The magical flying ship filled the air as it soared through the sky at an incredible speed, cutting the usual two-day journey to the Central Academy down to a single day. Ronan sat beside Mr. Gideon, watching the vast landscape blur beneath them.
As they descended, the grand entrance of the Central Academy came into view, its towering spires and ancient walls standing as a testament to centuries of magical mastery. The ship landed smoothly in front of the entrance.
"We're heading straight to the Mindward Tower," Mr. Gideon stated firmly as he stepped off the ship.
Ronan hesitated. "But I wanted to speak with Mr. Alden first. It's important."
Mr. Gideon gave him a calm but firm look. "You can talk to him later. For now, this takes priority."
Seeing no room for argument, Ronan sighed and nodded. "Alright."
As they made their way through the academy, they encountered Mr Alaric, a tall man with a sharp gaze and a composed demeanour.
"Good evening, sir." Ronan greeted Mr. Alaric.
"Good evening, Ronan," Alaric responded before turning to Mr. Gideon. "You seem unusually serious. What's going on?"
Mr. Gideon's expression remained grim. "I need you to find Alden and bring him to the Mindward Tower immediately."
Alaric's brows furrowed in concern. He had known Mr. Gideon for years, and rarely had he ever seen him react this way. "Understood. I'll get him right away."
As Mr. Alaric turned to leave, his thoughts raced. "Gideon doesn't react like this over small matters. Just what did Ronan do?"
Mr. Alaric reached Mr. Alden's office and knocked on the heavy wooden door. From inside, a voice called out, "Come in."
Stepping inside, Mr. Alaric found Mr. Alden seated behind a desk, papers spread out before him. The man raised a brow. "Didn't you just leave a few minutes ago?"
Mr. Alaric crossed his arms. "Gideon sent me to bring you to the Mindward Tower. He's serious about it."
Mr. Alden scoffed. "That idiot? What's got him so worked up?"
"I don't know," Alaric admitted. "But he seemed angry at Ronan."
Mr. Alden's smirk faded. "Gideon's angry? Now that's rare." He stood, grabbing his coat. "Fine, let's go. I want to see what this is all about."
Meanwhile, Ronan and Mr. Gideon had arrived at the Mindward Tower, a place of deep research and introspection within the Central Academy. The scent of old parchment and candle wax filled the air, and the atmosphere was heavy with lingering magic. An elderly man sat in a dimly lit corner, engrossed in an ancient tome.
"Good evening, Old man." Mr. Gideon greeted.
The elderly man glanced up, narrowing his eyes. "'Old man?' I was your teacher, Gideon. Show some respect."
Mr. Gideon ignored the remark, his focus unwavering. "Can you examine a wound for me? It's on him." He gestured toward Ronan.
Ronan gave an embarrassed smile. "Good evening, sir." Ronan is thinking, "So Mr. Arnold is Mr. Gideon's teacher, Ronan realized."
The old man, Arnold, sighed and stood up, his robes rustling. "Alright, come with me. You—" he pointed at Gideon, "—wait here."
As Ronan disappeared into another room, Mr. Gideon crossed his arms and leaned against the wall, his expression dark and unreadable.
Twenty minutes passed before Mr. Arnold emerged, his face more serious than before. Just then, Mr. Alaric and Mr. Alden entered the tower, their expressions filled with curiosity and concern.
"Alright, Gideon," Alden said, "mind telling us what's going on?"
Mr. Arnold cut in before Mr. Gideon could respond. "That's what I'd like to know as well. Have all of you lost your minds?" His voice carried a weight of authority, silencing the room. "Why did you take this boy into a Corrupted Zone inside a Rift? And if you did, why didn't you protect him properly? His will may be stronger than most, but even he has limits."
Mr. Gideon didn't flinch. Instead, with a flick of his wrist, he conjured a lifeless body into the air. The corpse hovered, its twisted features illuminated by the dim candlelight. Its once-human face was now grotesque, contorted by corruption. The air around it felt heavy, as though an invisible force weighed down on the room.
Mr. Alden's sharp gaze darted between the body and Mr. Gideon. "What the hell is this?"
Mr. Arnold's eyes darkened as realisation set in. "Ronan killed it, didn't he? Now I understand where that wound came from. But you were careless, Gideon. This cannot happen again."
"Let's hear it from Ronan first." Mr. Gideon countered.
At that moment, Ronan stepped into the room and, seeing Mr. Alden, greeted him, "Good evening, sir."
Mr. Alden nodded, his expression unreadable. "Ronan, where did you find this... thing?"
Ronan took a deep breath. "Around three weeks ago, I travelled to the Eldermere Highlands to hunt Luminis Drakes. I took shelter at the old temple for the night. Out of curiosity, I used my Keen Eye ability to examine the goddess statue inside." His voice grew uneasy. "I felt an overwhelming pressure on my soul. It only stopped when I deactivated my ability."
Mr. Alden and Mr. Arnold exchanged looks but said nothing, allowing Ronan to continue.
"For the next few days, I kept using my Keen Eye while searching for the drakes. But after about a week, something strange started happening. My skill would turn itself off and on at random. At first, I thought I had overused it. But then, one night, I woke up with it activated—and I couldn't turn it off. The pain was unbearable, like my skull was splitting apart. After struggling for some time, I was left with Keen Eye active only in my left eye"
His hands clenched into fists as he recalled the moment. "Then I started hearing voices—crying, shouting. And then... I saw him. The voices were coming from him. I tried to run, but he was faster than me. I had no choice but to fight. I didn't know what he was, so I brought the body back."
Mr. Arnold exhaled heavily. "This is not a monster. This was once a human, just like us. But whatever remained of their humanity is long gone. All that's left is an overwhelming, uncontrollable emotion. The corruption in the Rift has turned them into little more than wild beasts."
Mr. Alden's expression hardened. "If these things are showing up outside the Rift, we have a problem. I'll go check the area myself. If a new Rift has appeared, we need to secure it immediately."
Mr. Arnold nodded. "Take Ronan with you once he recovers. Given his Keen Eye's reaction, that Rift may have some connection to it. This could be an opportunity to uncover something important."
The room fell into silence. A heavy sense of responsibility settled over them all. After a moment, they decided to give the lifeless body a proper burial. As they stepped outside, the wind carried a whisper of something unseen—perhaps a warning, or a remnant of the past refusing to be forgotten.