Chapter 5: Voice of the Dark

Tonight, he would begin his journey.

He would form his first magic circle.

---

Aiden returned to his room and began studying the book on forming magic circles.

It contained countless theories — complex, ancient, and profound. But he read and memorized every page over the next eight hours.

Aiden had always been gifted with a sharp memory. He absorbed the content like a sponge.

It was already late at night.

He prepared dinner using ingredients provided by the dormitory staff. Though he wasn't much of a cook, he followed a simple recipe from a book he had brought from home.

After eating, he washed the dishes and went to his bedroom, where he sat down cross-legged and began meditating.

He focused on his heart, trying to gather mana into his core. He visualized the flow just as the book described... but the magic circle refused to form.

> "How can this be?" he thought. "I followed every instruction. Why am I failing?"

He tried again.

And again.

And again.

Until the first rays of dawn lit the sky — it was already 5 a.m.

His body trembled.

Blood streamed from his nose, ears, and the corners of his eyes — his seven orifices.

The injuries were internal, but severe.

His face was pale, and dark circles marked his eyes.

Barely able to stand, he dragged himself to the bathroom and took a painful, cold shower. After dressing, he stumbled out of his dorm room — dizzy, disoriented, and barely conscious.

Driven by pure willpower, he walked toward the Sanctum of Solace, the place where the academy's healers resided.

---

Sanctum of Solace

A vast hall painted in shades of soft green. The scent of herbs lingered in the air. Multiple rooms lined the corridor, but the largest chamber belonged to the academy's chief healer — a beautiful woman with gentle eyes.

She looked up and gasped at the sight of Aiden.

> "What happened to you?! Did you get into a fight this early in the morning?"

Aiden opened his mouth but collapsed before he could answer.

When he woke up, he was lying in bed. The pain was gone — his wounds healed.

He noticed a clock on the wall. It was already 10 a.m.

He tried to move but had no strength left.

To his surprise, a warm breakfast had been left on a tray beside his bed. He sat up and ate slowly, then glanced around the room.

Shelves lined with colorful potions. A soft breeze flowed through the open window. Everything felt calm.

After finishing, he stepped out to find the healer — he wanted to thank her.

But she was nowhere to be found.

Instead, he wandered out into the garden, lost in thought.

He recalled what a reckless mistake he had made trying to form a circle without guidance. He had nearly killed himself.

Then, suddenly...

> "Aiden... Aiden..."

A soft voice called out.

He turned around. No one was there.

"Who's there?" he called. The voice grew clearer.

It sounded like a child — a young girl, no more than seven or eight.

He followed the voice through the garden but saw no one.

> "Strange..."

Still, the voice persisted. His instincts screamed at him to stop — but his mind felt clouded, enchanted.

He couldn't resist.

He kept walking, eventually reaching a dense forest that bordered the academy. A wooden sign stood at its entrance:

> "PROHIBITED AREA — DO NOT ENTER."

But Aiden didn't stop.

He stepped into the forest.

---

The Black Forest

The moment he entered, everything changed.

The air grew heavy. The light vanished. The world turned black.

It felt like night — but not the peaceful kind. It was thick, suffocating darkness.

The voice still called to him.

> "Aiden... Aiden..."

He pushed deeper into the forest, leaves crunching beneath his boots.

And then, he found the source.

It wasn't a child.

It was a twisted, horrifying creature cloaked in black flames.

Its face was broken, distorted — almost like cracked porcelain.

Eerie music echoed around it, like whispers from another world.

And Aiden... felt his life being drained.

> "I'm going to die here," he realized, terror surging through him.

Then, he ran.

He sprinted through the forest, heart pounding, vision blurring, body pushed beyond its limits.

Suddenly — pain. A sharp slash across his back — like a blade tearing through him.

He didn't look back. He didn't stop.

He ran like a madman. He was bleeding, gasping, shaking — but he ran.

And then — light.

He burst out of the forest and collapsed just outside its edge, lungs heaving. For the first time in his life, he had never been so happy to see the academy walls.

Then... darkness took him.

---

He awoke in the same room as before — the familiar infirmary bed.

But this time, the healer was sitting beside him, watching quietly.

She met his eyes.

> "How are you feeling now?"

Aiden nodded weakly. "Much better. Thank you… for saving me."

Her gaze sharpened.

> "Mind telling me what you were doing outside the Dark Forest?

You were unconscious and bleeding — again."

Aiden took a deep breath and explained everything. The voice, the strange creature, the music, and how he had followed it without understanding why.

He ended with a quiet, "I'm sorry."

The healer didn't reply right away.

Then, finally, she said,

> "Rest a few more hours. I'll bring you dinner. After that, return to your dorm.

And listen to me carefully — do not enter that forest again. Do you understand?"

Aiden felt a powerful pressure from her presence and immediately nodded.

> "Yes, ma'am."

True to her word, she brought him dinner later that evening.

Before leaving, he said softly, "Thank you… for everything."

She sighed. "Just try not to cause more trouble."

Aiden smiled faintly and left the room. It's already late at night now. A soft wind brushed against his skin.

So much had happened in a single day — things that made no sense.

But he was alive.

He returned to his room, took a warm shower, and collapsed into bed — drained.

> "Thankfully, there were no classes today… or I'd have had a lot of explaining to do..."

But what he didn't know...

was that something much bigger was coming.