The Black Owl's feather weighed heavily in Cedric's pocket as he paced the academy courtyard, his mind racing. Who would want me dead badly enough to hire them?
Then—a flash of memory.
The village. The monsters. The men in black robes.
A Month Ago – The Village of Hollow's End
The journey to the academy had been long, and when Aveline and Cedric arrived at Hollow's End, they found a village gripped by fear. Monsters—twisted, feral things with glowing red veins—had been attacking at night, dragging people into the woods.
Cedric had expected Aveline to scoff and ride past. But instead, she dismounted, her hand resting on the hilt of her sword.
"We're staying."
For three days, they fought. Cedric's dark magic lashed out like living shadows, swallowing beasts whole. Aveline's blade crackled with lightning, carving through fur and bone with terrifying precision.
But on the last night, they saw something worse than monsters.
The Black Robes and the Golden Mask
Deep in the forest, where the trees grew too close and the air smelled of rust, they found the source of the corruption.
Men in black robes stood in a circle, their hands pressed against the writhing bodies of captured monsters. Dark energy pulsed from their fingers, seeping into the creatures, twisting them further.
And among them—a man in a golden mask.
Aveline's grip tightened on her sword. "Cultists."
Cedric didn't hesitate. He lunged.
The Fight
Cedric vs. The Golden Mask
The masked man moved like smoke, evading Cedric's first strike with eerie grace. A dagger flashed in his hand, parrying Cedric's spear before countering with a slash aimed at his throat.
Cedric twisted, his dark core flaring. "Umbra Claw!" Shadows erupted from his fingertips, raking toward the assassin.
The golden mask tilted—almost amused—before his own darkness met Cedric's, swallowing the attack whole.
He uses dark magic too.
Cedric switched tactics. He feinted with his spear, then pivoted, his sword slashing upward. The assassin blocked, but not before Cedric's blade grazed his forearm.
A drop of blood hit the earth.
The masked man went still. Then—
"Interesting."
His voice was smooth, almost conversational, as he raised his hand. The shadows at his feet moved, coiling like serpents before lashing out.
Cedric barely dodged, rolling as the ground where he'd stood rotted on contact.
Aveline vs. The Black Robes
Aveline was a storm given form.
Her sword, Stormfang, crackled with lightning as she cut down two robed figures in a single swing. A third lunged, dagger aimed for her ribs—
"Thunder Step."
She vanished in a burst of static, reappearing behind him, her blade already slicing through his back.
The remaining cultists faltered.
Aveline didn't give them time to regroup. She raised her free hand, and the air itself trembled.
"Leonheart's Wrath."
A bolt of pure lightning split the sky, crashing down in a blinding explosion.
The Retreat
The golden mask's head snapped toward the blast. For the first time, his composure cracked.
"Enough."
He flicked his wrist. A smoke bomb erupted, filling the clearing with choking black fog.
By the time Cedric and Aveline coughed their way through it—
The cultists were gone.
Only a single black feather remained, drifting lazily to the ground.
Present – The Academy
Cedric's breath came fast as the memory faded.
That golden mask… he was one of them. A Black Owl.
And now they were after him.
But why?
Because we saw something we shouldn't have.