Chapter 16: Alliances, Betrayals, and Bloody Warnings
Class B was bathed in the soft glow of the crystals suspended from the ceiling. Seth and Damian sat side by side, grimoires open before them, yet their eyes wandered into deep, pensive thoughts. The air felt heavy with tension, as if each breath weighed more than the last.
Damian broke the silence, his voice low but sharp:
"Seth… tell me… exactly who is Arthur to you?"
Seth hesitated, furrowing his brow:
"I… I don't really know him. All I know is from Suo. He offered to pay for our studies at the Academy… but I don't know his true intentions."
Damian looked away for a moment, gathering his thoughts:
"I've known him too. Since always. Since our childhood. Arthur and I… it was more than just a rivalry. Our families have known each other for ages, our paths crossed countless times. Every success he achieved, every recognition… I always wanted to surpass him… but today, we no longer speak."
Seth widened his eyes, surprised:
"You… you're estranged? Why?"
Damian sighed, staring at the floor:
"Some say it was just a misunderstanding… but that's not entirely true. There were disagreements, choices that disappointed me, and since then, he refuses to speak to me. Even if I don't consider everything that happened a total betrayal, our paths have diverged."
Seth remained silent, contemplating the complexity of the relationship.
"And now?" he asked softly.
Damian shrugged, bitterness in his eyes:
"For now, it's better to stay cautious. You never know what he's planning… nor what I might do."
Silence fell again, heavy with unspoken words and hidden implications.
---
Hundreds of kilometers away, in Britania, the capital and political heart of the Kingdom, the atmosphere was oppressive. A soldier ran into the throne room, pale and breathless.
"Sire!" he shouted. "The guard—the Four White Knights sent to the borders of Gulriora… have been massacred!"
Arthur straightened abruptly, fists clenched:
"How could this happen? Who is behind this?"
The soldier, still trembling, explained:
"Thanks to Gosh, sire, we were able to teleport a scout directly to the borders to verify the situation. What she found… exceeds anything we could have imagined."
Arthur slammed his fist on the throne desk, anger rising:
"Speak!"
The soldier continued, voice quivering:
"She found the bodies of all the White Knights sent to Gulriora. All of them… mutilated and left lifeless. Their limbs were cut with cruel precision… and one body was used as a warning. On its chest, written in blood, were the words: 'We want the King's head.'"
Arthur felt his blood run cold. Each word of the message, each mutilation, was a direct challenge to his sovereignty.
"Who… who could be cruel enough to do this?!" Arthur shouted, his voice echoing through the hall.
The soldier added, in a low, trembling voice:
"The attackers used teleportation to strike quickly and leave these warnings. It was a total massacre, sire. None of the White Knights survived."
Arthur rose, eyes burning with anger and determination:
"This will not happen again. No one will touch our borders or our people. Whoever dares to challenge Britania… I will hunt them down personally."
---
Back at Etheria – Forbidden Chatter
Back at Etheria, Seth was lost in thought, preoccupied by Suo and the events in Britania. Damian approached and whispered:
"Seth… I told you, with Arthur, it's complicated. Even if some say it's just a misunderstanding, there's more to it…"
They continued speaking, oblivious to the passage of time, until Professor Valtherion walked between the rows. His piercing eyes immediately fixed on them.
"Gentlemen!" he exclaimed. "I notice you are chatting instead of following the lesson."
Seth and Damian jumped, blushing with guilt.
"Given your lack of attention, I am assigning you extra exercises," Valtherion said, handing them two thick scrolls. "You will write a complete analysis of five types of elemental magics, explain their origins, innate predispositions, and propose practical spells for each. These assignments are due tonight."
The two adolescents exchanged a worried glance. Their chatter had just cost them a monumental task. Seth felt the weight of magic, responsibility, and the tension between Damian and Arthur press down even more heavily.
---
As they left the classroom, Alma appeared, radiant:
"Seth! I'm so glad to see you again!"
Seth, still preoccupied with the exercises, managed a smile:
"Alma… it's good to see you too…"
She looked him straight in the eyes and whispered teasingly:
"You're quite the handsome boy…"
Seth, surprised and hesitant, stammered:
"Uh… thank you… I… don't remember anyone ever telling me that…"
Alma laughed softly, and their conversation continued, light and fleeting.
---
The following days were intense. Professor Valtherion explained the fundamentals of magic:
"Magic is not limited to learned spells. Every individual possesses, from birth, a predefined energy. This energy determines your natural affinity."
He unveiled a large map of the five kingdoms:
Soleilion (currently Solgaleo), kingdom of fire, volcanic and blazing.
Atlantis, kingdom of water, covering vast oceans and rivers.
Sylphe, kingdom of wind, land of cliffs and storms.
Terrtarossa, kingdom of earth, divided into fertile lands and arid deserts.
Britania, the central kingdom, rich, strategic, the political and commercial heart.
"Each kingdom offers natural predispositions called innate magics. Some master an element from birth. Others develop unique, personal magics. Finally, there are arcane magics—lost or forbidden, stemming from ancient grimoires, accessible only to a few mages."
Valtherion fixed the class with a steady gaze:
"Etheria is not just a place to learn spells. It exists so that you may develop your own unique and powerful magic. Understanding your energy, harnessing it, and perfecting it… that is your greatest challenge."
Seth felt the pressure rising. Between the rift with Damian and Arthur, the threat to Britania, and the assigned exercises, he knew his days at Etheria would be an endless chain of challenges.
---
To be continued…