"F-father?” the Empress stood abruptly from her seat looking surprised as she stared at her father who had just entered.

The last time she saw her father was after she was crowned as empress. Since then, her father avoided meeting her and only sends a representatives in the council.

“Duke Avaris what a pleasant surprise. We thought you won’t be able to attend again in today’s council meeting.” Earl Osric stood up and greeted him.

The old Duke went to his seat. “The Emperor is dead. There’s no way that I won’t be attending,” he said in a serious voice. His gaze went to the empress.

The Empress flinched and gave a forced cough. “Ehem… P-please, take your seat, my Lord.”

The council proceeded to summarize the state of the empire for Duke Avaris, including recent events and discoveries.

Duke Avaris examined a green shard laid before him on the table. “If I understand correctly,” he began, turning to Duke Vane, “this is a fragment of some orb of power. Which means…the number of these shards is limited, am I correct?”

“That is correct, my Lord,” Duke Vane replied, his tone measured. “The more shards one possesses, the greater the strength they can wield.”

Marquess Viremont frowned. “That still does not justify preparing for war.”

“It seems you do not fully grasp the situation, my Lord,” Duke Vane replied. “Why do you think the Dostani Kingdom has managed to claim parts of our territory, despite our superior military?”

“Because the royal family of Dostani possesses magic comparable to the Headmaster of the Arcane Lyceum,” answered Earl Osric.

“They may be powerful but not equal with the Lyceum’s Headmaster,” Duke Vane corrected. “However, with the help of the shards, they can amplify their power.”

Another noble spoke up from the back. “If their strength was truly overwhelming, they would’ve already claimed our borders. So why haven’t they advanced further?”

“Because of the curse,” Duke Avaris finally spoke as a buried memory strucked him. “There’s been a rumor in the Dostani Kingdom that the reason the royal families die early is because of a curse. If that is true, then they couldn’t afford to engage in a war that could take years to finish. With the lack of successor right now, it would be a problem for them.”

“As expected of Duke Avaris,” Duke Vane said with a smile. “They may be powerful, but they’re racing against time. From the intelligence we’ve gathered, the Dostani royal family holds six shards.”

“Six?!” the council members erupted in alarm. That number is enough to wipe out the empire.

“You expect us to go against the Dostani Kingdom when they have six of this?!” a member asked implying the shard. “You might as well send us to our grave, my Lord.”

Duke Vane raised a hand, steady and calm. “I know it sounds impossible but not all people can access the shard’s power. If the person is incompatible wielding its power then they’ll get mana overload and get burn inside.” He let the words hang in the air before continuing, “The same case applies to the royal family of Dostani. The queen cannot use two shards as it will be a huge blow on her body. So the shard she has is useless if not on the right person.”

“But the queen has two other children,” Duke Avaris narrowed his eyes. “We know how capable her children are and we only have one of this shard.”

The room fell quiet.

Duke Vane’s grin widened and from his inner pockets, he puts two more boxes on the center of the table showing two purple shards.

“I do not want to show these since these might make you change your mind.” Duke Vane said.

The Duke inserted a small amount of mana onto the two purple shards and it started to release a heavy energy in the room. One by one, the council members fell to their knees, trembling under the crushing weight. Their limbs refused to move, their breaths caught in their lungs as if the very air was trying to drown them. However, the Empress and Duke Avaris doesn’t seem to be affected.

“That’s enough demonstration Duke Vane,” Duke Avaris said in a serious tone.

With a faint smirk, Duke Vane snapped the boxes shut and returned them to his coat. The invisible pressure vanished at once. The council members gasped and coughed as life returned to their bodies. 

“In this room, only the three of us were able to withstand the power of the shards.” Duke Vane said.

Marquess Viremont glared at him as he composed himself.

“The purple shards,” Duke Vane continued, “are stronger than the green one but using it comes with a price as it corrupts the soul of the user,” the Duke explained.

A dark silence filled the chamber, and then Earl Osric spoke, his voice grim,“Then they’re useless, unless someone is willing to sacrifice themselves.”

“The Duke turned towards the empress. “That’s why I propose lifting the ban on the use of dark magic.”

The room erupted into murmurs and outrage. Several council members stood abruptly.

“You’re proposing something dangerous, my Lord!” one of them exclaimed, slamming a fist on the table.

Duke Vane remained unfazed. “Your Imperial Majesty, you’ve seen firsthand what my dark mages can do. With their help, we can avoid sacrificing thousands of soldiers.”

He turned to the protesting council members and said, “The dark mages under my command will be tightly controlled. And should any of them step out of line...” His eyes glinted. “I’ll personally strike them down.”

The words were harsh, delivered without hesitation like the lives of those mages meant nothing to him.

The Empress’s fingers tapped lightly on the armrest of her chair before she raised her hand. “It seems we are divided. Then let us put it to a vote.”

She stood. “All those in favor of the Duke’s proposal, raise your hand.”

Six hands lifted.

“And those who oppose it?”

Another six hands rose.

A heavy silence followed. All eyes shifted to Duke Avaris, the only one who hadn’t voted.

His gaze lingered on Duke Vane before settling on the Empress. “Once we took over the Dostani Kingdom, who would keep the shards?”

Duke Vane answered without missing a beat. “The Empress, of course. I serve only the Crown. All glory to Her Imperial Majesty.”

Duke Avaris thought of all the possibilities and chances of winning the war against the Dostani Kingdom before he spoke, “Then I vote in favor.”

The room stirred with mixed reactions. The six who had opposed the motion groaned in frustration and disbelief.

The Empress rose with regal grace, her voice resolute. “Then it is decided. We shall reclaim our lands from the Dostani Kingdom. Prepare for war.”

Arcane Lyceum

Far from the capital, in the grand halls of Arcane Lyceum, the students who had passed the ordeal were settling into their new lives. Each was assigned a dormitory room in one of the enchanted towers. Princess Elery was fixing her things when she noticed the shard glowing faintly.

“Oh my god!”

Elery turned sharply to see a girl about her age standing in the doorway, eyes wide with recognition.

“I’m sorry to surprise you, Your Highness. I just can’t believe that you are my roommate,” the girl said as she bows.

Princess Elery subtly hid the shard behind her to prevent it from getting noticed.

“No need for formalities. We’re inside the Lyceum now. You can just call me Elery,” she said warmly.

The girl stood up straight, blushing slightly. “Then I’ll call you Lady Elery, if that’s alright. I’m Greta.”

“It’s a pleasure, Greta. I hope we get along well.”

Soon, all new students were asked to gather at the Bell Hall. The hall was  filled with spiraling plants, levitating lanterns, and grand floral arrangements. At the far end of the hall were all the members of the Arcane Lyceum sitting.

“Oh she came this time. I must be lucky,”  Greta squeaked under her breath, trying to contain a silent shriek of glee.

“Is there something interesting?” Princess Elery asked in a whisper, glancing sideways at Greta.

Greta’s eyes gleamed with excitement. “Do you see the one in a green veil?” 

Elery followed her gaze to the stadium and saw the only person in the center wearing a veil that covered her entire face.

“That’s her,” Greta whispered. “The Headmaster of Arcane Lyceum. The strongest mage on the continent.”

Everyone in the continent have heard of the Headmaster of Arcane Lyceum. She’s the reason why Kouzlo Duchy was able to get its independence from the empire but no one has ever seen her face.

The hall quieted as a tall woman stepped forward to address the students. She wore scholarly robes laced with silver, her demeanor poised and proud.

“Greeting and congratulations to all of you,” she said, her voice clear and smooth like still water.  “I am Nemari, the usher of the headmaster and your preceptor. Out of thousands of students who dreamed to enter the Lyceum, only 21 was able to pass.”

“You were all put in different classes,” Preceptor Nemari announced, snapping her fingers.

At once, the vines and flowering plants that adorned the hall began to move. Their stems twisted and thickened, blooming into wide, curved branches that molded themselves into chairs and with another snap, all students were forced to sit.

“This year’s curriculum will focus primarily on defense against the dark arts,” Nemari said, her tone unwavering.

The students started to murmur. A lot of them didn’t like the new change. Most students entered the Lyceum in order to enhance their magic and dark arts is a rare magic that they would likely to encounter.

One of the student stood up, “Preceptor Nemari,” she said, voice clipped with noble defiance. “I’ve come all the way here from Avaris Duchy to learn and enhance my magic. Dark arts is something forbidden in Vestur empire so learning how to defend one would be useless for me.” 

Several students murmured in agreement, some nodding, others grumbling under their breath.

Then, the Headmaster stood up to take over which stopped the students from murmuring.

“I understand your concern,” the Headmaster spoke calmly. “Dark arts is forbidden but it doesn’t mean no one uses it. Dark arts users are usually in the dark, out of prying eyes and some of them might be closer than you think. They could be your friend, family, lover, or someone passing by. Then how would you be able to defend yourself in a sudden attack?” 

She released her mana inside the room which made their body feel heavy. The shard inside Princess Elery’s pocket started to react to the mana in the air.

“Let me show you an example,” she said and released her mana more, activating the shard inside Elery’s pocket releasing a black mist in the air.

“Ugh…” Greta groaned, clutching her head. She stumbled, then dropped to her knees.

“No...no...no...father...sister...” Her voice trembled, strained with agony as if she were reliving something that wasn’t real yet all too real to her.

 

The other students began to wail, clutching their heads, some weeping, others frozen in terror except for Elery.

“Greta, what’s wrong?” when Princess Elery looked at Greta, her eyes were black.

“Aaaah!” Greta shrieked and lunged, her hands wrapping around Elery’s neck with inhuman strength. The princess gasped, struggling, her nails clawing at Greta’s wrists.

A blazing cry pierced the air. Then a phoenix descended, soaring over the hall in a burst of radiant light. Its golden feathers shimmered like molten sunlight as it flew in a spiral above the students. Their eyes turned back to normal.

When Greta gained consciousness, she saw her hands on Elery’s neck.

“I-I’m sorry Lady Elery,” she backed away confused of her action. The students were also shocked and confused of what happened. It was just a short time but felt like eternity in hell.

“That’s just a bit of taste of dark magic,” the Headmaster said as the phoenix landed on her shoulder.

Elery turned her gaze to the headmaster, her heart racing. “She knew about the shard!” 

Ripasa (Duke Labelles’s territory)

In Lady Cecilia’s chamber, Zephora lingered silently in the corner, waiting for her moment. She had been waiting for weeks for the room to be empty. But the Crown Prince never left Cecilia’s side.

“Your Highness,” Zephora said gently, her voice laced with concern, “you must rest. Lady Cecilia is no longer in danger. I’ll call you the moment she wakes.”

Prince Caleb shook his head, eyes never leaving the pale face of the woman lying unconscious in bed.

“I’m glad Cecilia has someone like you,” he murmured. “But I want to be the first person she sees when she opens her eyes.”

Zephora clenched her fists behind her back, frustration hidden behind her calm expression. She must retrieve the shard by the order of her Lord. 

Just then, the Duke entered the room, his expression grave. He approached the prince and offered a sealed envelope with both hands.

“Your Highness,” the Duke began quietly, “this letter arrived weeks ago. However, the empress asked me to block all news and letters coming from the capital from reaching your ears. It was only now that I was allowed to deliver it to you. I’m sorry.”

Caleb took the letter and opened it. As his eyes skimmed the words, his breath caught. He staggered slightly, the weight of the message hitting him like a blow.

“My father....is dead?” he whispered.

He held the Duke on his shoulders. “What does this mean that my brother is the reason behind this?”

The Duke’s gaze dropped. “My apologies. I am not sure of the detail. It would be wise to return to the capital, Your Highness.” 

“But...” Caleb looked at Cecilia.

“I shall write to you the moment she wakes up,” the Duke promised.

“Please do,” he said and went to Cecilia and kissed her forehead. “I’ll be back,” he whispered and left the room.

“Look after her Zephora, call me if something happens,” the Duke said.

“Yes, my Lord,” she replied, bowing as the door shut behind him.

Silence.

She went beside Lady Cecilia.

“I’m glad you’re alive. That’s a miracle in itself.” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “However, I must take back what I have given you or else it would be my life that I lose. You will only return to how you’re supposed to be,” 

She placed her hand on Cecilia’s forehead to take back the shard. A light started to glow on her forehead ready to extract the shard but before she could continue, a hand grabbed hers.

Cecilia’s eyes opened slowly.

“L-Lady Cecilia?” Zephora stammered, shocked. The grip on her wrist tightened it’s so strong it forced her to her knees.

Cecilia rose from the bed, still holding Zephora’s wrist in an iron grasp. Her presence changed.

“You dare touch me, you lowly vermin,” she said, her voice a chilling whisper devoid of warmth.

Zephora’s breath hitched. Her entire body trembled. This tone and pressure felt very similar to his Lordship, the only person that can make her feel like this.

She forced herself to look up.

And froze.

Cecilia’s left eye burned red, glowing like embers-the eye of a demon.

A wave of terror rolled through Zephora’s chest.

“No…” she breathed.

This was not the same Lady Cecilia.

Something else had awakened.