Another explosion rocked the grounds of the academy — this time so close that I could feel the heat of the flames on my face. In fact, the sky above, which had moments before been a beautiful, clear blue had now turned into a battleground of sorts, with many floating figures flying around causing havoc as they fought.
"Who would ever attack the academy?" I asked Kiran; although, I had a sneaky feeling that I already had the answer. "Who has that type of power to do something like this?"
"Only the Order of the First Light would ever consider doing something so brazen," Kiran stated; his voice serious. "They have become much bolder in recent weeks, however, this... he shook his head in dismay, "this is completely unprecedented."
The Order of the First Light were the followers of the blue sun and were the complete opposite of the academy and all that it stands for. I had unknowingly entered into a battle of epic proportions — a battle between two ancient, opposing powers, each believing in the divine right of their respective celestial patron.
"Come on," Kiran said, "the academy has emergency exits for times like this. There is one located in the lowest areas of the academy that should provide protection from…” He ducked as debris from another explosion that almost struck him. “…from that."
I couldn’t help but laugh at the situation.
"The irony," I muttered as we fled the chaos behind us. "First, I was running away from the Skybound and now I am running with them."
"What?" Kiran questioned me in puzzlement.
"Oh nothing." I shrugged off the blue and gold trimmed robe that Elder Molric had lent me.
It had originally belonged to his former student from when he was ranked as a Rank 2 Skybound and while it had helped me blend in well enough to deal with Zoren, it would surely attract unwanted attention now. After all, Rank 2 Skybound attracted Rank 2 Lightweavers at best, higher ranked enemies at worse.
"What are you doing?" Kiran asked as he stopped to turn and look back at me.
"I am removing the higher-ranking robes so that I do not draw the attention of the elite members of the Order," I told him and I allowed the expensive robe to drop to the ground. “Better to look like a new initiate.”
Kiran nodded and we continued to flee.
Above us, the academy's defensive barrier glowed as it absorbed the impacts of the attacks — a massive dome of interconnected magical runes that spanned the length and width of the academy grounds. The attacks that were striking the barrier were visible to us now — massive balls of blue energy that exploded against the shield in spectacular displays of light.
Kiran must have noticed the concerned look on my face. "Do not worry," he said, forcing a small smile onto his face. "That barrier has been standing for millennia. It would require something exponentially greater than—” Kiran's face suddenly drained of what little color remained.
The barrier had vanished.
Not gradually and certainly not with any warning — one second it was there and the next it simply was gone.
The rapid disappearance of barrier hit me hard, leaving me dizzy as I realized the magical protections that I had been subconsciously relying on were gone.
"That's impossible," Kiran whispered. "Unless... someone within the academy has betrayed us. Either they disabled the barrier from the inside or provided the Order with information regarding the formation of the barrier."
"Master!" Azure warned, cutting through our conversation. "Incoming attack, left side!"
I pulled Kiran to me without hesitation and activated Blink Step.
We both vanished in a blur of movement just as a ball of blue flame hurtled through the space that we had previously occupied. The blue flame detonated upon impact with the ground with an explosive force that transformed the immaculately manicured lawn into a smoldering crater approximately thirty feet in diameter. The intense heat emanating from the crater was sufficient to cause the air around us to heat up despite the distance.
"That..." Kiran gulped hard. "That was a Rank 3 attack."
We both looked up and saw two figures battling above us.
One wore the purple robes of a Rank 3 Skybound while other was fitted in the white and gold garments of what appeared to be a priest. Their battle was so rapid that it was difficult to follow, their exchanges were punctuated by bursts of blue and red energy. The blue flame that had almost destroyed us was merely an attack that had been casually deflected.
"Are they really priests?" I asked, observing the priestly garb.
Kiran shook his head with a bit of disdain. "Lightweavers. They love to pretend to be holy, wear those vestments and claim to be priests, but it's all a ruse. They are also runic practitioners like ourselves, only they derive their magical energy from the blue sun rather than the red. The holy facade is merely a means for them to justify their actions and manipulate the mortal population."
The fake priest above us launched a flurry of blue flames at his opponent. Although the flames contained enough power to destroy a building, the Skybound countered by generating a series of shields of crimson energy to deflect some of the flames, allowing others to pass through and leave burn marks on the opponent's robes.
"It looks like good theater," I observed, watching the flames explode in the sky.
"The Order of the First Light knows how to put on a show," Kiran agreed with a frown. "However, do not allow the fa?ade to deceive you. Like the Skybound, they are as ruthless as they come. Perhaps even more so because they have convinced themselves they are righteous."
"Master," Azure called out to me, "it appears that every entity in this world is driven mad by the two suns. While the methods and reasons may vary, the outcome of fanatical violence remains the same: violence and fanaticism."
I gazed upward at the two celestial bodies hanging in the sky — one a soothing blue that seemed to symbolize tranquility and peace, the other a fiery crimson that seemed to stir something primitive deep within my body.
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I furrowed my brow, realising how na?ve I had been. I had assumed that the followers of the blue sun would be the rational, the calm, the peaceful contrast to the blatant corruption of the red sun. However, if Kiran was correct and not merely spewing propaganda, then they were worse; their madness simply wore a more attractive veil.
Was the world of the Two Suns a cursed realm?
"We have to get inside," Kiran continued, leading me to the academy's central structure. "There are evacuation points in the lowermost areas of the academy."
As we made our way to the central structure of the academy, the sky above was absolute chaos.
Everywhere I looked, battles were raging between the Skybound and the Lightweavers. Magical runes were lighting up the air like stars — circles of magical power that unleashed destruction in a dozen forms.
A Rank 4 Skybound drew wind runes in the air, leaving trails of crimson energy in their wake as they generated a series of wind blades. The wind blades sliced through the air like invisible knives, cutting through stone with ease.
A Lightweaver countered by generating a barrier of pure blue light that shimmered like a soap bubble. The wind blades struck the barrier with an explosion of screaming air and flashing energy, rippling outward across the barrier's surface.
The Lightweaver did not wait for the assault to cease, and he spun his hands to generate a complex pattern of magical runes. A series of pillars of blue flame shot toward the Lightweaver.
The Skybound countered by generating additional wind runes, creating a swirling vortex that dispelled the flames, sending them shooting harmlessly into the sky.
Another battle nearby ended abruptly when a Lightweaver's light blade severed the head from the body of his opponent, sending the body falling from the sky. However, before the Lightweaver could celebrate, a blast of crimson energy from above incinerated him.
Witnessing the sheer scale of the power being used in the battles around me made me feel small and powerless. Even with all of my enhancements, I was nothing compared to the titans of magic that I was witnessing. The sheer amount of energy being released by the battles was enough to cause my skin to crawl and my bones to ache.
"Do not concern yourself with them," Kiran advised. "Currently, only the higher ranks are engaged in combat. The Order's Rank 1 disciples will not engage in battle until the skies have been cleared of their opponents. This is also when we will be expected to join the battle."
He tugged on my arm, and I followed him as we continued to flee.
It was then that something caught my eye. I spotted a familiar figure floating high above the western courtyard of the academy.
Vayara.
She was facing off against a Lightweaver who wielded a staff that was comprised of concentrated light. Their battle illuminated the clouds above.
Her ice runes were activated in complex patterns across her skin as she dodged the Lightweaver's attacks and retaliated with precisely targeted spears of crimson-tinted ice.
"You dare to challenge the beloved's chosen?" The priest cried out. "Your corruption shall end today!"
"Spare me your zealousness," Vayara snarled back, frost crystals forming in the air around her. "I've listened to enough of the elders' sermons for a lifetime."
She raised her hand, and dozens of ice needles formed around her. Each needle refracted the red sunlight differently, producing a deadly rainbow effect as they shot toward her opponent.
The Lightweaver's light rune flared as he spun his staff, creating a glowing dome of pure radiance that shattered the ice needles before they could strike him. "Your parlour tricks mean nothing against true devotion."
"Devotion?" Vayara laughed, the sound as cold as her powers. "Let me show you something worthy of devotion."
She activated the runic formation hidden beneath her hair and began to gather power. Frost spread across her skin in complex patterns as she built power, the air itself became solid around her.
The Lightweaver must have sensed the threat. His barrier expanded, with multiple layers of light forming atop one another as he poured every last ounce of power into defending himself.
It was not enough.
Vayara's attack struck with the force of an avalanche, encasing everything in its path in a sheet of solid ice. The Lightweaver's barrier shattered layer by layer, each layer providing only a few seconds before collapsing under the weight of the cold.
By the time the ice dissipated, the Lightweaver was lying defeated on the ground, his robes encased in frost. For a brief moment, I thought it was over.
Then a glow began to form around his body.
The Lightweaver rose to his feet, his injuries rapidly healing as sacred energy knitted flesh and bone back together. His expression was serene as he gazed at Vayara once again, his staff held in his right hand.
"The beloved's light heals all wounds," he declared simply, directing his staff at Vayara. "Your ice cannot prevail over divine benevolence."
Vayara's eyes widened as she realized the truth — she had burned herself out landing a fatal blow, only to watch her opponent literally resurrect from the dead. She turned to flee, but her movements were slow due to exhaustion.
"There is no refuge from judgment." The Lightweaver's light rune flared as he directed his staff at Vayara. Multiple spears of pure radiance shot forth from his staff, each one aimed directly at her heart.
She managed to raise a hasty ice shield, but it was too thin and weak to stop the light spears.
The first spear pierced Vayara in the shoulder, spinning her around. The second pierced her chest. The third and fourth pierced her legs.
She fell like a broken doll, her link to the red sun severed as she plummeted toward the ground. Her body hit the academy courtyard with a sickening thud, bounced once, and came to rest in a crumpled heap.
I watched it happen with mixed feelings.
This was the same woman who had slaughtered an entire village without remorse, who viewed the lives of mortals as meaningless. And yet, seeing her fall so easily was... jarring.
It was a harsh reminder that, in this world, the scale of power is relative. What is currently an unstoppable force can become tomorrow's victim in the blink of an eye.
"We need to get inside," Kiran said, as we finally arrived at the main building. "Now."
We were not the only ones fleeing inside. Other initiates passed us, their faces displaying various combinations of fear and resolve. Some of the initiates were holding weapons or cherished items, while others were fleeing with nothing but the robes on their backs.
As we joined the sea of initiates, I caught fragments of their conversation:
"Did you see Elder Lune fall?"
"How did they manage to disable the barrier so quickly?"
"Has anyone seen my brother in the outer dormitory?"
"Just keep running! The evacuation point-
As we descended deeper into the Academy, we passed by many new corridors that I had never walked through. The further down we went, the older the architecture became, changing from deliberately designed patters into more organic shapes directly carved into the living rock.
Kiran must have noticed my curiosity because he began speaking.
"These tunnel systems existed before the Academy itself. Some say they were built before the twin suns appeared.”
I didn’t even have the luxury to respond as more explosions shook the building, dropping dust from the ceilings. I could hear the fighting growing closer, spreading from the sky to the ground.
Finally, we reached our destination - a large underground chamber.
The room itself was an incredible example of ancient engineering. Each wall contained runic patterns more intricate than what I had seen at the modern Academy. In the center of the room stood a large platform with several activation circles on it, which needed to be triggered to activate whatever defense system was within the chamber.
"We have to seal the room!" someone yelled above the sounds of the battle. "Before they get to us!”
"My sister is still out there!"
"We can’t wait forever!"
"Better we survive than no one!"
One of the older initiates, (who I could tell was a peak Rank 1 Skybound due to his aura), took a step forward to get to the central platform where he could activate the seal of the room.
“We don’t have time to debate this,” he announced, flaring his aura to quell any disagreements. “I’m activating the seal now!”
His hand reached for the activation circle—
—and stopped.
A silver-robed middle-aged man with white hair stepped up to stand alongside the initiate. He held the initiate's wrist in his hand, but it wasn't strong enough to restrain him. I had not noticed him enter the room. From the shocked expressions around me, one else had either.
"I figured you would find your way here," he said softly. "And I wanted to take care of this personally. After all..." He smiled warmly as he looked at the group of frightened students. "Someone has to purify the red sun's spawn. There is nothing to fear, children. Soon you will join the ranks of the blessed... in the next life."
