Chapter 32: Phantom Assembly Gets Apprehended

With each passing day at Verdant Dawn Academy, Alaric’s focus became more and more on his studies and training; he spent much of his time thinking about the academy, his companions, and his dogged quest to acquire new abilities.

It was common for him to begin his day early with Professor Lilliana’s instruction in elemental magic, and he would complete his day late on the training grounds, participating in the practice of fighting tactics with his mentors.

However, what Alaric did not yet know was that a dark storm was forming in the Kingdom of Eloriath, which lay outside the walls of the school. This storm would transform his world in ways that he could hardly even begin to understand.

The Kingdom of Eloriath was an enormous nation that was characterized by opulence, flourishing towns, and green landscapes that extended over mountains and valleys.

It was a realm where knowledge and magic thrived, where the arts of battle and peace coexisted under the royal family’s careful supervision.

Although Eloriath looked to be colorful, shadows flowed silently under its surface. These shadows were not seen by the majority of people and were dismissed by those who were too ignorant to detect them.

These shadows did not appear out of thin air. They were the offspring of a nefarious organization that had been in existence for over thirty years prior, a mysterious group that came to be known as The Phantom Assembly.

The Phantom Assembly was a stealthy organization that maintained an unprecedented level of secrecy. It was overseen by Lord Vortan, a strong dark magician and vampire, who exercised iron-fisted control over its operations.

Vortan was notorious for his brilliance, harshness, and icy patience, all of which had enabled him to collect a following of devoted disciples who were prepared to forsake all morals in exchange for power. Not only was he not a typical wizard, but he was also by no means a typical vampire.

Tales of his magical talent and the frightening power he wielded spread like ripples throughout the kingdoms. These tales included tales of prohibited alchemical arts and rituals that could only be performed in secret.

People from all areas of life, including mages, healers, and martial artists, as well as men and women who were proficient in the arts of combat and magic, joined the Phantom Assembly.

At the time of their initiation, these individuals, who had been seduced by the prospect of power and authority, discovered that they were at a crossroads.

There was a requirement that every new member consume a potion, which was one of Lord Vortan’s most impressive concoctions. It was made from a combination of rare, menacing plants and alchemical combinations.

It was not a typical potion since it had a concentrated essence of dark magic that had the ability to permanently alter the essence of the person who drank about it.

For magicians, the concoction unleashed their latent black magic. It was a different kind of magic than the elemental energies that they had previously been able to control.

After consuming the potion, their typical spells became twisted with darkness, and their powers increased to a degree that was well above what they had previously been capable of.

It is possible for a rookie spell to suddenly erupt with lethal intensity, even a simple fireball might change into a raging inferno.

However, the power came with a price: they could feel their new black magic throbbing inside them, a poisonous energy that threatened to swallow their will if they used it in an irresponsible manner.

Although these mages were able to disguise the nature of the black magic, doing so came at the expense of their might, which resulted in a reduction in the effectiveness of their spells.

It was difficult for many people to keep this darkness under control, which resulted in a perpetual internal conflict between their own will and the strength of their newly awakened black magic.

For martial artists, the consequences were equally transforming and dangerous. Being proficient users of Battle Aura, a powerful force that amplified their physical strength, speed, and durability, they saw that their normally vibrant aura had turned virtually dark.

This Black Battle Aura was a powerful but ominous augmentation that augmented their capabilities and made it possible for them to unleash tactics with a degree of force that was beyond the imagination of mortals.

Having said that, there was a terrible consequence.

The more they continued to use this Black Battle Aura, the more their brains began to get corrupted by an unquenchable need for murder and bloodshed. This would happen gradually as they continued to wield this dark magic.

Those who had been in possession of this Black Aura for an excessive amount of time would ultimately lose themselves, turning into mindless puppets of wrath. They would be forced to battle until they either burnt out or went insane.

The ranks of the Phantom Assembly rapidly increased over the course of the years, and their clandestine gatherings and ominous rites multiplied as they distributed themselves across the obscure regions of Eloriath.

Even though they had been loyal residents of the kingdom in the past, some of the most capable soldiers and adept magicians in the kingdom had fallen prey to the Assembly’s dark promises and left the nation.

With every new member that Lord Vortan brought into his fold and every life that he enslaved to his will, his power increased.

As he continued to weave his influence further into the fabric of the nation, he began to corrupt lesser nobility and entice formidable mercenaries to join his ranks.

In less than ten years after its start, The Phantom Assembly developed a moniker that instilled terror in the minds of the nobles and common folk alike.

Their reach was so extensive that no corner of the kingdom felt safe from their influence.

Stories of disappearances, murders, and cursed lands were whispered among the villagers.

It was rumored that anyone who opposed the Assembly openly would vanish, and in their place, twisted, corrupted creatures would roam the forests and roads.

These were often souls claimed by Lord Vortan’s dark magic, their wills overridden, and their bodies bound to the Assembly’s service as ghastly sentries.

Vortan’s thirst for power extended far beyond the shadows.

His ambition was boundless, aiming to tear apart the very foundations of the kingdom itself.

Nearly twenty years ago, in a coup planned to perfection, Vortan and his Assembly struck at the royal family.

On a stormy night still remembered by the elder citizens of Eloriath, they infiltrated the capital, slipping past the guards and wards with an ease that showcased their mastery of dark arts.

Within hours, they had slaughtered the king and his loyal council, as well as most of the royal lineage.

Only Prince Thaleon, then a young boy, escaped the massacre, smuggled out by a few surviving royal guards.

That night changed everything, the kingdom mourning for years while rebuilding its strength, and Prince Thaleon eventually took the throne as the last heir.

Since then, King Thaleon had lived with a relentless desire to destroy the Phantom Assembly and avenge his family.

Over the years, he fortified the kingdom, building alliances and training an elite force of knights and mages who were dedicated to eradicating Vortan’s influence.

While the Assembly had long remained elusive, recent rumors suggested that the king’s efforts were finally paying off.

Spies had uncovered hidden caches, hideouts, and operational cells of the Assembly.

The guards, along with some of the kingdom’s most skilled mages and warriors, began a coordinated hunt.

One crisp evening just weeks after Alaric joined the academy, the kingdom braced itself for a clash of magic and steel.

After years of searching, King Thaleon’s forces managed to corner several high-ranking members of The Phantom Assembly in a secluded stronghold. The ensuing battle was fierce.

The Assembly’s dark mages launched devastating spells, while their warriors unleashed Black Battle Aura techniques that cut through armor as if it were paper.

But the kingdom’s forces had prepared well, and for every strike, they countered with strategy and overwhelming force.

In the thick of the battle, Lord Vortan himself appeared, cloaked in darkness and he wielded dark magic with a precision that left many of the king’s soldiers trembling.

His power was palpable, a dark aura seeping from him like poison, infecting the very air around him.

He wielded his vampire strength and magic to devastating effect, cutting through ranks of soldiers and leaving behind a trail of carnage.

But the kingdom’s forces had one advantage: a blessed artifact, the Radiant Spear, which emitted light magic capable of countering Vortan’s darkness.

Under its glow, his powers waned, and he was pushed to the edge of his capabilities.

“Vortan!” cried Sir Callen, a knight of the Radiant Order, raising the spear and plunging it through the darkness, aiming for Vortan’s heart. “This is for the royal family you destroyed!”

Lord Vortan laughed, though pain contorted his face.

He retaliated with a powerful blast of dark magic that sent Sir Callen flying, but his movements were slower with the light magic searing his flesh.

“You think…a mere trinket will finish me?” Vortan hissed, but his voice betrayed a hint of weariness.

As the battle turned, Vortan found himself outnumbered and wounded.

In a final act of desperation, he gathered his remaining power and, with a forbidden incantation, summoned a shroud of shadow thick enough to engulf the battlefield.

When the shroud dissipated, he was gone, vanished into the night, his whereabouts unknown.

Word of the battle spread quickly through Eloriath.

Although Vortan had escaped, the kingdom had managed to capture several of his highest-ranking followers, each of whom possessed valuable information about the Assembly’s structure and operations.

For the first time in decades, the Phantom Assembly seemed vulnerable.

Meanwhile at this time, the Verdant Dawn Academy was infused with a sense of heightened anxiety as rumors of the clashes that had taken place between the armies of the kingdom and The Phantom Assembly permeated the air.

It was brought to Alaric’s attention that the students had been talking about recent happenings.

In the nooks and crannies of the corridors, tales were circulating about the likelihood of raids and encounters with members of The Phantom Assembly who had gone rogue.

He listened with a great deal of attention, not just out of general curiosity but also in order to have a better understanding of the possible danger that may befall his friends or his family.

One afternoon, after a particularly challenging Theory of Elemental Magic class with Professor Lilliana Valtor, Alaric gathered with his friends Natasha, Cedric, Lea, Tessa, and Irene in the courtyard.

As they relaxed on the grass, the sun put a warm glow over their youthful features, providing them with a momentary reprieve from the mounting anxiety that was all about them.

“Have you heard about the recent captures that have taken place?” The pleasant stillness was broken when Cedric asked the question. Extending his legs, he looked about to make sure that no one was listening in on what he was saying.

As Natasha responded, her voice scarcely raised above a whisper, she said, “Yeah, but they say that the leader of the organization, Vortan, managed to escape. What if he makes an attempt to get revenge? He’s a dark wizard, and those kinds of mages can do anything.”

With a wide-eyed expression of anxiety, Lea nodded her head. “Is it possible that he will come to the academy? Would he target any of us?”

Alaric stepped in and said, “Relax, girls,” in an effort to calm their anxieties. “The academy has defenses, and the authorities are vigilant. They are not going to allow anything to take place here.”

“But what if one of them manages to sneak into the school?” Tessa chimed in, her forehead wrinkled in concentration. “This would allow them to disguise themselves and…”

“Let’s stop!” Tessa was interrupted by Cedric, who responded by placing his hand on her shoulder. “There is no use in worrying about anything. We ought to maintain vigilance, but we shouldn’t live in terror.

As Alaric looked at his companions with a composed air, he nodded his head in agreement. It is for a specific purpose that we are studying magic and combat. In the event that something was to take place, we will be ready to safeguard ourselves.

“Are you certain that you’ll be able to deal with it?” Irene taunted Alaric by lightly poking his shoulder in a teasing manner. “I mean, we are all still just kids,” she said.

In response, Alaric smiled at her and said, “I may be small, but I’m capable. On top of that, it’s not just about the size. It is a matter of both skill and strategy.”

The expression of adoration that could be seen in Natasha’s eyes was accompanied with a smile. “Alaric, you don’t fail to find a way to put us at ease,”

The group resumed their lighthearted conversation, but the tension that had been building up was still present.