(Opening Scene: The unsettling aftermath of Xander's brief contact with the Black Crown hangs in the air. He stands pale and shaken, recoiling from Zane. The others watch with concern.)
After a long, shuddering breath, Xander finally found his voice, though it was still rough with the remnants of his terrifying experience. His gaze drifted towards Zane, a morbid curiosity replacing some of his fear. "That… Null Blade," he said, his voice hesitant. "What exactly is it? It felt… intensely cold, even from a distance. May I… perhaps examine it?"
Zane's brow furrowed, a warning glint in his eyes. "Xander, after what just happened with the crown, are you sure that's wise? It's not like your sword. It's… an extension of the void itself. Its touch is not meant for living flesh."
Xander, however, seemed drawn to the dangerous allure of the unknown. "Just for a moment," he insisted, taking a tentative step towards Zane. "I just want to feel its essence. Understand what it is that you wield."
Zane hesitated, then with a sigh, he willed the Null Blade to materialize in his hand. The obsidian blade shimmered into existence, its surface radiating a palpable chill, even across the small distance.
Xander reached out slowly, his fingers trembling slightly, drawn by an irresistible curiosity. The moment his fingertips brushed against the smooth, impossibly cold surface of the Null Blade, he let out a strangled cry, his body arching backward in excruciating pain.
"Aaaaargh! It's like… like being cut by a thousand frozen shards! It burns… it freezes… everything!" he screamed, his voice raw with agony. Invisible lines of frost seemed to spread across his hand, and his breath hitched in ragged gasps. He recoiled violently, stumbling backward, his eyes wide with unimaginable torment.
Headmaster Theron and Lady Elara rushed to his side, their faces etched with alarm. Astrid, her hand still clasped with Zane's, gasped in horror. Eclipse, coiled on Zane's chest, hissed softly, his golden eyes fixed intently on Xander's spasming hand.
The sheer agony etched on Xander's face was a stark testament to the Null Blade's dangerous nature. His curiosity had been met with a torment far beyond what anyone could have anticipated.