NOVEL NEXT Chapter 84: Flashback
The chaos of the attack echoed in my ears as I steadied my breath, preparing for the confrontation ahead.
Amidst the panic, my mind wandered back to the enemy's sudden appearance, my thoughts racing to piece together how things had escalated to this point.
Why would someone dare attack RAA: Cindralock so brazenly?
The academy, renowned for its might and legacy, was supposed to be impenetrable, a safe haven.
As I gathered my thoughts, a flashback unfolded in my mind, revealing the dark past of the man now threatening our sanctuary.
FIFTEEN YEARS AGO
In the grand, dimly lit halls of RAA: Cindralock, a promising young teacher named Malachi thrived.
He was brilliant, magnetic, the kind of person who could command attention with a mere glance or a few well-chosen words.
His intellect was second to none, and he quickly gained a reputation as one of the academy's most innovative and captivating instructors.
Students were drawn to his unconventional lessons, and many faculty members admired his forward-thinking approach to magic.
He was an academic star, and everyone believed he would one day be remembered as one of the academy's greatest contributors.
However, beneath the charm and brilliance lay an insatiable hunger for more than just knowledge Malachi yearned for power.
His fascination with the Arcane energy arts took a darker turn as he delved into forbidden realms of dungeon manipulation, exploring secrets that no mortal was meant to understand.
It wasn't long before he began conducting private, unsanctioned experiments, pushing the boundaries of ethical magic, all under the guise of "pioneering research."
Some students whispered that his classrooms felt different cold, even hostile. Strange occurrences were frequent, but his charm seemed to obscure any real concerns.
Those who questioned him were met with subtle, unnerving warnings that discouraged further curiosity.
Unbeknownst to most, Malachi was testing spells on his own students, using them as subjects for experiments that would bend reality itself.
But not everyone was blinded by his charm. The academy's Chancellor, Hans Wagner, A vigilant guardian and powerful mage, felt a creeping unease whenever he crossed paths with Malachi.
Rumors had begun to spread, whispers that students had disappeared from classes or acted erratically after spending time in his lessons.
Hans Wagner knew that his duty to the academy meant he couldn't ignore these concerns.
His commitment to the academy's values demanded a thorough investigation, even if it meant questioning one of the academy's brightest stars.
Then came the night that forever changed the legacy of RAA Cindralock .
Under the cover of darkness, Hans Wagner ventured into the older, lesser-used wings of the academy, guided by a faint, unsettling presence that pulled him toward Malachi's hidden chamber.
The journey was harrowing he could feel an unnatural chill in the air, a distortion of the academy's familiar energy that raised every hair on his neck.
His instincts screamed danger, but his resolve to uncover the truth kept him moving.
When Hans Wagner entered the chamber, what he found chilled him to his core.
Malachi stood at the center of a ritual circle, his face twisted in a grotesque expression of obsession and triumph.
Around him, several of his students were restrained by complex spells, their eyes wide with terror, the life seemingly drained from their bodies.
The room was thick with dark energy, the kind that left an indelible mark on the soul.
"Malachi!" Wagner's voice rang through the chamber, filled with an anger and heartbreak that shook the very walls.
"What madness have you brought upon this sacred place?"
Caught in the act, Malachi's face flickered from shock to fury.
The genial mask he wore for the academy shattered, revealing the true depths of his ambition.
He snarled, refusing to let anyone ruin his grand plans.
The confrontation quickly escalated as Malachi unleashed a torrent of forbidden spells, bending the fabric of reality around him in a desperate attempt to escape and salvage his twisted experiment.
But Wagner, though saddened, was not unprepared.
His deep bond with the academy gave him strength, enabling him to counter each of Malachi's attacks with spells of equal force.
The chamber erupted in flashes of light, a fierce duel between a noble protector and a fallen genius.
Malachi's power was formidable, but his intentions were corrupt, and Wagner's conviction ultimately triumphed.
In a final surge, Wagner managed to subdue Malachi, binding him with spells designed to restrain even the most dangerous mages.
Malachi's trial was swift and unforgiving. The council of mages deemed him a grave threat, too dangerous to remain free.
With a heavy heart, Wagner himself oversaw Malachi's imprisonment in the depths of the academy's dungeons a place reserved only for those who had committed the most unforgivable of acts.
Stripped of his status and power, Malachi swore revenge on the academy and its Chancellor, vowing that he would one day return to finish what he had started.
PRESENT DAY...
The memory of that fateful night echoed in the air as I prepared himself, understanding the weight of what was at stake.
Malachi had finally returned, his lust for vengeance undiminished by the years he had spent imprisoned.
This wasn't a simple attack; it was a deeply personal vendetta against the institution that had cast him out.
His reappearance was more than a threat it was a dark omen, a testament to the dangers lurking in the academy's own history.
As my eyes scanned the landscape, I saw the cloaked figure of Malachi in the distance, wrapped in robes as black as the void, his aura oozing malevolence.
I could feel the intensity of his power, a twisted, tainted energy that seemed to drain the life from the very air around them.
There was no mistaking it: this was a foe unlike any I had faced before.
The sight of Malachi stirred something deep within me.
The academy had become more than a place of learning; it was my home, my sanctuary. My friends were here, people who had come to depend on me and trust me.
I couldn't let them fall victim to the wrath of a man who had long abandoned any trace of humanity.
But even with my resolve, a nagging doubt gnawed at me.