«You're late,» a man with milky hair and sinister violet eyes says to us — a shade similar to Viktoria's, yet far more disturbing. His voice makes it clear he's impatient, likely annoyed by the long wait. He's perched on a stool exactly where Professor Morgana Lustsilk told us to meet—chamber twelve of an old inn buried in the outermost slums of the Arcanvia district.
«We had a setback,» I explain calmly, not wanting to irritate him further.
«So I noticed,» he mutters.
Then he casts a quick glance at Selene. «The girl with you unleashed a surge of magic just now. Not exactly the best way to stay unnoticed. I trust you had the sense to make sure no one was tailing you before coming here.»
«I'd like to see you cut down twenty men in a single blow without drawing attention!» Selene snaps back arrogantly. «Anyway, don't worry. We're not as reckless as you think!»
The man chuckles darkly, shaking his head.
«Ah, you're nothing but beginners…»
«Excuse me?! Do you have any idea who you're talking to?!» Selene snaps, her voice edged with nerves.
The tension in the air is palpable, and every attempt I make to calm her only fuels the fire. I just hope she doesn't get us both into trouble...
«Of course I know who you are. In this kingdom anyone would know Prince Jade Kyndrake. And you, if I'm not mistaken, must be Selene Amarasse. I saw your last match at the academy tournament — the one where you were humiliated and defeated by a first-year student. You've got some nerve shouting at me, when you're nothing but weak,» he mocks.
Selene flies into a rage.
«WHAAAAT?! YOU WORTHLESS SON OF A BITCH! I'LL RAM THOSE WORDS BACK DOWN YOUR THROAT! GET OFF THAT DAMN STOOL AND FACE ME IF YOU'VE GOT THE BALLS! I'LL SLAP THAT STUPID GRIN RIGHT OFF YOUR FACE!» Selene explodes. It takes all my strength to hold her back and stop her from throwing herself at our host.
«You know our names, but we can't say the same about you,» I say suspiciously, once I've managed to rein in Selene's fury, though she's still spitting insults.
«My name is Vadim Thalukvar,» he says flatly. He pauses briefly, perhaps to give us time to memorize it, or maybe because he expected some kind of reaction at the sound of his name—but neither Selene nor I have ever even heard the name, let alone his house.
«Pleased to make your acquaintance,» he adds. «Morgana spoke at length about you and your other friends. She told me you're a rather promising bunch.»
«Yeah, all of us are so strong! Clearly, she understands way more than you!» Selene retorts.
I doubt Vadim was talking about raw talent. I clearly remember she said that not only I, but also Selene, Viktoria, Jasmine, and Arielle have a strong aptitude for learning Shadow Magic. He must be talking about that… this situation unsettles me.
Vadim pushes himself up from the stool and takes a few steps toward me.
I don't back down, not a single step, even though every cell in my body wants to. He terrifies me for reasons I can't grasp. But in front of Selene, there's no way I'll let her see me afraid or weak.
«Hand me the tome,» he says, holding out his hand toward me.
I pull it from the inner pocket of my tattered cloak and hand it over.
He rips it from my grasp with greedy impatience, as if he craved it more than anything else in the world.
«Little brats, do you have any idea what's hidden within these pages?» he asks, his eyes still fixed on the tome, sealed in an odd black rectangular case the same size as the book—an open-ended case that can only be opened by someone who knows the proper formula.
I only give a faint shake of my head.
«If Morgana decided not to tell you, she surely had her reasons,» Vadim remarks. Then he slides the tome into the drawer of a desk beside him. He sits back down on the same stool as before, then motions for us to sit down.
«Talking with you wasn't part of the deal with Morgana, so I'm leaving,» I reply. I have no intention of staying another minute in here, partly out of fear the professors might notice our absence from Astralea and, above all, because of the unease and looming sense of danger he radiates.
«Oh, so you're not interested in knowing more about the Demon Crystals?»
I freeze on the spot.
«And how do you know about that?!» I retort nervously.
«Morgana told me that, as a reward for delivering this tome, she promised you a special private lesson on Demon Crystals. She's a woman of her word, but I believe she omitted one crucial detail—namely, who would be giving you that lesson.»
The surroundings suddenly darken, devoured by an endless abyss of pure darkness stretching without end in every direction. The walls of the room, the stools, the desk, the bed, even the floor—all vanish. Nothing remains around us but the void. My feet no longer touch anything solid, as though I were suspended in midair.
«Vadim, what the hell is going on?!» I shout, angry and afraid.
Instinctively, I grab Selene's hand—her body shakes as never before, and not a single word leaves her lips.
What kind of magic is this?! I've never seen anything like this!
«You know, brats, I've always believed practice is far more useful than theory. Jade Kyndrake, since you're so skeptical about the existence of Demon Crystals... I'll make you experience the power of one firsthand!»
«You've got to be kidding me! Don't tell me you—»
But I don't even have time to finish the sentence before my worst fears come true.
«Demon Crystal Release: Valthorax, the Nightmares Devourer!»