, pinning Lira beneath him as they both hit the floor. His breath came out in ragged gasps as he buried his face against her neck, inhaling the sweet scent of her skin. Before he was about to bite the artery, he suppressed the desire and forced himself to move up from the neck to her face.
His breathing heavy and uneven, his face was inches from hers, his gaze locked on her lips, and for a moment, everything else seemed to fade away.
Lira, shocked by the sudden move, froze beneath him, her eyes wide with confusion. "Alexander…?" she whispered, unsure of what was happening.