Chapter Thirty-Two — Monsters Within the Walls
Location:
Valerius Imperial Academy – Inner District & Lower Corridors
Time: Same night, moments after the Eastern Ward breach
The academy wards flickered.
Once.
Twice.
Then stabilized—barely.
But the silence that followed was worse than the alarms.
Celsius stood over the corpse of the void monster, blade still dripping black ichor.
Too clean.
Eridiaries' voice was quiet.
Eridiaries: Breaches rarely come alone.
As if summoned by the words—
A scream echoed from within the academy.
Scene 1 — The Second Breach
A rune tower in the inner district exploded.
Stone rained down.
From the dust, smaller creatures crawled out—Voidspawn, twisted humanoid forms with elongated limbs and hollow eyes.
Students scattered.
Instructors shouted orders that no one heard.
Celsius turned sharply.
Celsius: "Lyra, get the students to shelter."
Lyra hesitated.
Lyra: "What about you?"
Celsius sheathed his sword.
Shadow pooled beneath his feet.
Celsius: "I'll seal the inside."
She understood.
She ran.
Scene 2 — Corridor of Blood
The lower corridors were narrow, dim, and already stained red.
Celsius advanced calmly.
A Voidspawn leapt from the ceiling.
He caught it by the throat.
Shadow surged.
The creature dissolved.
Another attacked from behind.
Celsius didn't turn.
Its shadow froze, pinning it to the wall.
Celsius: "You don't belong here."
He cut it down.
His breathing never changed.
But inside—
If I lose control here…
Scene 3 — A Test of Command
Instructors regrouped near the central library.
Instructor Marek pointed.
Marek: "They're coming from the archive wing!"
Celsius assessed the map burned into his memory.
Celsius: "Then collapse Corridor Seven and redirect mana to the inner seal."
Marek blinked.
Marek: "That corridor contains—"
Celsius: "Empty classrooms."
A pause.
Then—
Marek: "…Do it."
Stone thundered as the corridor sealed.
The flow of monsters slowed.
Students watched from behind barriers.
Not with fear.
With awe.
Scene 4 — The Cost
A Voidspawn slipped through the last gap.
A first-year screamed.
Too slow.
Celsius moved.
Shadow wrapped the creature—but not before claws tore into his side.
Pain flared.
Hot.
Real.
The creature died seconds later.
Celsius staggered.
Blood soaked into his uniform.
Eridiaries' voice sharpened.
Eridiaries: Heal.
Celsius: "No."
Eridiaries: You'll die.
Celsius pressed a hand to the wound, shadow stitching flesh closed—slowly.
Celsius: "Not yet."
Scene 5 — Survivors
By dawn, the corridors were silent.
Voidspawn corpses evaporated into ash.
The academy still stood.
Barely.
Celsius leaned against a wall, exhaustion finally seeping in.
Lyra found him there.
Lyra: "You're hurt."
Celsius: "It'll scar."
She smiled sadly.
Lyra: "You always did collect those."
Above them, the wards hummed weakly.
Outside the walls—
The rifts were still open.
And Kael was still smiling.
End of Chapter Thirty-Two
Next:
Chapter Thirty-Three — The Academy Bleeds