🩸 Chapter 66
"When darkness sends an invitation, curiosity becomes a curse."
🕯️ Scene 1: The Black Envelope
It was early morning when Aeren found it on his bed—a sleek black envelope sealed with a red wax sigil in the shape of a serpent eating its own tail.
No one had seen who delivered it.Not even the academy's surveillance systems.
He opened it.
"To the one whose mind walks beyond time...The Crimson Stage opens its floor.Tonight. Midnight.Come alone.Speak of this, and the future shall collapse."
Aeren's heartbeat quickened.
Crimson Stage...? Shadow Court...? What the hell is this?
He felt the pulse of the same power he had seen in his dream realm.
🧩 Scene 2: Whispered Warnings
Anshi noticed something wrong as soon as she saw Aeren at training.
"You okay? You're… distant again."
"Just tired. That's all," he lied.
But she wasn't convinced.
That evening, she cornered him outside the training arena.
"Don't lie. I feel your aura—it's shifting again. Did something happen after Tower 7?"
Before he could answer, a voice whispered in his head:
"Speak it, and she dies."
His eyes widened.
"Anshi… just promise me—if anything ever happens to me, don't follow."
Her expression darkened.
"Why would you say that, idiot?"
He forced a smile. "Because I want to graduate together."
She hugged him tightly… not knowing that darkness already had its eyes on them both.
🩸 Scene 3: The Crimson Stage
At exactly midnight, Aeren entered the abandoned Hall of Forgotten Echoes, hidden beneath the academy's sealed East Wing.
Candles lit by themselves as he stepped forward.
A crowd in black and crimson robes stood in a circle.
In the center was a mirror-floor stage, soaked in dried blood.
A masked figure stepped out.
"Welcome, young Titan. The world sleeps while the Shadow Court remembers."
"Who are you?"
"We are the Echoes of the Original Seekers. We walk behind kings, whisper beside gods… and watch those who may bend the verse."
They circled him.
"Your awakening is a threat... but also a tool. So we offer a deal."
Aeren clenched his fists.
"What deal?"
"Power. Knowledge. Control over your destiny.But in return, when the Clock Tower chimes thirteen… you must choose which realm to collapse."
"Collapse…?"
The masked figure stepped close.
"You were never born to be a seeker, Aeren. You were born to reshape the Crosnic Verse itself."
Suddenly, a blinding light filled the room.
A new voice thundered:
"ENOUGH!"
A woman in white and violet armor descended—her aura slicing through the room like judgment.
"This boy is under protection of the Divine Code. You have no right!"
The Shadow Court vanished into black mist.
Only the letter remained in Aeren's hand… burned and unreadable.
🏫 Scene 4: The Hidden Guardian
Back in the infirmary, Aeren woke up to the woman sitting by his side.
She looked young—maybe 25—but her eyes held centuries.
"I am Instructor Zephyra. Rank: Platinum-tier. Title: The Mind Breaker."
"Why did you save me?"
"Because your life belongs to more than just you."
She placed a finger on his forehead and whispered:
"Seal Layer 2… unlocked."
New abilities flooded his mind—
Mind Slice (Passive):
Instantly identify weak points in living targets.
Can temporarily 'cut' thoughts to silence an enemy's intent.
Duration: 3 seconds per focus.
She stood.
"Get stronger, Aeren. Because soon… even your friends might not recognize the real you."
🌒 End of Chapter 66