THE SILENCE AFTER THE STORM:-
The moment Elias Nightshade opened his eyes, he knew the world had changed.
He stood in the middle of the Academy's training arena, his breathing heavy, his body still buzzing with an unfamiliar power. Around him, the air crackled with energy, as if the very fabric of reality had trembled at his awakening. A deep silence had fallen, thick and suffocating, as if even the wind held its breath in anticipation of what had just transpired.
The once-roaring crowd—students, instructors, and spectators alike—stared in stunned disbelief. Just days ago, they had mocked him, sneered at his existence, dismissed him as the weakest of the weakling division. But now, they looked at him with something else entirely.
Awe. Fear. Unease.
Their eyes no longer saw a nobody. They saw something... unnatural.
And lying in front of him—Lucius Vorn, the Academy's top prodigy, gasping for breath, his once-brilliant flames completely extinguished. His golden armor, which had once shone with an almost divine brilliance, was cracked. His perfect, untouchable image was shattered.
Elias had won.
But at what cost?
His hand still trembled, not from exhaustion, but from the raw, untamed energy coursing through his veins. The dark mist that had erupted from his body had faded, but its presence lingered, pulsing just beneath the surface like a sleeping beast waiting to awaken again.
It was terrifying.
This power... it's too much.
For a moment, Elias wasn't sure if it was even his own.
LUCIUS VORN: BROKEN PRIDE:-
Lucius groaned as he pushed himself onto his knees, his face contorted with rage and disbelief. His golden eyes—once filled with arrogance and superiority—now burned with something else entirely.
Humiliation.
"This...this is impossible," Lucius spat, his voice shaking. His fingers dug into the stone floor, his knuckles white. "You had nothing! You were nothing! How did you—?"
Elias didn't answer. He didn't have one.
Lucius's hands clenched into fists, trembling with fury. "That power... it should not belong to you!" His voice cracked with rage, his fury barely contained. "You are just a nobody! A weakling!"
The words cut deep, but Elias refused to let it show. Instead, he stepped forward, his boots echoing against the stone floor. His shadow stretched long over Lucius, a looming reminder of the reversal of power.
"Looks like you're the one on the ground now, Lucius," Elias said, his voice calm, yet carrying a quiet power that hadn't been there before.
Lucius trembled. He had never lost before.
The students around them whispered in hushed voices:
"Did you see that? That was insane!"
"Lucius actually lost?"
"What the hell was that black energy Elias used?"
"Is he... even human?"
Lucius's face twisted into a snarl, his anger barely controlled. He forced himself to his feet, his entire body shaking with frustration. He could feel the weight of their stares, the judgment, the doubt creeping in where once there had been admiration.
"This isn't over," he said, his voice low, filled with venom. "I will make you regret this, Nightshade."
And with that, Lucius turned and walked away, leaving behind the shattered remains of his pride.
But even as he disappeared into the crowd, Elias knew—this wasn't the end.
Lucius would be back. Stronger. More dangerous. And next time, he would not fight fair.
THE HEADMASTER ARRIVES:-
Before Elias could process what had just happened, a presence descended upon the arena—one so powerful that it felt like the very air had turned to stone.
A single man walked forward, his dark robe billowing behind him, his boots echoing against the stone floor with a weight that seemed to shake the very foundations of the Academy. His silver eyes locked onto Elias with an intensity that sent a shiver down his spine.
Vladis Arcanis.
The headmaster of Arcane Crown Academy. A legendary mage. A ruler of magic so powerful that even kings bowed before him.
The moment he arrived, the whispers died instantly. No one dared to speak in his presence.
Elias swallowed hard as Vladis approached, his unreadable gaze never wavering. The man's aura was suffocating, ancient and unyielding, as if he could see through every layer of Elias's soul.
For a long moment, there was only silence.
Then—
"You awakened something that should have remained buried."
Elias stiffened.
Vladis's gaze did not hold the fear the students had, nor the jealousy that burned in Lucius's eyes.
No, his eyes held calculation. Curiosity. And something else.
Something dangerous.
"That power inside you," Vladis continued, his voice cold, "is not ordinary magic. It is ancient. Forbidden. And if you cannot control it, it will consume you."
Elias clenched his fists. "Then teach me to control it."
For the first time, something flickered across Vladis's face—interest.
"Perhaps," Vladis mused, his gaze still drilling into Elias's very soul. "But know this, Nightshade—this world does not tolerate unchecked power. Many will seek to control you. Others will seek to kill you. You are no longer invisible. You have placed yourself at the center of a game far larger than you realize."
His words sent a cold chill down Elias's spine.
"The Arcane War is coming," Vladis murmured, almost to himself. "And I wonder... will you be its ruler? Or its first casualty?"
And with that, Vladis turned and walked away, leaving Elias with more questions than answers.
SERAPHINA'S WARNING:-
As the crowd slowly dispersed, Elias felt a familiar presence behind him.
"That was reckless," a voice said.
He turned to see Seraphina Vale, her violet eyes studying him carefully. She had been watching everything.
"You don't understand what you've just done, Elias," she said, crossing her arms. "You've awakened something dangerous. And now, you're a target."
Elias exhaled sharply. "I didn't ask for this."
"It doesn't matter," she replied. "Power doesn't care whether you want it or not. It only cares who can wield it."
Elias met her gaze. "Then I'll learn to wield it."
Seraphina studied him for a long moment, then sighed. "If you're serious about this, meet me at the east tower tomorrow at dawn."
Elias frowned. "Why?"
She turned away. "Because if you don't learn to control that power, Elias..."
"It will control you."