Chapter 18 – The Second Wave of Darkness
The sky hung in gray silence, caught between night and dawn. Smoke drifted like ghosts between the towers of the Academy Island. The air was thick with blood and burning stone — the scent of war refusing to fade.
The demons came again.
But this time, they did not come as beasts. They marched — shields aligned, spears gleaming black, wings slicing through the fog. This was no assault. It was an invasion.
"The barrier's collapsing!" a guard shouted. Lucien didn't even look up. "Hold the northern gate! Seraphine isn't back yet—if it falls, we're finished!"
Seryn gripped his sword. Heat pulsed through his fingers — the lingering hum of the ritual inside his veins. His heart pounded fast, but his face stayed calm. Fear had already burned away. Only instinct remained.
"Formation Delta!" Lucien barked. "Ardan, left flank. Elira, rear support!"
Ardan tightened the bloody bandage around his shoulder. "This is the second wave? Insulting." Seryn gave a faint, sharp smile. "Respect belongs to those who live."
The first demon lunged.
Lucien moved first, aura blade flashing. Seryn sidestepped, reading the creature's rhythm. His sword slipped between the armor plates — a metallic snap and a spurt of dark blood. The body hit the ground before the scream could escape its throat.
Stone trembled as the next line advanced. Kaelor's roar cut through the chaos. "Hold your ground!" His greatsword cleaved a horned fiend in half. Sparks burst where steel met bone. Behind him, Seralis raised a circle of azure flame, burning a swarm of Shriekers mid-dive. Their bodies vanished in bursts of steam and ash.
At the library courtyard, Seryn's team formed a defensive line. "They're flanking from the side corridor!" Elira shouted. "I'll seal it," Seryn answered without hesitation.
"Don't go alone," Elira warned. "I'm not alone," he said quietly. "Time walks with me."
Two shadowlings waited in the narrow passage. Seryn stepped forward. The first struck — predictable. One clean sidestep, a low slash through the ribs. The second came from behind. He hit the wall, twisted, and drove his knee into the creature's gut before smashing the hilt of his sword into its skull. The corridor fell silent.
"Seal it!" Leon lifted his hand from afar, tracing lightning into the cracks of the wall. The stone groaned, heated, and collapsed — sealing the way shut.
When Seryn returned to the courtyard, whispers followed him.
"His eyes… gold?" "There's silver running through his arm." "Is that even the same guy?"
He heard every word. He simply didn't care.
Kemer Hall erupted in another explosion. Ardan's lightning arced through the smoke, blood soaking his sleeve. "We're not ready for this!" Lucien's shout came back, fierce and unbroken. "We weren't meant to be ready!"
Rurik slammed his hammer into a pillar base. The arch cracked — two winged fiends lost balance, one falling to Lucien's sword, the other to Seryn's quick blade. Blood hit the stone, hissing like rain on fire.
Kaelor's voice roared over the chaos. "Eyes on your comrades, not the sky!" Even in battle, he commanded order like gravity.
Seralis shouted back from across the courtyard. "One more minute—then I'll break their line!" Elira knelt, tracing a tangle of light across the floor with Mira. The runes pulsed once… then sank into the ground, humming.
Seryn listened. "Do you hear that rhythm?" he asked. Lucien frowned. "Yeah. Like someone's counting for them." "They are," Seryn said, glancing upward. "The one giving orders is up there."
The earth shook. Three shapes appeared above the clouds — flame, frost, and shadow. Even from that distance, their presence pressed on the lungs. Leon's voice cracked. "What… are those?" Kaelor shouted, "Don't look! Stay focused!"
A shiver ran through Seryn's chest — the ritual core flared, gold light bleeding through his skin. Elira's eyes widened. "You're glowing." "I'm fighting," he replied simply.
The shapes loomed, unmoving — waiting. Then the sky split open.
A ring of runes burned across the courtyard, lines of golden light spiraling upward. An arcane teleportation circle flared alive — and from within it stepped a man.
Black hair. Black eyes. A face marked by battle and burden — a middle-aged figure clad in a cloak torn by wind and blood. His presence alone bent the air around him.
Valen Arclight had returned.
He had been inspecting the outer defense lines when the alarm rune reached him. Now, through raw force of will and broken coordinates, he'd forced an emergency teleport to the heart of the Academy. His boots struck the stone, and the light faded behind him.
"Seraphine!" His voice carried through the smoke, steady yet commanding. "Hold the students. I'll handle the rest."
Seraphine turned, disbelief flashing in her eyes. "You came through the outer wards? That's suicide!" Valen's lips curved faintly. "Then it's good I'm not easy to kill."
He lifted his gaze to the heavens. The golden rings reflected in his black irises. "Prepare yourselves," he said. "The real battle begins now."
And for a heartbeat, the world fell still. Wind stopped. Ash froze midair.
The island itself seemed to listen.
Seryn looked up, eyes blazing gold, his reflection shimmering in Valen's dark gaze. He whispered only two words—words no one else could hear.
"The chain is here."
And the sky exploded.
💬 Author's Note: Valen's sudden arrival turns the tide — but this war is far from over. Leave a comment, share your thoughts, and stay with the Chain. Every voice strengthens the next link. ⚔️