Chapter 1: Rebirth

My fingers trembled uncontrollably as I clutched the magic crystal stone.The exquisite stained-glass windows of the testing hall sliced the brilliant sunlight into fragmented specks,which dotted my tattered and patched academy robe.Memories from my previous life surged forth like vicious,venomous snakes,gnawing fiercely at my heart—Eileen's swan-like neck,adorned with a ruby necklace that gleamed with mockery and disdain;Roger's sword piercing my chest,its hilt's exquisite wisteria pattern strikingly prominent;and Lila's hand,gradually losing warmth and turning cold and rigid on her deathbed.

"Ian Black,it's your turn,"the tester gently tapped his gilded pocket watch,its silver chain flashing a dazzling arc in the morning light.The crowd burst into bursts of laughter.I knew all too well what they were seeing:the frayed silk at the collar,the washed-out family crest at the cuff,and the torn hem from three days ago when Roger's goons had savagely ripped it.

The magic crystal stone rippled in my palm,and a deep purple mist exploded violently.In an instant,the entire dome-shaped testing field was dyed an eerie,mysterious dark color.Screams surged like tidal waves over the steps.I saw Eileen's carefully drawn eyebrows furrow tightly,and Roger's hand,gripping the sword hilt,bulging with veins.

"Dark element affinity...Ninth rank?"The tester's voice trembled like a leaf in the wind,and the quill tip actually punctured the parchment.The crystal chandeliers began to shake violently,as if in fear of something,and my shadow twisted on the ground into a grotesque,monstrous shape.This wasn't right;in my previous life,it was clearly...

Suddenly,a cool,icy light,like melting spring ice,quickly seeped into the deep darkness.A pure white light burst from my other palm,intertwining with the dark element to form a double helix,painting a magnificent star map of interwoven light and darkness on the dome.The tester fell back into his velvet chair,his pocket watch falling to the ground with a crisp,startling sound.

"Light element...also Ninth rank?"The Cardinal rose abruptly,his action so hasty that the solar disc on his chest collided heavily with the railing.I gazed at the black and white light balls flickering on my fingertips,my thoughts instantly transported back to the night of my rebirth,the burning pain on my forehead becoming clear again—the mark of the Godslayer that had returned with me to ten years ago was heating up.

"Impossible!"Eileen's shrill scream pierced the brief silence."Last week,he was burned by a fireball spell!"She lifted her skirt and rushed down from the viewing platform without hesitation.The strong smell of rose perfume mixed with the pungent odor of magical crystal dust surged towards me.I casually stepped aside,gracefully avoiding her,watching her stumble and fall onto the testing table,her pearl hairpin bouncing off my boot tip.

"Dear fiancée,"I whispered slowly in a voice only she could hear,"when you stole my magic potion,you didn't notice that a bottle of dragon's tongue oil was missing,did you?"Her well-maintained nails dug deeply into her palm,yet I suddenly felt an urge to laugh.Until my last breath in my previous life,I had thought that the accident that caused my magical blockage was due to my own carelessness.

The gleaming silver armor of the Holy Knight flashed before my eyes,and the Cardinal's withered hand pressed heavily on my shoulder:"Child,the'Twin Canon'in the Holy Temple's library needs a new guardian."The sound of a teacup falling came from the viewing stand,and I looked up to see my father's concubine knocking over a honey wine glass.The pale golden liquid was slowly dripping down Roger's leather boot.

The stained-glass windows of the testing hall's dome suddenly shattered.It was not the power of a strong magic spell,nor the sharp sword energy,but hundreds of pure white crows that had broken through the window frames.They dived down with black roses in their beaks,forming a crown of thorns on my academy robe.The sound of a pocket watch falling to the ground rang out again;this time,it was Roger's personal pocket watch—engraved with the Black family motto.

From the flock of crows came a clear and charming girl's laughter.I felt the copper key in my sleeve pocket heating up.This was the key Lila had secretly given me this morning,still stained with the blood she had coughed up.Until her last breath in my previous life,I had known that this key could open the mithril box left by my mother before she died.

"Child of Light and Darkness,"the Cardinal's voice seemed to come from a very distant place,"three days from now,at sunrise,the Holy Temple's white carriage will stop at..."

I took a half-step back,dodging his withered palm.The light element quickly condensed into the shape of a fine sword on my fingertips:"Before that,I need to deal with some family matters first."The oak door of the testing hall suddenly burst open,and the cold north wind,carrying pure white snowflakes,instantly extinguished the twelve magical wall lamps.In the sudden darkness,I clearly saw the necromantic runes glowing faintly on Roger's sword scabbard—exactly the same as the sword energy that had pierced my heart in my previous life.