The Beginning After The End Chapter 92: Collapse of Xyrus

ARTHUR LEYWIN’S POV:

Tess leaving for school left me with a rather uneasy feeling, but, needless to say, we still enjoyed the night. The Helstea Manor was in a festive mood, with barrels of liquor brought up from the cellar by Vincent himself. Lilia’s father was getting the most enjoyment out of this, along with my father, who were both in an inebriated state before I even got home. It turned out that the Twin Horns had made a detour on their series of expeditions in the Beast Glades to visit us during the Aurora Constellate. It meant a lot to my parents just being able to see their old comrades again and share a drink or two as a toast to old times and embarrassing memories.

After my father and Vincent, Adam Krensh was the next to become intoxicated, his flushed cheeks almost matching his fiery red hair. It was rather fascinating witnessing everyone’s alcohol-induced habits since my mother and Tabitha wouldn’t allow me to drink alongside them. Adam was your typical loud and rowdy drunk, seeming to lose enough coordination for an infant to be able to wrestle him to the ground and win.

Angela Rose began to lose all sense of personal space as she conversed with me with her cheeks stuck to mine. It didn’t help that every spoken word was accompanied by two or three hiccups, making it almost impossible to decipher what she was trying to say. Tabitha ended up having to peel her off of me and ‘kindly’ escort the coquettish mage up the stairs by the back of her collar.

I had a hard time containing my laughter while Durden Walker soon became drunk as well. What surprised me the most was when he opened his eyes. The usual narrow shapes that looked more like slits became a stern mono-lidded dictator’s surprised expression. It didn’t help that his eyebrows that were normally slanted down were now furrowed into an upward tilt, making his overall expression a mixture of intense focus and uncontainable surprise. He would take on this gruff commanding tone when speaking, and for the past hour or so before passing out, he was spouting out training drills to one of the empty barrels of beer while participating in the exercises himself.

I couldn’t tell whether my former guardian, Jasmine Flamesworth, was drunk or not until she came up, eyes glossy and unfocused, and started repeating to me how much she thought of me and how worried she was as to whether or not I was adjusting to school well. Eventually, everyone retired to their respective rooms. Mother towed my father, who was cradling a bottle of what smelled like whiskey as if it were a newborn, back into their room. Tabitha did the same for her husband as well. My sister went to sleep with Sylvie quite a while ago in her room, leaving only Helen Shard, the leader of the Twin Horns, and me in the war zone that was once a dining room.

“Quite the party, wasn’t it? I’m sure this wasn’t exactly how you pictured your reunion with us to go,” Helen let out a contained giggle.

I laughed in response. “With everything that’s been going on these days, it was nice seeing everyone let loose.”

“Your parents told us briefly about everything that has happened to you since we were gone. You seem to be doing a fairly good job of taking on your father’s role in worrying your mother.” The faint smirk that curled on Helen’s lips suggested she was reminiscing the past.

“It seems to be the one skill that I seem to be getting better at without even trying.”

“If only it were like that for me with mana manipulation,” Helen sighed, making us both laugh.

We moved to the living room after the maids started showing up and cleaning the dining room. There, we sat with only a coffee table separating us as we continued talking and catching each other up on what had happened in our respective lives.

It was the first time I’d talked to Helen for this long, but it was comfortable, and she talked to me as if she were talking to an adult, not someone who had barely hit his or her teens. She had an eloquent way of speaking that wasn’t usual for an adventurer; she seemed more suited to lead strategic meetings, not be on the front lines, fighting.

“If you don’t mind me asking, Arthur, what level is your mana core? I can’t seem to even sense your level anymore.” Helen lifted her feet from the coffee table and leaned forward as she asked this.

“Solid Yellow,” I answered simply. I didn’t want to sugarcoat or try to downplay my level to someone as observant as Helen.

“I see. Congratulations, sincerely.” Helen had a mixed expression on her face, one where she was trying to hide her disappointment, but failed. She wasn’t disappointed in me, but herself, because even though she more than double my age, I had surpassed her by quite a bit.

“It seems like you are made for bigger and greater things, Arthur. With the discovery of a new continent and all, I suspect that this small academy will only be able to hold you down for so long. We should get some rest.” She gave me a smile that didn’t reach her eyes and left after giving me a firm pat on the shoulders.

Collapsing on my bed without the energy or will to even wash, I laid there, thinking about everything that had happened in my life. Was it just a coincidence that I was sent, or actually born into this world as it was going through so much change?

Was I really some cliché protagonist from a bedtime fairy tale that they always read to us at the orphanage? I couldn’t help but scoff at the thought of being some bored god’s source of entertainment as he toyed with my life in the name of my being ‘The Chosen One.’

Was I in the hands of some god as a chess piece to make the world run as he saw fit? I squeezed my eyes shut, hoping that would help me get rid of these thoughts. The thought of my fate being under someone else’s control didn’t sit right with me. Turning to my side, I chose to dust these fears away… life was already so unexpected, why make it more complicated?

ELIJAH KNIGHT’S POV:

“Get down!” I roared as I conjured an earthen wall between the mana beasts and the other students behind me.

“ATTENTION RENOWNED STUDENTS OF XYRUS ACADEMY!” a rather high-pitched grating voice echoed throughout the campus. “AS YOU MAY ALL BE AWARE, YOUR INSTITUTION IS CURRENTLY UNDER ATTACK BY MY LITTLE PETS. NO NEED TO FEAR FOR I AM BOTH JUST AND MERCIFUL!” The voice seemed to taunt us as he said this because there was a dwarven student in the jaws of a discolored black-fanged wolf, a B class mana beast.

Even as I conjured up a rock spear underneath the belly of the black-fanged wolf, it still had the time to take the student’s life before collapsing. Gnashing my teeth, I looked away from the dimming gaze of the dwarf that pleaded with his eyes before passing away. If I didn’t have experience as an adventurer, I would’ve thrown up as the student’s insides spilled from the fatal wound caused by the mana beast.

Instead, I calmed myself, using a brief meditation technique that I had learned from class that steadied the flow from my mana core before scouting for any other students to save.

“HUMAN STUDENTS, AS LONG AS YOU RAISE BOTH YOUR HANDS AND SWEAR YOUR ALLEGIANCE TO ME, THE MANA BEASTS WILL NOT ATTACK YOU! ELVES AND DWARVES, DO NOT STRUGGLE AND ALLOW MY PETS TO DESTROY YOUR MANA CORE AND YOU WILL BE FREE TO LEAVE!” The voice let out a deranged laugh that sent a shiver down my spine. It was enjoying the carnage that was going on in this school that had been so peaceful just hours before.

Although the radical group had been escalating their terroristic activity, this was on a completely different level. It happened so suddenly that there was no way to prepare for an event like this. As far as I could tell at this point was that this stage of their plan had been meticulously executed. There were no places to escape to and no way to call for help.

The once clear barrier formation that kept any intruders, including mana beasts, from entering the campus had already turned into a translucent red cage, making the sky look like it was dipped in blood, keeping anyone or anything from leaving.

I didn’t know who the voice belonged to, but his motives were clear. He was willing to take human captives, but wanted all nonhuman mages either dead or incapacitated. I could see pillars of smoke from different buildings of the academy where fights were happening. From time to time, I locked eyes with some of the Disciplinary Committee members as they were fighting off several mana beasts, acknowledging each other since we had no time to brief each other on the situation elsewhere.

There were obviously traitors in the academy, because some of the professors were now being held off by other professors while cloaked figures, as well as the mana beasts, were taking care of the students.

It was strange; I’d seen some of the mana beasts while I was an adventurer, but the only thing different about them was the coloration, or lack of color to be more exact. Except for their matching red eyes, all of the mana beasts that flooded Xyrus Academy looked like they had had their colors drained, leaving them in different hues of gray.

I couldn’t tell how many hours had passed since the invasion started, but there were no signs of help arriving for some reason, like we were closed off from the rest of Xyrus.

I trudged on through the campus quad where bodies laid limp and pools of blood formed around them. This academy was supposed to be a safe haven for future mages of this continent. It pissed me off more than anything that there hadn’t been proper measures implemented for this type of scenario. Since the unification of the three Kingdoms, did The Council not think that there would be enemies?

Just as I was about to follow after a cloaked figure into one of the alchemy labs, a throaty growl caught my attention enough to avoid a thorned growler’s jaw. Unfortunately, I couldn’t avoid its pounce and was hammered into the ground hard enough to knock the wind out of me.

“Grrrrr,” as the giant, furry lizard-shaped mana beast’s saliva drenched my uniform, its red eyes were staring at me, as if waiting for me to do something.

“Screw off!” I grunted as I simultaneously conjured a pillar from the ground, launching the two-meter long mana beast in the air before it flipped agilely to regain its ground.

Before I had the chance to do anything more, a sword flew down from the sky, skewering the thorned growler’s head to the ground. The mana beast squirmed helplessly for a couple of seconds before its body also sank to the ground lifelessly.

“Thanks,” I grunted, too tired for pleasant formalities. It was Curtis Glayder who came down from the top of a nearby statue to retrieve his weapon, his bond, a world lion, following briskly behind him.

“No problem. You should get somewhere safe until we get reinforcements. It’s too dangerous out here in the open,” he said, nodding back.

“I’ll be fine. There are too many enemies for you guys to handle while I hide. I can still help.” I bandaged my bleeding arm that had been cut open just now with a torn sleeve and turned my back to follow after the cloaked figure.

Suddenly, a sound that could only have been amplified with mana boomed like thunder. I couldn’t even hear myself scream as both Curtis and I reeled in pain. The ear-numbing ring from the watchtower’s bell didn’t reverberate in my chest. I felt it in my feet as the whole earth shook from it.

The Beginning After The End Chapter : Chosen Ones

CLAIRE BLADEHEART’S POV:

I held onto Curtis, clasping my hand over his mouth in desperation. My vision blurred as tears continued to well up and stream down my cheeks.

We couldn’t… I couldn’t do anything.

The disciplinary committee members were in charge of preserving the safety and order within Xyrus Academy. I was handpicked by Director Goodsky herself to take on this vital duty, and with the exception of Arthur, I was assigned the task of choosing the members and leading them.

I was their leader, yet I had let all of this happen… I let in a spy.

I was ignorant of the fact that all of our movements were being leaked to the enemy.

I was responsible for the state Theodore was in right now. Even if he made it out of this alive, he would never be able to walk on his own two feet again.

I was responsible for Feyrith getting captured.

I was responsible for the death of Doradrea Oreguard.

…

I should’ve noticed by how the radical group seemed to know of our every move and effortlessly slip past us on each occasion. I guess subconsciously, I believed that my team members would, without a doubt, be loyal.

Because of my naive assumptions, we were the first to get attacked. It had happened last night, when the soft, dim light of dawn peeked out over the horizon. We had been busy preparing for the full-scale battle that would come eventually, finalizing the emergency evacuation plan after constructing makeshift safe houses out of basements and old classrooms for students to barricade themselves in.

We had all agreed that this might be going a bit overboard, but I now realized that it wasn’t even close to enough.

Restless, everyone had decided to let out some steam by training. It was Kai’s idea. He suggested that we enlarge the area of the training barrier so that everyone could practice without the students, who were all on edge from the recent events, being startled by the sounds of spells and weapons colliding.

We had never enlarged the training barrier before, but nevertheless, I didn’t find anything wrong with his suggestion, so I let Kai supervise the barrier while the rest of us trained inside it.

When the barrier formed, it took on a reddish sheen that normally never appeared. Thinking back, the training barrier Kai erected by using the artifact was a miniature version of the cage that was now surrounding the entire academy.

That’s when we were attacked. Kai had let them in; it was as simple as that. That sly bastard was the one who gave away all of our plans to the radical group while feeding us false information.

Kai had his hands full keeping the barrier up so that no one outside could hear the sounds of battle. We were outnumbered three to one yet we were on the verge of winning. The radical group mages were strong, but my team members were stronger. We would have broken free and warned the school… but he had to show up.

As soon as he stepped into the barrier, whatever advantage we had had disappeared. I just couldn’t believe he’d been a part of this—no, I’m lying. It was definitely possible for him to be a part of this. What I couldn’t believe was that it was actually him.

He single-handedly turned the tides. He was a gifted mage before and if it wasn’t for his twisted and conceited personality, I would’ve definitely wanted him to join the Disciplinary Committee. He was talented, but a lot of his breakthroughs came from the overuse of elixirs and other synthetic drugs that would result in dire consequences later. This was the rumor, anyways.

But he was on another level. The mana fluctuation around him was comparable to that of professors’—no, beyond them. It was odd though. The abundant mana surrounding him was erratic, chaotic almost; there was so much mana being forcibly generated that it overflowed. I wasn’t sure if that was the cause, but even the color of his skin and hair took on a different tint.

The amount of mana was unnatural for someone barely hitting the age that most humans would begin to awaken. This reminded me of Arthur; he might even be stronger than him presently, however, I knew for certain that whatever led him to this state wasn’t anything natural.

Needless to say, we weren’t much of a match for him. Chantless casting, multicasting, an endless well of mana—even if he was alone, I felt like he could’ve held up against all of us together.

How was it possible for him to have become this strong? was the persistent thought that kept running through my mind, poking at me.

“You call yourself a student of this academy? Out of all people, I would’ve assumed your pride wouldn’t allow you to be some dog of a crazy terrorist group, Lucas,” I spat out in disdain. “I now see that I was wrong.”

I could see that I had hit a nerve as his smug expression darkened, but before he got reckless like I had hoped, Kai intervened.

“Lucas, he wants this done quick and clean. Don’t forget the mission,” the narrow-eyed augmenter said curtly, his face tensed in concentration from trying to keep the barrier up.

Kai had ignored our repeated hateful shouts prying for the reason of his betrayal, only opening his mouth to keep Lucas in check.

At this point, it would be impossible to get out by trying to beat him; our goal was to create an opening in the barrier.

While battling, we intentionally aimed our spells at the same spot without them noticing, but the barrier was a lot stronger than we had anticipated.

After defeating three of them, Feyrith was the first to get captured and pulled away by the other radical group members, but by then, we had managed to make a crack on the surface of the barrier, a gap large enough for us to fit through. But not all of us were able to escape. Through gritted teeth, we had to leave behind Doradrea, along with Feyrith, who stalled the radical group long enough for us to escape.

It hadn’t feel like we escaped, no—it felt like we were let go. I could still clearly remember the smirk etched onto Lucas’ face as he stood there, looking down on me like an insect he released because he didn’t want to trouble himself with the mess.

By the time we made it out, it was already too late. Our battle had taken time, and during that time, the academy was already locked in a cage and under attack by both the radical group and mana beasts.

Director Cynthia had not returned and by the time we found some of the Student Council members, they had been assaulted as well, although they seemed to be in a better shape than us. Clive seemed especially grateful that the Student Council President was still not back from her trip. The Student Council Secretary—Lilia, I believe—asked me worriedly if Arthur was okay, and was relieved to find out he wasn’t inside the academy.

It was demoralizing for us as some of the students we tried so hard to fight for simply gave in and sided with the enemies.

But I couldn’t blame them.

It was us that failed in our jobs to protect them.

…

“Please, Curtis… please.” I continued begging, choking back a sob.

“Please, stop. You can’t.” I bit my lower lip.

“Please…”

Curtis’ thrashing settled, but I could still feel him trembling with rage. I removed my hand from his mouth and noticed that there was blood; it was Curtis’.

He had been biting on his lips so hard, he’d bitten into them.

“I’ll kill him…” I heard Curtis mutter, his voice shaking.

“Curtis, please… just wait. I can’t have you charging out like Theodore. We can’t lose you too.” I tried to keep a firm tone as I spoke, but I didn’t sound convincing even to myself.

“Wait? Are we supposed to just wait while we let him kill Theodore and Feyrith? Huh? Like how he killed Doradrea?” he spat out in a growl, his voice pitched low and quiet.

My chest contracted from the venom in Curtis’ words, but before I could say anything else, a sharp sound stopped me.

Curtis held onto his left cheek, stunned.

Kathyln’s eyes were red and swollen, her long lashes still wet with tears. Her expression was a knot of grief and frustration. Her usual impassive expression was nowhere to be seen. Her hand was still held up in front of her from where she had just slapped her brother.

The strike wasn’t loud, nor was it that strong, but I could tell by Curtis’ expression that the light slap from his sister struck deeper and harder than any bludgeon could.

“Brother. We need to think of a way save them. We need to make a plan to protect everyone here. We need to stop that monster, but we can’t do any of that if you’re like this… or if you’re dead.” Kathyln’s gaze was unrelenting, her every word piercing through not just Curtis, but through me as well.

She was right, we needed to get our act together. We needed to think of a plan.

I looked around the crowd in front of the bell tower and behind us, thinking of a way to escape to Director Cynthia’s room to see if there was anything that could help us in there, but robed figures stood guard while the mana beasts tensed up, ready to pounce onto anyone that tried to make a run for it.

It was then that they brought the captives out, and it was then, that I saw Feyrith being dragged out, beaten and unconscious.

As everyone stared solemnly while the row of robed figures, each holding onto their respective prisoner, silently trudged out, it took me a few seconds from this distance to realize that one of them… was the Student Council President.

ELIJAH KNIGHT’S POV:

The scene played out in slow motion for me.

I rubbed my eyes just to be sure, but no matter how many times I rubbed and blinked, her figure wouldn’t change. While disheveled and matted with dirt and blood, there was no mistaking that distinct gunmetal hair.

My mind raced as a part of me wrestled to figure out what had happened and how she appeared here while another part of me was still in denial; She wasn’t supposed to be here. She was supposed to be with Arthur.

Whispers and mutters began to explode as soon as the students and faculty members alike realized that one of the prisoners was the Student Council President and the other a member of the Disciplinary Committee.

“Shhhhh.” Draneeve waved his hand theatrically for us to settle down before continuing. “I’m sure all of you are just dying to know what is going on, but before I explain, I’d like to introduce myself.”

He took a few steps forward and straightened his robe, combing his hair back with his fingers. “As I mentioned earlier, I go by Draneeve.”

He made a dramatic pause, as if expecting a round of applause. When nothing happened, he just shrugged and continued.

“I know that at this moment, you guys may see me as some sort of bad guy. I wouldn’t be surprised, what with the attacks and the deaths, but I assure you, I am on your side.”

That ridiculous statement caused an uproar, as jeers and shouts reverberated through the crowd.

“Silence.”

His voice couldn’t have been louder than a low growl, but the weight of that one word and the immediate pressure following it froze the crowd to a mute.

“As I was saying…My name is Draneeve and I have come to save you all.” Draneeve spread his arms in a grandiose manner, his robe fluttering from the wind, making him look pretty impressive.

No one said a word, too afraid of what he might do; all of us simply waited for him to continue speaking.

“You see, I come from a faraway land. This faraway land is a cruel, cruel place for the weak. Yes, I am talking about all of you. Those gathered here are considered the ‘elite,’ whose backgrounds and potentials make you the future of this continent, but from where I come from, you guys. Are. Simply. Trash.” Draneeve’s last words were spat out in a mocking staccato.

“That being said, I have made this extremely long and tiresome journey to prepare those I deem worthy so that when my lord becomes this continent’s new ruler, you guys will have a place in his kingdom and not be tossed aside like the trash you currently are.”

I glanced back to see everyone just looking around, confused. By the expressions on some of their faces, they looked to be in disbelief. Not just surprised, but they sincerely looked like they thought this whole thing was some big prank.

“To those who stand in front of me today, congratulations on being the ones chosen to be honored pawns of the new ruler of this continent. Lukiyah, step forth and show them a glimpse of the newfound powers you have been bestowed.”

Lukiyah?

No… It couldn’t be…

The figure that had been holding onto Tess by her hair stepped forth, dragging her with him. I bit my lip, struggling to keep calm. Underneath his hood, he seemed to be looking for someone before he stopped; I could feel his eyes on me. I stood transfixed as he removed the hood of his robe.

Confirming my suspicions, it turned out to be Lucas Wykes.

His eyes seemed to be laughing as he continued to stare at me.

Slowly, the edge of his lips curved up as he tugged Tessia up by her hair, just enough so her neck was next to his face.

His mocking gaze never left mine as Lucas ran his tongue slowly…gratingly up her neck to her ear, only to stop and wink at me.

Any sort of inhibition controlling my rage disappeared at that instant, leaving me with just enough sanity to curse out.

“LUCAS, YOU SON OF BITCH! HOW DARE YOU!” My vision reddened as my mind began to numb. Suddenly, as if some inner force pushed my consciousness out, my body felt like it wasn’t mine anymore… like I was an entirely different person simply spectating my body from behind.

‘Kill.’ A voice echoed in my head.

I had never felt a sensation like this before, but I knew that whatever was controlling my body knew how to use my powers better than I could myself.

‘Kill.’

It was a peculiar feeling that I knew wasn’t normal. It felt like the monster that I had been trying to keep locked up had switched places with me.

My vision distorted and constantly pulsed from what I assumed to be adrenaline. I couldn’t hear anything besides the beating of my heart. My body seemed like a shell controlled like a puppet by someone that wasn’t me.

‘Kill.’ The voice was getting stronger.

What the hell was happening to me?

Black spikes ruptured from the earth around me, hurting some of the students who couldn’t move out of the way fast enough.

I felt the need to at least apologize but my body was fixated on Lucas.

‘Kill, kill, kill!’ My mind felt like it was going to split open from the pain.

I walked rather unsteadily towards the ingrate that couldn’t be described with just profanity. As I approached the barrier, I worried whether or not my body would be able to break through, but it turned out to be an unnecessary concern. Some sort of black plasma suddenly engulfed my hand and as my body laid it against the barrier, the black plasma slowly began to dissolve the barrier as easily as fire melted butter.

I could make out the surprised expression on Lucas’ face, but the expression on Draneeve’s face was far more unexpected. His expression paled, twisting and contorting in a way that I could only make out to be fear. He held his hands out in a placating manner, as if trying to calm me down. At that moment, the dozens of mana beasts all sprung out to attack me, but it was futile. At the flick of my wrist, the black spikes shot from the ground, skewering the discolored mana beasts mid-jump.

Was this me? I had never seen magic like this before. It was unnatural, almost evil in a way. Like it was a power meant solely for killing and destroying.

My body ignored the dead mana beasts and slowly drew nearer towards Lucas, who had now lost his bemused expression, replaced by furrowed brows and a tinge of unease in his eyes. The other robed figures decisively released their grip from their prisoners and was about to collectively rush towards me, but for some reason, Draneeve stopped them. I couldn’t hear what he was saying, but Draneeve seemed to be almost pleading as his hands constantly gestured in hopes to calm me down.

Suddenly, a sharp pain that seared into me like a burning blade made my body go rigid. I don’t know how I knew this, but it felt like my body was reaching its limits.

No. Not yet. I knew I couldn’t control my body, but at this point, I desperately wanted my body to at least to kill Lucas like it had planned to.

My body began staggering, each step seeming to slowly become more unsteady.

Almost…

My body put up its hand and a black spike shot out towards Lucas. The spike that looked to be at least an arm’s length couldn’t kill Lucas like I had hoped, but its speed was fast enough to the point where Lucas couldn’t completely dodge the projectile.

Lucas tumbled back from the force of the blow and I could barely make out the black spike sticking out of his right shoulder.

Just one more…

My vision dimmed and my body stilled; I seemed to be losing consciousness. I looked once more at Draneeve, who looked more confused now, and before my consciousness completely faded into the darkness, I thought I saw him. I may have just been hallucinating, but I thought I saw my friend.

I thought I saw Arthur, but that may have just been my wishful thinking.