The Rise of a Dark Wizard?

Max woke up in a dark, sterile room.The air smelled of medicine and potions. The walls were a cold white, and the dim lights flickered slightly. There was no doubt where he was—the Magical Hospital. He slowly sat up, feeling a sharp pain in his chest.

"What… happened?" he whispered.

At that moment, Justin and Alex walked into the room. Justin had his arms crossed and a look of absolute confusion on his face. Alex, on the other hand, looked… impressed?

"Are you okay?" Alex asked with a slight smile. "Because… that was incredible!"

Max looked at her, puzzled.

"Incredible?"

"Yes," Alex replied. "You defeated the best duelist in the magical world—and left him insane!"

Justin, however, wasn't so thrilled.

"That wasn't incredible!" Justin interrupted. "That was cheating! *Sectumsempra*, *Crucio*…! That's dark magic! You shouldn't even be able to cast those spells—I tried!"

"So what?" Max shrugged. "I did it. And I won. Isn't that what matters?"

Justin stared at him in disbelief.

"I tried to cast the same spells you used—and I couldn't. They don't exist."

Alex, however, smiled with admiration.

"Maybe it's because Max is better than all of us," she said with a teasing tone. "I can't believe you actually used magic to drive someone insane. What does it feel like to have that kind of power, Max?"

Max didn't answer. He didn't even know why he cast *Crucio*.

"Max!" Jerry said, walking toward him and grabbing his shoulders. "I knew you were special! What you did… there's only one explanation. You must have unlocked the Russo gene!"

"The Russo gene?" Max repeated, confused.

Jerry nodded enthusiastically.

"The Russo gene allows the most talented members of our family to learn spells that no one else can cast. It's extremely rare. It only appears once every few generations. If you used those spells, it means you have the potential to become the most powerful wizard in our family… maybe even in the entire magical world!"

Max looked at his father skeptically.

"And what exactly does that mean?"

Jerry smiled proudly.

"It means the normal rules don't apply to you. It means you have the potential to perform magic that no other wizard could ever replicate."

Justin crossed his arms.

"Or it means Max is a dark wizard," he said flatly.

Jerry shot him a sharp look.

"No! Max is not a dark wizard. What he did was… exceptional. Unique."

"Dad, he used *Crucio*," Justin insisted. "*Crucio*! That's direct torture. Only dark wizards do that."

"Maybe it's because Max isn't just a wizard!" Jerry replied. "If he unlocked the Russo gene, it means he's destined to do things no one else can do."

Max felt a mix of pride and confusion. If what his father was saying was true… then everything had changed.

But what Justin said next pulled him back to reality.

"Then why does the entire magical world think Max is a dark wizard?" Justin said, pulling out a magazine and tossing it onto Max's bed.

Max looked at the cover. His face was on the front page, wearing a cold, calculating expression.

"MAX RUSSO: THE DARK WIZARD NO ONE SAW COMING"

Max felt the blood drain from his face.

"What…?"

"You're on every magical magazine!" Justin said. "Everyone thinks you're a dark wizard because you used spells that no other wizard could even attempt!"

Max remained silent, staring at the magazine. Then Alex smiled.

"Well, at least you're famous now," she said with a mischievous smile.

Justin rolled his eyes.

Alex let out a small laugh.

"Well, at least now Justin knows he's not the only perfect wizard in the family," she said smugly.

Justin rolled his eyes and walked out of the room without another word. Alex followed, leaving Max alone with his father.

"Max," his father said, "people are going to talk. Some won't understand what you did. But remember—your power is a gift, not a curse."

"Sure," Max replied, but deep down, he knew things wouldn't be that simple.

---

The next day, Max returned to school. Everything seemed normal… well, as normal as it could be when the entire magical world now thought he was a dark wizard. He walked down the hallways, hands in his pockets.

"Max Russo?" Wednesday's cold voice echoed behind him.

Max turned around and saw Wednesday looking at him with her usual serious expression.

"Yes?" Max replied flatly.

Wednesday stared at him with those dark eyes that seemed to see straight through him.

"Are you a dark wizard?"

Max narrowed his eyes.

"Is that what the magazines say?" he said sarcastically.

"The magazines say a lot of things. But they can't deny that you drove the best duelist in the magical world insane."

"I guess I'm special," Max said with a sly smile.

Wednesday maintained her cold, piercing gaze.

"More like dangerous." Then she turned and walked away, leaving Max with a grin on his lips.

"Dangerous… I like the sound of that," Max murmured to himself.

---

As Max walked down the hallway, he heard a group of girls laughing in the corner. Gigi was surrounded by her friends, as usual.

"So…" Gigi said with a malicious smile. "It looks like a certain Principal Laritate isn't too happy about the rumor that he's going bald. But hey, from now on, I'm only going to spread rumors that are certainly true."

The girls laughed, but Gigi suddenly fell silent when she saw Max talking with Wednesday.

"What is he… doing with her?" Gigi muttered, frowning.

When Wednesday walked away, Max started walking in the opposite direction… until Gigi quickly approached and stopped in front of him with a charming smile.

"Max!" she sang. "Since when are you dating the goth girl?"

Max raised an eyebrow, clearly uninterested.

"Since when do you care?"

"Just curious," Gigi said, running a hand through her hair and smiling flirtatiously. "So… are you two a thing?"

Max looked at her with a bored expression.

"What do you think?"

Gigi giggled and stepped closer.

"I think it would be very interesting if you were… but why don't you tell me?"

Max sighed, already losing his patience.

"You want me to tell you?"

"Yes," Gigi said with a smug smile. "Tell me."

Max stared at her for a second… then smiled sideways.

"Alright. Go to hell."

Gigi's face froze, her eyes widened in shock. Her friends stopped laughing and stared at Max in disbelief.

"W-what?" Gigi stammered, still in shock.

Max shrugged with a mocking smile.

"Isn't that what you wanted? Well, there you go. Now, are you going to leave me alone, or do I need to say it louder?"

Gigi blinked a few times, still processing what had just happened. And then… she blushed.

"Wow…" she whispered with a nervous smile. "That was… hot."

Max rolled his eyes and started walking away.

"You're crazy…" he muttered.

Gigi watched him walk away, still blushing with a dumb smile on her face.

"I think I'm falling for him…" she whispered, biting her lip.

Gigi's friends stared at her like she was insane, but Gigi just stood there, watching Max walk down the hallway with a satisfied smile.

---

Later, as Max was leaving school, a familiar figure approached him.

"Max."

Max looked up and saw TJ leaning casually against the wall with a smile.

"What do you want, TJ?"

TJ walked closer, his smile widening.

"I just wanted to say… incredible work. Beating Elrik isn't easy."

Max raised an eyebrow.

"So?"

TJ shrugged.

"Well, if you could pull that off… you might be powerful. Very powerful."

Max narrowed his eyes.

"And why do you care?"

"Let's just say… I want to be on the winning team," TJ said. "If you're going to be the strongest wizard in the magical world, maybe you'll need an apprentice."

Max laughed.

"You're offering to be my disciple?"

"Seems like it," TJ said confidently.

Max looked him up and down before replying:

"I'll think about it."

"Don't take too long," TJ said, walking away down the hall. "The offer won't stay on the table forever."