The Light of Three
Once upon a time, at the prestigious and mythical Highspire Academy, dedicated to the arcane arts, 17-year-old Daniel walked through the halls, memorizing every ancient and important spellbook with impressive ease and technique. The boy was disciplined, intelligent, and hated distractions. Daniel knew every rule, every objective, every professor, former professor, and everything related to his academy that one could imagine. His greatest dream since the age of four had always been the same: to become the best wizard in the world. Walking beside him was Robert, his best friend. Unlike Daniel, Robert was lazy about studying. He would much rather watch enchanted sports, watch old magical movies, or do anything as long as he didn't have to open a book. Somehow, he always passed with the minimum grade and without much effort. Suddenly, Daniel froze, a little dazed and fascinated, upon seeing a girl. —Who is she? —he asked Robert. —Her name is Estefany. She's been here for years —Robert answered.
Robert was surprised that Daniel had finally paid attention to something other than his books. The girl was similar to Daniel: intelligent, competitive, and bold. Incidentally, she was also very beautiful. However, she had one problem: failing even a single exam, no matter how minor, would frustrate her for weeks. Daniel, seeing her, began to admire her silently. A few days passed, and the atmosphere seemed normal. Everyone was in their classrooms, reading and practicing spells. What could possibly go wrong? Suddenly, the clouds darkened, and everything became silent. People began to murmur among themselves. In the hallways, students were whispering:
—The Destroyer is here.
And indeed, a 40-year-old man appeared with a bitter expression. His name was Aaron, but everyone knew him as "The Destroyer." This bitter sorcerer had suffered a tragic past because of magic. Aaron blamed the academy for what had happened and had sworn to destroy it. In the auditorium, Headmaster Copperfield urgently summoned all the students. His news was not good. He revealed that someone had broken through a very powerful magical barrier that protected the academy. While all the students were terrified, Daniel, Robert, and Estefany looked at each other, knowing that this was only the beginning and that their peaceful life was about to end. The headmaster raised his wand and spoke loudly:
—Dear students, we must remain calm. Aaron, known as the Destroyer, has found a way to enter the academy and destroy it. Many students started talking to each other. Others wanted to leave the auditorium, but at that moment, the doors and windows suddenly closed, and nobody could open them. Daniel, Robert, and Estefany looked at each other. They knew that something strange was happening.
Suddenly, the lights went out while the headmaster ordered all the students to gather together and create a barrier with their wands.
—Nobody leave the circle! —the headmaster shouted.
At that moment, Estefany became frightened because the barrier the headmaster had created suddenly developed a crack. —Headmaster, the barrier is not going to protect us! It has a crack! —she shouted. Then, a mysterious voice was heard throughout the auditorium. —Nobody will be able to save you this time. The windows and doors of the auditorium suddenly opened, and a black cloud entered the room. Daniel, Robert, and Estefany held hands while Robert and Estefany pointed their wands toward the dark cloud.
—We have to do something —Estefany said. —Yes, we have to do something, but we have to figure out how to stop him and prevent him from destroying the academy —Daniel replied.
At that moment, Daniel remembered that years ago he had read in an old book about a spell that could stop even the most powerful wizard. The only problem was that it was dangerous because the spell had to be used by three wizards at the same time. Robert and Estefany looked at Daniel. —I know how to stop him, but you have to trust me —Daniel said. Daniel took a deep breath and looked at his friends. —Listen carefully. The spell is called the Light of Three. It is the only magic powerful enough to stop Aaron, but we must cast it together. If we fail, we could lose our magic forever. Robert swallowed nervously. —Lose our magic forever? That sounds terrible! I mean, what if we fail? —he said. Estefany looked at Daniel with determination. —We have no other choice, so tell us what to do! Daniel opened his old book and began reading the ancient words. Robert and Estefany stood beside him, raising their wands.
The black cloud grew darker, and Aaron appeared in the middle of the auditorium. —Foolish children! —Aaron shouted. —Do you really think you can defeat me? He raised his wand, and a powerful wave of dark energy rushed toward them. —Now! —Daniel screamed.
The three friends joined hands and shouted the spell together: —Lux Tribus! Light of Three, awaken!
Suddenly, a brilliant golden light exploded from their wands. The entire auditorium shook, and the dark cloud began to disappear. Aaron tried to fight back, but the light surrounded him, making his wand fall to the ground. —No! This cannot be happening! —Aaron cried. Daniel stepped forward. —Your anger has blinded you, Aaron. You don't have to destroy anything to prove your power. For a moment, everything became silent. Then, something unexpected happened. The golden light revealed a small glowing photograph hidden beneath Aaron's dark robes. It showed a young boy standing beside a woman in front of the academy.
Aaron's eyes filled with tears.
—She was my sister —he whispered. —She was a brilliant student here, but years ago, a magical experiment went wrong, and I lost her. The academy never admitted its mistake, and I promised I would make them pay.
Headmaster Copperfield slowly stepped forward, his face pale. —Your sister's death was a terrible tragedy. We should have told the truth. I am sorry. Aaron lowered his head, and for the first time in years, his anger began to fade. The dark cloud disappeared completely, and golden light spread throughout the academy. The windows opened, the doors unlocked, and the students cheered. But the spell had taken its price. Daniel, Robert, and Estefany fell to their knees as the light in their wands disappeared. —Are we ordinary now? —Robert asked. Daniel looked at his wand and smiled. —Maybe, but we saved everyone —he said.
Estefany took their hands. —We did it together. Aaron was taken to face the academy's council, where the truth about his sister's death was finally investigated. The headmaster promised that no student would ever suffer in silence again.
Weeks later, the academy reopened. Daniel, Robert, and Estefany returned to their classrooms, no longer as the most powerful students, but as the heroes who had saved their school. One evening, Daniel found his old book on his desk. He opened it and discovered a new sentence written in golden letters: —The greatest magic is not the power to destroy, but the courage to forgive and the strength to stand together. Daniel smiled. And somewhere deep inside the academy, three tiny sparks of golden light began to shine again.
The End.