Chronicles of Elina: The Hell Fortress War

Year 1 of the New Litrian Imperial Calendar, at the tail end of winter.

Beneath the ash-gray sky, the royal capital of Karanos resembled a somber painting set upon ruins. The rebellion had ended, but the empire lay in ashes, its glory buried beneath scars. The castle walls were broken, only scorched black flags fluttering.

Most devastating was the sacrifice of the mages. Once the shield and heart of the empire, barely ten remained, most of them exhausted. It was a catastrophe that shook the empire’s very foundation.

“When magic declines, the empire falls.” This old saying had become reality. Monsters devoured villages, and even the magical barrier protecting the capital had weakened.

Fatigue was deeply etched on Emperor Salut William’s face, yet his eyes remained strong. Knowing the cost of blood from the battlefield, he gripped the armrests of his throne tightly.

Late one night, in the council chamber, the Emperor placed his last hope on the white-haired Archmage Sarte.

“Establish a magic school.”

The Emperor’s voice was low and heavy. It was both a command and a desperate plea. “For the future of the empire, it is essential.”

Sarte bowed deeply, his heart heavy. His wrinkled hands trembled, but his spirit remained strong.

“I shall obey Your Majesty’s command. I will dedicate my life to it.”

Thus, upon the ashes of war, the seed of the Luminarian Magic School was sown.

Sarte devoted everything. He taught students by day and searched ancient texts by night. Reality was harsh. Materials were scarce, and the magical veins had weakened, requiring twice the effort to complete spells.

Twenty years passed. The school remained modest, producing only a handful of official mages. The enrollment capacity of one hundred was never even half-filled.

Sarte often climbed the school tower, gazing into the distance, asking himself:

‘Will magic continue to decline like this? Can the empire ever reach its golden age again?’

The heavy questions weighed on his shoulders, but the spark of hope in his eyes never died. It was a promise to the Emperor, a mission for the empire’s future. As long as he was here, Luminarian’s flame would not be extinguished.

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To the southeast of Karanos, where the bustle of the city met the serenity of the forest, stood the Luminarian Magic School. With the walls of Celesta, tinted by the evening sunset, visible in the distance, this place harbored a new future despite the declining reality of magic.

Over twenty years, the empire had gradually recovered, but Luminarian remained modest. The aged stone building, filled with the scent of old books and magical herbs, carried the traces of time.

Centered around Headmaster Sarte’s first-floor office filled with books and the second-floor practice room stained with traces of magic, the dormitories and garden built with red bricks had taken their place.

On a morning when the warm spring sunshine made the dew in the magic garden glisten like jewels, the scent of moist soil filled the air.

In one corner of the garden, students simultaneously raised their staves. About twenty students stood with staves of different colors and shapes, their expressions tense.

Faint light emanated from the tip of their staves, and a subtle warmth was felt in their hands.

“By the power of Terra, God of Earth, I command: may roots grow deep, branches reach high, and flowers bloom fully!”

The students’ voices harmonized and resonated throughout the garden. As the spell ended, mana rippled through the air with blue wavelengths, and the tulips planted before the students began to quiver like hearts.

Professor Patricia, with her sharp gaze and gray hair, surveyed the students.

“Oh... Look! Hallis’s flower is blooming!”

“Amazing! Hallis!”

Exclamations burst out from everywhere. The students’ gazes all converged on one spot.

The first to bloom a tulip was Hallis, with her sun-like blonde hair, freckles, and overflowing confidence. Her tulip blossomed into a vivid red, capturing everyone’s attention.

“Oh, it’s growing...!”

“Mine too! Mine too!”

As the students’ cheers continued, one by one, flowers began to bloom. However, in one shadowy corner of the classroom, a tulip remained unchanged. Uniquely, Elina, with her raven-black hair and alabaster skin, saw no movement at the tip of her staff, and the tulip before her remained a bud.

Beads of sweat began to form on her forehead. As the surrounding silence grew heavier, desperation deepened on Elina’s face.

Inside her, a different kind of power whispered seductively, but she tried to ignore it.

Her pale fingers gripped the staff tightly, and sweat seeped into her palm.

“By the power of Terra, God of Earth, I command...!”

No matter how much she concentrated, nothing changed. The orthodox magic did not respond to her.

“You can do it! Elina, you can do it!”

Despite the encouragement from her roommate Serena, with her bright smile and violet eyes, Elina recited the spell even more desperately.

“Professor Patricia, if we wait for Elina, we’ll miss lunch.”

From the front of the classroom, Hallis raised her chin slightly and smiled mischievously. Her voice carried the superiority of victory.

Several students giggled at her remark.

“Hallis.”

The classroom instantly fell silent. Professor Patricia’s calm but authoritative voice echoed.

“I decide when to end the class. Don’t presume to interfere.”

Hallis’s face reddened, and she shrugged her shoulders, pouting her lips.

At that moment, the air in the classroom subtly changed, with something like static electricity beginning to swirl. Along with a sudden chill, as if the temperature had dropped, a strange sound like something burrowing into the ground was heard.

Elina’s face turned pale, and her hands began to tremble violently. Her pupils momentarily turned black before returning to normal.

It was forbidden knowledge, a realm of darkness that no one should touch.

Suddenly the entire classroom darkened. The leaves of surrounding plants gradually began to wither.

At the tip of Elina’s staff, dark energy-the cold and seductive dark magic she had tried to suppress-began to ripple.

Black energy emitted from the staff writhed like a sentient creature, enveloping the tulip.

The stem twisted abnormally as the flower bud swelled enormously.

Roots burst from the soil, dancing macabrely in the air.

The air vibrated, and in an instant, obsidian flames rose in the form of a small dragon.

Surrounding students screamed and stepped back.

“Aaaaah!”

“No! Elina, snap out of it!”

Professor Patricia rushed forward, drawing her staff, but the already rampaging magic could not be stopped. Her blue magic was powerless against Elina’s darkness.

Sparks from the collision of the two magics singed nearby desks.

The tulip, enveloped in black energy, writhed monstrously, engulfing and absorbing surrounding tulips.

Everything in the classroom vibrated, and the suddenly enlarged black tulip left only ashes that scattered in the wind.

From the aftermath of the magic, Elina collapsed weakly, staggering.

The terrified students instinctively backed away, their eyes filled with fear and strange alienation.

In the silence, Professor Patricia approached Elina with a worried face, gently gripping her shoulders. Her hands were warm, and that warmth transferred to Elina’s cold shoulders.

“Elina, are you alright? This again...”

But in Elina’s eyes, pale silvery tears were already pooling.

“Professor... did the flower bloom?”

Compassion filled Patricia’s eyes, and she gently stroked Elina’s hair, saying:

“Yes, Elina. The flower bloomed. But... that wasn’t the magic we’re learning. That was magic from a forbidden realm.”

Hope momentarily flashed in Elina’s eyes, only to fade away.

Her shoulders slumped.

“Professor... I’m sorry... doing this again...”

Patricia smiled warmly and gently wrapped Elina’s hands in hers. She quietly but firmly patted Elina’s back, leading her to the headmaster’s office.

Whispers spread among the students left in the classroom. Hallis wore a victorious smile, but concern filled Serena’s eyes.

The classroom still held the scent of black ash and burning soil, a sweet yet bitter aroma.

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The headmaster’s office, filled with ancient magical books that seemed to span hundreds of years and mysterious magical artifacts, exuded an antique atmosphere.

As sunlight struck the window frame and scattered into prismatic particles, only the second hand of an old clock broke the silence.

Headmaster Sarte quietly observed Elina from across the conference table. The deep wrinkles on his face and tired eyes carried the weight of years along with concern.

Yet his gaze remained sharp.

“Elina, do you remember? The imperial magic school was founded on the teachings of Helios, God of Light, and the harmony of spirits.”

Sarte continued slowly. His voice resonated deeply throughout the office.

“But you... whenever your emotions intensify, you try to awaken another power within you.”

Elina nervously fidgeted with the hem of her robe. A faint dark energy swirled beneath her pale fingernails.

“That’s... not something I want to do.”

Her voice was small, but carried frustration suppressed over a long time.

Sarte’s gaze softened. Sympathy passed across his wrinkled face.

“I promised your father. That I would raise you to be a proud mage. And... that I would control the power within you.”

Elina’s shoulders hunched. Momentary sadness flashed in her eyes, and memories of her father weighed heavily on her heart.

Black hair flowed forward.

“I’m sorry, Headmaster.”

Yet her voice carried more resentment than genuine remorse.

After a moment of silence, she bit her lip and raised her head. Her gaze changed dramatically.

“But... I didn’t want to lose to Hallis.”

Her voice rose, and darkness flashed across her pupils... “I just... couldn’t stand it!”

As Elina gripped the table tightly, subtle dark energy rose from her fingertips. The inkwell on the table shook, and the ink inside swirled into a miniature maelstrom.

“Is that such a grave mistake?”

Sarte sighed, lightly pressed the inkwell with his hand, and leaned deeply into his chair. Blue light from his fingers enveloped the inkwell, stopping the swirling ink.

“I understand your emotions, Elina.”

He smiled gently. The smile was warm, but concern remained in his eyes.

“I was once your age, after all.”

Elina’s eyes widened in surprise. She seemed to view the headmaster in a new light.

“You too, Headmaster?”

“Of course. Every mage was once a student.”

A light of memory passed through Sarte’s eyes, and a faint golden magical aura enveloped him like flames before disappearing.

But soon his expression became serious again.

“But magic is not about expressing emotions, but about governing them. Power is not valuable merely because it is strong.”

He looked directly into Elina’s eyes as he spoke. His gaze was deep and serene, yet unfathomable.

“The power within you is strong, but... if you cannot control it, it will consume you.”

Sarte lightly touched the crystal sphere on the desk. As his fingers made contact, blue light rippled inside the crystal, revealing an image of the universe with countless stars floating.

The room filled with starlight before fading.

Elina bit her lip. Her pale face reddened, and faint dark energy swirled in her tears.

“I... I know. But...”

Sarte gently interrupted her. His voice carried firmness.

“Your face still doesn’t show remorse.”

He removed his glasses, cleaned them, and put them back on. A gentle moonlight-like glow spread from the glasses, illuminating Elina’s face.

Sarte watched her for a moment, then exhaled deeply and turned to Professor Patricia standing by the door.

“Professor Patricia, Elina will be punished by watering the flowers and grass in the garden for a week.”

He thought for a moment and added. Deep intention filled his eyes.

“And Hallis should fetch water from the lake. The two must work together.”

Elina gasped in surprise. Her eyes widened as she looked up at the headmaster. Her expression reflected confusion, questioning, and subtle fear.

“But Headmaster! Working with Hallis? That’s...”

Sarte gently raised his hand to stop her. Warm light spread from his hand, enveloping Elina.

“Sometimes working with the most difficult counterpart provides the greatest learning.”

“Yes, Headmaster.”

Patricia nodded gently. Understanding and agreement filled her eyes.

She gently grasped Elina’s arm. “Come, Elina. You need to properly learn what it means to handle magic through this opportunity.”

Elina closed her lips and followed with a dissatisfied expression.

As the door closed, Headmaster Sarte watched her retreating figure. Slowly rising from his chair, he walked to the window.

Outside, students were still engrossed in magic practice in the school garden. Magic staves shimmered like small stars under the sunlight.

But where Elina had been, the ground was blackened.

‘When will she be able to accept her destiny while becoming free...’

Sarte exhaled deeply. ‘Kesillius, I promised to protect your daughter. No matter what sacrifice it entails...’

As his words ended, the entire headmaster’s office momentarily glowed blue before fading.