PART III: AFTER THE UNSEALING OF THE BLACK MAGE

Chapter 19: Shadow Alchemist

• After being given control over Mirror World, Will - unable to handle the full power of Rhinne’s successor - split the child into a boy and a girl. The girl was imprisoned with the Child of the Goddess’ own temple, while the boy was brainwashed into following Will and his Shadow Knights. Eventually, however, the boy discovered his counterpart within the temple, for which Will erased his memories. This repeated seven times in total, with the boy being given a new name each cycle until he became known as Eight.

• With Eight being brainwashed into an obedient knight, he and the other Shadow Knights worked to defeat the Darklings outside town, supported by Fang the alchemist, who was responsible for creating a Shade Neutralizer potion that prevented the knights from being transformed into Darklings.

• From a distance, Fang idolized Eight and his combat skills, wishing that he could have a glamorous role like Eight, despite the fact that he and the other Shadow Knights knew that Eight was the “Impure One”, according to Will. Fang also grew curious about their lives outside of Mirror World, as he wondered who he used to be in Maple World.

• While gathering ingredients, Fang discovered a primrose plant and ate one of its golden seeds against their orders not to touch any of the wildlife or vegetation. Worried that he would transform into a Darkling, he began researching primrose and read a story about how a fairy had transformed a girl who loved the moon into a primrose, thereby allowing the moon’s beauty to be reflected in every primrose blossom.

• Soon after, Will called Fang to his office and showed him a mirror that he had been creating, which could show them their true self outside of Mirror World. He explained that it was a reward for Fang’s hard work, though it was conditional on Fang not making any mistakes. Because of this, Fang decided to keep the truth about the primrose secret from Will.

• Eight soon discovered Fang researching primroses, and though Fang was afraid that Eight would tell Will, Eight instead told Fang that he was the only one who could be trusted, as both of them had their own secrets. Eight enlisted Fang’s help in creating a Potion of Truth, which required a special ingredient: “a handful of moonlight”.

• Eight pointed out the Fang that there were many occurrences of the Shadow Knights speaking in reference to things happening ‘again’ or ‘each time’, even though they had no recollection of such events ever happening before, which made him suspicious that there was something that Will and the others were hiding.

• While brewing the Potion of Truth, Fang accidentally pricked his finger against a primrose thorn, which began corrupting him into a Darkling. Terrified, Fang refused to help Eight any further, and so Eight decided that he would investigate the temple on his own later that night. Back in town, however, Fang thought back to his friendship with Eight and decided to go to the temple.

• Inside, he encountered Will, who showed Fang the mirror that could reveal one’s true self outside Mirror World. Upon looking into it, Fang was shocked to find that he was actually a Darkling. Just then, Eight arrived and confronted Will, who manipulated Fang into helping him brainwash Eight. As Eight trusted Fang, he readily drank the brainwashing potion, resetting his memories.

• Will gave him the new name of Nine, who returned back to being an obedient knight. He then revealed to Fang that it was because of him that Nine had been brainwashed every cycle. Back in the library, a Fang discovered a primrose flower that Eight had given to him, along with several other dried primroses that he had given in previous cycles.

• Guilt-ridden by his choice to betray his friend each cycle, Fang decided to make things right and began to complete the Potion of Truth. However, Will caught Fang and attempted to stop him by destroying the potion. To his surprise, however, Fang drank the last of the potion off the ground, transforming him into his true Darkling form completely.

• With the last of his strength, Fang met with Nine and told him to go to the temple before vanishing. Shaken by the fact that he hadn’t been transformed into a Darkling after coming into contact with one, Nine began growing suspicious about the Shade Neutralizer and decided to investigate the truth.