Chapter 85: The Dungeon of Shadows and an Ancient Sacrifice
The night at Celestia Academy was unnervingly still, the only sound being the whistle of a cold wind through the crystalline windows. Volt, currently operating under the alias "Von," slipped out of his dormitory, moving through the lightless corridors like a living shadow.
The resonating moan he had felt earlier was now a deafening thrum beneath his feet. He reached an iron-bound door tucked away in the deepest, most forgotten corner of the academy's basement. With a swift gesture and a surge of 'Shadow Sovereignty', he unraveled the complex magical seals and stepped into the abyss beyond.
Inside lay a massive chamber interlaced with glowing mana-chains and lethal sorcerous traps. Suspended in the center was a creature with broken wings, its body encased in a searing white light. It was an ancient warrior of the "Fallen Angel" race—Azariel, a general who had been Volt's ally a thousand years ago.
"Who... who goes there?" the angel rasped, his voice trembling with exhaustion.
Volt stepped from the darkness, his crimson eyes burning with cold fury. "Is it you, Azariel? Have they kept you rotting in this hole all this time?"
Azariel strained to lift his head at the sound of that voice. "That voice... no, it cannot be! My Lord? Have you truly returned?" Tears tracked through the grime on his face. "They have placed your blade here, using me as a conduit to drain its power and feed it to the 'chosen' students of the gods!"