Black Dragon X [LitRPG • Dark Fantasy]-Chapter 52 - 51 : The Cursed Cards

The morning was quiet in one of the neighborhoods far from the city center. Inside a small room bathed in sunlight, a young boy stood in front of a mirror.

He couldn’t have been more than ten years old. He laughed as he waved something in his hand. It was one of the cards. Old, written in a mysterious language.

The boy lifted it in front of his face, then looked at its reflection in the mirror. He said with a smile:

—"Look, Mom... ...I found it in my hands!"

But there was no one else in the room. He took a step closer to the mirror. He lifted the card higher.

Then suddenly, the card trembled slightly in his fingers. The boy stopped. He blinked.

—"Huh?"

And suddenly, the surface of the mirror glowed with a faint light. The boy’s eyes widened. The light reflected across his face.

Then the letters began to slowly change shape across the mirror’s surface. As if something were writing on it from the inside. A sentence gradually formed:

"Read your name... and pass through."

The boy stared at the mirror in confusion.

—"My name?"

He moved closer. Then he saw something strange. Beneath the sentence there was a name. But it was written backwards.

He stared at it for a moment. Then he began to read it aloud softly, trying to understand it. He flipped the letters in his mind. Then he said slowly:

—"...Haruto but it’s written oturah?"

The moment the name left his lips, everything froze. The air in the room suddenly grew heavy. The light vanished. And the mirror emitted a low humming sound. The boy opened his eyes wider.

—"Wha..."

But his body suddenly trembled. As if something were pulling something out from inside him. His hands shook. The card slipped from his fingers.

Thud. It hit the floor. The boy staggered a step. Then, he collapsed onto the ground. His body remained still. His eyes were wide open. But he did not move.

On the floor, the card lay near his hand. And across its surface a faint black light flickered. Then it vanished.

And somewhere else... far from the city... another card trembled for a moment. As if a new spirit had joined the count.

_

In another part of the city... inside a house far from the noise,

the television was on at a low volume. The blue light from the screen reflected across the walls. On the screen there was a news anchor.

Her expression serious. Behind her appeared a red banner that read: Breaking News. She spoke in a clear voice:

—"During the past twenty-four hours..."

The images behind her changed. Ambulances. Police lights. Crowds gathering.

—"...Over two hundred mysterious deaths have been recorded worldwide."

She paused for a moment. Then continued:

—"Investigations have revealed a common element among all the victims."

An image of a black card appeared on the screen. A card with no distinct shape... mysterious. The anchor said:

—"Before their deaths... ...an unknown card appeared before each of them, similar to the ones that appeared to everyone around the world during the past twenty-four hours."

The image zoomed in on the card. But there were no letters on it. The anchor added:

—"Witnesses said the cards initially carried letters."

A brief silence passed. Then she said:

—"...but they became blank after the incident."

The image changed again. This time a mirror. The anchor spoke slowly:

—"And there is another matter that has alarmed investigators."

Another image appeared. A mirror inside a room. She said:

—"All the victims..."

She paused for a moment.

—"...were found in front of mirrors."

The image zoomed in closer. The shiny surface of the mirror appeared clearly. Then she added:

—"And there was something written on it."

A brief silence.

—"...The victim’s name."

The image froze. But the name was written backwards. As if the mirror itself had written it. The anchor spoke in a more serious tone:

—"The authorities warn citizens against ignoring these incidents. ...And confirm that investigations are ongoing."

Then she added:

—"The police and laboratories are currently working to uncover the source of this phenomenon."

The screen continued to display the images. But away from the television a quiet living room. On the couch a man sat. Short white hair. Calm features.

Shirogane Rei.

In his hand, a plate of food. He ate slowly... his eyes fixed on the news. He showed no surprise.

Nor fear. Only watching.

He raised his hand slightly. And scratched his head calmly. And at that moment a tattoo appeared on his left hand.

A dragon tattoo.

Stretching along his forearm with sharp details. The man continued to stare at the screen. Then he sighed. And said quietly:

"Ah..."

A moment of silence. Then he added:

"...The situation has become serious."

He took another bite of his food. His eyes remained on the television. Then he said slowly:

"...It seems the School of Sorcery"

He raised an eyebrow slightly.

"...is planning something."

Silence fell for a moment. Then he reached toward the table. And grabbed the remote control. And he said with indifference:

"But..."

He pressed the button.

"What does it have to do with me?"

The channel changed immediately. The news disappeared. A regular program appeared. The man looked back at his plate. Took another bite. Then he added:

"...I’ll just try. ..to stay out of it."

The television light reflected across his eyes for a moment. But a faint smile passed across his lips. A brief smile... Then suddenly, there was a knock at his door.

_

Meanwhile, at the School of Sorcery.

The wind blew between the stone towers. And at the top a massive door. Closed. Above it, a metal plaque read:

"Do Not Enter."

Behind the door... a spacious room. Dark. And in its center a huge black mirror. Its surface was not ordinary. Like still water. Moving slowly.

In front of the mirror stood

Draven.

Eyes steady. Staring at the mirror. Inside it small green dots appeared. One... then another... then another. The dots transformed into numbers. Increasing slowly. As if... a counter. A counter for something.

Draven smiled faintly. Then he said quietly:

—"Hmm..."

The numbers paused for a moment. Then another number rose. His smile widened slightly.

—"...The count is nearing completion."

The sound of a door opening behind him. Quiet footsteps entered the room. It was Kaguchi. He stood near the door. He spoke in a normal tone:

"It seems you are still watching it."

Draven did not turn. His eyes remained on the mirror. Kaguchi approached and said:

"Everyone at the School of Sorcery is ready."

He stopped beside him. He looked at the mirror as well. The green numbers reflected in his eyes. Then he continued:

"But we won’t use everyone."

A moment of silence. Then he said:

"Not all ranks and divisions are suitable for this mission."

He turned his head slightly toward Draven.

"Most of the magic students...do not have enough experience."

The number inside the mirror changed again. A green flash. Kaguchi continued:

"Therefore, we will only use Rank S students. And starting tonight, they will begin the watch."

He sighed lightly.

"...As for the rest."

He shrugged.

"They will attend lessons as usual and then return to their homes."

A brief silence filled the room. Then, Draven slowly turned. He looked at Kaguchi. His eyes were calm. But there was something unusual in them. He said quietly:

—"There is a student..."

He paused for a moment.

—"...She is not Rank S."

Kaguchi raised an eyebrow slightly. Draven continued:

—"But she must be present."

Kaguchi’s expression changed slightly. Not fear. But curiosity. He said:

"Really?"

He stepped closer.

"And who is she?"

Draven remained silent. Then he looked once more at the black mirror. The green numbers reflected in his eyes.

He smiled faintly. But this time the smile of someone... who knows more than they say. The scene slowly faded. The number in the mirror rose again. Only a little remained.

_

Meanwhile, on the road...

The path leading to the School of Sorcery was quiet that morning. The sky was clear, and the wind gently passed through the trees lining both sides of the road.

Yui Hina walked at a normal pace, his bag slung over his shoulder, his eyes half-lidded as usual. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone.

He tapped the screen. The news appeared immediately. An image of a black card filled the screen, and behind it, a red banner read: Breaking News. Yui paused for a moment as he read.

"During the past twenty-four hours, 200 mysterious deaths have been recorded worldwide..."

He furrowed his brows. He swiped the screen with his finger. Another image appeared. The same card. Mysterious. Without letters. Then an announcement appeared below the news:

"A reward of one million dollars for anyone who uncovers the secret of these cards or reveals the cause of the deaths associated with them."

Yui stopped in the middle of the road. His eyes widened slightly.

—"One million... dollars?"

He lowered his phone slowly. Then he reached into his other pocket. And took something out. A card. The same card. The one that had appeared in his hands before.

He flipped it between his fingers, glancing at it for a moment. Then his gaze returned to the phone. Then back to the card again. A small smile appeared on his face. He said softly:

—"Alright..."

He lifted the card slightly in front of his eyes.

—"...Perhaps I should participate."

He put the phone back in his pocket. Then he began walking again. But suddenly.

Thud.

A heavy blow struck the back of his head. His eyes widened for a moment. His body trembled. The phone slipped from his hand.

It hit the ground. The screen went dark. Yui staggered a step. Then another step.

—"Wha...!!!!"

He didn’t finish his word. Consciousness vanished from his eyes. And his body fell to the ground, motionless.

The wind passed over the road once more. The trees remained still. No one was around. Only the phone lying on the ground.

And the card... which had slipped from Yui’s hand. Settling near his fingers. Still. Silent. As if nothing... had ever happened. And the Chapter ends.