After Cutting Ties, I Became the Royal Academy’s Only Dark

After the Intermediate Mage Examination, I stood outside the door and overheard my mother tell a relative, "The Royal Academy's tuition is too expensive. We can't afford to send both daughters." The relative tried to reason with her. "They're both your daughters. You can't send one and leave the other behind." My brother cut in. "Liana can't even cast a basic light spell. She's the one who needs the extra help. Ella's talented enough to manage on her own. Send her with Liana as a maid. She can sit in on classes whenever she's free." Then came the voice of Caden Vale, the boy I had grown up with. "That's fair." Standing outside the door, I finally understood what fair meant to them. Liana got the place at the academy. I got to save them the extra tuition and wait on her as a maid. When we were kids learning the levitation spell, the only cushion in the house always went under Liana. Once, I fell and cracked my head open. Even then, I made excuses for them. I told myself Liana needed more protection than I did. But as I listened to them laugh, something inside me finally snapped. This time, I would not let Liana use me as her stepping-stone. Chapter 1 I walked calmly out of the storage room and into the living room. My mother, Vivian Morwen, held a copy of the Daily Herald while an official from the Bureau of Magic read the Intermediate Mage Examination results aloud. My father, Roland Morwen, and my brother, Marcus Morwen, stood nearby, waiting nervously. Mom heard my footsteps and looked up at me. "I haven't heard your score yet. I doubt you did well." Just then, the official reached Liana's name. "Liana Morwen. Result: pass." Marcus punched the air. Dad immediately opened bottles of honey ale for everyone, celebrating as if Liana had won a major award. Mom hugged Liana. After a while, she finally turned to me with the same gentle smile as always. "It's perfectly fine if you didn't do well. Even if you end up as a junior clerk pushing papers at the Bureau of Magic, we'll still love you." Then she folded the paper before the official could read any more results. Everyone crowded around Liana and opened the Royal Academy of Light brochure, planning out her future. Not one of them asked about my score. I might as well not have been there. I pressed my lips together. The examination slip hidden in my sleeve crumpled between my fingers. The words on it were clear: Result: Rank S. "All right!" Dad clapped his hands, cutting off the discussion. "To celebrate Liana passing her exam, I'm taking both my girls into town today. Pick any gifts you like!" My heart lifted. Maybe they weren't so heartless after all. I hurried back to my room and changed into a decent robe. I even used a cleaning spell to get rid of the dust. I looked at myself in the mirror and took a deep breath. If my family really couldn't afford tuition for both of us, I could apply for a student loan through the academy. I was sure I'd qualify. They were my family. Liana was my sister. But when I opened the door, the lively living room was empty. Outside, the carriage pulled by skeletal horses was already rising into the air. Their laughter drifted down from inside. It hit me like a blast of icy wind. I took out my speaking mirror and called Mom, my face blank. Her reflection slowly appeared in the glass. "Ella? What is it?" I bit my lower lip. "You... went out?" Mom blinked, then smiled gently. "Silly me. I forgot to tell you the carriage only seats four." My heart sank. Dad, Mom, Marcus, and Liana. Four seats. Four people. There was no seat for me. Liana leaned out beside my mother. "Mom, I want to choose a new wand at Thornwood's!" "Of course. We'll buy you the best there is, a unicorn-hair core with a cherrywood shaft!" Mom pinched Liana's cheek fondly, then quickly turned back to me. "I have to go. It's windy up here, and we need to get to the wand shop." The call ended, and the mirror went dark. Chapter 2 When the carriage landed, even the dust it kicked up seemed charged with excitement. I stood in the shadow of the porch and watched them come in, their arms full of shopping bags. Liana was in the middle of them all, beaming. Her bright smile left me in a daze. I used to smile like that. When I was little, my parents doted on me, and Marcus treated me like something precious. A neighborhood boy once teased me for being Marcus's little shadow. Marcus got so angry that he used a spell to flip the boy upside down before dropping him on his head. Back then, they really did care about me. Then Liana was born. Her magic was weak, but she was pretty and sweet, and she always knew what to say. After that, everyone only had eyes for Liana. They even delayed my magical education for her sake. "Oh, Ella." Liana's voice pulled me back to the present. "Could you give me a present?" Her gaze settled on the obsidian necklace around my neck. "Can I have that necklace? Please, I really need it." My hand instinctively closed around it. It was the only thing Grandma had left me. She had sealed a protective charm inside the obsidian that protected whoever wore it. It was more than a tenth birthday gift. It was the last piece of Grandma I had left. "No." I didn't hesitate. Liana's smile stiffened. She stared at me for a moment, then looked away. Early the next morning, she began bugging me to teach her how to brew a potion. I had no intention of helping, but Caden happened to stop by and immediately took her side. "Come on, Ella, just teach her. It's not like you're busy." I looked at him as a dull ache spread through my chest. I'd earned a perfect score on the written potions exam, but I couldn't stand the smell of potions. Even one whiff made me sick. When Caden and I first met, he used to tease me about it. He said I could only brew potions on paper. Even so, he always chose me as his partner in potions class. I gave the directions; he did the actual brewing. We worked perfectly together. But now, he seemed to have forgotten all that. All he saw was sweet, pretty little Liana. When he first met Liana a year ago, he froze and stared at her. Afterward, he laughed and said to me, "Your sister really is adorable. No wonder you're always complaining that your family plays favorites. If it were me, I'd play favorites too." At the time, I thought it was just a joke. Now I knew he'd meant it. "Let's go. Don't just stand there." Caden urged me toward the cauldron. I took a deep breath and started explaining each step to Liana. She carelessly tossed in the ingredients, barely listening. Her eyes kept drifting back to my necklace. I had just told her to add dried nettle when she dumped in a whole bottle of beetle eyes instead. The cauldron exploded with a loud bang, spraying boiling green liquid everywhere. "Ah!" Liana screamed and fell to the floor. Caden shoved me aside and rushed to help Liana up. His face filled with worry. "Are you hurt?" "It hurts." Liana held up her hand, showing a small red burn on the back of it. Tears welled in her eyes. "If I had Ella's obsidian necklace, the shield charm would have protected me." Caden's gaze shifted to my necklace. "No." I stepped back and gripped it tightly. "Grandma left this to me." Caden frowned. "Liana needs it more than you do. She was Liana's grandmother too." The green potion bubbled on the floor, and the sharp smell grew stronger. I backed away, feeling sick. Caden slowly drew his wand and pointed it at me. "Petrify!" The spell hit me before I could react. My entire body froze. I couldn't move. Only my eyes darted around in panic. I watched Caden walk toward me. "Why are you being so selfish?" He leaned closer. "If you won't give it to her, at least let her borrow it." He reached out, pulled the obsidian necklace from my neck, and put it on Liana. Liana stroked the necklace and smiled sweetly. "Thank you, Caden!" Caden ruffled her hair. "It really does suit you best. You look adorable." Then he put an arm around Liana, who looked very pleased with herself, and led her away. They left me there, frozen and alone. The door closed, trapping the awful smell of the potion inside with me. My stomach churned, but the petrification spell kept me frozen. I couldn't even bend over to throw up. I couldn't move a single part of my body. Only my tears could fall. Chapter 3 It was a long time before Mom finally found me in the potions room. She broke the petrification spell and pulled me into her arms. "Ella, what happened?" I breathed in her familiar scent, desperate for comfort. But my throat tightened, and I couldn't say a word. Even if everyone else had turned against me, I still had Mom. Mom patted my back gently. "There, there. You're all right. But there's something I need to talk to you. "I've received both your acceptance letters, but the tuition at the Royal Academy of Light is very expensive. I was thinking..." She paused as if choosing her words. "What if you went with Liana as her maid and studied whenever you had free time? You're talented enough to teach yourself, and we wouldn't have to pay two tuition fees." Sunlight fell over her shoulder, so bright it hurt my eyes. My eyes stung, but they were completely dry. I had no tears left. When I didn't answer, Mom smoothed a loose strand of hair behind my ear. "Think it over. You've always been the understanding one." "No." I forced the word out, cutting her off. "I can apply for a student loan." Mom sighed. "Everything we own is already tied up in loans. We still have to cover Liana's living expenses for the next three years, not to mention her wand and spellbooks." I stopped listening. There was no point anymore. I pushed her away and ran out with my head down. Early the next morning, I went downstairs for breakfast. The family had already finished eating, but they were still sitting around the table as if they had been waiting for me. Caden sat to one side, watching me with a faint, unreadable smile. "Ella." Dad's voice held no warmth. "We need to talk." "I am not going to be Liana's maid." Dad gave me a cold look. "That's already settled. We're not discussing that. This is about something else. "There's one last test before Liana can enroll at the academy and we're worried she won't pass." He looked straight at me. "We'd like to take some of your blood to make Liana a temporary power-boost potion." I stared at him in disbelief. How could he ask for my blood as casually as if he were asking about the weather? I shook my head. "No." Dad's face darkened, but Marcus cut in before he could speak. "It's just a little blood. Do you have to make such a big deal out of it? You want your sister to fail?" Liana kept her head down and gently tugged at Marcus's sleeve. "Don't, Marcus. I think Ella's angry." Tears slid down her face. She looked up and forced a smile. "I'm fine. Nobody should hurt Ella's feelings because of me." Before I could say anything, Caden scoffed. He gave me an icy look. "Liana cares about you, but you don't care if she lives or dies." He shook his head, his face full of disgust. "Ella, I never thought you were this kind of person." Suddenly, the boy I'd grown up with looked like a stranger. It felt as if the ground had opened beneath me and I was falling. Marcus stood up. "Enough talking. Take her to the potions room." Caden stood too. He and Marcus grabbed me by the arms and dragged me to the potions room. The strong, bitter smell snapped me out of my daze. I fought against them. "Let go of me!" Marcus impatiently drew his wand, aimed it at me, and cast a silencing spell. My throat closed at once. No matter how hard I tried, only a weak rasp came out. Caden had already pulled a screaming mandrake from its pot and carried it toward me. The mandrake opened its mouth, revealing rows of needle-sharp teeth. It sank them into my arm and began sucking my blood. My eyes widened in terror. My whole body shook from the pain, but I couldn't scream. The mandrake kept drinking until its green body turned bright red. Then it gave a satisfied belch and finally let go. Caden dropped it into the cauldron, and everyone gathered around, waiting for the potion to finish brewing. The blood loss made my head spin. My legs gave out, and I hit the floor. Not one of them even looked at me. The potion worked. They all crowded around Liana and cheered. As darkness closed in, only one thought remained. I would leave this place for good. Chapter 4 As soon as I woke up, I packed my things and left. Anywhere would do. The farther away, the better. They were all still celebrating with Liana. No one even noticed me leave. Three days passed before they finally called me through the speaking mirror. I ignored every call. Caden was the only one who wouldn't stop. He called day and night. Each time the mirror lit up, a dull ache tugged at my heart. Three years ago, Caden had done exactly the same thing. Whenever I got angry and refused to speak to him, he would call over and over until I finally answered. Maybe he remembered those days too. Maybe some part of him still cared about me. My heart softened, and I answered his call. At first, the mirror stayed blank. After a few moments, Caden's face finally appeared. "Ella, where did you run off to? Don't you know I've been worried? Give me the address. I'll come get you." His worried tone warmed my heart despite everything. I pressed my lips together and told him the address. A second later, green flames burst to life in the fireplace, and Caden stepped out of them. The firelight danced across his handsome face. For a moment, he looked just like the Caden I remembered. "Hurry. Come back with me." He walked over and took my hand as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "Or it'll be too late." His hand was warm. Before I knew it, I was following him. I asked without thinking, "Too late for what?" Caden threw a handful of travel powder into the fireplace, and the green flames rose again. "Even after drinking the power-boost potion, Liana still failed her entrance test. She has only one chance left." He looked at me and sighed. "I'm sorry to put you through this, but we have to use plan B." My heart dropped. I stopped walking. "You called me nonstop for Liana?" Caden blinked, then laughed casually. "I just cast a simple spell to make the mirror call you over and over." I froze. A bitter smile pulled at my lips. So he hadn't been calling me at all. It was just a spell. That was why his face had taken so long to appear. His hand suddenly felt like fire against mine. I yanked my hand away. "You should leave. I don't want to see you again." Caden frowned. "Don't do this. Come back with me." I drew my wand from my sleeve. "Don't push me. Go away." "Ella, Liana needs your help. She's your sister." Caden sneered. "You don't care about your family. You're heartless." His words cut deep. "And me? Who has ever cared about me?" I threw out my hands, trembling. "What about you, Caden? Have you ever cared about me? What gives you the right to lecture me?" While I was distracted, Caden drew his wand. "Bind!" Thick magical ropes burst from the tip and wrapped tightly around my body. "Caden, you're insane! Let me go!" "Silence!" After silencing me, Caden sighed. "I'm sorry, Ella. Everyone has decided to take your light essence and transfer it to Liana." My ears rang. My eyes widened in terror, but I couldn't make a sound. Caden lifted me into his arms and stepped into the green flames of the fireplace. A moment later, we appeared in a dark room. Two connected ancient magic circles had been carved into the center of the floor. Mom, Dad, and Marcus stood nearby. Liana lay in the circle on the left. Caden set me down inside the one on the right. He nodded to the others. "Everything's ready." Dad said grimly, "Then let's begin." They all drew their wands and began to chant words I couldn't understand. An invisible force grabbed the light essence inside me and began ripping it out. A beam of pure golden light burst from my chest and poured into Liana's body. I stared at their cold faces as they chanted with their eyes closed. Whatever love I still had for them burned away with my rage. When the last of my light essence was gone, darkness swallowed me. I had no idea how long I drifted through the dark before an old voice suddenly spoke. "Your mind is an open door, child. Come find me in the House of Shadow at the Royal Academy of Light. I am Gareth Bradwyn." The next moment, my eyes flew open.