Decay

In a dim, blackened, decaying land, there loomed the simulacra of an ominous aura emanating from the depths of darkness—an indigo-purple radiance that cast a dim mysterious force.

"It's this dream again; I wish I could unravel it's meaning."Within the profound darkness stood Luther, his black, thick hair contrasting against pale skin. His eyes were folded with bandages, yet he seemed entirely aware of his surroundings.

Woooosh!

The indigo-purple radiance expanded enveloping Luther. His skin prickled and a shiver coursed through his body, an indescribable chill freezing him from head to toe.

Thump! Ouch! He abruptly jolted awake, a finger strike on his head snapping him out of the dream.

He sat up straight surveying his surroundings Before him lay a lecture hall filled with attendees a professor commanding the stage, As he retracted his gaze to the right, a figure caught his attention.

A blond, silky-haired girl adorned in an elegant black regal dress stood out. Her eyes sparkled with a charming green hue, complementing her radiant white skin, She possessed an alluring appearance exuding beauty, Luther was not unfamiliar with her; she was his friend, Dona.

"haven't you had enough sleep؟ "Dona asked Luther, who wore thick round black glasses concealing his eyes, seemingly impenetrable through the layers of glass. However, Luther appeared aware of the inquirer.

"My tyrant sister forced me to practice martial arts with her again! Oh, she almost broke my arm!" he grumbled; before revealing a gentle smile "You know what she told me after she finally let me relaxingly breathe in relief?" Then he grumbled even more, "She told me it's all my fault being weak!! She is truly fierce."

Luther harbored no resentment toward his sister; quite the opposite, she had always been his pillar of support. Encouraging him to excel in his studies and work diligently.

she kept him away from trouble and provided military-style training. Though Luther was unaware of her exact rank, he held a firm belief in her unquestionable superiority

Dona shot him a mocking look "i can't fathom someone dragging you into such a tough spot, What's it like to have your skills tested?"

Despite Luther's undefeated record in university duels, where his opponents often found themselves thoroughly defeated, his sister, with her sculpting hands of discipline, never failed to bring him back down to reality. Dona recognized that Luther's strength was a talent carefully crafted by his sister, yet she couldn't resist her usual teasing.

Well, look at this, she never missed a chance to tease me up.

Luther wasn't defenseless against such behavior; he had always been a joker, more like a clown, skillfully finding the humorous side of life, He shot Dona a self-pitiful look; his smile vanished and he calmly replied "it was indeed terrible, I felt as helpless as a leaf in a violent wind. It reminds me of that one time when I found myself dueling against a naive girl, She wore a confident expression"

he paused for a moment, revealing a slightly wicked smirk and added before laughing "Then, I didn't even bother. A few well-timed dodges, and she lost her balance tumbling all on her own"

Dona was struck by bolts of lightning. Luther's words pierced through her dignity, scattering it all over the floor. Her blushing cheeks emitted crimson tomatoes as she angrily glared at him.

She then retracted her gaze, looking straight ahead, She knew very well that he was talking about her, Though she always yearned for revenge she understood she wasn't a match for Luther, Therefore, she had to adopt another approach.

Oh, why now? Weren't you the one to start?, he said inwardly filled with amusement.He casted his gaze ahead as the professor drew his attention.

"Farewell, that'll be it for today, remember the exams next week.".

I actually slept through the entire lecture. No worries; I already grasp everything I need to know and more,

Luther didn't need to fret about paying attention to lectures at the university. He comprehended what would be covered, not because he was a nerd or to seek a good life, but because studying magic mysticism and diving into other university subjects equated to gaining power, The shared mentality among students was the pursuit of superiority over others.

Luther an absolute genius, effortlessly grasped complex concepts, deciphered intricate magic spells, and even crafted and adjusted existing ones, He operated on a level the others couldn't fathom However, despite his profound understanding of magic, he couldn't wield it like everyone else holding a firm belief that it was a congenital issue.

all attendees busied themselves collecting their textbooks, Dona and Leonard grabbed their belongings and walked out of the hall.

As they strolled through the wide corridor, they admired the towering hallsEach hall exceeded 8 meters in height reaching to the last row, the benches formed a circular arrangement around the main stage and extending to the back. The side of the hall was crafted from thick, transparent glass, offering a view of various field activities, including sword duels, martial arts, magic duels, and more. They continued walking until they exited the building.

"You rarely wear those thick eyeglasses of yours. What happened to those bandages you used to wrap your eyes with?" Dona inquired out of curiosity.

"We don't have interactive sessions today, do we?" Luther calmly clarified.

"how is the using of that spell lately?" Luther asked Dona , as if he remembered something, attempting to satisfy his curiosity.

Dona didn't reply immediately, She pondered for a few moments arranging her words before responding, "that observation spell, I performed it after taking your advice, The problem was indeed sensing the surroundings, I had difficulty spreading my mana to build a structure of the complete zone, After I separated the area into squares, accommodating every square at a time and it became much simpler as you said."

Luther nodded in acknowledgment.

a genius like him, of course, would offer aid to his friend if she needed help.

For him, it was a piece of cake, he always checked the solutions he provided to get feedback on his hypotheses as a genius.

That overwhelmed him with delight and also depression, for he consistently proves his unquestionable skills, However, he refrained from performing simple spells due to the ensuing pain erupting from his mana core, risking damage to his mana channels This dilemma left him with one choice – to strengthen his combat abilities.

They continued walking until they left the campus, reaching the outskirts of the university They strolled along a passage made of white cobblestones that led to the main street, Ernest Street.

at the end of the passage awaited Dona's private carriage and her maidservant, Fria.

Being the daughter of aristocracy, Dona had her own means of transportation, a maidservant, and her family's palace, a chief, and a coachman.

Luther bid farewell to Dona and took a wheeled carriage to where he and his sister reside on Zoul Street; East Borough

They lived in Starlon City, the capital of Raiden Kingdom, situated at the center of the northern continent.

Nearby were the Voltare Empire to the east and the Solarin Republic to the west.

In the southern continent stood Lonburg, Saorun Kingdom, and Portsmith Kingdom. The Conjuration Sea connected both continents, with the Halcyon Sea to the north, adjacent to Raiden Kingdom, and the Serene Sea to the south attached to saorun kingdom

As the carriage traversed from Ernest Street to Zoul Street, Luther marveled at the cityscape. The smooth white cobblestone streets echoed the subtle clip-clop of horse hooves beneath the wheels

Ornate architectural wonders adorned the thoroughfares, capturing the essence of the Victorian era. The houses boasted a variety of styles—some with hipped roofs, others flaunting flat structures, and a few even sporting majestic pyramids.

starlon city was centered by the Mugan river, east borough where the middle class lived, small busines owners and lawyers private detectors and government employee.

north borough also known as trade distract, where merchants gathered and local peddlers as well as street hawkers, where the scent of goods and crates invaded the the wind, the clank sound of coins echoed, and the marketing fuse Resonated.

West borough stood the lower class, the homeless, and vagrants, factory workers, brothels, gathered the poor people with ragged clothes, the vibe of starvation, pale faces, unpleasant smell criminal gangs and the coldness that penetrated the homeless.

Contrasting the royal enclave, where the noble, aristocracy, parliament members, tycoons and highe society took place, in addition to the King's court, the marvellous palaces and luxurious villas,the essence of all elegans.

south borough were harbors stood, fisherman, sailors and tourists lived, there commercial activities took place, the oceanic aroma and the salty breeze.

Half an hour passed, and Luther arrived at zoul street, he walked out of the carriage, and reached 18 Zoul Street, Unit 20 in no time.

I have a nagging feeling that Emma is ploting something sinister for me, I have to keep my guard up; otherwise, my face will end up as a crime scene!

Before entering the apartment, he removed his glasses closing his eyes Retrieving white bandages from his pocket he adjusted his hair and wrapped the bandages securely around his eyes Placing his textbooks on the doorstep, he stretched up and prepared to knock at the door.

Knock! Knock! Knock!, No response.

"Electricity bell!" he shouted, attempting to turn the tables Instead of falling into her potential ambush he planned to set one for her, However, moments passed with no reply.

With a sigh, he approached the door, reaching for the handle.

Crack!

Opening the door slowly, he surveyed the familiar living room: a sofa, chairs, coffee table, curtains, and a fireplace, The dead silence unsettled him leaving him on edge for any sudden assault, What made it even more suspicious than usual was the absence of any suspicion at all.

If no one is here then why is the lamp lit up?, Luther raised his hand slowly in an attempt to use magic and extinguish the light by isolating electricity.

Such magic wasn't even considered a spell; he could afford it with no consequences.

Snap!

With a sanp, The room turned dark; his intention was to fight on equal ground, after throwing the textbooks inside, He stepped into the apartment and shut the door.

One step, two steps, three steps—however, nothing unusual happened, even though, he did not dare to relax a bit.

Suddenly, his intuition was triggered!

He felt the room turn gloomy, an invisible barrier surged wrapping the entire apartment, extinguishing the voices outside the apartment, as if the room was isolated from the outside world.

This was a preparation for battle!, isolating this space from the outside world!, isolation magic!.

He didn't hesitate, he curled his body and rolled out off his position, almost instantly a leg lashed the place where he was standing, the air swayed aggressively and the room's items shake slightly.

Luther, who had already rolled to the coffee table, and raised his head inspecting the subsequent action, he had already opened his eyes underneath his pandages.

The windows were shut and the curtains were drawn making the room completely dark, however he could clearly see as if his eyes possessed a unique trait of it's s own.

Blocking his vision, was pitch black figure the size of a head charging at him with an intense speed, aiming for his head.

he instantly swayed his head to the right, in an attempt to have a better view, however the attacker had already reached to him while his vision was blocked.

The attacker was blurry and unclear due to his intense speed, he raised his leg diagonally, in an attempt to strike Luther who had yet to leave his ducking position.

Luther didn't attempt to block the strike, that would undoubtedly break his arme for real, instead he turned his body sideways while standing up, skillfully dodging the strike reaching for him.

The foot penetrated the ground, sending wooden shards flying everywhere, Luther already gained his balance.

An opportunity!.

Sizing the opportunity, he lashed his left foot charging for the head, however, the attacker was already prepared he curled his body backwards skillfully dodging the attack, he exerted strength into his hand prising against the floor, swirling his body striking Luther with his leg.

The air moved violently as the the strike pierced through it, Luther had no choice but to retreat against such a tornado, he knew that attempting to duck and strike low wasn't a wise choice, it might very well be a ploy.

Instead, He rolled back retreating from such confrontation, and await for another opportunity, being patient was the key.

As he rolled, he exerted strength into his legs striving for balance, however, he felt that his body was out of his control, as if his legs Revolted against him falling backwards to the ground.

The attacker had already pulled the carpet!!, making Luther lose his balance and fall to the ground!!.

Luther was caught off guard, he instantly attempted to escape his predecmen.

he knew that a single second in a battle can leed to an opportunity for his opponent, and he just lost balance and was falling!.

Luther instantly sprang into action, before he could antirly slip, he exerted strength to his leg and jumped in midair, attempting to avoid any potential subsequent assault.

However he noticed the place where he was remained unharmed, he was puzzled before he  quickly knew why.

It was a fraud!, the point was not to make him fall or to make him freeze during battle but force him into midair.

That would make him imobilized!!, unable to move and dodge in midair!!.

The air intensified, a surge of energy resonated, Luther felt the wind sway the room and gathered in a violent manner, the room shake slightly, and the air charged forward like a wind bulled slicing through the air.

a wind magic attack!, It was charging for Luther!!, who was helpless in mid-air!!.

There wasn't any delay in the attacker action it was perfectly timed, Leaving Luther no chance of responding, or even use his hand as a shield.

The wind bullet dashed through the room at an intense speed, striking Luther in his abdomen.

Luther slammed into the wall, as he felt an indescribable pain in his abdomen, his mouth produced saliva as he barley held himself from vomiting his antire launch.

Snap!

The light lite once more, illuminating the room that went through chaos the items were scattered on the ground that got penetrated.

Amidst the room stood a fair lady, her deep eyes sparkled with grean hue complementing hair long marvellous eyelashes, her thin lips curling up with a warm smile, her silky auburn hair shined with ember as it sloped against her soft, fair and ethereal skin that glowed radiant, her slender yet curvy figure erected elegantly adored in a white silky and simple tea gown, her charm exudes avarge and even far beyond, it was Emma, his dear sister.

"you don't attack superior opponents!, Nor seek opportunities!, you run, observe, and lay low!, you seem to have memory issues my stupid brother" Emma scolded Luther, making Luther feel like one of his defeated university mates.

Luther was still coughing, saliva sloped down his mouth after regaining his composure he replied "I didn't know you where going to use this much strength, I felt as if your legs would stap into me"

"you must learn to be aware of the unknown" Emma retorted

"you always seem so confident about your planes,hypothesis and speculations, you never take yourself beyond and be open minded, how on earth would you know you opponent's status is?!"

Hmm... open minded huh...

"understood!, Great sister!" Luther planed not to provoke his sister for the maintime

Emma expression gradually softened, she stared at her brother for a moment, her gaze reflected concern before she Abruptly orderd "come on, it's your turn to cook!"

"ok ok however aren't you forgetting something?" Luther sighed pointing to the room that was in a sorry state,

Emma swayed around inspecting the room, after a few moments of observation she raised her hand and gently swayed it against the room in the air.

The wooden shreds on the ground flied in a systematic manner and gathered onto the penetrated floor restoring it to its original state, the items on the floor stirred and floated to thair previous position, the curtains and windows opened a path for the light that stemmed from the gray and cloudy sky, the room returned ordinary as if nothing had happen.

"now now, make something delicious would you" Emma urged Luther

Luther stood up composing himself, he grained slightly and chuckled "have I failed to surprise you before?"

When it comes to cooking, Luther was the best, hes sister always praised his cooking skills.

Luther stepped into the kitchen, greeted by the warm glow of the fire in the oven.

I guess everything is already arranged?.

The room was filled with the comforting aroma of freshly baked bread. He rolled up his sleeves, ready to prepare a hearty meal for his sister.

First, Luther checked the temperature of the oven, gauging it by instinct rather than a thermometer. Satisfied with the heat, he retrieved a cast iron skillet and placed it on the stovetop, the flames dancing beneath.

He reached for a slab of beef, seasoned with a blend of herbs and spices, and carefully seared it in the skillet, the meat sizzling as it made contact with the hot surface. The aroma of seared meat filled the kitchen, making Luther's mouth water in anticipation.

While the beef cooked, Luther turned his attention to the vegetables. He selected a variety of root vegetables from the pantry—carrots, potatoes, and parsnips—and began peeling and chopping them with practiced efficiency. The rhythmic sound of the knife against the cutting board filled the air as Luther worked.

Once the vegetables were prepared, Luther arranged them in a roasting pan, drizzling them with olive oil and seasoning them with salt and pepper. He placed the pan in the oven, the vegetables sizzling as they hit the hot surface.

Finally, Luther transferred the seared beef to the roasting pan, nestling it among the vegetables. He covered the pan with a lid, allowing the meat and vegetables to cook slowly in the gentle heat of the oven.

As the meal simmered away, luther took a moment to savor the sights and smells of the kitchen and the crackling fire, the bubbling pot on the stove, and the anticipation of a delicious meal to come.

Luther's gaze fixated on the flickering flames beneath the stove, their warm glow casting dancing shadows across the kitchen. Yet, in an instant, a sharp pain pierced his skull, as though invisible knives were carving through his mind or a legion of worms gnawed at his brain.

His surroundings warped and twisted, the orderly scene before him morphing into a distorted nightmare. The crackling fire transformed into an eerie indigo-purple radiance, accompanied by a foreboding aura that threatened to engulf everything in decay.

A chilling coldness permeated the air, seeping into Luther's bones and extinguishing any trace of warmth or comfort, leaving him enveloped in a shroud of darkness and dread.

The nightmare had seeped into reality!.