Chapter 24: Shadows Invade Aerthalia

The night sky above Aerthalia was overcast — but not with clouds. A creeping veil of black magic slithered silently, nearly invisible.
Amid the quiet, the academy’s gatekeepers suddenly froze. Their faces paled. Their eyes went blank.
> “They... have come...” one whispered before collapsing.



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🩸 The Infiltration Begins
Without a sound, hooded figures slipped past the academy’s boundaries. They weren’t ordinary humans — parts of their bodies were fused with dark artifacts, radiating distortion magic.
> “Target: The Void Heir. Kill if she resists. Capture if possible.”


They dispersed, using shadow paths and illusion interference to avoid detection.

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🏫 Inside the Dormitory
Angeline awoke with a jolt — a deep instinct warning her.
As she stood, her window shattered — an intruder burst through, blade drawn, coated in cursed magic.
> “Voidstep belongs to us. You were never meant to wield it.”


Angeline dodged in a blink, but the enemy’s attack followed her — using a crude mimicry of Voidstep.
> “They can use Voidstep too? No… it’s rough, unstable… like a counterfeit.”



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🛡️ Battle Breaks Out Across the Academy
Myra and Real arrived moments later. The academy’s hallways became warzones.
Elaine and Ryn rallied the upperclassmen, forming a defense against the second wave of attackers.
> “These aren’t just invaders… they’re hunters!” Ryn shouted, activating his true shadow magic.


Garrik fought fiercely, shielding younger students — finally understanding why Angeline had always pushed herself.

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🔍 The Organization’s Motive Revealed
One wounded attacker gasped:
> “Voidstep isn’t power… it’s a key.”“If the heir awakens the ancestral core… the gate will open — and the world will fall, as it once did.”


Real’s face went pale. He knew this wasn’t just an attack — it was the echo of a cataclysm Lyssia once sealed with the guardians of dimension.

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🌀 Final Clash: Angeline vs. the Execution Leader
On the rooftop of the central tower, Angeline confronted the masked leader — wielding a blade much like a Void katana, but cracked and unstable.
> “You awakened too soon, little heir. We needed more time... Now, you must be stopped.”


Their battle was swift, vicious, and ruptured space around them.
Angeline was wounded — but her Voidstep had stabilized, surpassing the flawed imitation.
With Myra and Real’s intervention, they forced the assailant to retreat.

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🔔 End of Chapter
The academy lay in ruins. Many students were injured, but none had died — thanks to Angeline and her team’s sudden defense.
Vice Headmaster Calhoun stood in the central hall, blood dripping from his robes.
> “We all understand now… this is no longer an academic matter.”


> “The ancient war we believed was over… had only been sleeping.”


And for the first time, the academy officially acknowledged the existence of the Void Heir — and issued a global call to the magical alliances of the world.