As defined by both vampires and humans, the magic Valred was about to learn fell under the category of Dark Magic. In the terminology of the Chaos Wastes, it was referred to as the Wind of Shadow. To the High Elves and Dark Elves, it was known as Negative Energy. Commanding darkness, orchestrating death—this was the essence of what Valred was about to study. It was the very foundation of Shadow Magic.
While earlier discussions had revolved around what was suitable or not, it would be sheer madness for a vampire, a being of the night, to consider learning Positive Energy-based light magic. Moreover, to lead the armies of Sylvania, one must possess necromantic abilities. To master necromancy—a major branch or variation of Dark Magic—a solid foundation in Dark Magic was essential.
"First and foremost, the most basic skill is to harness the Winds of Magic. Then, refine those winds by purging Positive Energy. What remains is Negative Energy, the fundamental material for shaping Dark Magic," Miss Trissy explained, raising her right hand. The ambient Winds of Magic in the room seemed drawn to her like iron to a magnet, coalescing into a swirling vortex at the tip of her index finger, growing larger and larger.
Valred could clearly sense the Winds of Magic becoming fully activated under Miss Trissy's control. They swirled violently, emitting dazzling, ever-changing colors. Yet, despite the intense movement, there was no sensation of wind—no physical disturbance in the room. Valred's body felt no breeze, and the light objects in the room remained undisturbed. The scene was a strange juxtaposition of chaos and stability.
This was what Miss Trissy referred to as "harnessing the Winds of Magic." Then, with a sudden tremor, the vortex shifted its hue, transforming into darker tones—pale, silvery-gray, jet black—exuding an ominous aura. The Positive Energy had been completely purged, leaving only Negative Energy, the essence required for Dark Magic. This process was what Miss Trissy called "refinement."
Sylvania, being a land of vampires, and Drakenhof Castle, a fortress teeming with undead, naturally had a higher concentration of Negative Energy. Positive Energy, in contrast, was scarce. Thus, this "refinement" process was relatively simple, and the vortex only shrank slightly.
"Indeed, pure energy is far more potent than the chaotic mix of the Winds of Magic," Valred remarked, observing the swirling Negative Energy at the tip of Miss Trissy's finger.
"Exactly. So today's lesson is to teach you how to wield this power," Miss Trissy nodded. "Generally speaking, for an average vampire, mastering the process of separating Negative Energy takes about three days. You can start by taking a portion of Negative Energy from me to get a feel for it—never mind, forget I said that."
Seeing the dense shadow gathered at Valred's fingertip, Miss Trissy withdrew her statement, slightly disheartened. Had she been paying closer attention, she might have noticed the spectrum of colors—red, yellow, blue, green, black, white, and gray—that had flashed across Valred's fingers before the shadow appeared. That would have left her utterly speechless.
"So, would you say this lesson is complete, then?" Valred shook his finger slightly, and the shadow dissipated. Miss Trissy, too, dispersed the Negative Energy she had gathered.
"More or less. But it's still good to practice a bit more," Miss Trissy decided, opting for caution.
Thus, the afternoon was spent on "reinforcement exercises," including a few games of "competing for control of the Winds of Magic," which were both educational and entertaining. Valred intentionally let Miss Trissy win, then pretended to be frustrated, his childish demeanor almost too much for her to handle.
Time flew, and soon the castle's clock tower struck five times, signaling it was now 5 PM. Hearing the chimes, Miss Trissy stood up to take her leave.
"There's some business at the academy, so we'll end here for today. I'll return tomorrow at noon," she said, nodding to Valred before turning to leave.
"See you tomorrow, Miss Trissy," Valred said, standing up and walking her to the door.
"Let me see you off," he offered, escorting her down the stairs to the entrance. The tomb guards opened the gates, and just as Valred was about to bid her farewell, another carriage pulled up. Recognizing the sigil on the carriage, Valred knew it was his sister, Isabella, returning from school.
Valred was aware of the strained relationship between his sister and Miss Trissy. There had even been a few direct confrontations. Seeing Miss Trissy and him standing together at the door was bound to provoke Isabella's temper, and Valred would inevitably bear the brunt of her frustration. The thought made him sigh inwardly.
As the carriage door opened, a delicate leg clad in black-and-white striped stockings and a black leather shoe stepped onto the steps. Isabella emerged, dressed in her gothic attire, her silhouette striking against the backdrop of the setting sun.
Spotting Valred first, Isabella's initial excitement quickly faded when she noticed Miss Trissy standing beside him. At twelve years old, she struggled to mask her emotions, her displeasure evident as her lips puckered like a duck's.
"Big sister," Valred greeted her, stepping forward as she stood rooted to the spot. "Miss Trissy just finished my lesson. I was seeing her off."
"Mmm," Isabella responded vaguely, then, with visible discomfort, curtsied to Miss Trissy. "Good afternoon, Miss Trissy."
Though she wasn't fond of her teacher, she maintained a semblance of courtesy—barely. This surprised Miss Trissy, as Isabella was known in the academy for her fearless, unruly demeanor. The other students and even the teachers found her difficult to handle. Only Miss Trissy, due to her connection with the Countess, could manage her to some extent. This was the root of their strained relationship.
Seeing Isabella's uncharacteristic politeness, Miss Trissy was momentarily taken aback. But with centuries of experience, she quickly composed herself and returned the greeting. After a brief exchange, Miss Trissy boarded her carriage and departed.
"That was interesting," Miss Trissy mused. "That unruly young lady, who usually acts so fearless, was on her best behavior today. Was it because her brother was present?" She quickly pieced together the reason for Isabella's unusual demeanor. Though it was a trivial matter, it lifted her spirits. It seemed there was a way to manage this troublesome student after all. Threatening to involve her brother might just do the trick.
Meanwhile, Valred, who had returned to the castle with his sister, was unaware that he was about to become Miss Trissy's leverage.
"You're back early. Did you skip class?" Valred asked as they walked toward the stairs.
"Of course not. The teachers said something happened at the academy, so they dismissed us early," Isabella replied, quickening her pace to catch up with him.
"Oh? What happened?" Valred asked nonchalantly.
"They didn't say. But I overheard a conversation between two teachers and gathered some information from my classmates. It might be related to the anomalies in Red Morr," Isabella explained.
"Quite a broad piece of news," Valred remarked dryly. "Anything that happened in June could be connected to Red Morr."
"Well, that's true," Isabella conceded with a sigh, and the conversation ended there.
Upstairs, Valred and Isabella retreated to their respective rooms—one to read, the other to continue her loud alchemy experiments. By 8 PM, with the Countess still absent, the siblings had dinner. At 10 PM, seeing their mother hadn't returned, they bid each other goodnight, washed up, and went to bed.