The sky above was a boiling canvas of storm clouds, illuminated by the flashes and crackles of magic as two figures stood opposed on the ruined grounds of what had once been a sacred grove. A woman with black hair, glowing purple eyes, and pale skin stood, her robes billowing around her. She faced down her adversary with a fierce, unshaking determination in her eyes. Across from her, clad in dark robes that seemed to swallow the light, Malvorus, one of her brightest former pupils, his face twisted with hatred.
"Surely I'm doing something right, to draw so much of the Universum's attention that they would dispatch the Aelinore Rystraea, Sage of Antiquities and Arcana herself to find me." the being spoke, nearly spitting as he spoke her name. "You must end this, Malvorus, you were not taught to wield such power this way." she says, her voice firm and authoritative, cold but like a thin sheet of ice over a bubbling pool of emotion. Malvorus sneered, launching tendrils of black shadowy energy towards her. Aelinore deflected it with a wave of her hand, manifesting small barriers to swat each away. She sighed, her heart heavy, this was not just a wizards' duel, but a clash against a past she once cherished.
Laughter echoed through the lecture hall where Professor Aelinore Rystraea stood at the front, a whimsical smile playing on her lips. Today's lesson was on the playful uses of lesser artifacts 'Wondrous Items' as many have come to call them. With a flick of her wrist, she turned the chalk into a tiny dragon that chased its own tail, and breathed chalk dust across the blackboard, eliciting delighted laughs from her students.
Front row, staring with eyes bright at the thrill of learning, Malvorus; but of course, he had a different name back then, one not so befitting of a villain. He often stayed behind in class to ask deeper questions, his curiosity was truly boundless. Aelinore saw great potential in him, potential for immense good.
"Think of the marvels we can create with magic!" Aelinore said, her voice infused with a passion that inspired her students. "Remember, the most powerful artifact is not one of destruction, but those that can unlock understanding, protect others, and even bring joy."
Malvorus had nodded, seemingly taking her words to heart. Perhaps the seeds of darkness that consumed him had already been sown, perhaps there was more she could have done.
A series of spells rippled around Aelinore, turning the air into spectral blades. She countered with a protective dome of light, her mind racing. Her thoughts were not just about how to counterattack, but for any sign of the young student she once knew. With a twirl of her staff, she unleashed a torrent of small magical darts that cascaded up, then came at Malvorus from all sides. The dark wizard shrouded himself in a dark mist, the sounds and screams of innocent souls protected him from her missiles.
Her mind drifted once more, this time to a horrific day that shattered the peace of the Universum Arcanum. An ordinary morning, filled with the usual buzz of excited conversation turned to pure chaos when screams erupted from one of the many artifact vaults. Aelinore rushed to the scene only to find Malvorus standing amidst the bodies of fellow students, his hand clutching the Orb of Serpherus, an artifact known for amplifying magical power a hundredfold. His eyes, once full of curiosity, gleamed with madness and power.
"I'm reshaping the world, Professor," he said with a cold, harsh voice as he stepped over his fallen peers. "You taught me to think big, didn't you?"
The memory fueled Aelinore's resolve, she pushed back against Malvorus with renewed strength, her spells weaving a complex tapestry of light and force. "You misunderstand, Malvorus," Aelinore called out, the storm itself seemed to calm to listen to her words. "True power lies in creation, not destruction." Malvorus opened his mouth, cackling, ready to utter a cold and harsh response. When he blinked, Aelinore was gone, a second blink, and a small, humming blood red sphere of fire hovered before him. Aelinore, at least fifty feet back, watched him coldly, holding the Orb of Serpherus. Before he could raise his hand to utter a protective incantation, the delayed blast erupted into a blossom of fire.
Aelinore looked at the broken and defeated dark wizard, who could barely stand, steaming and sizzling. She felt not triumph, nor glory, but a profound sadness for what had been lost and what might have been. As Malvorus stumbled forward, he swung his fists at her "No! I'm not finished! This isn't over!" he shouted, spitting and choking as he approached. His hands once more hummed with arcane energy, dark tendrils beginning to form around him. "Malvorus, don't." she uttered, one last attempt to plea with him. He threw his hands up, but before he could finish the spell, Aelinore uttered a single word, interrupting his cast, she then unleashed another torrent of missiles, this time each one found their mark, shattering through any last defenses. As he dropped to his knees all rationality left him. She heard the first syllable of what she knew was one of the most profound and evil spells one could hope to conjure. Before he could finish, she called upon the Orb of Serpherus, firing a beam of dark grey energy into his chest. At one moment he was there, the next was just a pile of dust that quickly blew away with the wind.
In the silence that followed the storm of spells and incantations, Aelinore examined the Orb. She would return the Orb to its rightful resting place, but as she held the cold, smooth surface of the artifact in her hands, a wave of doubt washed over her. Could she return to the Universum Arcanum, to face a classroom of eager young minds? The joy of teaching, once her life's passion, now seemed overshadowed by the haunting memories of what one of her brightest pupils had become.
