"Fire and ice. You can go now, Alicia… Alicia."

Illiana's voice trailed in the air, but Alicia stood motionless, eyes locked on the furious crimson burning within the crystal.

The heat wasn't what held her—it was the memory those flames dragged to the surface, memories that she despised and regretted the most.

Her gaze darkened, pupils contracting slightly, as if she were staring at an enemy rather than a reflection of her own affinity.

"Alicia."

A gentle but firm hand rested on her shoulder. The weight of it pulled her back from that place in her mind.

She blinked, the haze breaking, and turned to see Chloe watching her with concern.

"Huh… ah, sorry. I was just… thinking about something," Alicia murmured.

She stepped away from the crystal, her movements quieter than before, and rejoined the group without meeting anyone's eyes.

Illiana's gaze lingered on her for a moment, but she said nothing.

"Caelyn."

At the call of her name, Caelyn strolled forward at her usual, unhurried pace, the heavy trace of drowsiness still clinging to her expression.

Caelyn's hand rested on the crystal.

One second.

Two seconds.

Five seconds.

Still nothing. The white smoke inside swirled lazily, refusing to change.

"Why isn't anything happening?" someone whispered.

"Is she… affinity-less?" another voice followed.

The murmurs spread, the uncertainty growing.

Illiana's eyes narrowed. She could feel Caelyn's mana flowing steadily into the crystal, yet no element appeared.

It wasn't a lack of power—it was something else entirely. As if the crystal couldn't decide what to do.

Then, Caelyn slowly turned her head toward her, rubbing her eye with the back of her hand like a lazy cat.

Her voice came soft, almost bored.

"…Which element do you want to see?"

Illiana frowned. "What?"

"I asked what element you want to see," Caelyn repeated, as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

"…Are you saying you have all elements?" Illiana asked.

"No—" Caelyn began, but Nyverra's calm voice cut in.

"Sorry to interrupt, professor, but this is important."

Illiana looked at Nyverra for a moment but gave a short nod of permission.

Nyverra turned to Caelyn. "Just show the usual."

"…Okay."

The crystal lit instantly—filling with pure gold. Not mixed with any other hue, not shifting between elements—just one, unshakable, brilliant light.

It shone with a warmth that felt alive, yet carried a weight that silenced the entire room.

Caelyn stepped back casually, the glow fading from her fingers. "…Done."

Illiana watched, her expression unreadable.

Azhriel watching everything through the silence, closed his and exhaled deeply.

'You really are the world's biggest anomaly… aren't you?'

Soon, the rest of the cadets also completed their affinity checks.

But what truly caught everyone's attention was the final count—fifteen out of a thousand students possessed the Light affinity.

Light affinity.

The most sought-after, the rarest, the one whispered about in dreams.

It was said to be the purest and most versatile of all elements.

Light could mend wounds as skillfully as water, move with a speed rivaling wind, it could leave burns like fire and cleanse corruption where nothing else could.

It was the element of healers, of saints, of champions who stood against the darkest forces.

In short—Light was considered the pinnacle of affinities. And for the academy, it was exactly the kind of talent they valued above all.

"Since it's your first day, there will be no classes," Illiana said, her voice carrying across the room with ease. "You'll receive your schedules tomorrow."

A faint murmur of relief passed through the students.

"For today," she continued, a faint curve to her lips, "you're free to do whatever you want. Dismissed."

Chairs scraped lightly against the floor as the cadets began to rise, conversations breaking out almost instantly—plans for the day forming in low voices.

Some heading straight for the training fields, others already thinking of the city beyond the academy walls.

*******

Somewhere, in a dimly lit chamber, the air hung thick with the scent of ash and cold metal.

A lone figure sat upon an ornate black chair, one arm resting lazily on the armrest as his fingers tapped in a slow, deliberate rhythm.

The shadows seemed to cling to him rather than the walls, and the faint glow of his crimson eyes cut through the darkness like twin embers.

It was the same man whose presence had forced Nathan and Lia to their knees, whose gaze alone had left them trembling.

The vice-commander of the Legion of Tyranny—

Kedibrus.

Before him, a black magic circle began to flare to life, its runes twisting and writhing like serpents.

The light it cast was not warm but suffocating, pulling the shadows closer instead of driving them away.

From it, a man emerged.

His presence was heavy—not the chaotic, corrosive weight of the demonic energy, but something that was more oppressive.

It felt as if the air itself was pressing down on your chest, grinding bone against bone.

He was wrapped in a black robe, the fabric stitched with a blood-red spade emblem across the back. A necklace of small, bleached skulls hung loose against his chest, clicking faintly with each step.

And his eyes—

There was no white in them.

No pupil.

Only an endless, pitch-black void that seemed to pull at your thoughts, like staring into the abyss and feeling it stare back.

He stopped before Kedibrus, his gaze never wavering.

The aura he exuded was old, patient, and venomous.

This was a priest of the Dark Spades.

Silently, he dragged a chair forward, the legs screeching softly against the stone floor.

Sitting down across from Kedibrus, he leaned back slightly and let his voice, low and deliberate, break the silence.

"Long time no see… Kedibrus~."

The priest's voice rolled out in a sing-song lilt, but the sound was anything but pleasant—raspy and grating, like nails dragging across glass.

Kedibrus didn't so much as flinch.

"Odius." His reply was flat, his tone carrying no emotions.

"So, how's it going on your side, Kedi?" Odius drawled. The nickname was clearly meant to provoke, but Kedibrus let it pass in silence.

"Cut to the chase, Odius. I know you already heard about the failure to obtain the shard."

A shadow crossed Kedibrus's face, the irritation in his crimson eyes betraying his composure.

"Hoh, you know~…" Odius's grin lingered for only a moment before his voice sharpened like a blade.

"Then explain to me—how in the hell did your worms fail such a simple mission? Even the Archons were away, and with the barrier in place, there should've been no problem slaughtering a few students—probably the remaining Calamities."

"I admit it was a mistake on our side," Kedibrus said evenly, "but an unexpected variable appeared. We couldn't proceed."

Odius narrowed his black, abyssal eyes. "What unexpected variable?"

"Someone killed one of the guinea pigs," Kedibrus answered, his tone measured. "And I'm certain the same someone wiped out the entire squad sent for the shard."

He exhaled slowly, crimson gaze hardening.

Odius studied him for a long moment, the air thick with unspoken calculation.

"Tch… damn it," he finally muttered. "That was the easiest chance we had to get the shard."

"The Head Priest is going crazy about it," Odius sighed, leaning back in his chair.

"Well, that's aside," he continued, a sly grin creeping onto his face, "did you hear? The Eccentric's taken a disciple. And—coincidence or not—that boy just happens to be in the top ten of the academy rankings."

"I've heard," Kedibrus replied, his voice low but certain. "And I'll say this—he's dangerous. No… more than that. Everything, and everyone, connected to that man is dangerous beyond measure."

"Hm~… did the Prophet say that?" Odius's smirk widened.

Kedibrus didn't answer.

He didn't need to.

The silence was enough of an answer.

"So, what did you come here for? You could've spoken from your base if this was just about the shard," Kedibrus said, his chin resting lazily on one hand.

"Oh, I was just missing ya," Odius replied with a crooked grin.

Kedibrus's eyes narrowed into a scowl.

"Haha, look at that face of yours," Odius chuckled, clearly enjoying himself.

The laughter dragged on until he finally sobered.

"Alright, alright, jokes aside… we've found where the Key will spawn."

That wiped away Kedibrus's usual calm.

The armset, in his hand broke from his grip, however he didn't care about it.

"How? Where?" he asked sharply—several expressions flashing across his face in quick succession, the most emotion he had shown since the start of their talk.

"Heh, see? Even your Prophet couldn't predict the Keys. But we did," Odius said with smug satisfaction.

"What do you want?" Kedibrus asked at once.

He knew Odius wasn't lying about something as important as the Key—and he knew just as well that the damn priest wouldn't hand over that information for free.

This was simply the relationship between the Dark Spades a d Demons.

One hand give one hand take.

"Chloe Warrens," Odius said smoothly. "You have someone tailing her in the academy, right?"

********