Silas stood in the grand hallway of the castle, his eyes scanning the towering walls adorned with banners of deep crimson and gold. The echoes of distant footsteps bounced off the stone as King Argos approached him. His robes, rich with the insignia of his kingdom, brushed the floor with each calculated step. He had summoned Silas for one last conversation before the test, and Silas wasn't sure whether to be anxious or honored.
"You're ready," Argos said, his voice warm but commanding. "But there's one last thing you should consider."
Silas raised an eyebrow. "What's that, Your Majesty?"
Argos paused before him, his piercing eyes studying Silas with a calculating gaze. "A weapon. You should pick one to learn."
Silas blinked, surprised by the suggestion. "A weapon? But I thought—"
"I know what you're thinking," Argos interrupted. "Energy manipulation is the most important skill you'll learn here. But a weapon is something different. It's not about mastery over the elements. It's about having something in your hand when you need it most."
Silas looked down, uncertain. "But... why a weapon? I can already manipulate energy."
Argos smiled slightly, the corners of his lips curling with the wisdom of years. "Because it's better to be able to make something fast, cheap, and still lethal, than to rely on energy alone. You can't always count on your energy reserves when you're outnumbered or exhausted. A weapon is a tool—a backup. Something you can use even when you're at your weakest."
Silas paused, his gaze thoughtful as he processed the king's words. "So, it's not just about raw power. It's about being resourceful—knowing when and how to use whatever you have at your disposal."
"Exactly," Argos said, nodding approvingly. "Energy can be manipulated, but a weapon... that's something you can craft in an instant. You don't need to exhaust yourself to use it. And in some situations, it might be the difference between life and death."
Silas couldn't argue with that. He had seen how quickly things could spiral out of control during his time at the academy. Having a weapon—something tangible, something he could rely on—might just be the edge he needed.
"I'll think about it," Silas replied, his mind racing with possibilities.
Argos clasped a hand on his shoulder, his tone softer now. "Good. Now, go and face the test. You're more than ready."
The gymnasium hummed with a mixture of excitement and tension as Silas and the other students gathered for their first official test. Professor Higgs stood near the center of the room, her sharp eyes scanning the students as they whispered among themselves.
Silas leaned against a wall, arms crossed. "If this test is just running laps, I'm walking out."
James smirked, arms resting casually behind his head. "You'd be the first to collapse anyway."
"Better than pretending to be a hero," Silas shot back.
Erika giggled. "You two never stop, do you?" She lowered her voice, glancing at the supervising teacher near the entrance. "Shouldn't we be paying attention? This might be important."
Before Silas could respond, the air shifted. A low hum vibrated through the gymnasium, cutting off all conversation. Silas's chest tightened as the temperature plummeted.
The scent of ozone filled the air, sharp and metallic, as the ceiling began to twist unnaturally. A jagged, swirling portal tore itself open in the air, its fiery edges casting eerie shadows across the room. The glow deepened, flickering like a living flame as the portal expanded.
"What is that?" Erika whispered, clutching Silas's sleeve.
"It's not part of the test," James muttered, his usual confidence drained from his voice.
The supervising teacher, a wiry man with a nervous air about him, took a step back. His voice wavered as he called out, "Stay calm, everyone! Stay… stay where you are."
The portal rippled, and a man emerged. He was short, barely taller than James, but his presence filled the gymnasium like a storm. His dark coat swirled unnaturally around him, and his sharp eyes swept over the students with detached calculation. The temperature in the room dropped even further, the shadows stretching unnaturally long, as if the very air recoiled from him.
Professor Higgs stepped forward, her heels clicking sharply against the floor. Her tone was icy as she demanded, "Identify yourself. This is a restricted area."
The man didn't answer. Instead, he raised a hand, his fingers glowing faintly with dark energy.
Higgs didn't hesitate. Papers flew from her satchel, folding mid-air into the shape of a massive dog. The paper creature solidified with a golden glow, towering over the man as it growled, ready to strike.
"Leave now," Higgs ordered.
The paper dog leapt, its massive form hurtling toward the intruder. But before it could reach him, the man flicked his fingers. Black flames erupted from his hand, consuming the dog instantly. Its glowing form crumbled to ash, the remnants scattering across the floor.
The room erupted in gasps. Silas felt his knees weaken as the air grew heavier.
The man moved faster than anyone could react. A jagged spike of black energy shot from his hand, piercing Professor Higgs's chest and pinning her to the far wall. Her body sagged, lifeless, her eyes wide with shock.
"Run!" The supervising teacher's voice cracked as he broke out of his paralysis, shouting frantically at the students. "Run, now!"
The intruder's gaze shifted to the teacher. With a flick of his wrist, another spike materialized and shot forward, slamming the teacher against the wall. His scream was cut short as the dark energy pinned him in place, leaving him motionless.
Silas stared in horror, his mind racing. Erika clutched his arm, trembling.
"What do we do?" she whispered.
"We run," Silas said, his voice barely audible. He grabbed her wrist, pulling her toward the nearest exit as the man stepped forward, his gaze sweeping the terrified students like a predator surveying its prey.
The temperature in the room seemed to drop even further, and the shadows stretched unnaturally long. The man raised his hand, his voice cold as he spoke, "Academies like this one… are nothing but a lie. They claim to make you strong, but they never give you the tools to truly grow."
The room seemed to shrink under the weight of his words, the shadows deepening. "You're all trapped in a cage of weak, controlled power. They teach you how to control energy, how to shape it, but they don't teach you how to truly harness it. I will make you truly strong."
Before anyone could react, the man raised both hands, and a blinding light erupted from the center of the gym. Silas shielded his eyes, feeling the ground beneath him shift. The energy in the room twisted, forming into tendrils of light that wrapped around the students, lifting them from the floor.
One by one, Silas saw his friends disappear, swept into swirling portals of light. A cold, sickening feeling curled in his stomach as the world around him began to dissolve.
And then, with a sharp tug, the last of the light enveloped him, and everything went black.
Silas jolted awake, his breath ragged as he shot upright. The air was cool, and the ground beneath him was soft. He blinked against the sunlight, trying to make sense of his surroundings.
He was lying in the middle of a vast, grassy field. The scent of earth and fresh grass filled his senses, and the soft rustle of leaves from distant trees was the only sound that broke the silence.
"Where… where am I?" Silas whispered to himself, his voice trembling.
The horizon stretched far before him, the endless expanse of green broken only by the occasional cluster of trees. A few puffy clouds drifted lazily across the sky, as if nothing had happened. But Silas knew better. His heart pounded in his chest, and his mind raced.
What had the man done to them? Why were they here?
He scrambled to his feet, looking around frantically for any sign of his friends, but the field was empty. There was no sign of James, Erika, or anyone else. Just endless stretches of grass.
"Hello?" Silas called out, but his voice only echoed back to him, leaving him with an eerie sense of isolation.
He felt a chill creeping down his spine as the reality of his situation settled in. The test, the portals, the man—it was all real. And now, Silas was alone.
Then, a voice, deep and resonant, echoed from the sky.
"You will kill anyone you come across," the voice boomed, the words heavy and cold, as if they were being carved into his very soul. "Those who don't will be killed by me, and if you still don't comply, I will go to Earth for your loved ones."
The sound of the voice was all-encompassing, making Silas's head throb and his chest tighten with fear. His hands clenched into fists at his sides, his heart racing. He felt like a puppet, caught in a game with no way out.
"Who… who are you?" Silas shouted, but the voice gave no answer.
"You will do as I say," the voice continued, each word deliberate, cruel. "If you do not, I will take what is most precious to you. And I will not wait."
The ground beneath him seemed to tremble, and Silas staggered back, his mind whirling. The implications of those words struck him like a physical blow.
Was this the man's power? Was this his test? Silas's stomach twisted as fear for his friends—and his family—coursed through him. There was no escape, no way to avoid the consequences.
The voice fell silent, leaving only the rustling of the wind in the field. But the weight of its threat lingered in the air, suffocating and unyielding.
Silas swallowed hard, the bitter taste of helplessness settling in his throat. His mind raced with thoughts of his friends—and the family he could no longer protect. The path ahead was uncertain, and the voice's threat still echoed in his ears. But there was no choice now. He had to survive. There was no other way.