Elena had just finished delivering the report about the losses suffered by the Magical Academy's Elite Mages. She just left, but all of a sudden, the door burst open again.

  “Elena—” The Headmaster was sharp, ready to reprimand her for the sudden intrusion.

  But then she saw her.

  Elena stood there with her entire body trembling. Tears pooled in her eyes which were held back only by the sheer force of will. She took a shaky breath. “I… I apologize, Headmaster. I really do.”

  The way she said it—strained, broken—made something cold settle in the Headmaster’s gut.

  “Elena.” Her tone softened in a way it rarely did.” Say it, dear.”

  Elena sucked in a sharp breath. "Solene… Solene, the Teacher… the one who could wield Cosmic Energy…"

  She swallowed hard.

  “I just received the report as soon as I walked out just now… Dr. Kintovar herself—” Her voice cracked. “Dr. Kintovar… killed her.”

  Elena had prepared herself for another explosion of power, for the room to crumble under the weight of the Headmaster’s fury. She had steeled herself to be thrown to the ground again and endure the Headmaster’s rage.

  But none of that happened.

  Instead, the Headmaster sat down slowly. She didn’t speak for several seconds. Her silver hair slipped forward over her shoulders. She stared blankly at the ruined remains of her desk. A slow breath left her lips.

  “Loyal,” she whispered.

  Elena barely heard it.

  “Dependable.” Her voice wavered. “Kept everything together around the school… Ensured no foolishness took root in my Academy.”

  She exhaled and gripped the edge of her chair. “Solene was all of that.”

  A drop of water splashed against the back of her hand. Another followed. The Headmaster blinked and reached her fingers to brush against the moisture trailing down her cheek.

  She was crying.

  Elena felt her throat tighten. “I-I’m sorry…”

  The Headmaster closed her eyes and wiped away falling tears away with the back of her hand. “She was one of the few who understood my vision. She stood by me, even when others hesitated.”

  She leaned back, staring at the ceiling for a long moment while Elena remained with her head lowered.

  After what felt like an eternity, the Headmaster spoke again.

  “Kintovar…” she murmured so low Elena almost missed it.

  Then, all at once, the temperature in the room plummeted.

  The Headmaster’s chair groaned under the pressure of her magic. The very walls trembled as the last vestiges of mourning burned away, leaving nothing but rage.

  “Kintovar has taken too much from me. From us. She has torn apart my Academy, my Mages—my vision—as if it were nothing more than an inconvenience to her.”

  Elena swallowed. Her knees nearly gave out from the Headmaster’s fury which filled every inch of the ruined office.

  “We were supposed to take the mana from this cursed island and leave this island and create something greater in the city.” She let out a bitter laugh. “But screw that plan. Screw it all!”

  She rose to her feet. The shattered remains of her desk lifted into the air, caught in the storm of her power before being obliterated into dust.

  “There is only one goal now,” she said viciously. “Killing that bitch and dismantling her machines!”

  A powerful shockwave erupted from her body, knocking the lanterns from the walls, sending books and shattered wood flying. Elena had to grip her arms to keep from being thrown back.

  The Headmaster inhaled sharply, then turned toward the back of the room. With a single wave of her hand, a section of the Blackwood wall glowed before splitting apart, revealing a hidden passageway descending into darkness.

  She looked over her shoulder with eyes like molten silver. Her aura calmed enough for Elena to move. “What we do down here stays between us.”

  Elena hesitated only for a second before forcing herself to move. “Y-Yes, Headmaster.”

  She stepped forward, following the Headmaster into the shadows. The door sealed shut behind them.

  The descent was long. Elena could hear only the quiet, measured footsteps of the Headmaster ahead of her and the faint hum of residual magic embedded in the walls. The passage twisted downward in an unnatural spiral. Then, they reached a massive chamber with the ceiling stretching high above them, filled with ancient glyphs that pulsed faintly in the darkness. At the center of it all, bound by chains thicker than any Elena had ever seen, was a man.

  The man was seated on his knees. His long purple hair cascadded over his face. His bare chest rose and fell steadily. His arms—scarred and wrapped in layers of enchanted seals remained locked behind him.

  But what unsettled Elena the most was the aura surrounding him.

  A weak, but ever-present glow of violet flickered around his body. Even bound, his magic still lingered? It was unnatural. ‘W-Who is this guy?’

  She took a step back on instinct.

  The Headmaster, however, strode and stopped just before the chains, looking down at the imprisoned mage. “This man, is a traitor to the Academy.”

  Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  Elena’s breath hitched.

  The Headmaster continued with a hint of pride. “Once, he stood among our finest. A mage whose talent surpassed even my own. A man who could have led us to greatness.”

  She narrowed her eyes with disdain coming to her tone.“But he strayed. He thought himself above our cause. He—” she scoffed and shook her head, “—believed there was another path. That ‘we’ were the ones who needed to change.”

  The Headmaster turned back to Elena. “His power is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. Even my own magic was not enough to subdue him completely. It took all of us to bind him in these enchanted chains.” She exhaled slowly. “But here’s the thing, Elena… He is not a force of destruction like Kintovar’s creations. He is a weapon—one that can be controlled.”

  Elena’s throat tightened. “And you intend to…?”

  The Headmaster smirked. “Soon, the final mana extractor will be drained. Its energy will be mine to wield. And with that power, I will establish dominance over him.” She glanced back at the prisoner.

  “When that time comes, he will no longer be a traitor.”

  She turned to Elena fully now.

  “He will be our strongest weapon against Kintovar.”

  The Headmaster summoned a magical circle by waving her hand, causing a surge of energy to emanate from the restrained man. This enveloped him in a golden light.

  “W-Wait, what are you doing?” Elena said while giving a look of shock.

  The Headmaster didn’t even turn to her. “Waking him up.”

  Elena’s stomach dropped. “Wh-What?! But you don’t have enough mana yet to—”

  “I have to start now,” the Headmaster cut her off sharply.

  Elena’s breath hitched. The Headmaster’s power was vast, but it was still incomplete. If she attempted to awaken him now, this could spiral out of their hands fast.

  She opened her mouth to protest again, but the Headmaster turned to her with an intense gaze. “Elena, you will link me to the extractor.”

  Elena stiffened. “I—”

  “You are a telepath. I am a psychic. Our connection is already strong. You are the only one who can bridge this gap.”

  Elena hadn’t realized it was going to fall on her. She’d assumed the Headmaster would handle it all herself. But now—now the responsibility was being shoved into her hands, and if she failed…

  She swallowed hard.

  The Headmaster had already returned her focus to the magical circle. The chains were trembling.

  Elena didn’t have time to hesitate.

  Closing her eyes, she focused—reaching outward with her mind. The mana extractor was still operational on the island. She stretched further, feeling the pull of the Headmaster’s own vast power—.

  A sharp snap echoed through her mind as her consciousness became the tether between the two forces. A rush of energy hit her so hard she staggered.

  The mana extractor’s power surged into the Headmaster.

  And the moment it did—

  —The man’s eyes snapped open.

  The moment his eyes snapped open, a pulse of raw power exploded from his body. The weak, flickering purple aura around him instantly intensified into a violent force that coiled like living energy. The chains groaned in protest.

  Then—CRACK.

  The bindings strained with fractures forming along their enchanted surface.

  The Academy felt it.

  Elsewhere in the Academy…

  A group of students in the training hall faltered mid-exercise as the walls shuddered. The floor beneath them trembled, knocking books and artifacts from their shelves. A glass vial shattered against the ground.

  “What the hell was that?!” one student yelped, bracing themselves.

  A girl with sharp eyes turned toward the ceiling. “That magic… it’s coming from below.”

  Another student nervously said,“Calm down. It’s probably just the headmaster….right?”

  Back in the chamber…

  The restrained man awakened.

  A low, steady breath escaped his lips. His fingers twitched, then slowly lifted toward his face.

  CRACK.

  The enchanted chains snapped apart like brittle twigs. No force. No effort. They simply broke.

  His deep, commanding voice rumbled through the chamber. "I’m still alive."

  Elena’s breath hitched. Her knees wobbled and before she could steady herself, she lost her footing, slipping onto the cold stone floor.

  The weight of his presence alone was suffocating.

  The Headmaster, however, remained composed with a knowing smile on her lips.

  “Mystimona,” she greeted smoothly. “It’s been a long time. Welcome back.”

  Mystimona's glowing purple eyes shifted between the Headmaster and Elena. He blinked once, then twice before tilting his head slightly.

  The Headmaster's fingers twitched. She unleashed her magic, causing psychic energy to surge through the chamber and wrap around Mystimona’s mind in an attempt to bind his will.

  “Come,” she commanded. “Submit.”

  A pause.

  Then, Mystimona scratched lazily behind his head. “Huh.” His deep voice carried a trace of amusement. “What was that supposed to do uh…?”

  Elena’s jaw dropped. “He just shrugged it off?”

  Mystimona’s gaze settled on the Headmaster once more. “Wait… You.” Recognition slowly dawned on his face. He pointed a lazy finger at her. “You’re the Headmaster, aren’t you?”

  Then he glanced at Elena, scanning her up and down.

  “…And I’m guessing you’re the new right hand.”

  The Headmaster exhaled slowly and rubbed her temple. “I can see this is going to take some time.”

  Mystimona clenched his fists. “Damn it,” he muttered. “I thought I was already in the city. You’re telling me I’m still in this cursed Academy?” He scoffed. “I was supposed to be off fighting real mages by now.”

  Elena, still sitting on the ground where she had fallen barely found her voice. “W-What do you mean real mages? The Elite Mages—”

  Mystimona cut her off with a wave. “Tch. The so-called ‘Elite Mages’? They were just warm-ups. The ones in the city, now they must know what real magic is. I need to test myself against them.”

  The Headmaster straightened, watching him carefully. He was impulsive, reckless, driven by battle instincts. Deep down, she knew she may never fully control him, but perhaps… perhaps she didn’t need to thanks to Kintovar.

  She placed a hand on her hip. “I already told you last time,” she said smoothly, “there’s only one way to get to the city from here.”

  Mystimona narrowed his eyes. “Yeah, yeah. But I told you that you were doing pointless stuff like killing off scientists and draining energy from mages who don’t meet your expectations.”

  The Headmaster tilted her head with amusement flickering across her face. "Perhaps that was the case," she admitted while smirking. "But tell me, Mystimona… would you like to hear something interesting?"

  Mystimona’s eyes studied her carefully. His arms crossed over his bare chest. “Tch. Go on, then. Let’s hear whatever grand revelation you’ve come up with this time.”

  The Headmaster’s smirk deepened. She had his attention. Now, she just had to reel him in.

  At the same time:

  Risebelle, Runebelle, and Roselle made their way to the location of the final Mana Extractor. It was situated on the beach, right near the Magical Academy.

  Risebelle looked out at the vast expanse of the beach. "It's almost poetic," she remarked, "The final battle taking place right at the Academy's doorstep. This is where this whole shit began."

  Roselle nodded.

  Runebelle shifted uncomfortably. Her sad eyes scanned countless mages stationed around the final Mana Extractor. Their robes billowed in the sea breeze and they already had magic crackling around the air.

  Risebelle exhaled sharply and crossed her arms. “Yeah… there’s no sneaking around this time. This thing’s too damn important for them to leave any openings.”

  Roselle furrowed her brows. “Then what do we do?”

  Risebelle cracked her knuckles. “We play it like a war. Strategic strikes, controlled advances. They might have numbers, but if we hit hard and fast, we can make sure they don’t get a chance to organize properly.”

  Runebelle’s fingers twitched. “So… we’re really doing this?”

  Risebelle smirked. “Oh, we’re doing this. And we’re gonna break that thing apart before the Headmaster drains all the magic in the Forest.”

  Roselle raised one fist in the air and shouted, “Then let’s do it!”

  Risebelle’s eyes widened, and before Roselle could say another word, she yanked her behind a nearby tree, clamping a hand over her mouth. “Quiet, you idiot!” she hissed. “Do you want them to spot us?”

  Roselle’s muffled protests died in her throat.

  “Ack—! I think I just saw a yellow and blue crab!”

  A young mage girl stood among the guards, rubbing her nose after sneezing. Her face twisted in horror while clutching the sleeve of a fellow mage. “Wait, do crabs even come in those colors? What if it’s one of those mutant crabs? You know the ones that bite people and don’t let go!”

  Her companion sighed. “Lana, for the last time, mutant crabs don’t exist—”

  “Then explain why I saw one!” she shot back with her eyes darting around the sand nervously.

  Risebelle exhaled sharply. She glanced back at the cluster of guards. “Alright. Let’s come up with a plan. Fast."

  Project Mage