The night was unusually quiet as Alaric stood by the window of his quarters, the moonlight casting a silvery glow over the academy grounds. The cryptic words of the hooded figure replayed in his mind:
"The cult of Elder Magic has taken notice of you..."
Alaric clenched his fists, the divine energy within him flickering in response to his frustration. The shadows were growing deeper, and the more he uncovered about his power, the more dangerous his world became.
A knock at the door pulled him from his thoughts.
"Come in," Alaric said, his voice tinged with weariness.
Serena stepped inside, her cheerful demeanor replaced by a rare seriousness. Behind her was Liliana, her icy gaze as sharp as ever.
"You called us?" Serena asked, closing the door behind her.
"I did." Alaric turned to face them, his expression grim. "Something happened after the tournament. I was approached by someone... someone who knew too much about me."
Liliana frowned. "What do you mean? Who were they?"
"I don't know," Alaric admitted. "They wore a hood, and their face was obscured. But their message was clear—the cult of Elder Magic is watching me."
Serena's eyes widened. "The cult? I thought they were just a myth."
"They're real," Liliana interjected, her tone firm. "I've read about them. They're a secretive organization believed to wield forbidden magic, older than even the empire itself. If they're targeting you, it's because they see your divine energy as a threat—or a tool."
Alaric nodded. "That's what worries me. This isn't just about the academy anymore. If the cult is involved, then we're dealing with something far bigger than we imagined."
Serena crossed her arms, her usual lightheartedness replaced by determination. "So, what's the plan? If they're watching you, we need to be prepared."
Alaric looked at his two closest allies. "We start by gathering information. If the cult is as old as the legends say, there must be traces of them somewhere—records, artifacts, anything that can give us an edge."
Liliana's eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "The academy's restricted archives might hold something. It's said to contain knowledge deemed too dangerous for general access. But getting in won't be easy."
Serena grinned. "Easy? Where's the fun in that? Count me in."
---
The next night, under the cover of darkness, the trio made their way to the academy's central library. The grand structure loomed before them, its towering spires piercing the starry sky.
"This is a bad idea," Liliana muttered, her voice barely audible.
"Which part?" Serena whispered back. "Sneaking into the most guarded section of the academy or doing it with Alaric, who's basically a walking beacon of power?"
Alaric smirked but kept his focus on the task. "Both, probably. Let's move."
The entrance to the restricted archives was guarded by layers of protective magic. Liliana stepped forward, her fingers glowing faintly as she deciphered the wards.
"This will take a moment," she murmured, her concentration unshakable.
Serena leaned against the wall, twirling a dagger in her hand. "You know, for someone who claims to hate trouble, you're surprisingly good at breaking rules, Liliana."
"Quiet," Liliana hissed, but there was a hint of amusement in her tone.
With a final pulse of magic, the wards dissolved, and the heavy iron doors creaked open. The trio slipped inside, their footsteps muffled by the thick carpet.
The restricted archives were a labyrinth of towering shelves, each filled with ancient tomes and scrolls. The air was heavy with the scent of aged parchment and the faint hum of dormant enchantments.
"Spread out," Alaric instructed. "Look for anything related to the cult of Elder Magic or divine energy."
The group began their search, each drawn to different sections of the archive. Alaric found himself in a dimly lit corner, where a row of black-bound books caught his eye. He pulled one from the shelf and opened it, the text glowing faintly.
As he read, a chill ran down his spine. The book detailed the origins of the cult, describing them as remnants of an ancient civilization that sought to harness forbidden power. Their ultimate goal was to awaken a force known only as The Abyssal Veil.
"Find anything?" Serena's voice broke through his thoughts.
Alaric turned to see her approaching, a stack of scrolls in her arms. "Yes, and it's worse than I thought. The cult isn't just after me—they're trying to awaken something ancient, something destructive."
Before Serena could respond, a loud crash echoed through the archive. The two spun around to see Liliana standing over a broken pedestal, her face pale.
"Liliana?" Alaric called, rushing to her side.
She pointed to the shattered remains of the pedestal. "It's a containment seal... or it was. Whatever was being held here is gone."
A sudden gust of wind swept through the archive, extinguishing the lanterns. In the darkness, a low, guttural laugh echoed around them.
"You've gone too far," a voice growled.
The trio formed a defensive circle, their weapons at the ready. From the shadows emerged a figure cloaked in black, their eyes glowing with an unnatural light.
"You should have stayed ignorant," the figure hissed. "Now, the cult will make an example of you."
Alaric stepped forward, his divine energy flaring. "You'll have to try harder than that."
The figure laughed, and with a wave of their hand, the room erupted into chaos. Shelves toppled, and books burst into flames as dark tendrils of magic snaked toward the group.
"Stay back!" Alaric shouted, unleashing a wave of divine energy. The tendrils disintegrated, but the figure remained unfazed.
Liliana and Serena joined the fight, their magic and blades cutting through the onslaught. The battle was fierce, the room trembling under the force of their attacks.
Finally, with a surge of power, Alaric struck the figure with a concentrated blast of divine energy. The room fell silent as the figure collapsed, their cloak dissolving into ash.
As the dust settled, Alaric turned to his companions. "Are you both alright?"
Liliana nodded, though her expression remained troubled. "That was no ordinary cultist. They were using magic far beyond anything I've seen before."
Serena sheathed her blades, a rare seriousness in her eyes. "If that's what we're up against, we're going to need more than just strength. We need allies."
Alaric picked up the black-bound book he had been reading. "We also need answers. The cult is after something far more dangerous than me. If we're going to stop them, we have to understand what they're planning."
As they exited the archive, the first rays of dawn breaking over the horizon, Alaric felt a renewed sense of purpose. The shadows were closing in, but he would face them head-on—with his friends by his side and the truth as his weapon.