Daywalker Part 1: Lucian Moonshade and the Sunlit Prophecy

Chapter 8: The Council of Elders

Chaos erupted in the ballroom as the vortex of dark magic tore through the center of the room, its malevolent energy swirling faster with each passing second. The students scattered, their once-celebratory faces now twisted in fear. Screams filled the air as the ground shook beneath their feet, and the temperature in the room plummeted, a cold chill spreading from the swirling vortex.

"Lucian!" Elowen cried out, grabbing his arm as they tried to push their way through the panicked crowd.

Lucian's heart raced, his gaze fixed on the growing mass of dark magic in the center of the ballroom. This wasn't just some random burst of energy—this was the unmistakable force of another Night Gate. But how had it been opened? How had Kieran managed to bring this dark magic into the heart of the academy?

"We have to stop it!" Lucian shouted, trying to keep his voice steady despite the rising panic around him. "We can't let the magic spread!"

Lyra, her usual bravado replaced with a grim determination, stood by Lucian's side, her fists clenched. "There's too many people here. If we don't do something now, it'll tear the place apart."

The Elders, who had been standing in small groups, sprang into action. Their faces were stern, their hands raised as they attempted to contain the swirling dark magic. But even as they chanted their incantations, it was clear that the power of the Night Gate was too much for them to handle alone. The vortex was growing, its energy consuming everything in its path.

And then, from the edge of the room, Kieran Blackthorn stepped forward.

He moved through the chaos with calm, deliberate steps, his red eyes gleaming with satisfaction as he approached the vortex. He raised his hand, and the swirling dark magic seemed to respond to his presence, bending toward him like a shadow called home.

Lucian's blood boiled at the sight of him.

"Kieran!" Lucian shouted, his voice filled with anger. "What have you done?"

Kieran smiled, a cold, triumphant grin. "What I was meant to do, Lucian. The Night Gates are opening. The balance is shifting. And there's nothing you or anyone else can do to stop it."

Lucian's fists clenched, his body trembling with a mixture of rage and fear. He could feel the sunlight magic within him pulsing, begging to be unleashed, but he held it back, knowing that using it recklessly could endanger everyone in the room.

"This isn't about balance, Kieran!" Lucian shouted, his voice cutting through the noise of the crowd. "You're playing with forces you don't understand. If you open the Night Gates, you'll tear apart both realms!"

Kieran's smile only widened. "That's the idea. Morvath's power is coming, and when it does, I'll be the one who controls it. The Daystone will be mine, Lucian. And you... you'll be nothing."

Lucian felt a surge of fury, but before he could respond, a voice rang out from the far end of the ballroom.

"Enough!"

The voice was powerful, commanding, and it cut through the chaos like a blade. The Elders, who had been struggling to contain the vortex, stepped back as Headmaster Maris strode into the center of the room. His silver hair gleamed in the light of the chandeliers, and his eyes glowed with an otherworldly intensity. With a single motion of his hand, he summoned a barrier of shimmering light that wrapped around the vortex, halting its expansion.

The room fell into an uneasy silence as Maris turned his gaze toward Kieran, his expression hard as stone.

"Kieran Blackthorn," Maris said, his voice steady but filled with authority. "You have gone too far."