The Warlord's Second Life As A Commoner : 024

It was getting dark when Lucian, Alden and Eris finally arrived back at Arcadia Academy. The journey back from Eldoria had been a quiet one, each of them lost in their own thoughts. Lucian was still processing the vision from the memory ball-an image of a great war, a legendary sword, and the menacing figure of the leader of the Order of the Dusk.

As soon as they entered the academy hall, a quiet atmosphere greeted them. The academy seemed deserted, as if a shadow of menace had penetrated the place.

"Where is everyone?" asked Alden, breaking the silence.

Eris frowned. "This is strange. Even at night there are usually students wandering the halls."

Lucian, sensing that something was amiss, immediately headed for the office of Master Arcanis, the head of the Academy. Before they got there, however, they were intercepted by a group of senior students wearing black uniforms with a unique emblem on their chests - a crossed sword with raven wings.

"You may not enter," one of them said in a cold tone.

"What do you mean?" Alden shot back defiantly. "We are part of this academy."

One of the students, a woman with long silver hair, stepped forward. Her gaze was sharp, and her voice carried a tone of authority. "As of today, Arcadia Academy is under the control of the Shadow Council. All activities will be monitored, and those of you involved in the Eldoria investigation will be considered a threat."

Lucian gave the woman a piercing look. "The Shadow Council? They have something to do with the Order of the Dawn, don't they?"

The woman smiled faintly. "You better give up now, Lucian Rayne. Or you will suffer the consequences."

Without another word, Lucian drew his sword. "If they want to play dirty, we'll give them a reason to regret it."

Fighting broke out in the academy hall. The students of the Shadow Council attacked with impressive strength, using a combination of dark magic and physical attacks. However, Lucian, Alden, and Eris had been in this situation too many times.

Alden, with his physical strength, faced two students at once. His brutal attacks overwhelmed the opponent, while Eris shielded herself with a magical barrier and launched ranged attacks.

Lucian, as always, took center stage. With precise movements, he parried the enemy's attacks while looking for an opening to cripple her without killing her. But the silver-haired woman was different. Her magic was powerful, and each of her attacks had a huge impact, forcing Lucian to stay on full alert.

"Who the hell are you?" shouted Lucian between fights.

The woman just smiled. "You'll find out soon enough."

Just as Lucian was about to launch his final attack, the woman cast a spell that caused a massive explosion. The blast not only paralyzed everyone around her, but also left a dark mist that obliterated any trace of the Shadow Council students.

After making sure there were no more enemies around, the three of them immediately made their way to Master Arcanis' office. They found the room in a state of disarray - books were scattered, windows were broken, and there was no sign of the Master's presence.

"This is bad," Eris muttered as she surveyed the area. "If they caught Master Arcanis, we've really lost a major supporter of the Academy."

Lucian picked up a book from the ground. It contained records of the Order of the Dusk and ancient artifacts, including the Dusk Sword. On one of the pages was a symbol similar to that of the Shadow Council.

"What is that?" Alden leaned closer to see.

Lucian read the note carefully. "It looks like the Shadow Council is a branch of the Order of the Dusk created to infiltrate institutions like this academy. They use their influence to control the system from within."

Eris bit her lip. "If they've come this far, it means they're getting closer to their goal."

"We cannot remain silent," Lucian said firmly. "We have to find Master Arcanis and stop their plans before it's too late."

Among the stacks of books, Lucian found a small map that seemed to show a hidden location within the academy. In the center of the map was a red dot with an ancient inscription that meant "Room of Truth".

"What's that?" asked Alden.

Eris approached the map. "The Truth Room is a secret place known only to a few people at the Academy. It is said to contain the most valuable records and artifacts hidden from the public."

"If the Shadow Council controls the Academy, they may not have found this place yet," Lucian said as he folded the map. "We need to get there before they do."

Following the map, they headed for the lower part of the academy, which had not been used for a long time. The path to the Truth Room was full of magical traps that would have nearly injured Alden if not for his quick reflexes.

When they finally arrived at a large door carved with ancient symbols, Eris cast a spell that slowly opened the door. Inside, they found shelves full of books, glowing artifacts, and a large table with a map of the world.

In the center of the table was a large book that looked older than anything else in the room. The title was "History of the Order of Twilight and Weapons of Shadow".

Lucian opened the book carefully, reading the pages that described how the Order of Twilight had grown into a major threat. On one of the pages he found something surprising - the name of Caelum, the Shadow Warlord.

"That's your name," Alden whispered in shock.

Lucian bit his lip and read on. The book revealed that Caelum had been an ally of the Order of the Dusk before turning against them. His decision to leave the organization was the reason for the great war in which Eldoria was involved.

"So they want me back," Lucian said quietly, his voice heavy with burden.

Eris looked at him earnestly. "They know that you are the greatest threat to them. But that also means that you're our only hope."

As they left the Truth Room, Lucian felt the weight on his shoulders grow. Not only because of finding the Dusk Sword, but also because of facing his past, which continued to haunt him.

But in his heart he knew that this wasn't just about him. It was about a world on the brink of collapse.

"We must prepare," Lucian said firmly. "The Council of Shadows and the Order of Dusk may be stronger than we imagine, but we will not stop until they are stopped."

Alden patted him on the shoulder. "No matter what happens, we're with you."

Eris nodded. "And we'll make sure they don't win this war."

In the distance, the sound of the Academy's night bells rang out, like a warning sign of a greater conflict to come.