Three years had passed since Raizen had become a Great Mage.
At twenty years old, his name was already known throughout Étheria.
He was considered one of the most promising mages of his generation.
But fame meant nothing to him.
Power was all that mattered.
And Raizen had become stronger.
Much stronger.
The Northern Mission The northern territories were covered in snow.
Raizen walked through the frozen forest with Kaira and Zayden.
Their mission had begun two days earlier.
Several villages had reported attacks by magical creatures, but the creatures were unlike anything the kingdom had recorded before.
Raizen stopped.
Kaira nearly walked into him.
“Why did you stop?” Raizen raised his hand.
“Listen.” Zayden immediately became serious.
He rested his hand on his sword.
The forest was silent.
Then they heard it.
A low growl.
Kaira tightened her grip on her axe.
“Something’s coming.” Raizen looked toward the trees.
“Three.” Zayden shook his head.
“Four.” Raizen glanced at him.
Zayden smiled.
“Your senses aren’t perfect.” A creature suddenly jumped from the trees.
Kaira moved first.
“Stay back!” She swung her axe.
BOOM!
The creature was sent crashing into the snow.
Three more creatures emerged.
Raizen didn’t move.
One charged toward him.
He raised his hand.
A shadow spread across the ground.
The creature suddenly stopped.
Raizen closed his fingers.
The shadow wrapped around it and threw it aside.
Another creature attacked from behind.
Zayden intercepted it.
CLANG!
His sword collided with its claws.
Kaira destroyed the third.
The fourth creature remained.
It was different.
Larger.
Stronger.
Raizen looked at it.
Something about its magic caught his attention.
The creature roared.
A strange blue energy surrounded its body.
Raizen’s eyes narrowed.
“Interesting.” Kaira looked at him.
“Don’t tell me you’re planning to copy it.” Raizen didn’t answer.
The creature attacked.
Raizen dodged.
The creature attacked again.
Raizen blocked.
Then he placed his hand against its arm.
Darkness spread from his fingers.
The creature screamed.
Raizen closed his eyes.
He felt its magical structure.
Its energy.
Its ability.
Everything flowed into him.
Then the darkness disappeared.
Raizen stepped back.
The creature collapsed.
Kaira stared at him.
“You copied it.” Raizen looked at his hand.
“Yes.” “What did you get?” Raizen remained silent.
A faint blue light appeared around his fingers.
Kaira’s eyes widened.
“You copied its energy manipulation?” Raizen nodded.
Zayden looked at him carefully.
“How many abilities can you copy now?” “I don’t know.” “That’s dangerous.” Raizen looked at him.
“Why?” “Because you don’t know your own limit.” Raizen looked toward the dead creature.
“Then I’ll find it.” Zayden’s expression became serious.
“Raizen…” But Raizen had already started walking.
The Village Later that day, they reached the village.
The villagers gathered around them.
“Thank you!” “You saved us!” “We thought nobody would come!” Raizen looked around.
The village was badly damaged.
Buildings had been destroyed.
The people were frightened.
Kaira helped the injured.
Zayden spoke with the village leader.
Raizen stood alone.
He looked at the surrounding mountains.
Something bothered him.
The creatures hadn’t attacked randomly.
They had been moving toward something.
He closed his eyes.
His shadow moved slightly.
A faint red light appeared within it.
Raizen opened his eyes.
“What are you hiding?” The red light disappeared.
He clenched his fist.
For years, he had tried to understand his power.
But every answer only created more questions.
His shadow wasn’t ordinary.
His ability to copy powers wasn’t ordinary.
And the strange presence inside him…
was something he couldn’t explain.
A Different Raizen That night, the three of them sat beside a fire outside the village.
Kaira looked at Raizen.
“You’ve been quiet all day.” “I’m thinking.” “About your shadow?” Raizen looked at her.
“Partly.” Zayden stared at the fire.
“Something has been bothering me too.” Raizen waited.
“You’ve changed.” Kaira looked at Zayden.
He continued.
“Not your strength.
Your way of thinking.” Raizen remained silent.
“You used to want to become stronger because you were afraid of being powerless.” Raizen looked at the flames.
“And now?” “Now it feels like you want strength for something else.” Kaira looked at Raizen.
“Is he right?” Raizen didn’t answer immediately.
He looked toward the dark mountains.
“I’ve spent years following the rules of the academy.” Kaira frowned.
“And?” “And I realized something.” Raizen’s voice became colder.
“Those rules were never made to make us truly strong.” Silence.
Zayden stared at him.
“What do you mean?” “They teach us what they want us to know.” Kaira shook her head.
“Raizen…” “I’m not saying the academy is evil.” “Then what are you saying?” Raizen looked at both of them.
“I’m saying there are things they are hiding.” Zayden lowered his eyes.
“What things?” “I don’t know yet.” Raizen stood.
“But I’m going to find out.” Kaira watched him.
“And if the academy doesn’t want you to?” Raizen turned toward her.
“Then I’ll find another way.” He walked away.
Kaira remained silent.
Zayden watched Raizen disappear into the darkness.
“He’s changing.” Kaira nodded.
“I know.” The Question Later that night, Raizen stood alone on a mountain overlooking the village.
The wind moved through his hair.
He opened his hand.
The blue energy he had copied earlier appeared.
Then darkness surrounded it.
Blue and black energy intertwined.
Raizen stared at it.
He had spent years copying powers.
But he had never asked himself the most important question.
What would happen if he combined them?
The energy became unstable.
Raizen immediately dismissed it.
He looked at the stars.
There were countless worlds beyond what he knew.
Countless kingdoms.
Countless mages.
Countless powers.
And somewhere among them were answers.
Raizen’s eyes hardened.
“I won’t spend my entire life being told what I can and cannot become.” His shadow stretched behind him.
“I’ll find the truth myself.” He turned away.
The first step had been taken.
He simply didn’t realize yet where that path would lead.
The Return When the mission ended, Raizen, Kaira, and Zayden returned to the academy.
Everything looked normal.
Students laughed in the courtyard.
Teachers walked through the halls.
The academy was peaceful.
But Raizen looked at it differently now.
For the first time, he didn’t see a home.
He saw a place full of locked doors.
Secrets.
Forbidden knowledge.
And answers.
Raizen walked through the main entrance.
His shadow followed silently behind him.
For a brief moment…
the shadow smiled.
Raizen didn’t notice.
To Be Continued…