Magic Apocalypse: Love Is the Strongest Magic

"No! Aria!"

I bolted upright in bed, cold sweat soaking my sleepwear.

It was the same nightmare again. Aria collapsing in a pool of blood, her skin rotting, her eyes burning with the green fire of necromancy. She looked at me with eyes that were once so gentle, whispering, "William, why didn't you save me?"

I had been reborn. This was my fourth time.

Startled awake beside me, Aria rubbed her eyes and sat up. "William? Did you have another nightmare?"

"I'm fine." I forced myself to calm down. "It was just a dream."

Aria frowned. "I had a terrible dream, too. I dreamt I turned into a monster. My skin was rotting, my eyes were glowing with green fire, and I... I killed so many people."

My heart violently clenched.

She had dreamed of the exact ending of my previous three lives.

"It's just a nightmare." I reached out and gently stroked her cheek. "It will never happen."

Not this time. Absolutely not.

Aria nestled into my embrace. "William, I can't shake this feeling that something terrible is coming. Do you think a real disaster is about to happen?"

I didn't answer.

Because I knew that in exactly three days, the Great Magic Explosion would sweep across the entire world.

Victor Klaus, the former magical prodigy. Three years ago, he was the youngest academician at the Royal Research Institute—until his wife died of an incurable plague.

Rumor had it that after that day, he locked himself in the deepest Restricted Section of the library, frantically searching for forbidden knowledge to resurrect the dead. No one knew what he actually found, but shortly after, he vanished.

Now, he was back. And to awaken the ancient God of Necromancy, he was willing to destroy everything.

In my past three lives, I thought I was the savior—only to end up causing the death of the woman I loved most.

"Go back to sleep," I whispered, gently stroking her hair. "I will protect you."

Aria fell into a peaceful sleep in my arms, but I remained awake the entire night.

At daybreak, using the excuse of visiting my father, I went down to the manor's basement alone.

Hidden here was the Black family's greatest secret: an ancient magical laboratory. In my previous three lives, this was where I found those two damned scrolls.

I pushed open the heavy stone door. The faint glow of magic crystals illuminated shelves packed with ancient tomes and potions. Inside a hidden compartment beneath the workbench, two ancient parchment scrolls lay quietly in a crystal casing.

The Scroll of Healing Magic, radiating a warm golden light.

The Scroll of Necromancy, exuding an eerie, dark-purple miasma.

The legendary "Twin Scrolls."

In my past three lives, a mysterious voice had told me: "Only a vessel bearing the powers of both Life and Death can activate the protective ward to withstand the coming Great Magic Explosion. But remember, he who reveals this secret shall die."

Every single time, I believed it.

I had used both scrolls simultaneously, gaining dual magical powers while suffering dual side effects. The healing magic made me increasingly numb to pain, to the point where even my feelings for Aria grew dull. The necromancy caused my body to decay, my skin breaking out in ashen patches until I became half-undead.

But the most terrifying part was the curse. Whenever I tried to tell Aria the truth, an overwhelming threat of death would suffocate me, forcing the words back down my throat.

In my previous three lives, I could never break this curse. I could only speak the truth when I was on the brink of death. But by then, it was always too late.

That wouldn't happen this time.

I reached out and grabbed the Healing Scroll. Instantly, golden light surged into my body. A warm, vibrant energy flowed through my veins, brimming with the vitality of life.

Next was the Necromancy Scroll.

Dark-purple energy invaded me like freezing water, violently clashing with the healing magic. My body was subjected to agonizing pain as the two opposing forces tore at each other, but I gritted my teeth and endured.

"Argh—!"

The excruciating pain drove me to my knees. It felt as though countless needles were piercing my veins. Ashen patches began to emerge on my left hand—the mark of necromancy. Meanwhile, my right hand emanated a faint golden glow—the seal of healing magic.

I had succeeded.

I now possessed dual magic, enough to activate the ward and protect the manor. The price, however, was immense: my body would gradually decay, and my emotional perception would grow numb.

But this time, I was prepared.

I pulled a small mirror from my coat and spoke into it. "Victor, I know you're watching me."

A pale face materialized in the glass. It was the necromancer, Victor.

"William Black. You actually dare to contact me directly?" Victor sneered. "It seems you've already used the Twin Scrolls. How does it feel? Agonizing, isn't it?"

"You fabricated that prophecy," I said, staring directly into his eyes. "There is no 'save the world' mission. You just wanted me to destroy myself."

Victor's expression shifted. "How could you possibly know—"

"Because I've been reborn," I said coldly. "The last three times, I followed your prophecy, and it cost Aria her life. This time, I'm going to kill you with my own two hands."

Victor froze for a second before bursting into laughter. "Reborn? Hahaha! William, even if you really did regress, so what? The curse still remains. You still can't speak the truth! Aria will eventually grow to despise you, and then she'll come to me to learn true power."

"We'll see about that."

I severed the connection, and the mirror returned to normal.

Victor was right; the curse was indeed terrifying. But my past three lives had taught me one thing: the curse only breaks at the threshold of death.

This time, I would find another way.

I left the basement. When I returned to the bedroom, Aria was brushing her hair.

"William, you look so pale." She looked at me with deep concern. "Are you feeling unwell?"

"Aria." I stepped up behind her, looking at our reflection in the mirror. "If one day I become terrifying, with rotting skin... like a monster. Would you still love me?"

She turned around and looked at me earnestly. "William, why would you ask such a strange question?"

"Just answer me."

"Of course I would," she said without a moment's hesitation. "I love your heart, not your appearance. Even if you became the ugliest monster in the world, I would love you forever."

I pulled her into a tight embrace.

I wouldn't make the same mistakes this time.

This time, I will save you, Aria.