Chiba and Yolden scribbled away, their pens scratching across the pages. They didn't fully understand why Raze had asked them to do this little exercise, but everything else he'd said that day had made sense, so they trusted him enough to go along with it.

A few minutes later, they were done. Both pushed their sheets forward proudly, as if submitting a final exam they knew they'd aced.

Raze picked up the first sheet labeled Grand Magus.

"I was sitting right in front of you both, so I know you didn't copy off each other," he said, scanning the pages. "Still… your answers are almost identical."

He read aloud, "Honorable. Strong. Trustworthy. A symbol. Leadership. Guidance. Protector."

He nodded, then picked up the second set of papers, this one about the Dark Guild.

"And again, nearly word-for-word the same: Untrustworthy. Evil. Lawbreakers. Villains. Backstabbers. Crazy. Dangerous."

The two girls raised their eyebrows, glancing at each other with a slight shrug.

"Well... aren't those things true?" Chiba asked.

"Based on what?" Raze asked, his tone calm, but heavy. "Have either of you personally experienced anything to prove those assumptions? Even if not directly, do you know anyone who has?"

They stayed quiet.

Raze leaned forward, eyes sharp now.

"Let's take a step back. The Central Mage Academy, favored by the Grand Magus, looks down on other academies. Isn't that why both of you have to work twice as hard to prove yourselves?"

The girls said nothing, but the silence was loud.

"Anyway," Raze continued, waving a hand dismissively, "that's just context. The point is this, sometimes we see what we want to see. Like when Moze jumped the gun in Panla's lesson. He didn't pause. Didn't try to understand the full picture."

He stood now, holding both sets of papers in each hand.

"If you break these groups down into individual actions, what has the Dark Guild actually done that's so unforgivable? Why is learning Dark Magic considered a crime before anything has even happened?"

The words landed heavily.

"I told you already, my favor isn't much. Just remember me. Remember who I am, and what I said."

With that, Raze turned and walked away, leaving behind two of the top female students in the academy sitting in stunned silence.

"…What was that about?" Yolden asked after a long beat.

"I'm not sure," Chiba said slowly. "But… didn't it almost sound like he was a Dark Guild sympathizer? I've seen people talk like that online. People who think the Dark Guild isn't evil, and that the Grand Magus is the real villain."

"Raze?" Yolden scoffed. "No way. All those sympathizers are just bitter losers who've gotten nowhere in life. That's why they latch onto rebellion. But Raze? He's practically perfect. Talented, smart, he's got everything."

"Maybe his mind just works differently," she added, her voice softening. "Maybe he's just… trying to see things from a wider perspective. And if that's the case… maybe he's right."

Chiba grinned, nudging her friend. "Okay, hear me out, I've got a wild theory."

Yolden groaned. "Oh boy."

"His name is Raze, right? Wasn't Raze also the name of a Nine-Star Mage from history? The one they called the Dark Magus? What if he's been reincarnated, and now he's in the body of a student?"

Yolden smacked Chiba lightly on the arm. "Don't be ridiculous! Raze is a common name. Besides, if the Dark Magus really was back, why would he come here? Why would he sit down with us, tutor us for hours like some normal student?"

Chiba just grinned wider. "Maybe that was the answer. Maybe he wants us to question what we think we know."

As Raze walked alone down the hall, he wasn't thinking about Chiba or Yolden anymore.

He didn't need them to understand everything right away. He just needed them to start questioning. The world had blindly followed a narrative for far too long. The Dark Guild had done what it could to reshape people's thinking, but it clearly wasn't enough.

Hatred for Dark Magic still ran deep. The Grand Magus still sat high on a pedestal.

Changing that perspective... won't be easy.

Still, Raze had other things on his mind.

Time magic.

He had searched every inch of the academy's library and found nothing beyond what he already knew. No advanced theories. No historic applications. Nothing.

Just as I thought, Raze sighed internally. If I want to learn anything real about time magic, I'll have to get into the Central Academy. It's not just about removing Ibrain anymore, we need to take everything they're hiding there.

Eventually, Raze returned to his dorm room. He was surprised to find everyone already inside. Apparently, he'd stayed out longer than the rest.

"Well, look at that," he said with a smirk. "All in one piece. No one expelled yet. That's a good sign."

The group laughed, and one by one, they updated Raze on their day, what they'd experienced, who they'd met, and what kind of chaos they'd survived.

Hearing about Safa's classroom run-in, and Dame's awkward fan encounter, actually made Raze laugh. A genuine one.

This time in Alterian… it was different. Better. He was starting to believe that bringing these people with him had been the right call. At least so far.

"Hey," Beatrix asked, curious, "do you think it's possible to combine the power of the Staff with the Artifact?"

"That shouldn't be a problem," Raze answered confidently. "That way it'll look like regular earth magic. The Artifact will still use your Qi to power it, but it might even make the result a little stronger."

He stood up and stretched.

"I'll start working on it tonight. But before that, I want all of you to do something for me."

The group leaned in slightly, sensing a shift in tone.

"The next time you meet someone, anyone, say this phrase: Fear the unseen."

He paused, making sure they heard every word.

"If they respond with For we are always near, then report back to me immediately."

****

****

For updates for MWS and future works, please follow me on my social media below.

Instagram: Jksmanga

*Patreon: jksmanga

When news of MVS, MWS, or any other series comes out, you will be able to see it there first, and you can reach out to me. If I'm not too busy, I tend to reply.