the tenth stage

the forbidden academy

"Power is never free. Every step forward demands a sacrifice."
Ever since she was a child, Aira had dreamed of entering the Forbidden Academy.
Most people believed it was only a legend—a place whispered about in ancient books and forgotten myths. They said it was hidden from the world, appearing only to those whose desire for knowledge was greater than their fear of death.
Aira never stopped believing.
While other children dreamed of becoming queens, warriors, or scholars, she dreamed of mastering the impossible.
Not for fame.
Not for power.
But because she wanted to understand the mysteries that no one else dared to explore.
After years of searching, countless failures, and endless determination, she finally stood before a pair of towering black gates.
The words carved into the stone above them sent a chill through her body.
"Only those willing to lose everything may enter."
She swallowed nervously.
This was it.
Her dream had finally come true.
The gates slowly opened.
The academy was unlike anything she had imagined.
Ancient stone buildings stretched across the mountainside, connected by narrow bridges suspended over deep valleys. Waterfalls flowed around towering cliffs, while enormous trees with silver leaves surrounded the campus. Students dressed in black uniforms silently walked through the courtyards, each carrying an expression that revealed years of exhausting training.
No one smiled.
No one spoke.
Everything about the place felt... heavy.
An elderly instructor approached the group of new students.
His long silver robes moved gently with the wind.
His eyes were sharp enough to make everyone lower their heads.
"My name is Master Orion," he said calmly.
"I welcome you to the Forbidden Academy."
"There are fifty of you standing here today."
He looked at every student one by one.
"By the end of your training..."
"...most of you will be gone."
Fear spread through the crowd.
Some students exchanged worried glances.
Others looked ready to run.
Master Orion continued as though he hadn't noticed.
"This academy does not teach ordinary magic."
"It teaches the Ten Forbidden Stages."
The air itself seemed to grow colder.
Master Orion slowly walked toward a massive stone wall.
Ten symbols were carved into it.
Each one glowed with a different color.
He placed his hand on the first symbol.
Stage One – Mind Control
"The first lesson is not about controlling others."
"It is about controlling yourself."
"You will spend seven days inside the Chamber of Silence."
"There, your greatest fears, happiest memories, and deepest regrets will appear before you."
"You may not sleep."
"You may not look away."
"You may not surrender."
"If your mind breaks..."
"You fail."
A student nervously raised his hand.
"What happens if we fail?"
Master Orion looked at him without emotion.
"You leave."
The boy sighed in relief.
Then the instructor added,
"If your mind shatters completely..."
"...you never leave."
The room fell silent.
He touched the second symbol.
Stage Two – Illusion Craft
"You will enter the Hall of Mirrors."
"Nothing inside is real."
"Your closest friend may become your enemy."
"Your enemy may become your mother."
"The walls will move."
"The sky will disappear."
"The only way to survive..."
"...is to trust your heart instead of your eyes."
The third symbol glowed.
Stage Three – Hypnosis
"You will learn to command another mind."
"But first..."
"You must prove that your own will is stronger."
Each student would be locked inside a chamber with a magical beast.
No weapons.
No magic.
Only words.
"If the beast submits..."
"You pass."
"If not..."
He didn't finish the sentence.
He didn't have to.
The fourth symbol shined with pale blue light.
Stage Four – Soul Exchange
"This stage allows two souls to exchange bodies."
Several students gasped.
"You will live inside another person's body for an entire day."
"You must protect both bodies."
"If either dies..."
"So does the soul inside."
Aira's heartbeat quickened.
She had never imagined such power existed.
Master Orion continued.
Stage Five – Shadow Walking
"You will enter the Cave of Endless Night."
"No light."
"No sound."
"Only shadows."
"The shadows will hunt you."
"If you fear the darkness..."
"The darkness will consume you."
Stage Six – Spirit Sight
"You will meditate among the dead."
"You will hear voices."
"Some will ask for help."
"Some will threaten you."
"Some will pretend to be people you once loved."
"You must ignore every one of them."
Stage Seven – Memory Weaving
"You will enter another person's memories."
"You may witness their happiest moments..."
"...or their worst nightmares."
"Change even a single important memory..."
"...and you may lose one of your own forever."
Several students instinctively stepped backward.
Stage Eight – Time Perception
"This stage does not stop time."
"It changes how your mind experiences it."
"One second..."
"...will feel like one minute."
"You will dodge thousands of enchanted arrows."
"One mistake..."
"...means death."
Master Orion placed his hand on the ninth symbol.
Golden light spread across the wall.
Stage Nine – Soul Resonance
"This is the final stage any student is permitted to complete."
"You will face your own soul."
"Not your reflection."
"Not an illusion."
"Your true self."
"If you cannot accept every part of who you are..."
"You will never awaken your full power."
His expression became unusually serious.
"Students who complete the Ninth Stage leave the academy immediately."
"They never return."
Aira frowned.
Why?
No one dared ask.
Then...
Master Orion slowly turned toward the final symbol.
Unlike the others...
It was completely black.
Even looking at it made Aira uneasy.
His voice dropped to a whisper.
Stage Ten... Void Ascension.
No one moved.
No one breathed.
"It is forbidden."
"No teacher will train you."
"No book explains it."
"It chooses its own successor."
"The one who awakens it gains power beyond imagination."
"They can command every previous stage effortlessly."
"They can bend reality."
"They can touch souls."
"They can become death itself."
The students stared in horror.
"But..."
"They lose everything."
"Their emotions."
"Their memories."
"Their humanity."
"They continue walking..."
"...but they are no longer human."
Master Orion closed his eyes.
"In the academy's thousand-year history..."
"Only one person has ever reached the Tenth Stage."
"What happened to them?" someone whispered.
Master Orion answered quietly.
"No one survived long enough to tell the story."
The instructor stepped away from the wall.
"If anyone wishes to leave..."
"Now is your final chance."
Nearly half the students turned around.
The gates opened.
They walked away without looking back.
Aira remained exactly where she stood.
Her heart pounded violently.
She was terrified.
Every instinct told her to run.
Yet another voice inside her whispered...
This is why you came.
Master Orion looked directly at her.
"Even after everything you've heard..."
"...you still wish to stay?"
Aira took a slow breath.
Then she smiled.
"Yes."
"I'll continue."
For the first time...
Master Orion smiled back.
"Very well."
"Welcome to the Forbidden Academy."