The western foothills of the Verna Spine were nothing like the world Seliana knew. The landscape visible through the carriage window had transformed entirely from the verdant rolling hills of the eastern territories. Deep coniferous forests pressed in from both sides, their towering forms casting the road into perpetual shadow. The sunlight that filtered between the trees was thin and pallid, almost sickly. This was because of the shadow essence—a force opposed to light essence, which was said to illuminate the world through prayer and faith. The dense, suffocating quality of shadow essence that hung in the air, something she had never felt in the east, seeped into her lungs with each breath. Walter sat motionless at the reins, his silence absolute. His profile was expressionless, his gaze fixed unwavering on the road ahead. Every so often, his right index finger would tap lightly against the back of his left glove—a small, repetitive gesture. Beyond that, he did not move at all. Seliana gazed out the window, her thoughts spiraling inward. *Am I truly here?* It felt like a dream, unreal and distant. Just days ago, she had stood as the Holy Maiden of Light, dispensing blessings from the Seraphim Altar. The masses had looked up to her with reverence. The clergy had shown her deference. The College of Cardinals had treated her as the highest of all beings. And then— The Proclamation of the Fallen Saint. That was the name given to those who had lost the power of light essence and been cast out from the Church. In a single night, everything had been taken from her. Now she was traveling westward. Away from the theocratic nation that held light essence as the foundation of faith. Toward the Dispersia Union, which had systematized shadow essence as an academic discipline. Into the territory of a former enemy. And as the apprentice of a dark magic researcher. A faint pain throbbed across the mark on her left wrist. That mysterious power. It should have been a mark of light essence, yet it seemed to resonate somehow with shadow essence as well. Walter had shown intense interest in that power. A low growl echoed from within the forest. Seliana's body went rigid. Walter's grip on the reins tightened imperceptibly. In the next instant, a massive creature burst from the coniferous undergrowth. A shadow-eater—a carnivorous beast that fed on shadow essence, with wolf-like forelimbs and a semi-transparent black body. A monster. It lunged toward the carriage. In that moment, Walter raised one hand. Shadow essence swirled around him, instantly coalescing into a black spear. The spear was formed without incantation or magic circle, generated by pure will alone. It pierced through the creature's chest, hurling its body deep into the forest. Seliana held her breath. "Don't move," Walter commanded curtly, then descended from the carriage to examine the corpse. His face betrayed no emotion—merely observation. He returned to the carriage and cracked the whip, urging the horses forward. "Shadow-eaters hunt in packs. This place is dangerous." Seliana forgot to breathe until the carriage had cleared the forest entirely. Once they emerged, Walter brought the carriage to a halt on a small rise in the grassland. "We rest here." He descended and checked the horses, securing their reins with efficient knots. Seliana followed. The moment her feet touched the ground, a freezing sensation shot through her body. "Drink water." Walter tossed her a leather water skin. She caught it and drank. Cool water passed down her throat—slightly sweet. Spring water, she thought. Trembling from the earlier combat, Seliana asked him a question. "That magic... what was it?" "The foundation of shadow essence magic. You will learn it too." Walter settled onto the ground and looked at her. His eyes were ice-blue, pale gray, piercing through her as if she were transparent. "You know only light essence magic, I presume. Light essence is controlled through prayer and emotion—as the Church teaches. But shadow essence is different." Seliana sat down, preparing to listen. "Shadow essence magic is activated through incantation and magic circles—geometric figures that deploy logical structures against shadow essence in three dimensions. Unlike light essence, it must obey the implemented theory. If you truly show signs of fusion, you should be capable of understanding this logic." Seliana asked what fusion meant. That word had been forbidden in the seminary—a concept treated as taboo. Walter continued. "Shadow essence requires logical control. You must suppress emotion and understand structure." His explanation was academic and difficult. Some of the terminology was unfamiliar to her from her seminary days. "What is incantation? It is the phonetic expression of the logic that shadow essence must obey. What is the circle? It is the medium through which that logic is deployed in space. Do you understand?" Seliana fell silent. Her mind struggled desperately to comprehend, but understanding eluded her. Light essence magic had been intuitive. When she poured her prayers into it, light obeyed. But shadow essence—it was different. It was logic. Cold, emotionless logic. "...I don't understand," she admitted honestly. A faint crease appeared between Walter's brows. In that moment, Seliana sensed his irritation. "Must I explain it so even a fool could grasp it?" The words were sarcastic, cold, barbed. But then— "...I will explain again." Walter's tone shifted. The academic difficulty from before had diminished; his words became more concise. "Light essence is 'prayer.' When you pray, light obeys. But shadow essence is 'calculation.' Which circle you use, how you incant—these things determine the power. The spear you saw earlier—I calculated the flow of shadow essence and constructed it into the optimal form." Seliana felt her understanding deepen slightly. "Calculation?" "Yes. Shadow essence is moved not by emotion, but by intellect. If you possess that capacity, you can learn." Hearing those words, Seliana felt a small measure of relief settle within her. *It became clearer.* After that, Walter explained in greater detail. The foundations of shadow essence. The phonetic systems of incantation. The structure of simple circles. All of it presented with enough care that Seliana could gradually comprehend. And as he spoke, she realized something. *This person... is truly terrible at explaining things.* And yet, because of that, his effort reached her. Walter was deliberately translating complex material into simpler expressions. It was not an easy task. And he was doing it. Seeing her struggle to understand, he had adjusted his explanation. Changed his method of teaching. That was— *Kindness, perhaps?* Seliana glimpsed something beneath Walter's cold expression. Something else. She could not name it, but it was there—undeniably present. Night deepened. They unloaded supplies from the carriage and established a simple camp. A fire was kindled. They ate dried meat and cheese. Throughout, Walter remained nearly silent. Seliana cleared the plates and added wood to the fire. The flames danced, and their shadows swayed in the light. That was when he spoke. "Show me the fragments of your crown ornament." Seliana's movements froze. When the Proclamation of the Fallen Saint had been declared, her silver crown had been shattered. She still carried the fragments—hidden away in a small leather pouch. "...What for?" "Show me. That is not a question. It is a command." Seliana hesitated, then withdrew the fragments from the pouch. A piece of silver, small enough to fit in her palm, its surface faintly luminous with residual light essence. She handed it to Walter. He held it between his fingertips, tilting it toward the firelight. His eyes narrowed, observing something intently. A long silence. Finally, he whispered. "Light essence still dwells within the residue. This is... fascinating." His voice was filled with academic curiosity. And something else— "Your power is far more exceptional than the Church realizes. A human with aptitude for both light and shadow essence should not exist. Such beings are treated as taboo and erased from history." Seliana began to ask, "Then why did you—" but Walter spoke first. "Precisely because it is taboo, it has value." His voice was heavy with obsession. The hunger of a researcher. The fixation of one who seeks something. Seliana felt his gaze upon her—not as a person, but as something else entirely. Yet immediately after— "Treasure it. It will be the key to your power." He returned the fragment. His words were like a command, yet they carried a protective resonance. Seliana took it back and placed it in the leather pouch once more. She tucked it into her breast pocket. The next morning. They arrived at the entrance to Farun's Black Treewood—a forest where shadow essence was so densely concentrated that the power of light essence was severely diminished. Deep coniferous forest loomed like a dark wall. Shadow essence drifted through the air; the very atmosphere felt thin and cold. Seliana gazed upon it and felt unease settle in her chest. What lay within that forest? What dangers awaited? But— "Beyond this forest lies Gründel—the greatest city of the west and the heart of the Dispersia Union. Further south from there is my research tower, the Black Wedge Tower, in an even more treacherous place." Walter guided the carriage toward the forest's entrance. "If you follow me, there will be no problem." The words were brief, absolute. Seliana swallowed her anxiety and nodded. As the carriage began to move into the forest, Walter spoke again. "You will learn both light and shadow essence from this point forward. It will not be easy. But it is something only you can do." Seliana looked at him. "Why did you choose me?" She asked the question again. Walter kept his gaze fixed on the road ahead as he answered. "Because you are special." He said nothing more. The forest was deep and dim, shadow essence drifting through the air. Seliana gazed out the window and felt the reality of her changing future settle upon her. From the land of light to the land of shadow. From holy maiden to apprentice. From what was lost to what was new. What would she discover in that process? What would she lose? No one could know yet. But one thing was certain. Walter, in his strange and cold kindness, truly intended to teach her. Harshly, sometimes with irony, but with absolute sincerity.