They were almost identical twins, but Light was different. He was born with a special pair of eyes, known by mages as canus eyes, his pupils weren’t black but silver. It symbolizes the purity of heart and the clarity of mind. It gives the user the ability to see, and to some extent, communicate with the spirit realm, furthermore, it enhances its wielder’s magic. It was due to this that Light was called “the Eclipse”.

     When they were little kids they always played with each other, Light really loved his brother. But Darkus, he had other things in mind, he was jealous. He was jealous of the extra attention Light was getting, how he wished that one day, he could obtain those eyes. As time goes, he grew more distant, always under the shadow of his slightly older brother.

     One day, a mail came through the door. It was a letter of invitation. But not just any letter, it was a letter from the most prestigious academy in Magiride. Excitement filled his body as Darkus read on and to his horror realized, that the letter wasn’t meant for him, it was meant for his brother, Light. Filled with envy and jealousy, his life dream, hard work, and anticipation to make it into the academy, all shadowed by his brother. He decided to keep this a secret from Light. If he couldn’t go there, then neither shall Light.

      About a week later, from nowhere Darkus heard a cry from downstairs. He immediately ran down to see crimson red blood oozing out from the dead and lifeless body of his parents. Next to them was a mysterious dark figure, dressed in a black robe and cape, and from the corner of his purplish murderous eye, eyeing straight at Darkus. Darkus gasped, ran up the stairs as fast as he could and slammed the door shut. With no time to lose, he grabbed on to whatever he could find and began to barricade the door off. Light, meditating next to him, just came back from his visions quickly understood the situation.

      Suddenly the door blasted open in a bright blue glow, knocking Darkus away to the corner of the room. Slowly walking in was the dark robed man. His face half covered with a black fabric revealing only his right eye. His soulless unblinking gaze fixated straight at the heart of Drakus. The tip of his saber started to glow. Darkus laid rooted, trembling in fear, no matter how he tried he couldn’t move a muscle. He watched helplessly as the blue glow on the blade grew.

     Light rushed up in front of the attacker, stunning him. He had not seen this coming! No, he expected only one person in this room. Light quickly chanted a magical spell and his eyes lit up an eerie golden glow.

     Then, came a blinding blue blast, BANG!

     Darkus saw a bright blue flash of arcane magic quickly overwhelming him as his consciousness slips away.

     Moments later, he could still feel the stinging pain and hear his ear ringing. He tried with all his might, to move his sore, tired, and charred arms but to no avail. Everything was blurry as he slowly opened his eyes. He can feel himself in the same physical realm, he can feel the rough rugged carpet on the floor. He can smell the burning scent of ashes. But all he could see was white. He was overwhelmed with pain as he slowly closed his eyes.

     He slowly opened his eyes again, as the blurriness and blinding light in his eyes faded to reality, he came to the ashes of his fallen brother, Light. He noticed the burnt and damaged remains of what used to be a house. Tears welled up in his right eye, he was shattered. Regaining control of himself, he noticed something weird in his vision, he could see the lines of objects in front of him. Disregarding that, Darkus moved his sore limbs and got up. As he got up, however, he felt something in his pocket, it came from a rather thick piece of folded paper in his pocket. Of course! It was the invitation letter to The Academy meant for Light! The entrance ceremony was today!

     Darkus scavenged all that he could find, grabbing all of Lights possessions, and placing it inside an enchanted box with a mark seal. He noticed in front of him, a charred black leather robe with holes burned into it, a black fedora, and a piece of black fabric. He used the fabric to cover his right eye, like that of his attacker. He then took the necklace from the remains of Light, a pearl necklace with the design of a half eclipse, in which contained a special picture of them together as kids. Hiding the necklace in the robe, he picked up the fedora and noticed a special symbol on the bottom of the fedora, like that of a certain organization. He picked up the shiny silvery blade and moved on.

     Having nowhere else to go, Darkus walked slowly to the secret location written on the letter. It would lead him to a secret entrance to the academy.

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     Darkus was slowly walked over to the gate, his mind too filled to notice its magnificence. Darkus handed over Lights ID card, a small grin emerged from his burnt and torn face.

     But as he walked through the gate, an Odonata flew up towards him, creatures which can identify a person by simply looking at their eyes. It was believed that’s how they identify friend or foe, but these ones have been trained to identify imposters. Darkus watched as one slowly approached him. He was careless to have taken measures to avoid it, but it was already too late. The creature was already amid the scanning of his uncovered right eye. Almost as if it was staring straight into his soul, he was shaking, trying hard not to blink, he tried to hold it there. He tried, he tried, he tried….

     Suddenly, he was back at moments right before catastrophe, right before his very eyes was the mysterious figure in black. But this felt completely different; he was seeing this through the very eyes of his deceased brother, Light. Darkus saw as moments before the blast, Light had cast a spell onto him. Giving dear brother the silver eyes of his, protecting him from the blast that followed.

     Bright blue light flashed before his eyes once more.

     “Ahhhhh!!” he cried in agony as he fell to the ground, covering his right eye.

     Rising from the ground as the vision disappears, he realised now that his right eye was that of his dear brother, granting him the ability to see visions. He quickly covered his right eye with the fabric.

     His vision returns to normal, and no longer does he see the lines of objects around him. Instead, he sees a few set of concerned faces around him. Darkus quickly gave a one-word apology, swiped the dust off himself and walked off.

     Darkus realized now the cause of his odd sight. With this eye he could see now visions of the past, even worse to be haunted by them.

     He slowly walks the halls of the academy, no longer under the shadow of his elder brother, for now, he is the shadow. Bearing the new identity of N, the shadow, he wore the mask, clothes and saber of the man who killed his family. Bearing the vengeful eyes of his fallen brother, the shadow now embarks on a quest: the quest of seeking he who commanded the attack, he who caused him to lose his family.