The purple glow around Ethan intensified, growing brighter and more intense with each passing second. The energy radiating from him crackled like a storm about to break, sending sparks skittering across the arena floor.
Ryan took an involuntary step back, his confident smirk replaced by wide-eyed disbelief. "What… what *is* this?" he stammered, his voice unsteady for the first time.
Ethan's head tilted up slowly, his glowing eyes locking onto Ryan's. There was no trace of fear or hesitation now—only an eerie calm, as though something far greater than himself had taken over. The air around him shimmered, distorting like heatwaves rising off scorching pavement.
The crowd watched in stunned silence, their earlier jeers swallowed by an overwhelming sense of awe and unease. Even Professor Lyra seemed frozen, her gaze fixed on Ethan with a mix of fascination and wariness.
Ryan shook his head, forcing his confidence back. "I don't care what kind of trick this is," he growled, summoning a massive surge of fire in both hands. The flames roared to life, spiraling into twin infernos that cast wild shadows across the room. "I'll snuff it out!"
He hurled the fireballs with all his might, their combined heat so intense that the crowd shielded their faces instinctively.
But Ethan didn't flinch. He raised a hand, and the air around him condensed in an instant. A translucent barrier, shimmering like liquid purple, materialized in front of him. The fireballs struck the barrier and exploded in a brilliant display of light and heat, but the shield held firm, not even cracking.
Ryan stumbled back, his eyes wide. "No way…"
Ethan stepped forward, the purple light swirling around him like a living thing. His movements were steady and deliberate now, his earlier clumsiness replaced with a newfound grace. He extended his hand toward Ryan, and the air around the bully seemed to thicken.
Ryan gasped as an invisible force clamped down on him, immobilizing him where he stood. He struggled, but it was like trying to move through solid stone. "What are you doing?!" he shouted, panic creeping into his voice.
Ethan didn't answer. The glow around him surged, and a pulse of energy shot outward, knocking Ryan off his feet and sending him skidding across the arena floor. He crashed into the barrier at the edge, groaning as he struggled to sit up.
The class erupted into shocked whispers.
"Did you see that?"
"How did he do that?"
"Is Ethan… awakening?"
Ryan forced himself to his feet, his body trembling. His bravado was gone now, replaced by raw anger and desperation. "You think you're better than me now?" he snarled, summoning more fire to his hands. "I'll burn you to ash!"
He charged, his fists blazing, but Ethan raised his hand again. This time, the purple energy coalesced into a jagged spear of light. With a flick of his wrist, Ethan hurled the spear straight at Ryan.
Ryan barely managed to dodge, the spear grazing his arm and dissipating into a burst of light. The force of the near-miss sent him staggering, his fire extinguished.
Ethan advanced, his expression unreadable, his glowing eyes fixed on Ryan like a predator closing in on its prey.
"Stay back!" Ryan shouted, raising his arms defensively. But his voice cracked, betraying his fear.
Ethan stopped a few feet away, his purple aura still crackling. He raised his hand one last time, the energy gathering into an orb that pulsed with raw, untamed power. The entire arena seemed to hum with its intensity, the very air vibrating with its force.
Ryan's face turned pale. "Wait! Stop! I—"
"Ethan!"
Professor Lyra's voice cut through the tension, sharp and commanding. She stepped forward, her own magic flaring to life as she raised her hands. A barrier of golden light sprang up between Ethan and Ryan, blocking the attack before it could be unleashed.
"That's enough!" Lyra said, her tone firm but laced with urgency. "Ethan, stand down!"
Ethan blinked, the glow in his eyes flickering. For a moment, it seemed like he didn't recognize her, his gaze distant and unfocused. But then the purple light around him began to fade, the energy dissipating into the air like mist under the sun.
He staggered, his knees buckling as exhaustion hit him all at once. Professor Lyra caught him before he could fall, her expression unreadable.
The class erupted into chaos, voices overlapping as everyone tried to make sense of what they had just witnessed.
"Did Ethan just… awaken?"
"That was insane!"
"Ryan didn't stand a chance!"
Ryan sat slumped against the barrier, his face pale and his body trembling. He didn't say a word, too shaken to even meet Ethan's gaze.
Lyra waved her hand, silencing the crowd with a single gesture. "Class dismissed," she said, her voice cutting through the noise. "Everyone, out. Now."
The students hesitated, reluctant to leave, but the sternness in her tone left no room for argument. One by one, they filed out of the room, casting nervous glances at Ethan as they went.
When the room was finally empty, Lyra turned her attention back to Ethan. He was barely conscious, his breathing shallow, but there was a strange calmness in his expression.
"What just happened?" she murmured to herself, her brow furrowed in thought. "This… this wasn't normal."
The faint glow that had lingered around Ethan finally disappeared, leaving him looking like his usual self—tired, beaten, and fragile. But Lyra knew better. Something had awakened within him, something ancient and powerful.
And whatever it was, it had only just begun.
She glanced toward the door, her mind racing. She needed answers—and fast. But for now, she had to get Ethan somewhere safe.
As she helped him to his feet, the lights in the arena flickered, and a low rumble echoed through the room, as if the building itself was responding to the surge of energy that had been unleashed.
Far away, in the depths of a forgotten temple, a dormant relic pulsed with the same purple light, its surface etched with symbols that glowed faintly.
A pair of glowing eyes opened in the darkness, ancient and knowing.
"The boy has awakened," a deep voice rumbled, filled with both curiosity and dread. "The prophecy begins."