Chapter 14 – Flames of the Night
That night, the air over the academy island felt heavier than ever before. The sky was shrouded beneath a curtain of black, the moonlight swallowed by clouds. Silence weighed down on the land — no birds sang, no beasts stirred in the forest beyond. It was as if nature itself had sensed the calamity about to unfold and held its breath.
Seryn stood by his dormitory window, a familiar tightness twisting in his chest. It was a feeling he remembered well — the same foreboding that had gripped him moments before death in his past life. Something deep within him whispered the truth: It's coming.
Moments later, the stillness was shattered by the sound of alarm bells echoing from the academy's central tower.
— Ding… Ding… Ding…
Seryn's eyes widened. That sound could only mean one thing: an attack.
The corridors erupted into chaos. Students screamed and shoved, trying to flee. Guards and instructors shouted orders, attempting to maintain order, but fear had already taken hold of the academy.
"This… this can't be…" Elira whispered, rushing up beside him. "The barrier… it shouldn't have fallen…"
"Then it has," Seryn replied coldly, strapping his sword to his shoulder. Without hesitation, he stepped outside. With every step, his heartbeat grew faster.
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By the time they reached the central courtyard, the night sky was split apart by a massive crimson rift. From within poured creatures with blood-red eyes and twisted, humanoid shapes. They were D-class demons — and they numbered in the hundreds. Behind them came larger, armored beasts with razor-sharp fangs — C-class monsters, stronger and deadlier.
The protective barrier surrounding the academy trembled with every strike, the magical lattice visibly weakening. Guards scrambled to form defensive lines, mages frantically reinforcing the barrier with spells.
"Form a defensive line! Evacuate the students!" shouted an instructor.
Lucien was already on the front lines. His blade flashed under the moonlight as he cut through the first wave. His movements were swift, precise, deadly — but the tide of enemies seemed endless.
"Elira! Barrier!"
"On it!"
Elira raised her hands, summoning a shimmering green shield that enveloped the students. Seryn remained behind her, moving with sharp reflexes and deadly precision honed by ritual and past battles. Every demon he cut down made his breath heavier, his muscles ache more — but stopping was not an option. Stopping meant dying.
---
A thunderous explosion rocked the northern gate. Hundreds more demons surged inward. Students screamed as panic gripped them. Some lost control of their spells and injured themselves. Others were torn apart mid-flight, shredded by demonic claws.
This was no longer training. This was war — a battle for survival.
A student running past Seryn was suddenly lifted into the air and split clean in half by a massive claw. Blood sprayed across Seryn's face. His hands trembled, but his eyes remained cold. Death… was here once again.
"Fall back!" shouted an instructor. "We can't hold this position!"
But it was already too late. The second wave had arrived.
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A massive shadow descended from the sky, slamming into the courtyard with bone-shaking force. The ground split beneath its weight. The creature stood four meters tall, its body armored with scale-like plates, its claws strong enough to shatter magical barriers in a single swipe. This one was far stronger — at least C-peak, perhaps even approaching B-class.
"A commander…" Lucien muttered.
The battlefield fell silent. The creature didn't speak, but its mere presence was enough. Facing it was like shaking hands with death itself.
"Fall back!" yelled an instructor. But the creature had already leapt forward. With one swing, it cleaved an instructor in two. Blood sprayed across the stone floor. Screams filled the night. There was no longer any chance of retreat.
"We need a plan!" shouted Elira.
"There's no time," Seryn replied. "If we don't stop it here, everyone dies."
Lucien gritted his teeth. "Then we fight together."
---
A four-person team — Seryn, Lucien, Elira, and Ardan — charged toward the monster.
Ardan… Seryn knew that name well. In the story he once read, Ardan had always been Lucien's greatest rival. They shared the same goals but were never allies in spirit. A prodigy of lightning magic, Ardan surpassed Lucien in certain areas and had always challenged him for the title of future hero. They had been forced onto the same team, but their rivalry was infamous — their cooperation, volatile.
"Stay out of my way," Ardan hissed.
"I wasn't planning to," Lucien shot back.
Elira unleashed a wave of defensive spells, clearing a path. Lucien clashed with the demon's claws head-on. Seryn darted behind the creature, aiming for its knees. Ardan unleashed a storm of lightning from above.
The beast was monstrously powerful. Their combined strikes pushed it back only a few steps. Seryn was thrown to the ground multiple times, ribs cracking, but he climbed to his feet again and again. Fear gnawed at his resolve, but retreat was unthinkable.
Lucien's blade slashed across the demon's eye. Elira cast a slowing spell. Seryn swung with precision, targeting the creature's legs. Ardan's lightning struck in sync, and together their assault sent the beast staggering before it crashed to the ground.
For a brief moment, the battlefield fell silent.
"Is it… over?" Elira whispered.
The creature roared and surged back to its feet. Its massive claw swept across the courtyard. Seryn barely rolled aside, but a student behind him wasn't so lucky — their body was torn apart in midair. Blood rained down on the stone floor.
"No…" Lucien growled. "It's not over yet."
And the battle raged on.
This was only the first night.
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💭 The gates of hell have opened… and the chain remains unbroken.