The city was silent on this weekday night. The streets were empty. The only sound was the distant hum of robotic patrols scanning the streets for any unusual activity.

  Bastien moved carefully, avoiding them at all costs. If one of them spotted him at this hour, he would be forced to officially declare his reason for being outside so late. His school would be immediately notified. That was not an option.

  When he arrived at the meeting point, he was slightly late. Allen was already waiting.

  "Good evening, Bastien. Ready to strike?"

  "I’m ready," he answered with determination.

  Allen quickly laid out his plan—a carefully mapped route avoiding the guards’ patrols, which he had compiled himself.

  Allen was a genius for his age, the top of their class, and destined for an extraordinary future. He understood machines as if they were living beings and was an unmatched hacker.

  Using his skills, Allen unlocked the Academy’s access gate. The two of them slipped inside undetected and hurried toward the archive chamber, where a security code blocked their path.

  Allen pressed his finger against the scanner. The door unlocked instantly.

  "You’ll have to explain how you do that one day. I’ve never seen anything like it—not even from our professors."

  "In due time, Bastien. But right now, the ultimate knowledge is right in front of us."

  The True History of Concordia and Tempestas

  The massive shelves of the Special Library were overflowing with ancient tomes, their leather bindings cracked with age.

  Allen scanned the titles with sharp eyes until he stopped in front of a manuscript decorated with golden symbols.

  "The Miracles of Creation."

  They exchanged a glance.

  "This is the one," Bastien whispered.

  Allen placed his hand on the magical seal and closed his eyes.

  A faint vibration rippled through the air.

  The seal unlocked.

  Bastien opened the book.

  The very first lines shattered everything they thought they knew.

  "Before the Holy Wars between Lord Concorde, the Light of Order, and Tempeste, the Absolute Chaos… there was neither Light nor Chaos. There was only One Will."

  "A primordial entity, whole and absolute, known as Origo Magnus."

  "But the Will split apart."

  "And from this division were born Concorde, the Lord of Order, and Tempeste, the Lord of Chaos."

  Bastien felt his throat tighten.

  "They…" He struggled to process the revelation. "They were one and the same? But how is that possible?"

  Allen continued reading in tense silence. His expression darkened with each passing second.

  "And the people of Tempestas still exist…" he murmured.

  "They live in the farthest south-western reaches of the continent. Tempeste was not destroyed—he was sealed away. Because if he dies… then so does Concorde."

  "Tempestas is protected by a magical barrier of endless storms that repels all intruders."

  Bastien exhaled sharply.

  "That’s why the history was falsified," he muttered.

  "The people could never accept that their beloved protector and the so-called Lord of Evil… were once the same being."

  They wanted to search for more books.

  To learn everything.

  But they never got the chance.

  A deep laughter echoed from the darkness.

  "What a shame. You came so far… only to never leave."

  The Guardian of the Library

  A figure stepped forward from the shadows.

  Zoan Gilbert, a man in his forties, draped in a silver cloak, stood a few meters away.

  He was the Guardian of the Sages' Knowledge—a disciple of the Sage of Illusions.

  He didn’t need to lift a single finger.

  Yet, hell was unleashed upon them.

  The walls rippled.

  A horde of demonic shadows erupted from the floor.

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  "Shit," Allen muttered. "This guy’s no amateur. He just cast an advanced illusion spell."

  At first, panic surged in Bastien’s chest.

  But he quickly regained control.

  This wasn’t just a mirage—the illusion attacked their very minds.

  The shadow figures didn’t strike their bodies—they struck their consciousness.

  Each impact eroded their thoughts, their memories, their willpower.

  Gilbert remained hidden in the shadows, letting his creations do the work for him.

  Bastien raised his hands, forming an illusion barrier.

  His natural talent made it strong, but each hit weakened it.

  It wouldn’t last a full minute.

  "Surrender now, and I will grant you a fair trial," Zoan declared imperiously.

  Allen didn’t respond.

  He remained calm, using this brief window of time to analyse Gilbert’s technique.

  "His illusions… they’re just threads linking the caster to his creations," he whispered.

  "If we disrupt those links…"

  Bastien immediately understood.

  They had to strike at the right moment.

  Allen placed a hand on Bastien’s shoulder.

  "I’ll channel my energy through my Techno-Magic Receiver. You’ll convert it into a distortion wave. One second is all we need."

  Bastien frowned.

  "I’m ready. Let’s end this."

  The Plan Unfolds in a Single Second

  Allen channeled a portion of his energy into Bastien while simultaneously redirecting the rest into his legs, enhancing his speed.

  "Activate!" Bastien roared, unleashing the disruptive wave.

  The entire room trembled.

  The illusions wavered.

  And for a single moment, the magical threads connecting the Guardian to his creations became visible.

  Allen saw it.

  Zoan Gilbert, hiding in the darkness of a distant alcove.

  Without hesitation, Allen surged forward like lightning.

  He pressed his fingers against the Guardian’s forehead.

  His power activated instantly.

  An invisible wave surged across the room.

  The illusion collapsed.

  Chapter 4 – The Unspoken Truth

  The shadows vanished.

  Silence fell.

  Allen had only needed one second.

  Zoan Gilbert stood frozen, his gaze empty.

  "He’s… Did you kill him?" Bastien asked, struggling to catch his breath.

  "No, I didn’t kill him. That was my initial plan, but when I touched him, I felt his emotions. He’s not a bad person—just another pawn of the system. I altered his memory. He won’t even remember we were here."

  Bastien stared at him for a moment before asking,

  "How did you do that? I don’t know any illusion magic that fast or powerful."

  Allen’s expression shifted—more serious than usual.

  "I’ll explain later. Now, let’s get out of here."

  They left the chamber, unaware that a silent shadow had witnessed everything.

  Act 4: The Unspoken Truth

  Bastien and Allen walked quickly through the alleyways, avoiding the brightly lit districts. The silence between them was heavy, weighed down by revelations and the danger they had just faced.

  There was no turning back.

  Bastien stole a glance at his friend. Allen seemed strangely calm—almost carefree, as if the infiltration and fight had been nothing more than a simple errand.

  But Bastien hadn’t forgotten.

  What he had seen.

  What Allen had done.

  He slowed his pace and suddenly stopped under a stone archway.

  Allen halted as well and turned to face him.

  "What?" he asked, his voice casual.

  Bastien fixed him with an unreadable stare.

  "Explain what just happened."

  Allen raised an eyebrow.

  "What do you mean?"

  "Your power." Bastien crossed his arms. "What you did to the Guardian… That wasn’t normal illusion magic."

  Allen sighed and leaned against the wall.

  "You’re more observant than I thought."

  "Don’t play with me, Allen."

  Bastien stepped closer.

  "You didn’t just erase his memory. You altered his recollection, his perception of time… even influenced the techno-magic systems around us. I’ve never seen anyone manipulate illusions with that level of speed and precision."

  Allen remained silent for a moment, his eyes glowing under the dim lanterns.

  Then, he took a deep breath and finally spoke.

  "It’s not really an illusion."

  Bastien’s brow furrowed.

  "What?"

  Allen raised a hand, letting a tiny magical flame flicker at his fingertips.

  "Illusions deceive the senses. They create mirages, false appearances. They don’t change reality—they disguise it."

  He clenched his fist, extinguishing the flame.

  "But me… I don’t just play with perception."

  Bastien felt a chill run down his spine.

  "Then what exactly do you do?"

  Allen met his gaze seriously.

  "I manipulate residual magic."

  Bastien narrowed his eyes.

  "Residual magic…?"

  "Everything that exists has a magical imprint—a trace left in the fabric of reality."

  Allen gestured toward the stone wall beside them.

  "Even this wall has a memory. If you know how to listen, you can sense what happened here, hear the echoes of the past, feel the emotions imprinted in the very material of the world."

  Bastien’s chest tightened.

  "You’re saying… you can read people’s thoughts?"

  Allen shook his head.

  "Not exactly. I can’t hear their thoughts like a voice in my head. But I can feel what they felt. I can understand their intentions, their emotions… their doubts."

  Bastien clenched his fists.

  "Then… when you erased the Guardian’s memory…"

  "I didn’t erase it—I just altered the magical imprint of his recent experiences." Allen shrugged. "Now he believes he took a short nap, because his own mind accepted that idea as truth."

  Bastien stood still.

  He wanted to believe that Allen was still the same person.

  His friend.

  But how could he be sure?

  How could he know that his own thoughts, his own feelings, hadn’t already been influenced… without him realizing it?

  A cold shiver ran down his spine.

  He took a deep breath and whispered,

  "How can I be sure our friendship is real?"

  Allen raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

  "What do you mean?"

  Bastien locked eyes with him.

  "What if… the trust I have in you…" he hesitated, then continued.

  "…is nothing but an illusion?"

  Allen stared at him for a long moment—then burst into laughter.

  Bastien scowled.

  "What’s so funny?"

  Allen crossed his arms, smirking.

  "Do you really think I’d waste my time manipulating an idiot like you?"

  Bastien shot him a glare, but Allen quickly dropped the teasing tone.

  "I’ve never used my power on you, my brother."

  Bastien remained silent.

  "You’re my friend." Allen stepped closer. "And I would never betray that."

  He extended his hand—palm open.

  "So, do you trust me?"

  Bastien hesitated for a moment.

  Then, he placed his hand in Allen’s.

  "Tch. Just don’t ever screw me over." He looked away.

  Allen smiled.

  "Promise."

  Then, with a mischievous glint in his eyes, he added,

  "Well… unless it’s absolutely necessary."

  "AHAHAHA!"

  Their laughter echoed through the quiet night.

  They continued walking—completely unaware of the destiny waiting for them ahead.