THE FIRST LESSON:-
The East Tower courtyard stood drenched in the eerie glow of dawn. The sky stretched above, a canvas of deep indigo, the first brushstrokes of sunlight creeping over the towering Academy walls. A sharp winter breeze cut through the stillness, making Elias shiver beneath his training robes. His breath rose in silver clouds, dissolving into the crisp morning air.
And there, standing at the far edge of the platform, was Seraphina.
Her silhouette was sharp against the backdrop of the waking city below. She didn't move, didn't turn. Only the hem of her cloak fluttered like the whisper of a warning. Elias watched her, his instincts prickling like a cat staring into the dark.
Something about her presence set his teeth on edge.
The silence stretched. Then—
A dagger whistled through the air.
Elias barely had time to react. He twisted, the blade grazing past his cheek before embedding itself into the stone wall with a dull, echoing thunk.
His heart leapt into his throat.
"What the hell?!" he choked, staggering back.
Seraphina finally turned, a fox-like grin playing on her lips.
"Too slow."
Elias pressed a hand to his cheek, fingers coming away clean. No blood—but that hadn't been an accident.
"You could've killed me," he snapped, voice taut with disbelief.
She cocked her head, cool as steel. "But I didn't."
Her gaze swept over him, slow, measuring—like a butcher eyeing his next cut.
Then, with a shrug, she turned her back to him again. Dismissing him.
Something inside Elias curdled.
This wasn't a lesson. This was humiliation.
"You're not weak," Seraphina continued, "but strength without control is like a blade with no hilt."
Elias clenched his jaw. He had heard this before. From instructors, from rivals, even from the voice in the back of his own mind. His power was wild, reckless, unpredictable.
And instinct wasn't enough.
"What do I do, then?" he asked.
Seraphina's smirk widened.
"You learn to survive."
THE TRAINING BEGINS:-
Elias barely had time to draw breath before Seraphina struck.
She was a blur, closing the distance between them in an instant.
A sharp jab aimed at his throat—he dodged by a hair.
A sweeping kick—his ankle caught, balance ripped away.
His back hit the ground like a sack of bricks. The impact knocked the air from his lungs.
Above him, Seraphina sighed. "Pathetic."
Elias groaned, rolling onto his elbows. Not this time.
When she lunged again, he didn't retreat.
He caught her wrist and twisted—a move meant to unbalance her. But Seraphina wasn't just strong. She was fluid. Instead of resisting, she twisted with him, letting the momentum carry her like a wave folding back into the sea.
A second later, Elias found himself flipped onto his back. Again.
Pain exploded through his shoulder.
Before he could move, Seraphina crouched beside him, the cold edge of a blade resting lightly against his throat.
"Game over."
Elias squeezed his eyes shut, chest heaving. This was a slap in the face.
Seraphina stood, brushing dust from her cloak. "You rely on brute force, but strength alone will make you fold like a house of cards."
Elias swallowed his frustration. "So what should I rely on?"
Seraphina's lips curled like a cat that just found a cornered mouse.
"Precision."
She flicked her wrist, sending her dagger soaring through the air.
It spun once, twice—then embedded itself perfectly into a thin crack in the stone wall.
A perfect strike.
Elias's stomach twisted.
"Again," she ordered.
LUCIUS'S REVENGE:-
Far from the courtyard, deep within the Academy's stone halls, Lucius Vorn stood before a shattered mirror.
His own bruised reflection glared back at him like a ghost of his own failure.
The duel had been a disgrace.
Elias—some nameless upstart—had beaten him. In front of everyone.
Lucius had spent years building his reputation, sharpening his skill, proving his dominance. And now, whispers of his defeat slithered through the Academy's halls like a spreading plague.
Unacceptable.
A sharp knock shattered the silence.
Lucius turned. "Enter."
The door creaked open. A hooded figure stepped inside. Their voice was low, rough.
"Seraphina is training him."
Lucius stiffened.
Seraphina?
For years, he had fought tooth and nail to earn her recognition. Yet she had never once acknowledged him—despite his victories, despite his talent.
And now, she had chosen Elias?
Lucius's fingers tightened into fists, his knuckles burning.
The hooded figure hesitated. "What should we do?"
Lucius exhaled slowly.
Then, a cruel smirk stretched across his lips.
"Make sure Elias Nightshade doesn't live long enough to complete his training."
ELIAS AWAKENS HIS POWER:-
Elias was drowning in exhaustion.
His body throbbed with bruises, his muscles screamed. Seraphina had not gone easy on him—she never did.
But he refused to quit.
Again. Again.
Until something shifted.
Seraphina lunged, but this time—Elias saw through the cracks.
Not just her movements—but the breath she held before striking, the shift in her weight, the whisper of steel slicing the air.
His body moved before thought could catch up.
He dodged at the last second, twisting behind her—his fingers brushed her cloak—
For a fleeting moment, he had her.
Then—it happened.
A pulse of raw, electric energy coursed through his veins.
The shadows around him writhed like living creatures.
The ground beneath him trembled. The very air seemed to crackle.
A shockwave of dark power exploded outward.
Seraphina barely leapt back in time. The stone beneath Elias's feet cracked.
The force was too much—Elias staggered, vision spinning.
Then—a hand snatched his wrist like a vice.
Seraphina.
Her grip was ironclad, unshakable. "Steady," she commanded.
Elias sucked in a breath, forcing himself to rein in the storm. The shadows twisted, then slithered back into stillness.
Silence fell over the courtyard.
Seraphina studied him, her gaze unreadable. Then, she gave a single nod.
"Better."
Elias blinked, heart still hammering. "I lost control."
"Yes," she said. "And next time, you won't."
Elias exhaled.
This time, he would carve control from chaos.
And he wouldn't stop until he mastered it.