Chapter 7 The Dark Magic
Cecilia Blackwood's POV
The other students all turned to look.
"Oh no! The Dark Mage is making his move! His magic's out of control!"
"What do we do? Should we run?"
Everyone was already considering fleeing.
"Stop!" Layton shouted, rushing toward me.
I knew he was trying to save me, but Kane was so close—there wouldn't be time...
I squeezed my eyes shut, remembering Rowan's earlier warning. Maybe Kane really was dangerous!
But it was too late for regrets now. His hand was already reaching toward me.
"Ah!" I screamed as searing pain shot through my finger. The red flame at my fingertip turned an eerie blue and swelled to several times its original size!
If not stopped immediately, the entire classroom would burn to ashes!
Kane grabbed my hand. An unfamiliar force surged through my entire body.
The next second, the blue flame vanished and I collapsed into my chair.
I stared up at Kane in shock. I understood now—he'd been helping me. Saving me, even.
Without his intervention, I would have combusted entirely!
But why had it happened? I'd followed Mr. Layton's instructions exactly. Why had my magic spiraled out of control?
Before I could process this, Layton stormed over. "What are you two doing!"
His tone was severe—especially toward Kane.
Kane returned to his seat as if nothing had happened.
Layton pointed at him. "Starting tomorrow, you stand in the back during my class. Pull another stunt like that and you're banned entirely!"
"I—" I tried to explain on Kane's behalf, but Layton's gaze fixed on me. "Come to my office after class."
Fine. I'd have to explain then.
What I didn't expect was Layton's ultimatum the moment I arrived: "Stay away from him!"
I knew exactly who Layton meant, but played dumb. "Professor Layton, you mean Basic Magic class? You can't ban me just because I made one mistake!"
"Besides, without a solid foundation, how am I supposed to continue my studies?"
Layton's expression hardened. "You know who I mean. Don't sit beside him. Don't stay near him. This is a warning for your own good!"
"Professor Layton, he just saved me in magic class!" I made one last attempt.
Layton shook his head. "That proves nothing. He's dangerous. Being around him will bring you nothing but trouble—catastrophic trouble, even!"
He emphasized catastrophic, clearly trying to intimidate me into backing down.
I responded with a bright smile. "Thanks for the warning, but I believe everyone controls their own destiny. That's all, Professor Layton. Goodbye!"
I bowed my head and hurried out of the office.
Soon after, I spotted Kane at the end of the corridor.
"You... were you waiting for me?"
Kane didn't respond—which was answer enough.
"Thank you," I said. "If you hadn't helped in time, I wouldn't be standing here talking to you."
"But how did you know my magic would spiral out of control? I followed every step correctly—there shouldn't have been a problem!"
Kane remained silent, standing still as ice.
"Please. If you waited for me, why won't you say anything?"
Finally, he spoke: "The power you channeled contained traces of Dark Magic."
"Dark Magic? What does that mean?"
Kane explained: "Dark Magic is a double-edged sword. It corrupts the heart while corroding spells, causing them to spiral out of control."
"I can teach you to control your incantations better. It might help."
"How?"
"Feel it with your heart, rather than rigidly following procedures and incantations."
"Once you achieve spiritual communion with magic, you can cast spells without speaking them aloud."
"If you can't manage it, Dark Magic will corrode your body and mind constantly—it could even consume you entirely!"
Kane's tone was deadly serious. This was no joke.
Not that someone like him would ever joke.
I instinctively stepped back, my throat working. If what he said was true, wouldn't I soon become an outcast too?
I didn't know how he endured it, but I couldn't bear those judgmental stares or unfair treatment!
"Looks like I need to be more careful going forward!" I resolved to master my power and achieve the spiritual communion Kane described as soon as possible.
"You saved me. I should thank you properly. How about I buy you dinner? Or maybe I could give you a gift." I blinked hopefully.
Clearly, I'd misread him. Kane wouldn't accept thanks—probably because no one had ever thanked him before.
"No need. It was nothing. I only waited to inform you. Goodbye... no, farewell."
Kane turned to leave, but I reached out to stop him.
"Why do you always armor yourself with thorns? Is it because everyone hurts you?"
"I won't hurt you. I want to be your friend. What about you?"
"Friend..." Kane murmured, clearly unaccustomed to the word.
"Think about it—if we were friends, we could attend classes together, eat together, even go to movies or go shopping. Wouldn't that be nice?"
"You do everything alone. Doesn't that get lonely?"
I'd opened the floodgates, words tumbling out one after another.
It seemed to work. Kane spoke more than before—though only slightly.
"Someone with your extraordinary talent is either a prodigy or a demon!"
My heart clenched. I knew the demon he meant was a witch.
"Don't... don't say that. I'm neither a prodigy nor a demon—just an ordinary person!" I tried desperately to defend myself.
Kane spoke quietly: "No one who enters a magic academy is ordinary."
"That you could calm your mind and summon flame in your very first class proves your exceptional talent. The only question is whether you're a prodigy or a demon."
He stepped forward, as if to confirm his suspicion.
I retreated. "Stop joking around, okay? It's not funny!"
I feigned anger, but my heart was in my throat, terrified he'd discovered my true identity.