I awoke in a vast assembly hall, surrounded by unfamiliar faces. On the podium stood a strange man, addressing the crowd.
"Welcome to Pulsies Sorcerer School," he announced in a dull, uninterested voice. "Here, the strong may trample the weak. There are no rules, only power. Happiness is reserved for those who rise above others."
His words barely reached me. My senses felt fogged. Everything happening before me seemed both surreal and vivid, like a dream I couldn't escape. My vision was blurry, and my head was tilted downward. I couldn't focus on anything but the strangeness of it all.
When I finally looked up, I noticed the students ahead of me beginning to file out of the hall in an orderly line. With no idea where I was or what else to do, I followed.
As I walked, the air around me thickened. Tension pressed against my skin. Whispers echoed around me, hushed voices speaking of me with disdain or curiosity. I could feel their stares—cold, cautious, unwelcoming.
Then, a firm hand landed on my shoulder.
"Follow me, boy," said a man behind me.
I turned instinctively. The man wore a neat suit and glasses, his expression stern. His brown eyes held no warmth. Something about him felt… unnatural.
Acting on instinct, I shoved him backward.
Gasps erupted around me.
A group of students quickly surrounded me, eyes sharp with offense.
A boy stepped in front of the others, silencing them with a wave of his hand. He had fair skin, piercing grey eyes, and golden linings on the collar of his uniform.
"Now that," he said calmly, "is something I would never do. Pushing a higher-ranked sorcerer… reckless."
He looked at me as though analyzing a puzzle he couldn't quite solve.
"I am Xholdir—"
"I do not care," I interrupted sharply.
Silence fell.
Suddenly, golden light shimmered around him. His entire body glowed with divine brilliance as he glared at me. His expression had shifted—now it burned with unrestrained fury.
"Light Sorcerer Spell: Condensed Beam of Radiance!" he shouted.
Beams of concentrated golden light surged toward me.
Then—darkness.
Complete, consuming darkness. I was weightless, drifting in a void.
"Did I die?" I asked myself silently. "Was that spell too much for me?"
Or perhaps… this was just a dream. One I would awaken from at any moment.
Thousands of thoughts raced through my head. But none gave me comfort.
Then, I saw it.
A figure emerged above me. Thin. Dark. Ethereal. It had no clear form, yet I could feel its presence everywhere—around me, behind me, and directly in front of me, all at once. Time seemed to still in its presence.
It spoke.
> "Thou art not lost, child of fate, but chosen.
In thee lies the breath of shadow and silence—
the gift of the ancient and forgotten.
I bestow upon thee the dominion over dark energy.
Wield it not in rage nor pride,
but as a blade to restore the harmony of realms.
Heed these words, for power unbridled
begets chaos unending."
The voice was cold, yet steady. Deep, yet soothing. It did not strike fear in me—it planted something else.
Purpose.
I felt it. A weightless sense of duty… of responsibility.
But beneath that new feeling lay a simple question:
Who am I?
Where is this place?
Why me?
---
Suddenly, the dark void vanished.
I was back—standing exactly where the battle had begun.
Xholdir's golden beam of light was still rushing toward me.
It struck.
But I didn't flinch.
The attack washed over me like a wave over a boulder. Not a scratch. Not even a push. I stood there, unshaken.
The entire courtyard gasped in disbelief.
"What… what could this possibly mean?" Xholdir said, his voice no longer calm but tinged with disbelief. "Did that boy just tank one of my attacks?"
His aura flared violently—brighter, heavier, more aggressive than before. It became hard to breathe.
Behind the crowd, the man I had pushed earlier now stood quietly, arms crossed, a knowing smirk stretching across his face.
"Light Sorcerer Spell: Guardian of Souls — Special Stage!" Xholdir bellowed.
Golden armor instantly materialized around him, glowing with ancient runes. A radiant sword formed in the air in front of him, its hilt suspended at arm's length. He grasped it and took a fighting stance. His expression was no longer noble—it was bloodthirsty.
"Combat me," he snarled.
His voice was sharp. Excitement danced with venom.
Before I could even brace myself, he lunged at full speed.
I barely saw it coming.
Instinct took over.
I sidestepped at the last second, his blade narrowly missing me. My perception… it had changed. I could feel his movements before they even happened, like time itself slowed for me.
I appeared behind him in a blur.
Gasps rippled across the crowd again.
"Did he just outpace a Light Sorcerer?"
Without hesitation, I clenched my fist and drove it forward with everything I had.
It landed.
But not as I expected.
My fist went straight through his back—bursting out through his chest.
Blood sprayed in both directions, falling like mist on the silent courtyard.
His head slumped to the side.
His body went limp.
And in that moment—I knew.
He was dead.
I slowly pulled my hand back, trembling. The warmth of his blood clung to my fingers, thick and unreal. My breath caught in my throat.
Students screamed and ran in all directions, fleeing the scene in a blur of chaos.
I just stood there—frozen, hollow, cold.
What… have I done?
My chest tightened. My stomach twisted in guilt. It wasn't supposed to end like this. I only wanted answers. Not this.
Not death.
Suddenly, I felt a hand on my shoulder.
But this time… I recognized it.
It was the same man I had shoved earlier—the one who told me to follow him.
He was standing close, leaning slightly, his glasses catching the light.
A dark, sadistic gleam lit his eyes. A chilling smile curled on his face—subtle, yet full of something wickedly thrilled.
"You just killed someone," he said softly. His voice was smooth, calm… amused. "Is that not exciting?"
The words hit harder than any spell. Not for their volume, but for their meaning.
Exciting?
I stared forward, unable to respond, a
s the echoes of the crowd faded behind me.
My mind was a whirlwind of guilt, confusion, and fear.
What is this world?
What kind of place have I been dragged into?
And what… have I become?
To be continued..