Lucian kept thinking.
What kind of training did they even offer at that academy?
Had Lumi ever tried this spell herself?
Or had she been a part of the Dark Council before her death.
A student who had completed her lessons in secret?
Questions swirled through his head like smoke in a sealed room. A plan was forming.
He needed to find the Dark Council. He needed to get inside their academy.
But everyone knew who he was.
His name, his face, and his story; all of it was known across the lands.
If they saw him, they would recognize him immediately. He could not risk walking through their gates without a mask of shadows.
The protective runes carved into his chest were fading fast. Their dim light pulsed weakly, counting down the final hours of his safety.
Lucian stood amid piles of books, the faint glow of a dying lamp flickering over the open pages.
The house was silent except for the sound of paper turning under his restless fingers. He flipped through one tome after another, searching for something that could help him.
He just needed one spell that would make a difference.
As he read, an idea struck him. The Dark Council was already looking for him.
What if he didn't run?
What if he let them find him but convinced them that the resurrection spell had failed?
If he appeared desperate to learn, perhaps they would see potential instead of rebellion. If he could step inside their walls, he could learn their secrets… and one day use them against them.
He already knew enough spells to defend himself, both offensively and defensively. If they attacked, he could retaliate.
He had nothing left to lose.
The decision settled in his mind like a blade pressed against stone.
He would hide Lumi. He would protect the house.
And when the protection runes disappeared, he would be ready.
He began his preparations immediately.
Gathering the dusty old tomes from the shelves, he laid them open across the table.
His lips moved silently as he read the symbols, the strange syllables, the invocations of power. Each rune etched itself into his memory.
He started with basic protections, the kind of spells a novice would use to survive a duel.
He cast what he called the Personal Shield, a thin veil that blurred his physical outline.
Then came Fireguard, followed by the Icebind Barrier.
Each spell surrounded him in a faint shimmer of energy, layers of invisible defense. Together they wove a web around his body, ready to reflect harm back to its source.
His hands trembled with exhaustion, but he did not stop.
Sleep had long abandoned him. He muttered the words like a prayer, his breath steady, his gaze locked on the glowing pages.
Then, suddenly, a familiar blue light shimmered before him.
His heart skipped a beat.
The glowing symbols of the system materialized midair.
[Side Quest Unlocked]
Quest Title: Trace of the Soulstone
Objective: Locate and recover the Soulstone / an artifact capable of holding fragmented souls.
Details: Legends speak of the Soulstone as a vessel forged by the Dark Council to trap wandering essences. It is said that the one who restores it can command both life and death.
Time Limit: None
Reward: Unknown / possible restoration of soul fragment.
Lucian's breath caught in his throat.
A side quest.
The system itself was guiding him now.
If he found this Soulstone, he could bring Lumi's soul back. It was the first real path he had seen in months.
He turned toward Lumi.
Her dark eyes stared back at him, empty but obedient. He searched her gaze for even a flicker of recognition but found only stillness.
He exhaled slowly and spoke.
"This is a side quest," he said quietly.
"To bring your soul back, we need to start this mission. I'll try to join the Dark Council. If I can reach their academy, I can learn the rituals you once wrote about."
He paused, staring into her face, hoping for some kind of reaction. There was none.
Lumi remained perfectly still, waiting for the next command.
And then, the air shifted.
The runes on his chest flared one last time before dimming entirely. Pain shot through him as the sigils burned out.
His breath came ragged, but he didn't scream.
He simply watched as the faint red glow vanished from beneath his skin. The spell had expired.
Outside, the glass window darkened. The emblem of the Dark Council, the three-headed serpent. Reappeared on the surface like a scar forming anew.
Their gaze had returned.
They knew.
Lucian clenched his fists. He didn't want to wait any longer. If he was going to act, it had to be now.
He would walk into their den of monsters but not as prey.
They could never know his true goal.
He would make them believe he had chosen the dark.
He would study their magic, learn their ways, and when the time came… he would tear them apart from within.
He no longer trusted either side. Light nor Dark.
Both were hungry for control. Lucian would trust only himself.
He didn't even need to fetch a spellbook anymore. The rituals were etched into his mind.
And one in particular burned brighter than the rest, a summoning spell he had once practiced when he first began studying magic.
The ritual to summon the hunters of the Dark Council.
If he was going to reach them, this was the way.
He gripped his staff tightly, its crystal tip pulsing faintly as he whispered the old incantation.
"Thren'val ossa mirath, ko'en vel dralun, saelith kor veyra."
The final syllable echoed through the air like a spark striking steel. A crimson beam shot down from the ceiling, cutting through the shadows.
Dust and ash spiraled upward as the temperature dropped sharply.
Two shapes began to form inside the red haze. Armored silhouettes, tall and cloaked, their faces hidden behind masks of obsidian.
The hunters of the Dark Council had arrived.
They stepped forward, weapons drawn, the sound of steel humming in the charged air. Lucian raised a hand quickly.
"I summoned you to talk," he said, his tone calm and unwavering.
"Please, don't harm me. My name is Lucian. I wish to serve the Dark Council. Teach me your ways. I only seek knowledge."
His words were measured and humble. He needed to earn their trust.
If they saw his sincerity, they might listen.
If they refused, he could always strike first. His staff already hummed with energy at his side.
For a few tense seconds, the hunters said nothing. Then, one of them stepped closer.
The air around him pulsed with darkness.
When he spoke, his voice was deep and hollow, like stone grinding against bone.
"To join the Dark Council," the hunter said, "you must spill blood."
Lucian froze. The hunter continued.
"You must shed the blood of another and feel every pain they ever endured. Only through shared agony will the darkness accept you. If you survive, we shall meet again. We will return in one hour."
The two hunters turned to dust, dissolving into black mist that scattered through the room before vanishing completely.
The silence they left behind was heavier than any threat. Lucian's heartbeat echoed in his ears.
He lowered his hand slowly and stared at the spot where they had stood.
A real trial. A test that demanded blood.
He sank to his knees, staring at the floor.
Could he do it?
Could he really kill an innocent soul?
His hands clenched until his knuckles turned white. His gaze darkened. Murdering the innocent was the gravest sin of all.
He had seen enough blood in his life. But now the command came from within himself.
A ritual of blood, that was the price of admission.
If he did this, the Dark Council would open its doors to him. If he refused, Lumi's soul might remain lost forever.
He could learn from them, infiltrate their academy, and understand the secret art of true resurrection.
But at what cost?
Would he still be Lucian when it was done?
The thought made his stomach twist. His heart battled itself, half burning with determination, half drowning in guilt.
He remembered Lumi's voice, her laughter, and her warmth.
Those memories felt distant now, wrapped in fog.
He had once been a man of justice. Now, he stood on the edge of darkness.
Time was slipping away. The hunters would return in one hour. Lucian had to decide before then.
Would he take a life to save the one he loved?
Or would he defy the dark and risk losing her forever?
He stood and walked toward the window. The serpent emblem shimmered faintly on the glass, glowing in rhythm with his heartbeat.
Outside, night and dawn blended together. A world caught between two halves, just like him.
Lucian pressed a hand against his chest, feeling the faint heat of the vanished runes.
His eyes narrowed.
He whispered, almost to himself:
"Could I really do it?
Could I kill the innocent?"