Fall of Eden

### Royal Castle

Empress Rozaria's POV

"To think the current principal of Hoxrrary Academy is nothing but a mimic monster..." I muttered, my voice laced with unease. My fingers tapped lightly against the edge of my desk as I stared at the mountain of reports detailing the academy's recent anomalies. If that creature could deceive even the professors and students, it meant it held an unfathomable trump card.

Normally, I'd have already crushed such a threat without hesitation. But this time, my hands were tied. The council's ever-watchful eyes scrutinized my every move, waiting for any misstep. Acting recklessly would only worsen the precarious balance of power within the Empire.

I exhaled deeply, leaning back in my ornate chair. "I have no choice but to trust Ashura to handle this matter... for now."

Ashura. That child—sharp as a blade yet stubbornly solitary. Many assumed his talents were all there was to him, but I knew better. Ashura operated in his own league, bound by his own methods and principles. It was both his greatest strength and his most dangerous weakness.

I rose from my seat and moved toward the window, gazing out at the vibrant flower garden sprawling beneath my chamber. The delicate blossoms swayed in the morning breeze, their beauty a stark contrast to the storm brewing in the shadows.

*How I wish this matter would resolve without escalating further.* But deep down, I knew the road ahead would be anything but simple. Ashura would face trials far greater than he anticipated. The mimic wouldn't be an ordinary adversary—it would be cunning, relentless, and merciless.

Yet, as I thought of the boy, a small, wry smile crept onto my lips. Despite the looming danger, I couldn't help but chuckle softly.

"That child... he's more than capable, even if he doesn't realize it himself."

My gaze lingered on the flowers, their fragile beauty belying the strength they needed to bloom in this turbulent world. Ashura, too, would endure. He always did.

*For now, I'll wait. But when the time comes, I'll strike where it matters most.* Until then, may he weather this storm as he always has—unyielding and unbroken.

End of POV

### Hoxrrary Academy: underground

Ashura's POV

Just like before, I walked the same path through the underground tunnels, my steps silent as I moved in shadow form. The air here was thick with dampness, the stench of decay hanging in the atmosphere like a second skin. I couldn't help but grimace at the familiar scent. As usual, this place is disgusting, I whispered to myself, my voice barely audible. The oppressive darkness was stifling, but it was a feeling I'd grown used to.

When I reached the three-way split, I stopped. This was the part where I'd been blocked before. Now, I had to figure out which path would lead me to Principal Azure.

*Guess I'll try all three,* I thought, choosing the right tunnel first.

I walked cautiously, every step echoing lightly, but it wasn't the sound of my footfalls that caught my attention. A strange, skittering noise reached my ears—like claws scraping against the stone. It was faint at first, but as I pressed on, it grew louder. Schreak... schreak... schreak...

Curiosity piqued, I quickened my pace. The further I went, the more the noise seemed to reverberate in my chest. Eventually, I reached the source.

I froze, my heart skipping a beat. The creature I saw made me pause for a moment longer than I should've. It wasn't the towering, monstrous beasts of legend or the horrific, giant slithering serpents of the Abyss. No, this was something far subtler but equally dangerous.

A Xyphor.

The creature was the size of a human palm, but its appearance was nothing short of chilling. Its body was sleek and translucent, with faint patterns pulsing beneath its skin, resembling veins of dark, shifting energy. Its eyes—if you could call them that—were mere black voids, absorbing the light around them. Tiny, thin tendrils sprouted from its back, twitching sporadically.

A level 12 Abyssal creature—mind leech type.

I narrowed my eyes. *How could that monster bring this creature here?* The thought didn't make sense. The Xyphor, a creature that invaded and twisted the minds of its victims, was no mere tool. It was far too dangerous to be used recklessly.

I could feel a cold shiver creep up my spine as I realized the full implications of what this meant. This is bad. A creature like this could take control of the entire academy if used properly—and if it was here, then things were far more complicated than I'd thought.

It hadn't noticed me yet, still preoccupied with whatever it was doing—perhaps searching for its next victim. I carefully backed away, my heart pounding in my chest. The last thing I needed was to make a mistake here. A confrontation with a Xyphor would be disastrous, and the tunnels wouldn't offer me the advantage I needed to fight it.

I took a deep breath, my mind racing. I couldn't let this discovery derail my mission. The Xyphor was just one more puzzle piece in the growing mystery of Hoxrrary Academy. But for now, I had to stay hidden, stay patient, and plan my next move carefully.

"Huh... this truly is a big problem," I muttered, fingers twitching near the hilt of my blade as I continued to retreat.

I took a steadying breath, trying to calm myself after the shock of encountering the Xyphor. My pulse still raced from the proximity to the mind leech creature, but there was no time to dwell on it. *Two more paths to go*, I muttered under my breath, forcing myself to focus.

I turned toward the middle tunnel. The air here felt thick, but not from the usual dampness. As I stepped further in, I noticed something strange. The floor was covered in water, dark and stagnant, swirling gently under my feet. *It makes sense, it's underground after all... but this water...* I paused, narrowing my eyes.

A faint pulse of Abyssal mana resonated from it.

*Damn it,* I thought, irritation bubbling up. This could be the discovery of the decade. The Abyssal energy in the water was unmistakable—dark and malicious, it stirred an unsettling chill in the air. I had to be cautious; the last thing I needed was to be overwhelmed by whatever lay beneath the surface of this water.

Pushing onward, I eventually came to the end of the tunnel. What awaited me there made my stomach twist in disbelief.

Four massive chains, each extending in different directions, were bound to a single figure. The chains seemed to constrict the person in place, pinning them to the stone wall like a prisoner in some twisted, grotesque display. The figure was small—too small.

*Wait... is that a kid?*

I couldn't believe my eyes. A child, no older than ten or eleven, was trapped here. The chains were thick, twisted, and pulsing with dark energy, each link emanating a sense of cruel, deliberate power. The child's clothes were ragged, their skin pale and covered in bruises.

Then, just as I began to process the situation, I saw something that sent a cold shiver down my spine. The child's eyes fluttered open, and they slowly turned their head in my direction. Despite the shadows cloaking me, despite the fact that I was moving silently, they were looking right at me. Their gaze, empty yet somehow knowing, locked onto mine.

*Wait... how can he see me?*

I instinctively froze, my heart hammering. There was no way this child could sense me in my shadow form—not unless... *No. Impossible.*

The child's lips parted slightly, and in a raspy voice that sent a chill down my spine, they spoke.

"Oh my... I knew someone was here. Yet, I cannot feel your presence at all."

My breath caught in my throat. The realization hit me like a punch to the gut. This wasn't just any ordinary child. Whoever—or whatever—this child was, they were not just an innocent victim.

I took a step back, cautious but unwilling to show weakness. "Emmm... who are you?" My voice was steady, but my mind was racing.* I need answers. This situation is spiraling out of control.*

The child tilted their head slightly, as if pondering the question. "My name... huh?" they said, a playful tone creeping into their raspy voice. "I guess that's something you'll find out soon enough."

*What the hell?* The child's answer was as cryptic as their presence. My patience, already frayed from everything I'd encountered, snapped.

"Look, I don't have time to play word games with you," I spat, irritation lacing my voice. I didn't know why, but there was something about this child—this thing—that grated on my nerves. "If you waste my time, I'm walking out of here, and you'll be left to rot."

The child's lips curled into a thin smile, the kind that was both unsettling and oddly amused. "Hahahaha... to think I'll be threatened by a child," they mused, the eerie laugh echoing in the tunnel. "My name is Azure Julius."

Huh????