Lillie’s days at the academy were some of the happiest she could remember. Even now, as she rolled around on her bed in her room, a pure, radiant smile spread across her face. Life here was different from the loneliness of her past. Everyone was so kind to her — especially her mentor, Victor.

  He had taken her in, patiently guiding her despite the curse that others had always feared. He never looked at her heterochromatic eyes with disgust or pity. Instead, he saw them as something unique and special, just like her parents once did. It made her heart race and swell with gratitude every time she thought about it.

  Then there was Eleanor, who had been incredibly warm and friendly from the moment they met. Whether it was through her enthusiastic hugs or her endless praise and encouragement, Eleanor’s presence always made Lillie feel valued and safe. Her support reminded Lillie that she wasn’t alone.

  Anne and Rosalie had also been kind to her, as they were close to her in age. They always treated her kindly, even if there was still some distance between them. But Lillie did like their company a lot.

  And, of course, Lizbeth — the mischievous fairy who always brought laughter to her day. Lizbeth’s endless antics, from tea parties to her playful teasing, were like rays of sunshine in Lillie’s life.

  Even the acolytes — the eccentric people who had appeared here seemingly out of nowhere — were people she cherished. She admired their determination, their creativity, and the way they tackled challenges together. To her, they were like the heroes in the stories she used to read as a child: brave, resourceful, and unstoppable, even in the face of impossible odds. To top it off, they treated her like someone special, showering her with kindness and adoration that sometimes made her cheeks flush with embarrassment.

  Lillie had never felt this kind of warmth before. She loved everyone here, and the academy had truly become a place she could call home. A home that reminded her so much of her family.

  Her parents…

  Her smile wavered as she looked at the photo of them together on the table. She really missed her mama and papa. Every single day, she wished they were here with her, to see her growth and to support her just like they always had. But no matter how much she wished for it, no wishing fairy would fulfill it like in the fairytale. The reality remained the same.

  They were gone.

  As her chest tightened, an almost imperceptible voice began to fill her ears. “Just let me take control. All your sadness and longingness will be no more.”

  No, not now…

  She turned slowly, and there it was — the shadow. An amorphous, flickering mass of darkness, shifting and rippling as if alive. Its oppressive presence froze her in place, sending a chill down her spine.

  Her heart sank. This “something” had always been following her ever since she began having strange, vivid dreams of going to fairytale lands that seemed both wondrous and sinister. It had started when she first activated the power of her eyes, a power she had once thought was a blessing. But the more she used it, the more the entity made itself known. Her parents had warned her time and again: “Never trust it. Never fall to its temptation.”

  “Why won’t you leave Lillie alone?” she whispered, clutching her chest as her breathing quickened. Her heterochromatic eyes began to glow faintly, reacting to the entity’s presence.

  The shadow inched close, not answering her as its form expanded and contracted as though taunting her. It always disappeared when others were near, and yet it never truly left her.

  Just as Lillie was steeling herself to confront it, a knock came at the door.

  “Miss Lillie, the headmaster requests your presence in the classroom,” came a familiar female voice, likely Anne’s.

  The shadow shuddered violently. Then, as quickly as it had appeared, it dissipated into nothingness, as if it had never been there, leaving Lillie standing there, trembling.

  Taking a deep breath to steady herself, Lillie gripped her dress tightly and forced a smile onto her face. “I’ll be right there,” she called out.

  As she stepped out of her room and into the familiar hallway of the Headmaster’s Building, she drew strength from the warmth and kindness of the people she loved there. Her steps and expressions were calm and composed, becoming a fa?ade she had mastered over time. I won’t let it ruin this place for me. Not now, not ever.

  Little did she know, this time, what she would face wouldn’t be what it seemed.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  Victor sat alone in the classroom where he usually held lessons for Lillie, his eyes fixed on the holographic screen hovering before him. The recording had captured it quite clearly — an amorphous shadow lurking in Lillie’s room, rippling with malice before it disappeared as soon as Anne’s voice was heard.

  “So, it’s like this. It’s clearly more supernatural than magical,” Victor muttered, resting his chin on his folded hands as his eyes narrowed in thought.

  This wasn’t the first time he’d noticed the signs. He had been suspicious from the moment he met Lillie. Her heterochromia, with its unnatural glow, and the faint traces of mysterious energy was the origin of all the environmental distortions that she conjured up when being chased. It all pointed to something far beyond the realm of ordinary magic.

  Unfortunately, Victor’s knowledge and experience were limited in matters of this nature. He had scoured the citadel’s library, painstakingly recording volumes of obscure texts into his Master Shadowlink Mark. As such, he was able to find some promising leads…

  Perhaps someone like Valeria might have a deeper knowledge about this. Nevertheless, there was no convenient way to ascertain that as of right now.

  One thing was certain, though: this “something” didn’t behave like a conventional curse or an external parasite. It wasn’t trying to harm her in the way curses typically would. Instead, it seemed deeply connected to Lillie, almost as if it were a reflection of something buried within her — maybe a shadow of her very soul.

  “Then the plan can work,” Victor uttered, deciding to go ahead with what Lizbeth had proposed earlier.

  While confronting the entity directly carried some risk, especially without a complete understanding of its nature, he knew this was the best course of action for now. Actually, Victor hadn’t taught Lillie any spell models so far, and other than the fact that she had no elemental affinities, this was the other reason.

  As he reached for his almost empty teacup and took the last sip, he heard the faint echo of footsteps approaching the classroom. Then a smile crept on Victor’s face. Setting the cup aside, Victor straightened and folded his hands neatly in front of him with a composed expression. Let’s see what this thing really is.

  Lillie knocked softly on the classroom door, her heart still steadying itself from the unease earlier.

  “Come in,” a calm voice called from inside.

  She stepped inside, closing the door behind her, and offered a small bow. “Good afternoon, Mentor Victor!”

  “Mhm.” Victor nodded with a faint but gentle smile. “Good afternoon, Lillie. Take your seat. We’re going to have an interesting lesson today.”

  Feeling both curious and excited, Lillie made her way to her usual seat, smoothing her dress before sitting down. She always loved learning magic, and her mentor had been a great teacher to her, kindly and patiently teaching her everything she needed to know. Only that she always wondered why he never taught any magic spell yet, though she never dared to question him about it.

  As if reading her thoughts, Victor stood up and looked directly at her with his hands on his back. “Lillie, I’ve never taught you about spell models before. But today, we’ll begin with one. I’m going to teach you the spell model for {Spatial Mirage}.”

  Lillie’s eyes lit up. She had heard about this spell from Lizbeth, saying that it was one of her mentor’s spells and that it could create seamless illusions.

  “Although it’s a Cosmo-element spell,” Victor continued, “it functions as an illusion spell, making it close to being non-elemental. I believe you’ll find it useful as a reference and can grasp its fundamentals with ease.”

  “Mm-hmm! Please teach Lillie the spell,” she said eagerly, her legs swinging from her chair.

  Victor only responded with a nod as he drew the spell model for {Spatial Mirage} on the chalkboard. Lillie tilted her head slightly, studying the intricate design. She had seen spell models through the Shadowlink Mark imprinted on her wrist, but they weren’t always easy to grasp. This one, in particular, was a dense web of intersecting mana flows, with key points that seemed to act as anchors for the illusion.

  “This,” Victor explained, pointing to one of the intersecting lines, “is where the mirage takes form. The key to {Spatial Mirage} lies in stabilizing these anchor points while allowing the flow lines to remain flexible…” He continued to explain.

  Lillie nodded, following everything word by word. “So, the anchor points are like the foundation of a building, and the flow lines are like the walls and roof?”

  Victor flicked his finger, and the spell model on the chalkboard began to move, pulsing as though coming to life. “That’s one way to think of it. Now, what do you think would happen if one of these anchor points is overloaded with mana?”

  She furrowed her brow, tracing the lines with her fingers as she visualized the spell. “The entire illusion would destabilize and… collapse?”

  “Correct,” Victor said with a tone of approval. “But in some cases, a controlled destabilization can enhance the illusion. It depends on the purpose and the caster’s intent.”

  A small swell of pride warmed Lillie’s chest. She imagined how she might one day use such a spell in practice.

  But then, she could feel its presence again.

  The lighthearted atmosphere of the classroom turned heavy, almost stifling. The light from the mana lamps dimmed ever so slightly, and a faint, all-too-familiar shadow began to creep closer with each passing second.

  Not again!

  Lillie’s chest tightened as she glanced around, her eyes darting to the corner of the room. There it was — an amorphous shadow coalescing just a few feet away from her mentor. Victor didn’t seem to notice it as he continued his lesson, explaining the intricacies of spell models.

  The shadow didn’t stop moving, inching closer toward him, clearly radiating malice. Usually, by now, it would begin speaking in twisted words, attempting to entice her into its tricks. But this time, it let out a low, guttural growl, resonating in her mind like a dark echo.

  “He is a threat to us… He must be eliminated.”

  Her eyes widened in horror. “No!” she shouted, standing abruptly, her chair screeching against the floor.

  Victor stopped mid-sentence, his gaze snapping to her in surprise. “Lillie? What’s wrong?”

  Ignoring his question, she sprinted forward, positioning herself between Victor and the shadow. Her small frame trembled, but she’d resolved herself to face the entity. “You won’t hurt him!” she declared resolutely. Her heterochromatic eyes glowed brightly as she was ready to use her power.

  For her dearest mentor — the one who had given her a new life and a new place to belong to — she would do anything to protect him!