15 Years Later
Night had cast a deep violet veil over the ruins of the Forbidden Temple, north of the Imperial capital. The air was heavy, and the ground was damp with the scent of old sins. The earth still bore witness to the horror that had just unfolded: the lifeless bodies of three noble sorcerers lay pale upon the stone, with no wounds or signs of struggle, as though every drop of blood in their veins had been drained away. The heavy, metallic scent spreading in the air… it was the scent of the forbidden element—Blood.
The voice of the Head Instructor boomed through the stone walls of the temple like thunder:"Surround the area! The air current hasn't dropped! The assassin is still here!"
The Academy's Head Instructor was the embodiment of military discipline and elemental mastery. The Earth armor enveloping his body gave him an unshakable weight, while the sword in his hand quivered like a Metal magnet sensing danger. The soldiers beside him, channeling Fire into their blades, stared at the corpses on the ground in terror.
The Head Instructor noticed a silhouette merged with the darkness at the highest arch of the ruins: Mara.
"Assassin," he hissed, his voice dense with authority."Your crime against the government will be—"
Mara did not respond. Her face, hidden beneath the shadow of her hood, was locked in the cold detachment forged into her by the elements. Her stance was like the Air itself—uncatchable, weightless, and ready to shatter at any moment.
The first line of soldiers raised a thick brown barrier of Earth before them. Those behind prepared a barrage of Fire bursting from the tips of their spears.
Mara did not wait.The Air encircling her body surged into the speed of a storm. Her silhouette blurred into a flickering shimmer before the soldiers' eyes and slipped through the millimetric gap between the ground and the Earth barrier. This wasn't mere speed; it was an elemental slip.
As the soldiers' formation ruptured, a series of dark Blood-element needles shot from the air trailing behind Mara's movement. These needles did not cause physical wounds—they targeted the nervous system.
The soldiers gasped and convulsed. Their eyes flashed crimson for a brief moment under the venomous influence of Blood. Many fell to their knees, retching. The Blood element attacked its victims from within—striking their will, not their flesh.
Seeing his soldiers crumble, the Head Instructor roared in horror. This was not simply an assassination; it was a forbidden declaration of war.
"The Blood Curse!"
He did not hesitate for even a heartbeat. He stomped his foot, cracking the ground with the Earth element and forming a firm defensive field around himself. Then he focused all his Metal power into his sword. The blade didn't simply shine silver; it created a vibrating field of energy around itself.
Mara knew her mission was complete; these soldiers were not her true enemy. The Head Instructor, however, was powerful enough to make her fight for her life. It was time to escape.
Just as Mara prepared to rise using the Air element, the Instructor unleashed his Metal attack. Instead of throwing his sword, he launched a sharp, needle-like ribbon of Metal energy from its tip. It was a trap designed specifically against Air-speed users—an unavoidable strike.
Mara reacted instantly, summoning the Water element. Her body bent with the fluidity of a single droplet, slipping past the primary force of the Metal needle. But the trailing sharpness of the Metal edge managed to open a thin, short cut on the sleeve of her black leather suit.
Without even feeling the touch, Mara unleashed the last burst of her remaining Air energy. In the blink of an eye, she became part of the sky. Her silhouette dissolved into a whisper of wind, fading into the depths of the temple ruins.
The Head Instructor stared at the single drop of dark red blood clinging to the tip of his sword. The blood pulsed like a living energy. His face no longer reflected only anger, but pure fear.
The forbidden element had returned.And with Mara's breath, the balance of the kingdom had begun to crumble.