She led him to the dining table, her presening over the modest space, and began her demonstration. The air seemed to thi as she raised her hand, her fingers weaving patterns in the air, leaving behind faint trails of dark energy that seemed to twist and coil. Helios watched in silence, abs every movement, every flicker of magic that emanated from her.

  “Dark magi override the natural order of a world or bend it to the caster’s will,” she expined, her voice calm, yet charged with iy. “It is not only a force but a on, ohat is most effective wheo inflict damage and trol others.”

  She paused, her gaze sharp as she tinued. “We’ll begin with the simplest hexes, easy enough for even an amateur to cast effectively. They are straightforward but potent when used with i.”

  With a flourish, she lifted her hand, a faint swirl of dark energy f around her fingers. “The Hex of Dizziness,” she began, and with a twist of her wrist, the energy pulsed, a faint ripple emanating from her hand. “This hex clouds the mind, making the target feel lightheaded, disoriented. A useful disruption for creating openings or making a quick escape.”

  Helios nodded, the way her energy twisted and moved with purpose. She tinued, shifting the energy with a simple gesture that gave it an edge, as though imbued with a subtle malice.

  “, the Hex of Misfortune,” Malefit said, a smirk tugging at her lips. “With this, one’s luck falters. Small, irritating is—a stubbed toe, a fallen object, minor acts—befall them in quick succession. Imagine a rival tripping over their ow in battle or a meddler distracted by their own clumsiness.”

  She demonstrated, the energy twisting into aic, almost pyful shape before dissipating. The ease with which she jured each spell was a reminder of her mastery, the very power she wielded as sed nature.

  “The Hex of Silent Speech,” she went on, her voice smooth. “This oes the target, cutting off their voice, their ability to cry for help or cast a spell. It’s temporary but effective in sowing despair.”

  A subtle shroud of magied and disappeared, a trace of silehat seemed to absorb the ambient sounds around them for a brief moment before dissipating. Helios watched ily, realizing the tactical potential of each hex she presented.

  “The Hex of Weakness,” she intoned, a faint glow of darker energy enveloping her hand. “It saps the strength from an oppo, leaving them feeling weak, fatigued, and iive. A spell to use when brute force is on your side, but your enemy’s strength rivals yours.”

  She let the energy fall away, leaving a chill in the air before turning her cold gaze on him. “Finally, the Hex of Fetfulness. This one is as subtle as it is potent. A slight o the mind that makes the target fet something important, whether a name, an instru, or even an obje hand. fusion is, after all, a powerful on.”

  The energy shimmered around her fingers before dissolving. She crossed her arms, him with a critical eye. “These are simple hexes,” she decred, her tone dismissive. “Effective against simple-minded ically weak individuals. Use them wisely.”

  Helios nodded, his mind already w through potential uses. Each hex held a unique value, ways to trol and disrupt without drawing uention. Malefit watched him closely, a knowing gleam in her eyes as though she uood his thoughts perfectly.

  “The simplicity of these hexes,” she tinued, her voice growing colder, “is deceptive. Magic, like darkness, requires iion and focus. One must believe ie for it to take effect. Half-hearted casting will yield half-hearted results. Your will,” she pressed, her voice dropping to a dangerous whisper, “must be unwavering.”

  Helios met her gaze, feeling the weight of her words sink into him. “Uood.”

  “Good,” she replied, her tone softer but no less intense. “Show me. Try the Hex of Dizziness.”

  He took a breath, tering himself as he recalled her movements. Carefully, he raised his hand, eling his focus into the spell. He envisiohe feeling of dizziness, disorientatioing that energy pool around his hand. With a twist of his wrist, he released it, a faint ripple pulsing through the air. It wasn’t as potent as hers, but he saw the faint shimmer in the air before it vanished.

  Malefit observed, an eyebrow raised. “Not terrible, for a first attempt,” she ented. “But remember, it is ihat fuels the spell. You must want the target to suffer disorientation. Imagi iail. Their fusion, their weakness, should be your aim.”

  He tried again, this time letting a sliver of his own frustrations fuel the spell, eling the irritation from his ret enter with Lea into his casting. The ripple was strohis time, sharper, and Malefit’s slight nod told him he had improved.

  “Better,” she allowed. “Repeat this with each hex until it bees sed nature. With repetition, you will find trol.”

  Helios tinued practig under her critical gaze, each hex growing stronger with each attempt. The power felt different from the elemental magic Merlin had taught him—this was subtler, invasive, as though it crept into the target’s very being. Each successful cast felt like a step deeper the dark emotion he buried, a choice made perma with every new hex he mastered.

  After a while, Malefit raised her hand, signaling him to stop. “Enough for now,” she said, her tone indig that the lesson was over. “You have the basics, but mastery is a distant goal. Practice these spells until they bee instinct, for if you falter, your enemies will show no mercy.”

  Helios he simplicity of the spells belied the dahey carried, and he could feel the part of himself that embraced the darkness grow stronger with each attempt.

  Malefit watched him for a moment longer, a faint smirk of satisfa crossing her lips. “Remember, boy,” she said, her voice softer, almost a murmur. “True power lies not just irength of your spells, but in the willio wield them without hesitation. You are on the right path—do not waver.”

  With that, she turned and swept away, leaving him alone in the dim room, the residue of dark energy lingering in the air. Helios remaiill for a moment, his gaze unfocused as he processed the lesson.

  Kurai’s voice stirred within him, its tone pleased and almost approving. “Finally you’ve made some progress after leaving the dark realm. You’re finally being who you were meant to be, unburdened by your subscious fear of darkness. tinue like this, and you may yet surpass even her.”