The Dark Mage (1)

As the girls left, Aether took a deep breath. Dark magic wasn't just too dangerous to handle – it was impossible. No human could wield it. "Let's see," He mumbled as he dashed ahead, towards the guard post at the entrance of the academy grounds.

As the distance between him and the ominous darkness became smaller, he began to feel the air grow heavier and more suffocating. "Hey!" He shouted at the two guards at the gate. They were standing by the metal gate, watching the ever-growing darkness. "Hey! You two!" He regretted not learning their names earlier.

His steps slowed down as he got closer to the gate. Why were the two guards not responding at all? His steps came to a halt as he closed his eyes. When he opened them again, the world was different to him. The sky ahead was pitch black, filled with tendrils of magic twisting and turning, slowly reaching for the unaffected world.

A few of those tendrils reached all the way to the two guards. He could see them twisted around their necks. It was pumping that darkness into their bodies, corrupting their minds and souls. He couldn't let that happen – once someone was completely corrupted, no one could bring them back to their senses.

His expression darkened as his steps carried him to the guards. He removed his stats bracelet, and as soon as he reached the guards, reached for the dark magic tendrils around their neck. "Spirits of the light, aid thy servant!" He shouted at the top of his lungs. "Free these poor souls, and I shall pay you in blood!"

He heard no response, but he knew they would aid him. Without hesitation, he pointed at the tendrils of darkness. Light began to converge around his arm. Golden specks of light solidified in the shape of butterflies. Tens of fluttering golden wings gathered on the tendrils of darkness around the two guards' necks.

Aether stepped back to let the spirits to their job. It was impossible to see what they were doing as their large, fluttering wings blocked his sight completely. "Please," He whispered. He couldn't let anyone fall in the hands of a dark mage. Not ever again.

A snap sounded, and the tendrils broke. The two men collapsed on the ground, unconscious yet alive. Aether crouched besides them and touched their foreheads. Their bodies were poisoned with this dark power – he could feel it spreading, trying to take control of their souls still.

"Disperse." His eyes flashed silver. He breathed a sigh of relief as the darkness followed his command and dispersed. He pulled his hands away and stood back up. The butterflies fluttered around him, expecting something.

"Fine, fine." He sighed. "Here," He stretched his arm to his side and pulled his sleeve up to his shoulder. "Above the elbow – I need to be able to hide it." He warned them as they rushed around his arm. He winced as tends of tiny teeth dug into his skin.

He felt somewhat lightheaded as they drank his blood. "Alright, enough." He said after a few moments and shook his arm. They fluttered around him for a short while, almost disappointed, then vanished the same way they appeared. Aether sighed, then pulled his sleeve down, covering up the many bite marks.

"Alright," He mumbled as his gaze turned towards the distant darkness. It continued to grow, encroaching on the world, forcing normalcy away. He needed to stop this. Now.

"Barrier." He whispered, pointing at the two unconscious guards laying on the ground. A nearly transparent barrier formed around them, and as soon as the spell was completed, Aether jumped over the gate and headed into the forest.

"What do you mean he never returned?" Clara shouted with a pale face as the poor student just continued shaking his head. "He's not the only one – Iris is nowhere to be seen either!" The student tried to explain, but Clara wasn't listening anymore.

She clenched her fists and glanced at Lady Luna. "We need to go after him!"

"Not without preparation." Her mother said, shaking her head. "He told you he was going to just alert the guards and bring them back inside, right?" Clara nodded. "Then trust him and stay put." Lady Luna said with a forced smile.

Clara shook her head. "Hell no! What if something happens to him?"

"Clara…" Lady Luna sighed, it simply wasn't worth the risk.

"If you're not going to help him, then I will!" The young woman shouted before running out the door. "Clara!" Lady Luna ran after her daughter. "Everyone else – stay put!" She shouted before dashing after Clara. She had gone and done it again – acting on impulse like this.

It took them almost no time to reach the gate. Clara drew a sharp breath as she noticed the two guards laying on the ground. "A- are they dead?" She asked in shock.

"No," Lady Luna sighed and reached for one of them. Her fingers hit something mid-air, and the fluctuating air alerted her of a barrier around them. "He put up a barrier," She whispered. "A strong one too," She added after a moment.

"Aether?" Clara called out the young man's name. "Aether, where are you?" Her voice travelled far, yet there was nothing in response. "Oh no…" Clara whispered, tightly grasping her dress. "Mom?"

Lady Luna nodded. "He must have gone to investigate. Let's go after him, but Clara," She grabbed her daughter's shoulder and looked her in the eye. "No matter what you do, don't let the darkness touch you. It will kill – no matter how strong you are."

Clara gulped. "I know. The dark is death to humans." She repeated the words she was taught years ago. "I'll be careful."

Lady Luna sighed, then opened the gate and stepped through. "Let's hope Aether also knows that." She whispered. If not, all they would find would be what remained of him – a soulless husk, at the command of the black mage who started this whole ordeal. And if that happened, she would have no choice but to cut the young man down.

"I hope things don't come to that," She whispered.