CHAPTER 128: UNDERSTANDING POISON: AWAKENING THE DUALITY WITHIN

"Poison is life, and poison is death. Poison is silent, and poison is loud."

He felt like he understood them... and yet couldn’t fully grasp them.

Serene lifted her teacup again and took a quiet sip, letting the silence settle while Alex processed her words.

After a little while, Alex came back to his senses and looked toward her with wide eyes—eyes that quietly urged her to continue.

She smiled softly and set her teacup down on the table.

Her voice came again, low and whisper-like, echoing off the walls, crawling over them like serpents.

"Your other questions—the nature of poison and how to control it—are connected."

She paused, locking eyes with him.

"The nature of any element depends on the person. An element will respond to you if you can grasp even a single perspective of its essence. Like I said earlier—poison can kill, but it can also save. It all depends on your understanding. It’s about which side of the coin you choose to see."

Her gaze drifted around the room as she continued,

"As for control—if you understand even a little of its nature, even one percent—it will come to you naturally. You won’t need to force it."

She poured herself another cup of tea and leaned back in her chair, sipping patiently as she gave Alex time to absorb her words.

Alex stood up.

"Thank you... I think I understand a little now. But I’ll keep thinking about it."

Serene rose as well, her expression softening.

"Be careful out there. Don’t show your true power to everyone."

Alex nodded and stepped toward the door. Hati perked up and followed quietly at his side.

Just before leaving, Alex glanced over his shoulder and whispered,

"Goodbye, Aunt."

Serene smiled warmly.

"Goodbye, Alexy. Take care."

Alex nodded and stepped out, but Hati lingered for a moment, quietly brushing against Serene’s leg before following after him.

With a storm of thoughts in his mind, Alex made his way to the cafeteria. He ate in a daze, the food bland and tasteless on his tongue, and left silently for his dorm room.

As he lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling, Serene’s words echoed in his mind:

"Poison is life and death, silent and loud."

He repeated it over and over, trying to grasp it.

Restless, he stood up in the middle of the night. He walked to the small window and pushed it open. A gust of salty, cold sea breeze slapped his face, jolting his senses awake.

Outside, waves crashed against the black stone shore—their relentless rhythm reaching his ears like nature’s heartbeat.

He lifted his eyes to the sky.

There, the full moon hung in serene silence, its pale light painting the sea silver. But even in its glow, darkness remained. It didn’t retreat—it simply was. Light and darkness coexisted, opposite forces sharing the same sky. Neither trying to conquer the other. Just existing.

That’s when it clicked.

He whispered,

"Poison is life and death... just like this."

"I can kill with it—and I can save with it."

Memories surged through his mind—

Saving the Elves, drawing out their corruption.

Selene, her life slipping away, saved by his hand.

The massacre in Romania—monsters falling to the venom in his dark element.

The Thunder God, brought down by a single strike of Primordial Red Snake poison.

Now he understood.

He stepped away from the window and sat down cross-legged on the cold stone floor. His back straightened. His breath slowed. He closed his eyes.

He felt it—the Red Snake Poison coursing through his veins, ancient and powerful. It wasn’t just venom—it was life itself. A gift buried deep within, granting him regeneration and much more.

Inside his right heart, the dark elemental rings thrummed softly, steady like a heartbeat.

And then—within their orbit—a small red ring flickered into existence, pulsing in harmony with the golden-green wood elemental rings already present adjacent to it.

Suddenly, a gust of green energy streamed in through the open window, wrapping around him like a living breeze. It swirled and danced, drawn by resonance.

Thrum.

The fifth wood elemental ring formed. At that instant, the red ring inside the darkness responded—and more followed.

The poison elemental rings emerged alongside the five dark rings, as if awakened from a deep slumber.

Inside his heart, something impossible happened—

Duality.

Life and death.

Creation and destruction.

Two opposing truths, pulsing in perfect rhythm. Like two sisters sharing one home—not fighting, simply existing.

Alex opened his eyes slowly, the moonlight catching the shimmer in his gaze.

He looked up at the glowing moon and smiled.

Then, in a quiet breath, he whispered,

"Thanks... because of you, I understand a little more about this world."

He lay back on the bed, closing his eyes, feeling content with the progress he had made today.

Far away from Alex’s quiet room, deep within the Academy’s infirmary, a place dressed in sterile white sheets and lined with plain beds, a young man lay still.

The air was thick with the scent of herbs and medicine, and the walls were washed in pale green light from elemental stones embedded above, casting eerie shadows across the sterile hall.

Kaelan stirred.

His blue eyes fluttered, a grimace stretched across his face, and then—his eyes snapped open, heart pounding, breath heavy like a drowning man gasping for air.

His vision blurred for a moment before it focused on the too-familiar white ceiling.

He tried to sit up, but pain lanced through his body—his arms and legs wrapped in tight bandages soaked with bitter salves.

He looked around slowly. The infirmary was silent.

Then—

Footsteps.

Echoing steadily across the tiles. Growing louder and closer.

They stopped right beside him.

After a pause, a deep, familiar voice filled the quiet air like thunder rolling across a canyon:

"So, you’ve finally opened your eyes... little brother."

Kaelan turned his head, reluctantly. His gaze met a pair of red-gold eyes, glowing faintly like embers in the dark.

He flinched. The motion sparked pain up his spine.

Kevin Ignis, heir to the Fire Phoenix Clan, towered beside him—arms crossed, a faint smile pulling at his lips.

"I’m impressed," Kevin said, his tone casual. "You actually made it to the semifinals... after that disaster in the early rounds."

He looked around the infirmary—with cautious eyes—and then leaned closer, voice lowered to a biting whisper:

"But you’re still a disappointment. You’d better win next year... or we might have to send you to the front lines."

He turned without waiting for a reply, boots clicking sharply as he walked away, each step fading until silence returned.

Kaelan stared back at the white ceiling, his jaw tight, his eyes shimmering.

Then, tears spilled from the corners of his eyes, soaking into the white pillow.

He clenched his fist, pain burning through every nerve, and whispered bitterly through gritted teeth:

"I know... I know.

You don’t have to remind me every time."

The sun rose from the horizon, lighting up the vast sea and the towering castle perched atop the island’s highest hill.

Its tallest spire reached skyward, almost brushing the clouds as if defying nature itself.

The first light of dawn struck its snow-covered peaks, and the snow shimmered like scattered diamonds.

Alex opened his eyes, one thought echoing in his mind:

Another step.

Another step toward the peak of this world.

After freshening up, he nudged his sleeping partner.

The wolf groaned.

They stepped out early, leaving behind the warmth of their dorm.

The Academy’s halls were dim and hushed, still wrapped in the calm of dawn.

After a quiet breakfast in the cafeteria, the two made their way through the winding corridors and arrived at the Elemental Cultivation Hall.

The morning crowd was lighter than before—likely because most students were still asleep.

Alex moved straight toward the Purple Door, scanning his bracelet.

The door pulsed softly, and he stepped inside—Hati padding silently behind him.