The night was thick with silence, the kind that pressed against the walls and seeped into the bones. Zayne sat at his desk, the dim glow of a single lantern casting long shadows across his room. The ancient tome lay before him, its cover rough beneath his fingertips. His mind was a storm—memories of the vision, the shadowy figure who seemed to know him, and Solomon's warning still echoed in his head.
"Destroy it."
He couldn't. Not yet. Not without understanding why this book had been hidden, why it had called to him.
A knock at his door pulled him from his thoughts.
"Zayne, open up," Malo's voice came through, impatient as ever.
With a sigh, Zayne got up and unlocked the door. Malo strode in, followed by Tallesia and Seraphina. They wasted no time settling into the room, their eyes immediately landing on the book.
"You're really gonna read that?" Malo asked, leaning against the wall, arms crossed.
"Do we have a choice?" Zayne replied. "This thing nearly got us killed. If we don't figure out what's inside, it might happen again."
Seraphina exhaled, nodding. "I've already skimmed a few pages. It's filled with cryptic notes and symbols I've never seen before. But the name Eldric Voss appears several times."
Tallesia frowned. "Solomon knew who he was. He said the academy used his research, but didn't say for what."
Zayne turned back to the book, flipping open the cover. The first page was covered in faded writing. He traced his fingers over the words, trying to make sense of them.
"The path to power is paved in sacrifice. To touch the abyss is to embrace the unknown. But to master it… one must be willing to become more than mortal."
Chills ran down his spine.
"That sounds… ominous," Malo muttered.
Seraphina leaned in, studying the symbols alongside the text. "This isn't just any magic—it's forbidden magic. The kind the academy doesn't teach."
Tallesia tensed. "You mean necromancy?"
"Not just necromancy," Seraphina said. "This speaks of something older, something lost to time."
Zayne felt the pull of the words. It was like they were whispering to him, calling to something buried deep inside him. His fingers tingled as a strange warmth spread through his palm.
Then the room darkened.
The lantern's glow flickered wildly before snuffing out completely. Shadows stretched across the walls, moving unnaturally, twisting, forming shapes.
A cold whisper filled the room.
"You seek knowledge… but are you ready for the truth?"
Zayne's breath hitched. The voice was inside his head. No—it was inside all of them. He could tell by the way the others froze, their eyes wide with alarm.
Seraphina's hands glowed faintly with magic. "Something's here."
The shadows convulsed, then solidified into a form. A tall figure cloaked in darkness, its face obscured by the shifting void.
Malo drew his sword instantly. "Oh, hell no."
The figure didn't move, but the pressure in the room increased.
"Eldric Voss was a fool," the voice murmured. "He sought the power but could not control it. And now you follow in his path."
Zayne forced himself to step forward. "Who are you?"
The figure tilted its head. "One who has seen the abyss… and returned."
The shadows flared, and suddenly, Zayne was no longer in his room.
A Glimpse into the Past
Zayne stood in a vast hall, ancient and crumbling. The walls were lined with bookshelves, filled with tomes older than anything he had ever seen. The air crackled with raw energy.
And in the center stood a man.
Tall, draped in dark robes, his silver hair was streaked with black veins, and his eyes glowed an eerie violet. He radiated power—unstable, terrifying power.
Eldric Voss.
Zayne instinctively reached for his sword, but his hand passed through his weapon. He wasn't really here. This was a memory.
Eldric stood before a massive, rune-covered circle on the floor. Black mist rose from its center, swirling violently. He lifted his hands, his voice a deep, commanding whisper.
"I will not be bound by fate. I will not be shackled by mortality."
The runes glowed. The mist thickened.
Zayne could feel the power, and it was wrong. Twisted. It clawed at him, pulling at something deep within his soul.
Then the shadows screamed.
The circle collapsed, and from the abyss rose a monstrous figure—void-like, eyes burning like dying stars. It reached for Eldric—
And then everything shattered.
Back to Reality
Zayne gasped, stumbling back into his room. His body was drenched in sweat, his breathing ragged. The others were watching him, concerned.
"You just blanked out," Tallesia said. "What happened?"
Zayne swallowed, his voice hoarse. "I saw him. Eldric Voss. I saw how he… lost control."
Seraphina's expression darkened. "That means we're dealing with something worse than forbidden magic."
Zayne nodded, his mind racing. "This isn't just about history. The things he awakened—they're still here."
Malo ran a hand through his hair. "Great. So what now? We go tell Solomon and hope he doesn't lock us in a dungeon?"
Zayne clenched his fists. "No. We find out the truth."
Because whatever had started decades ago…
It wasn't over yet.