Ethan's nights were never quiet anymore.
Since that strange encounter with the pendant, the air in his room had grown thick with energy, as if the walls themselves were alive with whispers. Each night, just before sleep claimed him, he could feel the pull an undeniable force calling him, beckoning him toward something greater, something he couldn't fully understand. But it was the days that tested him the most.
School had become a battleground.
Ethan had always been able to disappear into the background, to avoid confrontation, to let the relentless teasing roll off his back like water on a stone. But now, things were different. The pendant's power had awakened something inside him. His senses were sharper, his reflexes faster. The strange sensation of energy bubbling in his veins was both exhilarating and terrifying. He knew he wasn't just imagining it.
And then, it happened.
He was at lunch, sitting at his usual spot by the vending machines, trying to avoid the usual group of jocks who had taken a special interest in tormenting him. His mind kept wandering back to that night. What the old man had said the Twelve Shadows, the Black Lotus, the promise of strength kept replaying in his mind. He still didn't know what to make of it, but the urgency was growing. There was something out there, something dark and dangerous, and Ethan was supposed to stop it.
The bell rang, signaling the start of lunch. Ethan stood up to leave, trying to ignore the sting of the jocks' eyes on him. But today, for some reason, his gaze caught something a flicker of movement behind the corner of the gym. His instincts kicked in. He didn't know why, but something told him to follow.
As he rounded the corner, he stopped dead in his tracks.
A group of students no, they weren't students at all were huddled together, dressed in dark, sleek clothing. They weren't the usual clique of troublemakers Ethan was used to seeing. These figures carried themselves with a quiet intensity, like predators stalking prey. Ethan could feel his heart racing, a primal warning buzzing in the back of his mind.
They didn't notice him at first, but the closer he got, the more uneasy he felt. Something about their energy something dark, unnatural set his nerves on edge.
Then, one of them turned, his eyes locking onto Ethan's. A sudden chill swept over him, like a gust of cold wind, and he stumbled back, barely catching himself before he fell.
The figure was tall, with sharp features and dark eyes that gleamed with an unsettling familiarity. His lips curled into a sneer.
"Well, well," the figure drawled, stepping closer. "Look who's here. The little boy who doesn't belong."
Ethan's stomach turned, but he stood his ground, trying to hide the unease creeping through his veins. "I—I don't know who you are," he said, his voice wavering slightly.
The figure's eyes flickered with something that looked almost like amusement. "No, I suppose you wouldn't. Not yet."
Before Ethan could react, the figure raised a hand, and the world around him seemed to warp. The air grew thick and heavy, and the temperature plummeted. Ethan felt an icy pressure building in his chest, as if the very air itself was crushing him. His breath came in short gasps.
"Who are you?" Ethan repeated, though his voice trembled more now than before. Something was happening—something he couldn't control.
The figure's grin widened. "We are the Black Lotus. And you, Ethan Park, are the one who will fall."
The air around them crackled, and Ethan could feel the energy shift again—this time, it was like the power of the pendant within him reacted. The strange tingling sensation spread through his body, and before he could stop it, his hands shot up in defense, palms facing the figure.
A wave of raw energy shot out from his body, striking the Black Lotus member square in the chest. The force sent him sprawling backward, crashing into the metal wall behind him.
Ethan stood frozen in shock. He couldn't believe what he had just done. His body, his very essence, was thrumming with power too much power. He had never felt anything like it.
The Black Lotus figure slowly pushed himself up, his expression darker now. "Impressive. But that was just a warning."
He snapped his fingers, and the rest of the group, who had been watching silently, took a step forward, their eyes glowing faintly with an eerie light. Ethan could see now that they weren't ordinary students. These were warriors, trained in something far more dangerous than anything he had ever encountered.
"Leave me alone," Ethan whispered, his voice barely above a breath.
But the Black Lotus was relentless.
The figure who had first spoken to him his eyes never leaving Ethan raised his hand, and the pressure in the air thickened once more. This time, however, it wasn't just a mental pressure. The ground beneath Ethan's feet trembled, and a pulse of dark energy shot through the air like a whip.
Ethan barely had time to react. He instinctively raised his hands, his breath coming out in ragged gasps as the power within him surged again, but this time it was different. This time, it was controlled.
His mind flashed to the old man's words. The Twelve. The legacy.
Your bloodline is the key.
Suddenly, he understood.
The figure before him—a member of the Black Lotus—was no match for the ancient spirits now living within him. He closed his eyes and focused, willing the energy to flow through him. The spirits of the Twelve masters swirled inside him, their presence suddenly vivid and undeniable.
The Black Lotus member hesitated, sensing the shift in the air. He seemed to recognize the change, his smirk faltering slightly.
"You've made a mistake, Park," he growled. "The Twelve Shadows were meant to remain in the past. You cannot defeat the Black Lotus. We are everywhere."
Ethan's eyes snapped open, his body now pulsing with energy. He was no longer afraid.
"We'll see about that," he muttered under his breath.
With a single motion, Ethan stepped forward, releasing a burst of energy so powerful that it sent the Black Lotus member flying back, crashing into the others with a sickening thud. The ground around him cracked and trembled under the intensity of the blow.
For the first time in his life, Ethan felt like he was truly in control.
As the Black Lotus members scrambled to their feet and disappeared into the shadows, Ethan stood alone in the clearing. His chest heaved with the remnants of his power, his heart pounding in his ears. He could feel the pendant's power inside him, but something was different now.
He wasn't just a boy anymore.
He was something more.