Vir Mali Purissimi

DATE: PRESENT DAY, AUGUST 25TH, 2025, 3:00 AM

LOCATION: CAPITAL CITY OF THE ZORATHIAN EMPIRE, VYRINTHOS

The girl lay still in her bed, her body drenched in sweat, every breath coming out in frantic gasps. Her face, beautiful yet marred by the deep scar running from her left eye down to her right cheek, twisted in discomfort. Her white hair, almost luminescent under the moonlight, clung to her forehead. Crimson-red eyes darted in all directions, disoriented. The dream... What was it? The fragments—too brief, too fleeting—slipped through her mind like grains of sand. She couldn't grasp them.

Why can't I remember?

Lilith jolted upright, her heart pounding in her chest. Panic surged within her. A scream rose in her throat, but it was stifled by the pain gnawing at her temples. There was something else... something pressing, something wrong. A rhythmic clicking sound, faint but maddening, filled the silence of her room. At first, it seemed distant, like an echo, but then it grew. Louder. Sharper. Unrelenting.

"GAH! ARGHH!!!" Lilith screamed, the pain inside her head blurring her vision. She pressed her hands against her temples, but nothing could stop the sound. The clicking, like a thousand tiny needles poking at her mind, drilled deeper with each passing second. The noise was becoming unbearable.

She couldn't think. She couldn't breathe. The pain was beyond her capacity to endure. In desperation, she crawled to the wall, her nails scraping the floor. Her breathing grew erratic, and her vision blurred even more. She slammed her head against the cold stone wall, feeling the sharp jolt and a momentary flash of pain as the physical impact momentarily drowned out the noise in her mind. It wasn't enough. But it had to be. She gritted her teeth, every fiber of her being fighting against the overwhelming sensation.

Make it stop.

She gasped for breath, her back pressed against the wall. Slowly, the unbearable sound began to fade, leaving only a ringing in her ears. The room was still. Silent. But her body trembled violently, refusing to let go of the terror she had just experienced.

Her eyes darted around the dark room, desperate for answers, but the only thing she knew was that whatever this was, it was not a mere nightmare.

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DATE: PRESENT DAY, AUGUST 25TH, 2025, 7:20 AM

LOCATION: CAPITAL CITY OF THE ZORATHIAN EMPIRE, VYRINTHOS

The sun was high now, and the city of Vyrinthos—its towering spires, vibrant markets, and bustling streets—was alive with the promise of a new day. But for Lilith, the day felt like an extension of the night before. She sat on the edge of her bed, staring out the window, her crimson eyes dull with the weight of fatigue. Her mind drifted, unsure whether the strange episode had been a memory, a premonition, or something else entirely.

Elizabeth, her closest friend and the only person who ever dared to challenge her, stood at the door with a smirk on her face. Her fiery red hair, tied loosely in a braid, bounced as she tapped her foot impatiently.

"You really should be a writer. That's a great novel prologue, Liz. Did you come up with that on the spot or brainstormed the whole night instead of sleeping?" Lilith teased, her voice dripping with sarcasm as she raised an eyebrow, a faint smile tugging at her lips. She sat back against the bed, trying to hide the fact that she was still reeling from the nightmare.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest. "Fuck you, Lily. Fuck you. And no, I came across it in a book I found at the antique store."

Lilith chuckled, a breathy laugh escaping her as she leaned back, finding amusement in her friend's frustration. "Oh, wow. Plagiarizing something out of an antique store? That's some crazy work, Liz," she remarked, her tone playful yet laced with the sharp edge of teasing.

"Argh! Goddamn it. Let's just go. We'll be late for the first day of school." Elizabeth's voice carried a hint of irritation as she smacked the back of Lilith's head with a playful yet forceful tap.

"Ow!" Lilith mock-scoffed, rubbing her head dramatically as she rose from the bed. She shot Elizabeth a playful glare, though the gesture lacked its usual force. "Fine, fine. I get it. Let's go. Wouldn't want to miss the grand entrance at Aetheris Academy, would we?"

Aetheris Academy. The name alone brought a sense of awe. It was not just a school—it was the school. A beacon of knowledge and prestige, known throughout the empire and beyond, where the most promising minds of every nation were trained in the arts of magic, combat, diplomacy, and more. It was a place where deities, demons, mortals, and everything in between coexisted, and for Lilith, it was the beginning of something... uncertain.

She looked at her reflection in the mirror as she passed. The scar that marked her face was a permanent reminder of her past. There were whispers about her—whispers that made her feel like a ghost in her own skin, but she had learned long ago not to care.

For her, it wasn't the fame or the legacy of the school that mattered. It was the power she was seeking—power that might one day help her understand the nightmare she had just endured. Or at least, to silence the noise in her head.

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The streets outside were teeming with students, all dressed in their unique uniforms—rich with embroidered symbols of their respective nations, schools, or family crests. But in the middle of it all, Lilith and Elizabeth stood apart, as they always did. Lilith, with her white hair and crimson eyes, was like a walking contradiction in this sea of ordinary faces. She didn't belong, not in the conventional sense.

Elizabeth nudged her shoulder. "You think we're gonna survive today?"

Lilith smirked. "Survive? No. But I'm sure we'll make it interesting."

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As they approached the grand entrance of Aetheris Academy, the immense gates swung open, revealing the towering structures of the school. The academy was an architectural marvel—spires reaching into the sky, covered in magical runes that glowed faintly with every step. Statues of ancient gods and legendary heroes lined the path, their stone eyes watching over the students as they passed.

The campus was already alive with students chatting, laughing, and looking for their friends. A mix of students from all corners of the world—elves with pointed ears, humans with strange tattoos, and even a few demons from the underworld—milled around, creating a sense of chaotic harmony.

But Lilith wasn't interested in the crowds or the spectacle. Her eyes scanned the surroundings, already aware of the presence of certain individuals. New students. Old rivals. Power plays already in motion. She could sense it all, the subtle tension in the air, the undercurrent of ambition.

As they approached the central courtyard, Elizabeth leaned in closer, lowering her voice. "I heard they've brought in someone special this year. A new student—an angel, no less."

Lilith's curiosity piqued. An angel?

The last thing Lilith needed was another complication, but then again, perhaps the appearance of such an individual might bring answers to questions she hadn't even known to ask.

As the bell rang, signaling the beginning of the school day, Lilith made her way toward her first class, her mind already preoccupied with the mysteries that surrounded her, including the strange painful rhythm from earlier this morning.