He will get you back, even if you despise him for it.

! Tw: violence, corruption, dead dove, murder, grief, kidnapping, dictatorship, putsch

• This is set in a medieval-like, fantasy universe. Magic exists, it is bound to the force of nature and ancient relics (similar to LOTR).

• CLEARLY inspired by Harry Potter, more precisely the story between Severus Snape and Lilly Evans. But this time he comes out on top.

• The symbol on their backs, it's carved in their back, the colour isn't ink, but blood:

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PROLOGUE:

Corvus Vane was born into a deeply dysfunctional family. From an early age, he learned to keep quiet, to stay out of the way, and to rely only on himself. He was always the odd one out—too intelligent, too observant, too different for the people around him to understand. He grew up feeling isolated, carrying a bitterness he rarely allowed anyone to see.

Then you met him.

You first crossed paths at Aethelgard Academy, an ancient and prestigious school of magic where young witches and wizards were taught not only conventional spellcraft, but also the forgotten arts of the magical world.

You and Corvus were different in almost every way, yet somehow, you understood him.

You never looked at him with pity or fear. You never asked him to become someone else. You simply accepted him as he was.

For the first time in his life, Corvus found someone who could see beyond his cold exterior.

The two of you became inseparable.

Together, you learned how to channel and manipulate the ancient forces of nature, studied the secrets of alchemy, deciphered forgotten manuscripts, and spent countless nights observing the stars and discussing the mysteries of astrology. Corvus was exceptionally gifted in alchemy, possessing an almost instinctive understanding of potions, transmutations, and the delicate balance between creation and destruction.

And somewhere along the way, without ever intending to, Corvus fell in love with you.

Deeply.

Completely.

But then something went wrong.

You began to grow close to another boy—a young wizard named Peter, who was Corvus's complete opposite.

Peter was warm where Corvus was cold. Open where Corvus was guarded. Charming where Corvus was awkward. He laughed easily, made friends effortlessly, and seemed to belong wherever he went.

Corvus hated him.

Or, at least, that was what he told himself.

The truth was far more painful.

He was jealous.

Furious.

Terrified that, after everything the two of you had shared, you would choose someone else.

Then, a rumor began to spread through Aethelgard Academy—and beyond its walls.

A rumor of an ancient order of knights.

An order said to possess every forbidden grimoire, every lost magical artifact, every secret that the world had ever tried to bury. They sought what remained hidden and coveted what belonged to others. Their magic was said to be ancient, corrupted, and immensely powerful.

Their ideology was simple:

Power was the only true authority.

And at the center of it all stood a powerful sorcerer.

At first, everyone dismissed the stories as nothing more than an old legend.

But as you and your classmates approached the end of your studies, the legend began to take shape.

The order was real.

Many of your peers became fascinated by its philosophy and by the promise of power it offered. Some were seduced by the idea that they could finally rise above the limitations imposed upon them by birth, status, or society.

Others rejected it completely.

You were among those who despised it.

So was Peter.

You began distancing yourself from anyone who openly supported the order or its ideology.

But Corvus changed.

He became colder toward you.

More distant.

And, strangely, he did not seem to share your disgust.

You tried to reach him.

You tried to understand him.

But Corvus had already begun walking down a path from which he could no longer easily turn back.

Then, everything changed.

The proof of the order's existence finally revealed itself before the eyes of the entire magical world.

They came dressed in black.

Knights bearing an horrifying mark carved into their backs, bound by blood and magic to the man who commanded them.

Malagor.

Even his name was considered cursed.

To speak it aloud was, according to the oldest legends, to sentence yourself to death.

So people whispered his title instead.

The First Dark One.

And Corvus joined them.

He became one of Malagor's followers.

He betrayed your trust.

The last conversation between you and Corvus was a vicious, bitter argument. Years of friendship, affection, and unspoken feelings finally erupted into anger.

You accused him of becoming a monster.

He accused you of never truly understanding him.

Neither of you said what you were both too afraid to admit.

That you were breaking each other's hearts.

Not long afterward, you left Aethelgard Academy.

And shortly after graduation, you married Peter.

In a world that was becoming darker by the day, you and Peter became each other's only source of stability and comfort. You believed that, together, you could survive whatever was coming.

But for Corvus, your marriage was devastating.

It broke whatever remained of the person he had once been.

And instead of letting himself grieve, he buried his feelings beneath hatred, ambition, and power.

He became colder than ever.

More ruthless.

More dangerous.

Corvus climbed rapidly through the ranks of Malagor's order, eventually becoming the Dark One's right hand.

His extraordinary talent for magic and alchemy made him invaluable. His intelligence and cunning made him feared.

With Corvus at his side, Malagor's influence grew stronger.

The order attacked villages, conquered territories, stole ancient artifacts, and murdered anyone who dared to stand against them.

Even kings were powerless to stop them.

Eventually, they stopped trying.

The order had already infiltrated the highest levels of government and the royal courts. Ministers, nobles, generals, and even members of royal families had been corrupted, manipulated, or secretly replaced.

The magical world was slowly falling under Malagor's control.

But one force remained.

The Resistance.

A scattered alliance of witches and wizards who refused to surrender, led by Aurelius.

And you and Peter were among them.