Van'ar Clan Compound:
Draven stepped cautiously into Van'ar Clan Compound, a sense of tension lingered in the air. The compound, a place he should have called home so Draven maintained a facade of normalcy, concealing the unease that simmered beneath the surface., felt foreign and unwelcoming. also instead of being scared how he was in the forest; he looked normal. Before him, Lady Isabella who stood by a colossal, ancient tree with roots spreading like veins across the ground. noticed his arrival, but their interaction was abruptly interrupted by a voice booming through the compound.
Whispered conversations echoed around him, snippets of disapproval and disdain barely audible. "Outsiders don't belong here," one voice murmured. Another added, "His parents brought this upon us."
A voice interrupted everyone that belonged to an elder, a figure of authority within the clan. The cold and accusing tone carried the weight of collective disapproval. "Why have you returned?" the elder's voice boomed, echoing thorough the clan., because Draven's relationship isn't really good within the clan.
Isabella paid no heed to the voice ,as her focus was solely on her brother. A genuine smile lit up her face as she approached him, grabbing his hand. "Giggle...Brother, how did your research go?" she inquired, attempting to bridge the gap that had long existed between Draven and the clan.
Draven, glancing down at Isabella, responded in a composed manner. "It went well," he said, patting her head. "I have other matters to attend to, so I'll catch up with you later."
"Alright," Lady Isabella replied, releasing Draven's hand with a smile.
Lady Isabella gazed at Draven's back with sadness in her eyes. She was aware of her brother Draven's relationship with the clan, which had never been good because of his birth. But she was different from the clan, and despite their differences, they loved each other.
...
Meanwhile, back at the academy Lennox grappled with the aftermath of sealing Voragor he reason Voragor got out of his seal was that each thread of darkness that a Nexarc felt pierced through weakened the seal, threatening to shatter it. As Voragor exploited every nuance of weakness in the seal, he was finally unsealed. With no current way to strengthen the Sealing Orb of Aetheriai, the academy had no choice but to put him where he last was until he was released in the next 100 years, maybe 1000 years, depending on the situation.
Then everyone focus then shifted to the search for Jax's sister he wasn't in any of the system records, so it took a while for Vayuna to find her. Shockingly, she was in a coma in a hospital. They decided to take her back to the academy for better treatment, but they couldn't heal her out of her coma because they detected an unknown disease in her body. Lennox promised before Voragor disappeared and in his mind to find a way to help his sister because he understood the feeling of wanting to help his own sister.
...
Inside Lennox's dorm, he jumped up from his bed as he suddenly felt a strong change in his strength line. When he recognized the feeling of gaining more strength dots, he learned from Nadia how to check his strength line by sending nexus energy to his spine. He saw pulsing bright azure dots.
'I feel my strength line is full...am I evolving?' Lennox thought.
My strength line reached 500 dots.
Lennox stood in stoic meditation, the air around him charged with nexus energy, his eyes closed, delved deep into his nexus line, navigating the strong nexus energy currents to his core. Inside his core, he saw something. It was similar to what he had undertaken before during his very first breakthroughs, but this time, an otherworldly force surged through him, setting this moment apart from before.
While reaching 500 strength dots helped, it also depended on luck and will because there was a possible chance of backlash injuring oneself. But if you managed to evolve, it will be worth it, as every ability in Nexarc changes or becomes stronger, unlocking more functions of the body.
As Lennox's consciousness touched the core, a resonant pulse emanated, syncing with the rhythm of his own heartbeat. A radiant azure glow manifested beneath his skin, slowly intensifying like a flame rising within him. However, this wasn't the ordinary breakthrough.
The azure luminescence began to pierce through him like a thousand needles, a sensation so exquisite and painful that it echoed through the silent meditation space. Lennox couldn't contain the sensation, "What is this pain?" Lennox said, wincing in pain. He screamed out in both agony and triumph.
"Auhh!"
Lennox's nexus vein started to expand, tracing a path beneath his skin with the radiant azure glow. It pulsated with newfound vitality. His skill storage also expanding add a new cylindrical row, gained two skills spots.
Yet, the climax was yet to come. An explosive surge coursed through him, a detonation that marked the zenith of his evolution.
Lennox's eyes snapped open, revealing orbs of luminescent brilliance. With a deliberate motion, he raised his hand, and arcane markings, an enigmatic script of power, materialized on his skin. The markings pulsed with a life force of their own before vanishing into the depths of his body.
Lennox clenched his fist tightly. "I feel a profound increase in strength, as if every aspect of my body has been enhanced." he said in excitement.
Looking in his mirror, his skin looked smoother, better looking, but he also felt in his nexus core more powerful. "My nexus energy appears to have expanded further than before," he said out loud. He felt a sense of accomplishment.
Opening his palm, a large azure flame appeared, almost reaching the roof, as he didn't have proper control over his fire anymore. Like his abilities changed in his body, 'I have lost a little control of my fire...does evolving add more elements to your body?' Lennox thought, "Not Nexus Energy alone."
While he was watching and thinking, Lennox didn't realize that his fire was burning a bit of his dorm ceiling until he smelled it. He instantly snapped his fist shut, closing off his flame but also burning his hand a little But he when he opened his hand back.
Lennox, with a mix of excitement and embarrassment, muttered to himself, "Well, looks like evolving comes with a bonus round of 'Oops, I set something on fire.'" He glanced at his hand, which miraculously healed instantly, and chuckled, "Great, now I have fire-resistant hands. Who needs oven mitts anyway?"
"Alright, time for class, then back to practice," Lennox said with a sigh.
After helping with Jax's sister and clearing up after Voragor's situation, he mostly spent his time with Nadia practicing. While he loved practicing as he wanted and needed to get stronger, there wasn't anything exciting in the past two weeks. Besides sometimes meeting up with Kira and Theo, having a little bit of fun, talking, and doing whatever, there still wasn't anything to do. But today, with his evolution, he hoped there would be something today.
...
As Lennox strolled through the academy hallway towards his class, he couldn't help but notice the multiple Nexarch students around him. After Voragor was sealed back, all the students returned to their normal state, freed from Voragor's control. Now they all seemed to be pointing and looking at him. This had been happening for the past week ever since everyone found out about Voragor and the events that unfolded. Some regarded him with skepticism, wondering how he managed to defeat someone they considered powerful, while others admired him.
The expectations placed on Lennox to harness his powers and achieve greatness were evident in the watchful eyes that followed his every move. Being a Nexarc student, there was a prevailing stereotype that dictated he should effortlessly excel in his abilities, leading to both admiration and envy from his peers. The unspoken belief that Nexarcs were destined for extraordinary feats added an extra layer of pressure on Lennox's shoulders.
Furthermore, whispers of past events haunted the halls of the academy, creating an aura of prejudice surrounding Lennox. The unfortunate fates of previous Emberflare academy members cast a shadow over him, and some students couldn't help but wonder if there was a curse attached to his lineage that made him become a Emberflare. These superstitions fueled a subtle apprehension and wariness among the students.
"I don't know, can't the guardian and mentor seal Voragor on their own?" the second Nexarch student replied.
"I'm sure I couldn't have done that on my own."
Really that how you all still feel about me! Lennox was suprised by how there felt.
A student approached them annoyed, "Why don't you all quiet down? If it weren't for him, we would still be under Voragor's control. Give him an opportunity,"
Lennox overheard their conversation and was asked, "How did you defeat Voragor, and why would you say that?"
How will you defeated Voragor and why would you say that?...Do these guys really think they can defeat Voragor.
Whispered conversations, tinged with skepticism and curiosity, echoed in the background. "Emberflares are trouble, always too unpredictable," one voice murmured, barely audible amidst the bustle of students. Another student leaned in to their companion, eyes darting toward Lennox, "I heard they have a fire inside them that's hard to control. What if he loses it one day?"
He was aware of the fact that being an Emberflare had already fueled resentment towards himself. When he obtained a mentor, it puzzled everyone, as typically, only one would be chosen. His presence drew more animosity, especially since all the previous Emberflare academy members had met unfortunate fates. Consequently, the relationships with other Nexarc students were strained, limited to class interactions. Despite attempts to engage in conversation, his aloof demeanor, reminiscent of Lennox's temperament, discouraged any approaching gestures.
Dismissing the opinions of those around him, Lennox thought to himself, 'I don't care about their opinions. As long as there's at least one person who sees the good in me, I'm happy.' He smiled and nodded at the Nexarch student who had defended him.
As Lennox walked ahead, he overheard a couple of students discussing something intriguing so he leaned in to eavesdrop on the conversation with his eyebrows raised.
the Nexarc student on the left leaned in, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "Have you heard about the Nexus Initiation?"
His counterpart on the right raised a curious eyebrow, veiled in intrigue. "Hmm, what's got you so excited?"
In a hushed tone, the leftward Nexarc student divulged, "It's about a series of trials one must undergo to ascend to Nexarc Grade which is grade 2."
'Trial... Nexarc Grade:' Lennox paused, tuning into their conversation before noticing a throng of students ahead, obstructing most of the path. "What's with the crowd?" he wondered, peering over the crowd thanks to his height.
Lennox listened intently, thinking about the upcoming trials. He noted the crowd gathered in front of a holographic board displaying various events, with everyone buzzing about the Nexus Initiation trials.
In the next two days, the trials would begin. Lennox considered it the perfect opportunity to test his newfound abilities. Feeling that there wasn't much left for him in Grade 1, he hoped that Grade 2 would offer new challenges, But what will he challenges be?
Reflecting on the past three months, Lennox sighed. "Time really flies," he mused. Smiling slightly, he acknowledged the significant changes in his life since leaving his old one. With a clenched fist, he admitted, "I don't really have other goals now that I have power, besides getting stronger for my sister."
As Lennox continued his journey, he thought, "This is going to be a long journey until I get the strength I need." The lingering question remained: How long will it take?