The corridors of Celestia Divinity Academy gleamed with pale luminescence, moonlight weaving through the stained-glass windows that depicted the seven elemental thrones. The air felt calm for once—after the pressure of divine beings and that silent stare from Rein Clark, Eryndor almost welcomed the quiet hum of the night.
Kaelus stretched as they climbed the last set of stairs toward their dormitory wing. "You know, for a place where everyone's supposed to be one step away from becoming a god, it smells a lot like sweat and divine arrogance."
Eryndor smirked faintly. "Maybe that's the perfume of ascension."
"Or the stench of overconfidence." Kaelus shot him a grin. "Guess which one fits Rein Clark better?"
"Don't make me choose."
They turned the corner into their dorm suite—three beds neatly arranged, sunlight filtering through the balcony curtains. Only two of the beds had belongings on them: Eryndor's plain, orderly space, and Kaelus's half-chaotic pile of robes and books.
But the third bed… wasn't empty anymore.
A young man sat on it, his posture straight, a dark coat thrown loosely over his shoulders. His black hair shimmered faintly with a purplish tint under the moonlight, and his eyes—gray, calm, unreadable—followed their every step.
Kaelus blinked. "You're new. Or we are. Depends on perspective."
The stranger didn't look up. "I arrived an hour ago. They told me I'd be sharing a room with two 'promising candidates.'" He closed the book in his hand. "Still waiting to see why."
Kaelus made a mock gasp. "He's got personality. I like him already."
Eryndor approached calmly. "Name?"
"Darius Mike. Shadow element."
Kaelus nodded approvingly. "Nice to meet you, Darius. I'm Kaelus Magna—Wind element, social genius, occasional romantic disaster. And this brooding guy beside me is Eryndor Nasarik—lightning and storm, chronic overthinker."
Eryndor elbowed him lightly. "Ignore half of that introduction."
Darius tilted his head slightly. "Nasarik…" His tone carried something unreadable—recognition, maybe curiosity. "You wouldn't happen to be that Nasarik, would you?"
Eryndor frowned slightly. "Depends which one you've heard of."
Darius's lips curved faintly. "The one who made the Archsage of Vaelith kneel during the Vorathrax incident."
Kaelus looked between them. "Well, damn. News travels faster than divine energy."
Darius finally stood. Up close, there was something different about him—his aura didn't pulse like normal divine energy. It was quiet, yet dense, like a hidden tide waiting to rise. The darkness around him wasn't menacing—it was controlled, obedient.
Eryndor extended a hand. "Let's get along, Darius."
The boy regarded the hand for a second before clasping it briefly. "If you can keep up."
Kaelus groaned. "Oh great. Another stoic one."
Dawn.
The bells of the academy chimed thrice, echoing across the vast halls. Every student gathered in the central arena—marble pillars surrounding a floating crystalline core pulsing with light.
Eryndor, Kaelus, and Darius stood among hundreds of new recruits, the morning sun cutting golden rays across the amphitheater.
Dean Marcellus Vane appeared above them once again, his silver hair gleaming like spun moonlight. "By decree of the Celestia Council," he announced, "today marks the Divine Assignment Ceremony. From this moment onward, your paths will diverge—each to a division that reflects your resonance with the elemental laws."
Floating rings appeared above each student's head, glowing with the color of their dominant element.
Blue for water.
Red for fire.
Green for wind.
Yellow for lightning.
And black for shadow.
Kaelus's halo spun into emerald hues, dancing like a storm breeze. "Ooooh, stylish!"
Eryndor's pulsed with stormlight, a sharp blend of gold and azure. The resonance drew a few looks from nearby candidates—it was too stable, too refined for a mere mortal-born.
Darius's, however… didn't glow at all.
It flickered once, then went completely black—swallowing even the ambient light around it. A low hum rippled through the arena.
Marcellus's gaze sharpened. "Interesting…"
Eryndor turned to him. "What's happening?"
Darius's eyes narrowed, his calm composure faltering slightly. "I don't know. This isn't normal."
Then—
The crystal core at the center of the arena pulsed violently.
The symbols carved across its surface began to invert, glowing with colors that didn't belong to this realm—dark gold, faint violet, something that made reality itself seem to tremble.
Marcellus's voice rose sharply. "Everyone, step back! That resonance isn't—"
The crystal cracked.
A blinding flash erupted, sending everyone sprawling backward. When the light cleared, Darius stood alone in the center of the platform—his body surrounded by faint threads of shadow and… something else.
A second halo had appeared above his head—this one faintly golden, but inverted, its radiance cold and divine.
Kaelus coughed, shielding his eyes. "What in all elements was that!?"
Eryndor's gaze hardened. "Dual resonance…"
But even that wasn't it. He could feel something beyond—something that didn't belong to this plane. The air around Darius twisted faintly, bending like it was trying to move away from him.
Marcellus looked utterly stunned. "Impossible… a resonance with two divine laws. Shadow and—"
Before he could finish, the golden halo flickered—then shattered like glass. A gust of invisible energy swept through the plaza, and for a brief, chilling instant, everyone heard a voice.
Not from above. Not from around.
From beyond.
"The heir has awakened. The seal weakens. The Black Sun watches."
Every student froze.
Even the lesser deities among the staff stepped back, faces pale.
Kaelus whispered, "Tell me that's just some weird initiation ritual."
Eryndor didn't answer. His lightning flickered faintly across his hand.
Darius staggered, gripping his head, his voice hoarse. "I—I didn't… mean to…"
Marcellus's expression turned grave. "Take him to the Sanctum Chamber—now!"
Guards rushed in, but before they reached him, Darius looked directly at Eryndor. His gray eyes weren't calm anymore—they burned with something ancient, something buried.
"Eryndor… you saw it too, didn't you?"
The world seemed to darken for a second, the faint echo of that same alien voice whispering through the cracks of reality.
And as Darius collapsed, his shadow stretched unnaturally—forming for just an instant the faint silhouette of a Black Sun.
Eryndor's breath caught. His storm aura flickered in silent recognition.
He'd seen that same image.
In his dreams.
In the higher realm.
And now… it was awake.