The tavern was a warm, dimly lit refuge in the bustling Veridian City, offering a stark contrast to the academy's imposing spires nearby.

Seated alone at a corner table, sipping a dark, potent wine, was a man who drew every eye in the room.

He appeared to be in his early thirties, possessing an unnerving, ascetic beauty: pale skin, starkly contrasting with his long, dark black hair that fell past his shoulders. His eyes were the most arresting feature, sharp, intelligent, and the unsettling color of the abyss.

A waitress, her cheeks flushed with a mix of excitement and nerves, leaned over his table, her voice a flirtatious murmur. "Anything else I can get for you, sir? Another glass of… or perhaps something more?"

He looked up, offering her a polite, almost ethereal smile. "You are too kind, gorgeous lady. But no, thank you. This is quite enough."

She pouted, clearly disappointed, but just as she turned away, his gaze was drawn to the tavern window.

High above the distant skyline of the Academy, a familiar, ominous flicker had just occurred.

The brief, buzzing wave of dark energy from a black talisman signal.

A wide, almost predatory smile spread across the handsome man's lips, revealing a flash of unsettling perfect teeth. He let out a low, satisfied chuckle.

"He couldn't do it alone, I guess," he mused to himself, shaking his head.

He then lifted his gaze back to the waitress, who was hovering nearby. His tone shifted, dripping with an unsettling mix of charm and menace.

"Gorgeous lady, can I ask you for something?"

He reached up, his cool fingers gently tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

Her cheeks flushed a deeper red; her eyes widened with giddy anticipation.

"Oh, yes, of course, sir! Anything!" she vehemently accepted.

"Become mine," he said, his voice soft, almost a promise of eternal devotion. "Stay with me forever."

But before the waitress could utter the ecstatic 'yes' already forming on her lips, the shadows beneath the man's chair surged. With impossible speed, a huge, obsidian-scaled serpent head, formed entirely of swirling, concentrated dark shadow, leaped from the floor.

The monstrous shadow snake bypassed the tables and chairs with ease, its gaping maw snapping shut around the waitress.

There was a sickening gulp, and she vanished, completely devoured into the darkness.

A deep, satiated smile spread across the man's face. He closed his eyes for a brief moment, savoring the fresh influx of consumed life energy.

The tavern, momentarily stunned into complete silence, was about to erupt into panic.

But before anyone could scream, stand, or draw a weapon, the man casually waved his hand.

"Let's move. My junior needs help."

He stood up, his dark cloak shifting as he began to walk toward the main entrance.

Just as he reached the door, the roof of the tavern above him exploded outward in a shower of splintered wood, stone, and tile.

Two immense, grotesque creatures, the Eclipse Beasts, their skin like cracked armor and their eyes burning with sickly yellow light, landed heavily inside the decimated tavern.

They were the size of small carts, summoned directly by the talisman signal, and their arrival heralded only one thing: bloodbath.

Under the cold gleam of the crescent moon, which now shone directly into the ruined tavern, terrifying screams instantly began to resonate across the Veridian City, signaling the start of a far wider conflict.

The handsome man, unaffected by the chaos he unleashed, simply stepped over the debris and into the night.

*******

The recovery potions, a vile-tasting mix of ground herbs and bottled vitality, did their job instantly, chasing away the paralyzing fatigue.

Within seconds, the four of them were moving, their heavy boots pounding against the stone floor of the corridor.

They raced toward the north wing, the scent of sulfur and pulverized rock growing stronger with every stride.

But just as they reached the junction leading to the lab wing, the percussive sound of the explosion was replaced by a more immediate, chilling noise: the wet, snapping sounds of a desperate battle.

They slammed around the corner, weapons half-drawn, and the scene before them froze the blood in their veins.

In the short, shattered hallway, two terrified academy students, likely first or second-years, were backed against a cracked wall. Facing them was a grotesque, hulking Eclipse Beast.

It was a creature of sickening, oily shadow, all muscle, elongated claws, and a massive, lamprey-like mouth lined with needle teeth.

It hissed, its shadowy hide absorbing the weak light.

The students were struggling, their meager aura-laced blades failing to penetrate its dense carapace.

The beast lunged, its cavernous maw opening to engulf one of the students.

In a flash of pure adrenaline and trained instinct, Blaze roared and leaped forward. His longsword ignited in a burst of brilliant, searing amber flame.

The weapon, now clad in aggressive, crackling fire, struck the creature's shoulder with a sickening thud and a spray of dark, acrid ichor.

The impact spun the Eclipse Beast violently backward, buying the two terrified students precious moments.

Before the beast could recover, the rest of the squad appeared, forming a desperate defensive line around Blaze.

Aeron stood beside him, his shortsword flickering with a nervous, faint blue aura. Lenore planted her massive, obsidian-bladed scythe into the stone, the weapon towering over her and humming with coiled menace.

Zenon was the last, positioning himself coolly; his hands gripped a pair of heavy, intricately carved handguns, already cocked and ready.

"What in the hells is happening?" Blaze demanded, his eyes fixed on the enraged beast.

He addressed the nearest, trembling student. "Why is an Eclipse Beast here? Inside the Academy?"

The student, breathing heavily and nursing a bloody arm, stammered out the answer.

"I... I don't know how it appeared! But the whole Academy...and the Veridian City...it's flooded! Flooded with the beasts right now! The Professors and the Third Years... they're spread out all over the city, protecting the civilians. The Academy... it's mostly devoid of forces."

The revelation was a punch to the gut. They weren't dealing with a single rogue beast; this was an invasion.

Before Blaze could demand more details; details that might explain the shattered lab and Elena's whereabouts, the Eclipse Beast recovered.

ROAR!!

It let out a piercing, gutteral roar that shook dust from the ceiling and confirmed its fury. Its shadowy eyes locked onto the new, challenging foes.

Blaze's attention snapped back to the creature. He knew words were useless now. The fate of the Academy's inner defenses rested on their exhausted shoulders.

Seeing the deadly situation, a deep, powerful surge of energy coursed through Blaze.

His aura flared, not just the simple, protective shell, but a focused, aggressive surge of power.

The flame coating his sword burned brighter, changing from amber to a blinding, furious white-hot intensity.

"Get ready," Blaze commanded, his voice tight and resolute, his eyes glowing with reflected fire. "We end this fast. Then we find Grey and Elena."

Lenore, Aeron, and Zenon, their fear replaced by grim determination, nodded as one.

They tightened their formation, taking their battle stances, ready to face the encroaching tide of shadow.

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