Chapter 2: The Awakening
Ethan sat on the edge of his bed, staring at the dull metallic surface of his dorm room. The dream had returned—again. The same eerie whisper, the same name—Chris—repeated over and over until it echoed in his mind long after he woke up.
"Why does this name keep haunting me?" he muttered to himself. He ran his hands through his dark hair, frustrated. No one he knew had that name, and yet it felt… familiar, almost like it belonged to him.
It was late, and the academy halls were quiet, with most students either sleeping or busy with their studies. Ethan should have been preparing for the upcoming evaluations, but something was gnawing at him—something he couldn't ignore. The dreams were too vivid, too real to dismiss as just imagination.
He glanced at his palm. On the surface, it was just a normal hand, but deep inside, Ethan felt a strange energy—a dormant power—that he couldn't quite explain. His talent had never fully awakened, at least not in the way that most students' talents did. While others at the academy had fully realized their abilities, commanding fire, manipulating water, or summoning creatures, Ethan had always been stuck somewhere in between.
Tonight, though, something felt different. The air was thick, almost electric, like the calm before a storm. He stood up, feeling restless, and left the dorm room without a second thought. He needed air, space to clear his mind.
The courtyard was deserted, the moon casting long shadows across the academy grounds. As Ethan walked through the empty campus, his thoughts raced back to the strange events surrounding the Great Rift. There had been talk of unusual activity—monsters growing stronger, the seals that kept the Rift's energies at bay weakening. Everyone was on edge, even the professors.
He stopped at the edge of the training field, where students often sparred to hone their abilities. Tonight, it was empty, save for the flicker of the moonlight reflecting off the metal dummies and training equipment.
Without thinking, Ethan raised his hand and concentrated. A faint glow appeared in the center of his palm, flickering like a dying flame. His eyes widened in surprise. He had never been able to manifest his power this easily before.
"What... what is this?" he whispered.
Then, a sudden, sharp pain shot through his head, causing him to stumble back. His vision blurred, and the world around him began to distort. He clutched his temples, his mind spinning as if being pulled into a vortex.
And then, everything went black.
When he came to, Ethan was no longer standing on the academy grounds. He was in a strange, ethereal space—a place that felt both real and unreal. The sky was a swirling mass of colors, and the ground beneath his feet was made of shimmering light.
"Where am I?" Ethan murmured, spinning around in confusion.
"Welcome," a voice echoed, deep and resonant, yet somehow familiar. "You've finally arrived."
Ethan whipped around, searching for the source of the voice, but there was no one there. The voice seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at once.
"Who are you?" Ethan demanded, his voice trembling with a mixture of fear and curiosity. "Show yourself!"
The voice chuckled softly. "Patience, Ethan. All in due time. You're not ready to see me yet."
Ethan's fists clenched. "What do you want?"
"It's not about what I want," the voice replied. "It's about what you want. The power you seek... the truth about who you really are... it's all within your grasp."
"My grasp?" Ethan repeated, confused. "I don't understand."
The voice grew softer, almost like a whisper. "You will. Soon enough. But first... you must awaken."
Suddenly, the world around Ethan began to tremble, the light growing brighter and more intense. The ground beneath him cracked and splintered, as if reality itself was being torn apart. He fell to his knees, clutching his head as a torrent of memories—memories he didn't recognize—flooded his mind.
Faces. Voices. Pain. Death.
And then… Chris.
His eyes snapped open, and he gasped for air. He was back on the academy grounds, lying in the training field. His entire body was shaking, and his heart pounded in his chest.
But something had changed.
He raised his hand again, and this time, the glow that appeared in his palm was strong, steady. Power surged through his veins, more potent than anything he had ever felt before.
I... I've awakened.
Just then, footsteps approached. Ethan turned to see Alexander, his classmate and one of the top students at the academy, standing a few feet away, arms crossed. His silver hair gleamed in the moonlight, and his eyes—sharp and calculating—were fixed on Ethan.
"You felt it too, didn't you?" Alexander said, his voice low and measured.
Ethan blinked, unsure how to respond. "Felt what?"
"The shift in power," Alexander replied, stepping closer. "Something changed tonight. Not just for you, but for the world."
Ethan frowned. "What are you talking about?"
Alexander smirked. "You'll find out soon enough. But I'll tell you this: You're not the only one who's awakened. There are others. And they're coming."
Ethan's heart raced. Others? What did Alexander mean by that?
"Who's coming?" Ethan asked, but Alexander was already walking away, disappearing into the shadows of the academy.
Left alone in the moonlit field, Ethan stared at the glowing light in his hand, a sense of foreboding settling over him. Whatever had just happened, it was only the beginning.