บท 15: Light Saves The Darkness
'K-kill?' The word echoed in Khalil's mind.
Khalil's eyes widened and his breath caught in his throat. "W-What? Kill?"
His voice trembled, and his pulse thundered with disbelief. "How can we just jump to killing her without even verifying anything? Why is everyone so cruel and merciless?"
The principal's gaze softened, though his face remained grave. "I know what you're thinking," he replied, his voice steady, tinged with reluctant understanding. "But this is the only way we know. Dark Beasts…" He paused, the weight of history and caution heavy in his tone. "Their bonds only deepen the darkness. No one has been able to break that connection once it's formed as a true bond."
Khalil swallowed, his mind racing. How could they be so sure without even trying to understand? He glanced back at Sira, still unconscious yet surrounded by a deadly ring of opponents. 'If only there was a way to know for certain', he thought, desperation fueling him. He clenched his fists, frustration swelling within him. 'There has to be a way to prevent this.'
Just then, a faint whisper echoed through his mind, soft yet clear, like a breeze brushing against his thoughts.
(Use your eyes.)
He flinched, his eyes darting around for the source of the voice, but it seemed to come from nowhere and everywhere at once. Confusion surged within him until realization dawned—the voice was familiar, unmistakably so. It was the creature he'd bonded with, its voice resurfacing in this moment of need.
A peculiar sensation filled his sight, shifting his vision with an unfamiliar clarity. His eyes began to tingle, a gentle warmth spreading across his face. Outside his control, a soft golden glow emanated from his eyes, casting a light over the world around him. And suddenly, Khalil could see.
He looked at the people in the hall, and where before there had been only bodies, there now glimmered an array of tiny, light-bulb-like entities, suspended within each person. Each pulsed with a unique glow—some small, others large, each one distinct. When he focused on one, information swelled in his mind, as if each light held its own story.
Khalil turned his attention to the principal. A warm, gentle light glowed at his core, with subtle hues overlaying its surface. [Align – Good], the message read, its presence steady and reassuring. Beneath it were the words: [Elements – Lightning, Earth, Fire.] Khalil drew in a breath, awed by the depth this sight granted him. 'This... is the Eyes of Light,' he realized, almost instinctively.
Quickly, he turned to look at Sira.
A fierce glow, hidden within deep shadows, surrounded her.
Her light shone brilliantly but was cloaked in an obscuring darkness that flickered and pulsed around it. The serpent beside her was the same—its light also veiled by an inky blackness, yet it pulsed steadily, a bond unbroken and fierce.
The sight of the two of them, despite their darkness, struck him.
Their lights weren't corrupted… they were merely hidden. And the darkness, it wasn't evil either.
Yet before he could fully process this, the serpent writhed in sudden agony, a low, tortured hiss escaping its mouth. At that instant, a flash of movement caught his eye as one of the tamers charged at Sira, a blade flashing, aimed straight at her.
"!"
Without thinking, Khalil's hand shot forward, instinct driving him as he reached out in her direction.
Sira's eyelids fluttered, a faint movement as she slowly regained consciousness. The principal noticed Khalil's reaction and frowned but held back, as if hesitating. He, too, seemed to carry a glimmer of doubt—a reluctance to carry out the merciless plan.
As the attacker closed in, his weapon a mere breath away from Sira, her eyes fully opened, confusion and shock flaring within them.
Khalil felt a surge of stranger energy pulse from his outstretched hand. Light blossomed between Sira and her attacker, forming into a radiant shield that intercepted the blow at the last possible moment.
The light shield shimmered, pure and unyielding, spreading rapidly to encase Sira and her serpent within its protective glow.
It expanded outward, driving away the other beasts and their tamers, a barrier of protection none dared stop. Khalil's heart pounded, adrenaline surging as he felt the shield strengthen, its presence like a steady hum of power under his control.
Sira, still lying against the serpent, gazed at the shield surrounding her, too stunned to move.
Her breath came in short, startled gasps, and her eyes darted around, trying to process the chaos and hostility aimed at her just moments before.
Slowly, her mind caught up, piecing together the shards of what had happened. She seemed to realize the others had attacked her and her bond, and—just as quickly—that someone had intervened, saving her life.
The light grew brighter, and suddenly, a massive silhouette of pure, shimmering light materialized above the shield, towering above the hall like a protective guardian.
The being gazed down upon the crowd below, its eyes aglow with a quiet, unyielding strength that demanded reverence and silence. The murmur of the crowd ceased, and breaths were held as the room fell into a stunned, fearful stillness.
Every eye was on the figure, its gaze searing into them, the judgment held in the steadiness of its unwavering stare. They weren't acting because they knew people with Light Element Bonds wouldn't do such things without a reason. So, they could only hold back and wait for those with authority to step down and solve the situation.
Just then, a deep voice was heard throughout the hall.
"Stop what you are doing. The Guardian of Light has confirmed that the bond isn't as we thought it was. The girl is innocent, so her bond. She passes the exam and is accepted to the academy."
A hush fell over the crowd as the booming voice echoed through the hall, commanding attention and respect. The tamers who had been poised to attack Sira and her serpent bond slowly lowered their weapons, eyes downcast.
"B-But-"
"Her b-bond-"
Just as a few of them were about to argue, the voice cut them down.
"Are you questioning the judgment of the Guardian of Light?"
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