The next day, the boys arrived at the training ground once again, eager and ready despite their sore muscles from the previous day. The sun had barely risen, casting a golden glow over the field. Jake was already there, standing with his arms crossed, waiting for them.
"Alright, you two," Jake said with a smirk. "Yesterday was just the warm-up. Today, we're kicking it up a notch."
Allen and James exchanged a determined glance. They were ready.
"First, we're going to work on agility and reflexes," Jake continued. "This time, I won't just dodge—you'll have to evade as well."
Jake gestured toward a setup of swinging logs and moving wooden dummies designed to strike unpredictably. Several adventurers who had been training nearby stopped to watch, intrigued by what Jake had planned for the young trainees.
"Think fast and react faster," Jake advised. "You need to move instinctively. Ready?"
"Ready!" the boys shouted.
The test began. The logs swung toward them at different speeds and angles, forcing them to dodge, roll, and sidestep to avoid getting hit. At first, James and Allen struggled, stumbling as they narrowly avoided getting smacked. The watching adventurers winced every time a log came close to knocking them over.
"Come on, boys! Move your feet!" Jake called out.
Allen was the first to find a rhythm, ducking and weaving with growing confidence. James, though slower, followed his brother's lead, adapting to the movement patterns. The crowd murmured in approval.
"They're getting the hang of it."
"Not bad for kids."
Just as things seemed to be going well, a stray log swung unexpectedly faster than the others. James, caught off guard, turned too late.
CRACK!
The log slammed into his side, sending him flying several feet before he crashed onto the ground. The watching adventurers gasped.
"James!" Allen shouted, rushing to his brother's side.
James groaned, his face twisted in pain as he clutched his ribs. He tried to push himself up but collapsed. He wasn't moving.
Jake's expression darkened as he started toward them, but before he could reach James, something changed.
Allen clenched his fists, his body trembling. His breathing became ragged as an intense energy began to build around him. The air around him grew heavy, crackling with an unfamiliar force. Then, a deep purple aura flared to life around his body.
Gasps echoed from the adventurers watching. "What the hell is that?!"
Allen turned slowly, his eyes glowing with an eerie purple hue. His gaze locked onto the log mechanism that had injured James—no, beyond it, onto a hooded figure standing in the distance.
A stranger, shrouded in black robes, smirked. "Interesting. So the power finally awakens. Let's see how strong it really is."
Without warning, the figure dashed forward, too fast for an ordinary human. Allen reacted instantly. His movements were no longer the same—faster, sharper, almost inhuman. He met the enemy's charge with a strike of his own, and when their attacks collided, a shockwave erupted, kicking up dust and sending nearby adventurers stumbling backward.
"He's fighting?!" one adventurer gasped.
Jake stopped in his tracks, eyes narrowing. He had sensed something different about Allen from the start, but this… this was on another level.
Allen and the foe clashed again, exchanging rapid strikes. The purple energy around Allen crackled violently, coating his strikes with raw, untamed power. The hooded figure, though skilled, seemed momentarily taken aback by the ferocity of Allen's attacks.
James, still groggy, barely lifted his head to see his brother fighting. "Allen...?"
Allen's fists glowed brighter as he launched himself at the enemy, faster than before. He moved like a blur, striking relentlessly, his strength overwhelming. The hooded figure grunted as one of Allen's punches finally connected, sending the opponent skidding backward.
Jake's eyes widened slightly. "That power..."
But the fight wasn't over. The enemy wiped blood from the corner of his mouth, smirking. "Impressive. But let's see how much further you can go."
Allen's grin twisted into something far more sinister. He cracked his neck, his aura surging once more. "Roses are red. Blood stains the ground. When I rise up… you fall down."
His height grew, his body pulsing with power as his laughter filled the air—wild, unhinged, almost inhuman. The adventurers watching took a step back, unsettled by the transformation.
The hooded figure lunged again, but this time, Allen didn't just counter—he toyed with him. He dodged at the last second, letting his opponent's fist graze past before twisting and delivering a devastating elbow to the enemy's ribs. The crack of bone echoed through the field.
Allen laughed maniacally. "Come on! Is that all you've got?!"
The enemy staggered, trying to retaliate, but Allen's strikes became merciless. He moved with a predator's grace, every attack calculated to inflict maximum pain. The hooded figure coughed up blood, struggling to stay standing.
Jake, watching from a distance, frowned. This wasn't just power—this was something darker. "Allen! That's enough!"
But Allen didn't hear him. He was lost in the thrill of the fight, his laughter growing louder as he advanced on his beaten opponent.
The hooded figure, realizing he was outmatched, made a desperate move—he vanished into a cloud of black smoke, retreating before Allen could land the final blow.
Allen stood there, breathing heavily, his aura still crackling violently. But he didn't calm down. His energy surged again, his eyes wild. His body trembled as if the power was consuming him. His grip tightened, his breath grew erratic, and then—he turned.
Jake stepped forward, meeting Allen's frenzied gaze. "That's enough, Allen. Stand down."
Allen tilted his head, a mad grin spreading across his face. "And if I don't?"
Jake sighed, rolling his shoulders. "Then I'll have to stop you myself."
In a flash, Allen lunged, but Jake was ready. He sidestepped, grabbing Allen's arm and twisting it behind his back before driving his knee into the boy's gut. Allen barely flinched, twisting free with inhuman speed and retaliating with a punch aimed at Jake's face.
Jake dodged, countering with a heavy strike to Allen's chest. The impact sent shockwaves through the ground, but Allen only laughed, brushing off the attack like it was nothing. He came at Jake with renewed fury, throwing wild but powerful blows.
Jake was fast, but even he was struggling to keep up. "Dammit, kid… what the hell have you become?"
Seeing no other choice, Jake tapped into his own energy. A golden aura flared around him, his movements sharpening. He met Allen's attacks head-on, matching his strength with precise counters.
Then, in one swift motion, Jake found an opening. He spun behind Allen, striking a pressure point at the base of his neck.
Allen froze. His body trembled before his energy flickered—and then, he collapsed.
The adventurers stared in stunned silence. Jake exhaled, lifting the unconscious Allen into his arms. "This isn't over," he muttered. "We need to figure out what's happening to him before it's too late."
James groaned as he struggled to stand, still holding his side. "There was only one other time he used that power," he muttered, his voice strained. "It wasn't this bad, though. When we were on our way to the capital, we got attacked by a wolf. It lunged at me, and Allen jumped in the way, shouting 'No!' A purple beam shot out and killed the wolf instantly... but back then, he had more control. I don't know what's different this time."
Jake's expression darkened. He glanced at the murmuring adventurers before asking, "Have you two ever encountered a demon?"
The question sent a ripple of unease through the crowd. The watching adventurers exchanged nervous glances, some visibly tensing.
James shook his head. "No, we haven't."
The tension in the air eased slightly. A few adventurers sighed in relief, but Jake wasn't convinced. He exhaled sharply, rubbing the back of his neck. "Whatever this power is, we can't leave it unchecked. We'll keep training, but we're also going to figure out exactly what's happening to Allen."
As the conversation continued, an old man watched from the shadows, his wrinkled face etched with concern. He muttered under his breath, "I carried out the test, my lord, but it seems fate remains unchanged for that boy. As for the other one… I do not know."
Further in the darkness, hidden from sight, a hooded figure observed the scene with an eerie calm. A cold smile tugged at his lips as he whispered, "You did well. A shame fate didn't shift, but I'm not done yet. I will keep watching… and working to change the future of those boys. For their sake."
The sun dipped lower in the sky, casting long shadows over the training ground. Day two of training had ended—not in progress, but in disaster. And as Allen lay unconscious, his fate, and that of those around him, had never been more uncertain.