EINAR STONBROL
My body was overflowing with mana, a sensation I had never experienced before. The power coursing through my veins was beyond my wildest imagination.
I raised my head, gazing up at the sky where balls of fire and serpents of flame were descending upon me. Yet, despite the impending doom, I felt an eerie sense of calm, as if nothing could harm me.
As the flames casted by Benedict were about to engulf me, I raised my hand, and with a mere wave, the inferno vanished. The sudden absence of flames left Benedict stunned.
"Wha...what! How did you do that?" Benedict's voice trembled, his eyes wide with fear. He attempted the same attack once more, but I dispelled it with equal ease.
I reached out my right hand, now pitch black from wrist to fingers, and conjured a shadow dagger. The blade seemed to materialize from the very darkness itself, its presence both menacing and beautiful. With a swift motion, I attacked, rushing towards Benedict with deadly precision.
Benedict tried to evade me with his flames, but my dagger sliced through them as if they were mere illusions. The flames parted like a curtain, allowing me to strike at Benedict with unrelenting ferocity.
In the face of potential defeat, Benedict's sanity began to unravel. He summoned hellfire, reducing the arena to rubble and rocks floating in the air. The rocks and debris ignited, hurtling towards me like a deadly storm.
With a single slash of my dagger, I sliced through the projectiles, reducing them to nothing. A second slash released a black stream of destructive energy, shattering the floating rock beneath Benedict's feet. As he fell, I dove towards him, unleashing another clash that nearly severed his right arm.
Benedict's body lay broken and battered on the ground, while I stood towering over him, like a dark and ominous shadow.
BENEDICT'S SIDEKICK 1
As I emerged from the rubble that had nearly killed me, I gazed upon the ruins of the arena. The young master, Benedict, was struggling to his feet, badly injured and barely able to stand upright. My eyes then fell upon the human whom he had challenged , and I felt a chill run down my spine.
The human's aura was one I had felt before – the same aura I had sensed when I touched him earlier that day. His face seemed calm, yet his eyes burned with an unholy bloodlust. It was clear that he intended to kill Benedict.
I attempted to rush to Benedict's aid, but as soon as the human's gaze fell upon me, I felt an unseen force holding me back, rendering me immobile.
What in the world is this creatures hiding in human skin.
EINAR STONBROL
I walked slowly towards Benedict, who now begged and pleaded for mercy. His eyes were wide with fear, and his voice trembled with desperation.
"Mercy...? How could you dare ask me for mercy when you're the one who picked this fight?" I spat, my voice laced with contempt. I grasped his hair, pulling his head back to gaze into his terrified eyes.
"Mercy, please don't kill me!" he cried out, tears streaming down his face. I felt a wave of disgust wash over me. How could he, a challenger, beg for mercy?
What if I were to show him mercy? Would he proceed to kill those I held dear? Would he murder Zuria a thousand times over? Then repeat it millions of times over in my mind. The very thought sent a surge of rage through my veins.
I reached out, placing my dagger against Benedict's throat. Luna appeared beside me, her arms wrapping around my body as she whispered into my ear.
"Go ahead... Finish it."
Her words fueled my desire for vengeance, and I felt my grip on the dagger tighten. Just as I was about to strike, a hand stopped me.
"Enough!" Professor Thorne's voice rang out, his hand grasping mine and pushing me back. The black energy surrounding my hand dissipated, and I felt a sharp, unbearable pain coursing through my veins.
As the pain overwhelmed me, I lost consciousness.
___
When I awoke, I found myself in the school's nursing room. My vision was fuzzy, and Professor Thorne's face was a blur.
"Are you okay?" he asked, his voice laced with concern.
I rubbed my eyes, trying to clear my vision. "Yes, thank you," I replied, my voice weak.
Just then, Zuria burst into the room, embracing me tightly. "Einar!" she cried out, her tears streaming down my shoulder.
I held her close, apologizing for worrying her. "I'm sorry for scaring you," I whispered, my voice filled with emotion.
As I held Zuria, I felt a pang of regret. My vision was still blurry, and I couldn't see her face clearly. But I could sense her tears, her fear, and her love.
Zuria's voice trembled as she spoke, her words barely above a whisper. "Don't ever scare me like that again." Her voice was childlike, filled with vulnerability.
"I won't," I promised, holding her close as she continued to cry. I felt a deep sense of responsibility, a desire to protect her from harm.
As I held Zuria, I realized that I would do anything to keep her safe. I would fight, I would kill, I would sacrifice everything to ensure her well-being.
And in that moment, I knew that I had changed. The darkness within me had grown, had evolved. I was no longer the same person I had been just hours before.
I was something more. Something darker. Something much more powerful.
The thought sent a shiver down my spine, a thrill of excitement mixed with fear. I didn't know what the future held, but I knew one thing – I would do whatever it took to protect those I cared about.
And as I held Zuria close, I knew that I would never let her go.