Chapter 64: Clash of Instincts
Darius pushed open the heavy door of his shared dorm, the morning light spilling across the cluttered space he called home with Kai and Aiden. The room’s chaos—scattered books, glowing trinkets, and Kai’s tangled blankets—faded behind him as he stepped into the hallway, his heart racing with the thrill of Anemoi Shades. The legendary spell, born of Abomination Clone and Wind Surge, pulsed in his mind’s interface, a shimmering rune of silver and dark energy, promising untouchable power. Energized, he strode through the academy’s bustling campus, the air alive with morning activity—students sparring in courtyards, runes etched in stone walls glowing faintly, their mana casting a soft shimmer over the cobblestones. His robes, still slightly wrinkled from the forest celebration the night before, swished with each step, his focus locked on testing his new spell in a training room, where he could refine its potential for Study of Air and Study of Spirit.
The training room loomed at the end of a stone corridor, its iron-bound door etched with protective runes that pulsed with a faint blue light. Darius pushed it open, stepping into a vast, cavernous chamber of reinforced stone walls, scarred and blackened from countless spells. Enchanted dummies stood in rows, their forms pulsing with artificial mana, designed to absorb and measure magical impacts. The floor was etched with intricate runes, glowing softly to contain stray magic, the air sharp with the acrid scent of ozone and scorched stone, a testament to recent battles. The room’s hum vibrated in his bones, amplifying his anticipation, his fingers twitching as he envisioned Anemoi Shades’ ethereal clones tearing through the space. Alone, or so he thought, he crossed to a dummy, its mana core glowing faintly, ready to test the spell’s slicing gusts and whirlwind barrages, his mind alight with the promise of mastering its untouchable power.
But he wasn’t alone. A figure moved in the far corner, her presence commanding, her magic a spectacle. A second-year mage, one he vaguely recognized from the forest celebration—her sharp laughter, her confident stance among the crowd—stood before a dummy, her hands weaving a spell. Starfall Barrage erupted, a cascade of meteors made of shimmering light and raw force raining down, each impact cratering the floor, the room trembling with their power. The meteors glowed like miniature suns, their trails leaving streaks of radiance, a dazzling display that marked her as a tournament survivor, her skill honed to a razor’s edge. Darius paused, impressed, his thoughts flickering to his brother, the Star Visionary, whose legacy echoed in her star magic, though he pushed the connection aside, his focus on his own spell.
He set up near a dummy, his excitement clouding his caution, unaware of Anemoi Shades’ mana-targeting nature. He summoned the spell, his mana surging, the rune in his mind flaring. Three ethereal clones materialized, their forms shimmering with wind and dark energy, their silver eyes gleaming. He directed them toward the dummy, expecting their slicing gusts to tear into its core, but the shades veered, locking onto the stronger mana signature across the room—the second-year mage. They darted toward her, their wind attacks slicing through the air, a whirlwind barrage spiraling in their wake. Her head snapped up, her eyes flashing with irritation, and she raised a hand, conjuring a radiant shield of starlight that pulsed with celestial energy. The shield flared, shattering the shades’ gusts, the room echoing with the clash, shards of wind scattering like broken glass.
"Hey!" she snapped, her voice sharp but not enraged, more upset than furious, her dark hair whipping as she turned to face him. "That was way too precise for an accident, first-year." Her tone carried a familiar edge, one he’d heard at the forest party, where she’d mingled with the crowd, her confidence magnetic. She stepped forward, her robes shimmering with faint star-like motes, her hands glowing with a new spell’s promise. "If you’re throwing spells like that, let’s make it a lesson—give you a taste of your own medicine."
Darius raised his hands, his heart pounding, his voice earnest. "I’m sorry! It’s Anemoi Shades—new spell, it locks onto mana, not dummies. I didn’t mean to hit you!" He stepped back, his mana humming, his intent to de-escalate clear, but her eyes narrowed, unconvinced, her irritation tempered by a competitive glint.
"An accident?" she said, her voice low, challenging, a smirk tugging at her lips. "Then let’s call it practice." She thrust her hands forward, casting Comet Surge, a torrent of blazing starlight orbs that streaked across the room, their heat scorching the air, the floor glowing red under their paths. The spell was flashy, destructive, a testament to her tournament-honed skill, the room shaking as the orbs hurtled toward him.
Darius reacted instinctively, his mana flaring as he summoned Tempest Blade, a spell weaving air into cutting edges, distinct from Wind Surge. The blades of wind slashed forward, deflecting the starlight orbs, their collision sending sparks flying, the training room’s runes flaring to contain the energy. He staggered, his robes fluttering, his voice strained but sincere. "I swear, it was a mistake! I’m still figuring out the spell!" His arsenal—Fire Spiral, Mist Blade—remained unused, his focus on calming her, not escalating, his apologies echoing in the charged air.
She paused, her hands still glowing, the starlight dimming as her smirk softened, her irritation giving way to grudging respect. "Fine," she said, her voice sharp but playful, the competitive edge returning. "But if it’s an accident, prove it. Show me what you’ve got—let’s make this a real duel." Her stance shifted, her mana surging, the air crackling as she prepared another spell, the training room’s runes pulsing brighter to contain the escalating energy. Darius’s heart raced, the hum of the chamber amplifying the challenge, his fingers twitching as he readied himself to meet her skill, his mind sharp with the need to prove his control without causing harm.
He nodded, his voice steady despite the tension. "Alright, let’s do this—practice, not a fight." His mana flared, the mental interface of his magical system glowing with runes, Anemoi Shades pulsing brightest, its silver-dark energy eager to be unleashed again. But he held back, wary of its mana-targeting quirk, opting for variety to keep the duel friendly. The second-year mage’s eyes gleamed, her robes shimmering with star-like motes, and she thrust her hands forward, casting Astral Cascade, a spell unlike her earlier Comet Surge. A torrent of shimmering, blade-like starlight shards rained down, each fragment glowing with celestial force, slicing through the air with a high-pitched whine, the floor trembling as they struck, leaving glowing scars on the stone.
Darius reacted, summoning Mist Blade, a Level 11 spell weaving wind and water into a fog-wreathed cutting edge, distinct from his earlier Tempest Blade. The misty blades swirled, intercepting the starlight shards, their collision erupting in a burst of steam and light, the training room’s runes flaring to absorb the impact. The air grew heavy, the ozone scent sharpening, and Darius darted to the side, his robes fluttering, his focus split between defense and restraint. "Nice one!" he called, his tone light, trying to keep the mood playful, but her smirk widened, her mana surging again, undeterred by his deflections.
She advanced, her hands weaving a new spell, Lunar Flare, a radiant orb of moon-white light that pulsed with explosive force, hurtling toward him like a miniature star. The room shook, the dummies rattling, as the orb’s heat scorched the air, its glow casting stark shadows. Darius’s pulse quickened, his mind racing through his arsenal, avoiding Anemoi Shades to prevent another misfire. He summoned Fire Spiral, Level 11, a coiling flame that roared from his hands, spiraling to meet the orb. The flames wrapped around the Lunar Flare, their collision detonating in a burst of heat and light, the training room’s runes glowing red to contain the blast. He staggered, sweat beading on his brow, the intensity of her magic a reminder of the tournament’s survivors, their skills honed to a deadly edge.
"Not bad, first-year," she said, her voice teasing but laced with respect, her hands already moving, mana pulsing as she prepared another spell. "But you’ll need more than that." She unleashed Stellar Vortex, a swirling maelstrom of starlight and force, its edges sharp as glass, spiraling toward him with a roar that shook the room. The spell was flashy, destructive, a testament to her mastery, its light blinding, the air crackling with celestial energy. Darius’s breath caught, her skill rivaling Lucien’s unpredictable flair, pushing him to match her intensity without escalating to harm.
He called on Elemental Body, a Level 12 spell that let his form dissipate into swirling wind and fire, rendering physical attacks without mana harmless as they passed through him. His body shimmered, becoming a flickering silhouette of flame and air, the Stellar Vortex’s edges slicing through him, their non-mana components dissipating harmlessly. He moved, his form fluid, darting to the side as he conjured Wind Surge, a Level 10 blast of air to push back the vortex’s core. The spells clashed, wind against starlight, the room erupting in a tempest of light and gusts, the runes flaring brighter to contain the chaos. The second-year mage laughed, a sound of thrill and challenge, her eyes gleaming as she pressed her attack, undaunted by his defense.
But she adjusted, her movements sharp, her mana surging with intent. She’d seen him in the tournament, watched Lucien exploit the gaps in Elemental Body—its weakness to mana-imbued attacks, exposed when Lucien’s precise strikes had shattered his defenses. She cast Aetheric Lance, a single, concentrated spear of starlight infused with dense mana, its tip glowing like a comet’s core. It streaked toward him, faster than her previous spells, its mana signature cutting through the air with a scream. Darius, caught mid-motion, tried to shift Elemental Body’s flow, tightening the wind-fire weave, but the lance struck true, piercing a gap in his flickering form. Pain flared, a sharp burn across his shoulder, his robes singed as he stumbled back, the training room’s runes pulsing to absorb the stray energy.
He gasped, his hand clutching his shoulder, the sting grounding him. The second-year mage paused, her hands lowering, her smirk fading to a nod of acknowledgment. "Got you," she said, her voice calm now, the competitive edge softened. "You’re good, but they know your tricks now. Tournament exposed you." She stepped back, her mana dimming, the room’s hum settling, the air heavy with residual starlight and wind.
Darius’s chest heaved, his mind reeling. She was right—Lucien’s victory had revealed Elemental Body’s limits, its vulnerability to mana-infused attacks now a known weakness among the tournament’s survivors. His advantage, once a shield, was crumbling, his peers adapting faster than he’d expected. Lucien’s shadow loomed larger, a reminder of the gap he still had to close. The training room glowed with fading light, the dummies still pulsing, the scars on the floor a testament to their duel. He straightened, his jaw tightening, resolve burning through the pain. "I’ll adapt," he muttered, more to himself than to her, his voice low but fierce. "I have to."
The second-year mage tilted her head, her eyes appraising, then turned back to her dummy, dismissing him with a casual wave. "Keep practicing, first-year. You’ll need it." The room’s runes pulsed softly, the air settling, but Darius’s heart still raced, the sting in his shoulder a sharp reminder of his exposed weaknesses and the path ahead, his ambition undeterred despite the setback.