Project Mage

With the torment of the Crystal Froststorm bearing down upon them, Arlysa knew that their only chance for survival was to retract her Extreme Magic, Eternal Nightfall.

Arlysa’s was weakened and she let out a strained call. Her speech conveyed frustration as she recalled her magic. "Eternal Nightfall... retract!" Her command echoed through the battlefield and slowly but steadily, the darkness dissipated, revealing the true extent of the damage that had been inflicted upon them.

Arlysa's extreme magic dissipated. She and Sylra were left battered, exposed and without defenses. Their clothes were tattered and their bodies had many wounds caused by the Crystal Froststorm's relentless assault.

Roselle, still recovering from her attacks, looked around in bewilderment as the darkness dissipated and the battlefield was revealed once more. Her fiery aura flickered and she could barely make out the shapes and figures of those around her. Risebelle's figure caught her attention causing her to look over with suspicion.

"That must have been Risebelle's doing," Roselle muttered with slight confusion.

Roselle's fiery aura blazed brighter as she regained her composure. "I can see you now, Sylra! No more hiding in that 'dirty darkness.' Let's finish this!"

Sylra’s face contorted with anger. She knew that her advantage had been nullified.

Meanwhile Risebelle, emboldened by her newfound elemental fusion power Glanced towards Arlysa with confidence. "Your darkness won't save you from my water and ice, Arlysa! Prepare to be washed away!"

Arlysa was still recovering from the effects of the Crystal Froststorm. She clenched her staff tightly with her frustration mounting by the second.

Sylra retreated from her battle with Roselle and joined Arlysa. Roselle went over and stood by her sisters.

Arlysa’s looked towards the three sisters with a sharp glare. She knocked her staff against the ground and then said, "Don't make the mistake of thinking that was my only Extreme Magic. I can produce far more than regular mages! I’m not done yet!”

The sisters, gathered together, exchanged glances, fully aware that they were still in the midst of battle.

Sylra was now on the side of Arlysa. Her earlier frustration was channeled into a renewed sense of purpose. She silently prepared herself for what might come next, her earth aura swirling around her.

Risebelle, her Aqua-infused power surging within her, stared at Arlysa with unwavering resolve. Roselle, her fiery aura still burning brightly, clenched her fists in readiness.

Suddenly, a massive wall of fire erupted between the two groups obscuring their vision. Amidst the inferno, someone heard, forgotten, but unmistakably familiar pierced the chaos with their arrival to the scene.

Emerging from the fire's embrace, Alan, the Elite Mage with his fiery-red hair and strikingly handsome appearance, stood before them.

His crimson gaze swept across the assembled fighters with a smirk playing at the corners of his lips as he addressed them in a tone of amusement. "Looks like I've crashed the party a tad early, huh?"

Alan looked towards Roselle, Risebelle and Runebelle with a demeanor that was different than they would have thought since they would expect him to still be an enemy in a situation like this. He looked at each of them with a casual, yet attentive gaze, taking note of their newfound powers and transformations.

"Roselle," he said with a nod, "you're looking ferocious. I like that fire in you!"

His eyes then shifted to Risebelle, who now wielded both water and ice powers. "Seems like you're learning some new tricks, Risebelle. Impressive."

Lastly, when he turned his attention to Runebelle. He appeared momentarily puzzled. "And who's this?" he inquired.

Roselle and Risebelle exchanged a glance and then explained, "That's Runebelle, Alan. She was there during our battle against you."

Alan raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised by the revelation.

Arlysa’s patience wore thin. She interrupted the conversation between Alan and the sisters with a stern tone addressing Alan directly with her eyes narrowing.

"Enough with the pleasantries," she declared. " Alan, do you realize that you are under suspicion of betraying the Magical Academy? Your actions here have made you look very suspicious indeed."

Alan’s face shifted from friendly to confuse as he absorbed the startling information. "I had no clue about any of this," he replied with genuine surprise. "Nobody informed me about suspicion, accusations or anything even close to that. Why the hell is it me? What did I do wrong?"

Arlysa sighed but her suspicion was still evident.”Aliana reported in injured and we lost Abner. But you, Alan, you didn't report back to the Magical Academy after your encounter. Your mana extractor was destroyed which further raised suspicions that you might have allowed it to happen intentionally."

Arlysa's gaze bore into Alan as she asked the question directly. "Alan, have you been helping Roselle, Risebelle and Runebelle destroy the Mana Extractors?"

Alan's response was swift with a smile coming to his face and a shrug of his shoulders. "No, absolutely not. I would never do something like that. You know me, Arlysa."

Arlysa’s spoke with frustration and disappointment as she continued to question Alan's motives. "I know you, Alan. You've always been a hothead, gathering mages and showing mercy when you should've finished your enemies. We've had to clean up after your reckless behavior countless times at the academy."

She didn't stop there. "And let's not forget the past. You had a chance to eliminate Dr. Kintovar didn’t you? What happened? You let her live and now Risebelle, Roselle and Runebelle are the result of your failures. You've proven time and time again that you're a liability as an Elite Mage!"

Alan recalled that fateful day. The memories rushed back to him with vivid clarity. The chaotic pursuit through the mystical forest, the traps and explosions set by Dr. Kintovar and finally, the moment of confrontation in the clearing. Alan could still see the tears behind Kintovar's sunglasses and the bruises on her battered form.

He remembered raising his hand with flames gathering to form a destructive fireball poised to eliminate the scientist who had caused so much trouble. Yet, at the critical moment, hesitation had gripped him. He couldn't bring himself to strike her down. That moment of doubt proved to be his undoing. Kintovar unleashed a smoke bomb and made her escape taunting him with the words, "Sucker," as she vanished into the forest.

Alan's gaze lowered as he recounted the memory. Regret and frustration came over him. He knew that his indecision that day had allowed Dr. Kintovar to escape which set in motion the events that led to the creation of Risebelle, Roselle and Runebelle.

Arlysa, observing Alan's introspection, couldn't help but add, "Your inability to finish what you start has consequences, Alan. Those consequences have now come back to haunt us."

Alan grew a smirk as he contemplated the situation. He turned his attention to Arlysa and inquired, "So, what does the Magical Academy plan to do if it turns out I'm still on their side and holding my position? What kind of punishment does the headmaster have in mind for me?"

Arlysa's response was swift and unyielding. She stated, "If you're truly on our side, Alan, then you should know that I will make sure you face severe consequences for your actions. Betrayal doesn't go unpunished. But..."

She paused, "If you help us take out Roselle, Risebelle and Runebelle right now, I'll make sure to speak nothing but good things to the headmaster. It's your choice, Alan. Prove where your loyalty truly lies."

Alan's had a hint of uncertainty as he spoke, "I've been wondering, Arlysa, if helping this Magical Academy is truly worth it. Yes, we mages sacrifice our lives on the battlefield. I've seen the casualties of war but what I've also seen is what the headmaster is planning to do to get us off this island. She hasn't told us everything. Mages with low affinity growth are being... sacrificed by her, Arlysa."

Arlysa raised an eyebrow. "Proof, Alan. I need proof of what you're saying, otherwise your words are baseless," she demanded.

"Think about it, Arlysa. We had over 100,000 mages on this island at one point. Yes, some died during the attacks from those scientifically created creatures, but our numbers dropped significantly after that incident. The thing is, our casualties during that attack were relatively low, thanks to the Magical Academy's organization and defenses. Yet, we now have only around 1,000 mages left here. That's a drastic decrease which doesn't add up unless you consider that some mages are being eliminated for reasons we're not told."

Arlysa frowned considering the numbers and the implications of what Alan was saying.

Alan, with a sense of finality then declared, "I, Alan, an Elite Mage, a Fire Master and a self-proclaimed 'nice guy,' hereby resign from the service of the Magical Academy. I can no longer align myself with an organization that hides the truth, kills its own members in secret and pursues questionable goals without transparency. My loyalty now lies with the betterment and safety of all mages in this world. I will do whatever it takes to protect them on my own."

Arlysa wore a shocked face as she heard Alan’s words. She shook her head to snap herself out of it. "Alan, think about what you're doing. You can't just turn your back on the academy like this! There must be another way to address your concerns."

But Alan kept a confident look. He was unshaken by the words. He turned to Arlysa and asked, "Are you going to stop me, Arlysa? I'm going to the Magical Academy to confront the headmaster and put an end to her plans."

"Alan, if you're set on putting an end to the headmaster's plan, have you considered what that means for the rest of us? The headmaster's plan may be the only way off this island. Sacrifices are painful and darkness may be unsettling but sometimes, they're necessary to achieve the greater goal."

Alan retorted, “Arlysa, you're blinded by your loyalty to the academy. The headmaster has used her brainwashing spell on you and many others and you probably didn’t know it. I’ll leave you with that information and go to confront the headmaster now. Later guys."

Arlysa with her rage flaring, shouted out furiously, "You're not going anywhere, Alan! I'll stop you!"

Arlysa raised her staff high in the air, dark magic surged around her, creating an aura of malevolence that sent shivers down the spines of those nearby. The ground beneath them trembled as dark energy shot up from the earth, converging to form the ominous dark moon in the sky. It blocked out the sun, turning the day into an eerie twilight.

Roselle, Risebelle, Runebelle and Alan reacted swiftly and avoided the surges of darkness that shot up from the ground.

As the ominous dark moon began to form in the sky, casting an eerie twilight over the battlefield, Alan quickly grasped the gravity of the situation. He turned towards the sisters.

"Listen up, all of you! We can't let her complete that spell. If she does, we're all in big trouble. We have to stop her now, or we'll be toast!"

Sylra dashed through Alan's fire wall with ease showing no fear of the flames. She reached Roselle and their fists clashed in a fierce exchange of blows; however, the intensity of their battle caused Roselle to be struck by one of the surges of darkness shooting up from the ground which sent her flying toward the growing dark moon in the sky.

With a smirk on her face, Sylra looked back at the remaining trio—Risebelle, Runebelle and Alan,

"Good luck dealing with that spell, kids. You're gonna need it." With that, Sylra disappeared into the darkness.

Roselle went toward the dark moon taking damage the more she got close to it. Her screams of pain pierced the skies above. The surges of darkness continued to buffet her with each impact adding to her agony. Risebelle shouted out in sheer desperation,

"ROSELLE!!!"

Risebelle watched helplessly, her heart pounding with dread for her sister.