Chapter 43: The Shadow Within a Friend

Time: A few days after Angeline completed the Void ritual.Location: Aerthalia Academy – in the newly rebuilt structure now serving as an emergency command post.

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🌫️ Unseen Changes
Since the absorption of a Void fragment during the previous large-scale assault, Myra had been showing strange symptoms:
Her heartbeat couldn’t be detected during meditation.
Her reflexes had drastically improved—but accompanied by a dark, tremoring aura in her magic.
She often fell into long silences, as if listening to another voice inside her mind.
Real and Ryn had noticed it—but held back from acting until they were certain.

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🕳️ An Emotional Outburst
During a joint team training session, Myra suddenly lost control—her magic burst out erratically, summoning black hands from rifts in space, nearly injuring two students.
> “That’s… not Myra’s usual magic,” Elaine murmured.


Angeline rushed toward Myra, trying to calm her—but was pushed away.
> “Don’t come near me… you brought that void with you!I… I can feel it growing inside me!”


Myra collapsed to her knees, her hands turning ashen black.The Void inside her was growing wild—uncontrolled, because she was not the heir.

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💢 A Friend’s Confrontation
Angeline tried to reach her through words:
> “You’re not me. The Void is rejecting you because you’re rejecting it in return.”


> “But I can help—”


> “You don’t understand, Angie!” Myra shouted through tears.“I always wanted to protect you—even if it meant taking part of your burden.But now I’m the one putting you in danger!”


Myra wasn’t jealous.She felt defeated—not because of comparison, but because she felt useless.And that burden had opened a crack where the wild Void seeped in.

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🖤 A Painful Resonance
Angeline’s Voidstep began to resonate with Myra’s aura — a strange pull occurred.Their powers seemed to either draw toward each other… or violently repel.
Real finally stepped in, restraining Myra with isolating light magic:
> “Enough.We’ll find a way—Not through quiet sacrifice.”



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💭 Angeline’s Reflection
At day’s end, Angeline stood on the balcony, gazing at the fractured northern sky, where the cracks were spreading wider.
She thought of Myra.Her mother.And herself.
> “I’m not here to save everyone.But I won’t let my friends fall apart trying to save me.”


She swore to herself:She would find a way to neutralize the Void’s influence inside Myra—before it was too late.