Whispers of the Abyss

Where am I? Why is it so dark?

A sudden touch on his shoulder sent a shiver down Julius' spine. Instinctively, he turned around.

A woman stood behind him, her silver hair cascading like moonlight, her emerald eyes sharp enough to pierce through the haze of his thoughts.

"Are you losing focus inside the temple?" she asked, her voice carrying an edge of reprimand. "Do you not see the dangers around you? Do you wish to die before we retrieve the relic?"

Julius froze, momentarily dazed, before lowering his head in apology. "It seems I was careless."

Lilith crossed her arms. "Good. Now that you're back to your senses, let's keep moving."

"Yes, let's continue."

Yet, as they proceeded, a strange sensation clawed at Julius' mind. Memories—fragmented and surreal—began surfacing. The Shadow King. The Stellar Hall. And...

"Is this a dream? Or reality?"

His thoughts spiraled. The passage they were in—it felt eerily familiar. He had walked this path before. And then—his gaze locked onto a particular section of the floor.

A trap.

Lilith was about to step forward. He lunged toward her, but—too late.

Click.

The mechanism activated.

Julius' breath hitched. Damn it. It happened just as I saw it.

Arrows shot out, cutting through the air with deadly precision. Yet, Julius moved as if he had rehearsed this moment a hundred times over, weaving through the assault with almost unnatural ease.

After escaping the trap, his mind was in turmoil. He couldn't hold it in any longer.

"Lilith, I... I think I've gone back in time."

Lilith, panting from the near-death encounter, shot him an exasperated look. "I don't have time for your games! What are you talking about?!"

But Julius clenched his fists. Something was wrong. Deeply wrong.

"I was here before. With you. Then, I was taken to the Stellar Hall. I met the Shadow King. I inherited his power. He spoke of a prophecy. I even met a boy named Caleb..."

Was it all an illusion? No. No, it felt too real.

A cold sensation crawled down his spine.

His body stiffened.

"This... this isn't real."

His voice came out hoarse. He turned to Lilith, his fingers twitching.

"Who are you?"

A slow, sinister smile spread across Lilith's lips. Dark blood seeped from her eyes. Shadows coiled around her, twisting unnaturally.

Then—she spoke.

But it was not her voice.

"You are perceptive. No matter how you run, I will always find you. My darkness will follow you anywhere. And I will reclaim what was stolen from me."

A choking sense of dread filled Julius' chest. His breath came in ragged gasps.

"You... you...!"

He knew that voice.

Not just any darkness—the darkness. The voice of the Darkness King himself.

Julius didn't hesitate. Survival instincts kicked in.

"I have to run. I can't fight him. Not like this."

A mocking laugh echoed through the void.

"Run? You will return to me, whether you wish to or not. This is our fate."

Julius gritted his teeth. Is he insane? Or has he simply lived too long?

But before he could even complete the thought, something latched onto his ankle.

A hand—formed from Darkness.

His balance shattered.

Falling—

"What is happening?!"

Darkness swallowed him.

A thick, viscous sensation enveloped his body. The scent of blood—coppery and suffocating—clung to his senses.

And then—faces emerged from the abyss.

Humans—if they could still be called that. Their bodies wrapped in shadows, their mouths twisted in agony. Blood dripped endlessly from their wounds.

They reached for him.

"Save us... save us..."

Their voices clawed into his mind.

Julius' pulse pounded in his ears.

"Get away from me!"

He struggled, but their hands only tightened.

Suffocating.

Drowning.

"Help me!"

A voice.

"Julius! Julius, can you hear me?!"

Julius bolted upright, gasping for air. Sweat drenched his body, his heart hammering in his chest.

His fingers dug into the sheets. His breathing—shallow, erratic.

He was back.

Reality.

Or what seemed like it.

A hand extended in front of him, offering a glass of water. Julius grabbed it without hesitation, gulping it down as if it were life itself.

As his senses returned, he finally registered the figure before him.

A man in a brown suit, wearing glasses, his face etched with concern.

Familiar.

Yet, for a moment, his mind struggled to place him.

Then—the man spoke.

"Julius, have you already forgotten me? I'm your teacher, Damian Force."

Damian exhaled heavily.

"Are you still conducting those reckless experiments of yours? What exactly are you trying to accomplish? Do you want your body to collapse? I didn't spend seven years teaching you mysticism just for you to vanish for a month and return unconscious for three days straight!"

His voice carried the weight of both frustration and deep concern—almost like that of a father reprimanding his wayward son.

Memories—not his own, but those belonging to this body—surfaced.

Damian Force.

A highly successful aristocrat. A certified astrologer. A master of divination and mind reading. One of the most respected instructors at the academy, having taught for a decade. Seven of those years spent specializing in the arcane mysteries.

Julius had been one of his students.

No—this Julius had been.

Damian had protected him from expulsion multiple times, shielding him from the consequences of his reckless actions.

Why?

Why did this man go to such lengths for him?

And then—Damian's last words struck him.

"Three days unconscious..."

Julius' mind raced.

The last thing he remembered was returning to his physical body—only to collapse instantly.

Had the Stellar Hall's power overwhelmed him?

He was so lost in thought that Damian, frustrated by his silence, delivered a firm knock on his head.

"Ignoring your teacher now, are we? And after passing the final exam, no less!"

"Ah—!"

Pain jolted through his skull, but there was warmth in the reprimand—like that of a parent scolding a mischievous child.

Julius blinked. "Final exam? You're saying... I'm now an official instructor?"

Damian snorted.

"Now you sound uncertain. You were so arrogant before, finishing the exam ahead of everyone else and calling it too easy. But, well, you weren't wrong. You passed with the highest score. I would've congratulated you earlier, but you were—well, unconscious."

His expression softened.

"Congratulations. You've officially become a teacher at the academy. Do you have any plans?"

Julius composed his expression. He had to tread carefully—he couldn't let Damian suspect he wasn't the original Julius.

"Thank you, Professor. I'll make sure to choose wisely."

For a moment, Damian seemed stunned.

Then—he turned away abruptly.

Julius blinked.

"Was he... holding back tears?"

Damian cleared his throat.

"Get dressed and meet me at the Headmistress' office."

With that, he exited the room.

Julius exhaled slowly.

This was his chance.

He had inherited this body. And now, he had a position.

A future.

It was time to uncover the truth behind it all.

Julius rose from his bed, an unexplainable exhilaration coursing through him. This was the first step—his first breakthrough in unraveling the mysteries that bound him.

Stepping into the washroom, he allowed the cold water to cascade down his body, washing away the sweat and the lingering stench of exhaustion. As the droplets trailed along his skin, his gaze fell upon the sigil imprinted on the palm of his hand. A dream? A nightmare? It felt far too real. He clenched his fist tightly, determination flaring in his dark eyes.

"I won't let him succeed."

Turning to the mirror, Julius studied his reflection. The face staring back at him was undeniably handsome—golden hair framing sharp, well-defined features, dark eyes carrying an enigmatic depth. His physique was lean yet radiated an air of masculinity, a balance between elegance and strength. A smirk tugged at his lips as a thought crossed his mind.

"Damn it… He's more attractive than my real self."

Chuckling softly, he moved toward the wardrobe and swung it open. Inside, a collection of garments awaited, though none were particularly impressive. Plain, even unimpressive, by his standards.

"It seems he never cared much for his appearance."

With a resigned sigh, he selected a white shirt and brown trousers. A brown tie soon followed, its color not quite matching, yet in his eyes, it sufficed. After neatly combing his hair, he slipped into a pair of shoes he found within the wardrobe.

Then, without hesitation, he pushed open the door and stepped out.

He knew exactly where to go. The dormitory for academy students was a fair distance from the Headmistress's office. A sigh escaped his lips.

"Why did he call me there? Has he caused trouble again?"

As he walked through the academy's grand corridors, whispers trailed behind him—hushed voices of admiration from female students.

"Who is he? Have we ever had a student this handsome at the academy before?"

Julius smirked inwardly.

"This fool… He possessed such an innate charm, yet he never cared to use it."

But then, a realization struck him.

These weren't just faint whispers.

His sharp gaze locked onto a young girl among the crowd. Her lips had not moved, yet he had heard her voice.

"He looks so dazzling… Could he be a new student? Should I approach him and offer my help around the academy?"

Julius's breath hitched.

The truth dawned upon him.

He wasn't merely hearing conversations—he was perceiving their very thoughts.

A wave of exhilaration coursed through him. The Celestial Hall had granted him more than just insight into the stars—it had awakened something far more terrifying.

To read the minds of those around him…

To unearth their truths, to separate honesty from deception, to render lies utterly useless against him…

His mind swirled with the implications of his newfound ability. So lost in thought, he failed to realize that he had been staring at the girl for too long.

Flustered by his unwavering gaze, she hesitated before stepping forward, her voice laced with uncertainty.

"Pardon me, sir, but… is this your first—"

Julius interrupted with a smirk, his tone brimming with amusement.

"No, it's not my first time here. I've already become an instructor at this academy."

He dipped his head slightly in a polite farewell.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I have an appointment with the Headmistress."

Without waiting for a response, he strode forward, the excitement within him bubbling uncontrollably.

"This… this is power. The kind of power anyone in this world would kill for. In a place where trust is a luxury I cannot afford, I now hold an ability that exposes deception itself."

As these thoughts consumed him, he arrived at the Headmistress's office.

Raising his hand to knock, he hesitated.

A voice—steady and composed—drifted from beyond the door.

"Enter, Julius."

His eyes widened.

"What?! They knew I was here before I even knocked?"

A wry chuckle escaped him.

"I suppose I should've expected this… It is, after all, an academy that teaches magic."

Shaking his head, he pushed the door open.

Inside, his mentor, Doman, sat comfortably in one of the lavish chairs. Beside him was a woman with jet-black hair cascading over her shoulders, her piercing violet eyes assessing him with an unreadable expression. She wore an exquisite black gown embroidered with intricate violet patterns, exuding both refinement and undeniable authority.

Julius's instincts screamed at him.

This woman… was dangerous.

No—she was a monster.

His body stiffened involuntarily, a primal fear creeping into his bones.

She sensed it.

The Headmistress—Lady Violet Montgomery—tilted her head slightly, her voice a smooth, measured cadence.

"Julius, I see you still harbor resentment toward me for the lesson I taught you a year ago… when you dabbled in forbidden magic."

A sigh escaped her lips before she continued.

"I may have gone a bit too far back then, but let's set our past grievances aside. We are here today to discuss your future."

Julius finally understood why this body trembled at her presence.

The memories buried within him—the raw terror, the helplessness—this body had suffered under her overwhelming might.

"A fool… He was a complete fool to make an enemy of someone like her."

Shoving those thoughts aside, he took a deep breath, forcing himself to focus on the matter at hand.

His future?

Doman gestured toward the seat beside him.

"Sit, Julius. Let's talk."

Julius complied, lowering himself onto the chair as he observed the two figures before him with growing wariness.

Doman's expression was unreadable as he finally spoke.

"Lady Violet Montgomery has received a special request—one that concerns you."

Julius's brows furrowed.

"A request…?"

The Headmistress interlocked her fingers, her violet eyes glinting with an unknown emotion.

"A formal invitation has been extended to you… from the Sky Association."

Julius froze.

"The Sky Association?"

Doubt clouded his mind.

He had never even heard of such an organization.