Shun's mind was a tempest of confusion and shock as his name echoed through the hall, ripping him from his thoughts.
He stepped onto the stage, heart pounding. The moment his hands touched the primordial crystal, the auditorium's light dimmed until everything was swallowed by darkness.
When he opened his eyes, he found himself alone in an endless black expanse. Time and space lost meaning as he wandered, his energy steadily draining.
Ahead, a faint speck of light shimmered, calling to him. Guided by instinct, he reached out and touched it—a warm, golden aura that flowed into him, replenishing a part of his fading mental energy.
Driven by desperation, he grasped at another glowing orb nearby. But this second attempt drained the rest of his reserves.
As his form began to fade into oblivion, an ominous aura shattered the darkness. A streak of crimson light slammed into him, igniting a fierce pulse of power.
Everything went black once more.
When Shun awoke, he was back on the stage, his body wracked with pain. His hair had turned a pale silver, his form breaking and reforming as if being reshaped by unseen forces.
Twenty minutes passed—the longest anyone had ever been in contact with the crystal.
He was assisted back to his seat, pale but unmistakably powerful beneath the surface.
The awakening continued with the other students, but then—
A sharp boom shattered the quiet.
A gigantic wall of ice erupted at the south side of the city as a wave of mana moves through crashing down with thunderous force.
Before anyone could react, a suffocating killing intent flooded the room, disrupting minds and shattering composure.
A low, guttural growl echoed, followed by a husky voice cutting through the chaos:
"Dash."
Headmaster Kings's face darkened. He looked upward, a faint smile curling at the corners of his mouth.
"Interesting," he murmured, voice laced with both amusement and intrigue.
And then—he vanished without a trace.
Lin appeared almost instantly at his home, bloodied and battered. His features had transformed drastically—his elongated ears twitching, sharp fangs bared, claws digging into the floor. His legs were bent backward like a beast's, deep red predatory eyes flashing beneath a mane of yellow fur with black spots. Electric currents flickered and coiled around one half of his body, crackling against his silver-white counterpart, the dichotomy fierce and raw.
His breath caught, and his vision sharpened, pulling him back into the traumatic scene.
Before him, his mother, Ms. Rose, lay struggling on the floor, bound by metal chains whose razor-sharp edges pierced her fragile flesh with every desperate movement. Blood stained the cold floor beneath her.
Adam Shin, Lin's estranged father, loomed over her wielding a deadly metal sword. His expression was cold, merciless—ready to deliver the final blow.
But then, his body froze. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't move.
His eyes widened as he realized the source of his restraint: Silver.
Her silver hair shimmered in the dim light, her eyes glowing fiercely, a silent sentinel holding him back from ending what he sought to destroy.
"All the family in one place…" Adam snarled through clenched teeth, "This makes my job far easier."
His aura surged, dark and crushing. With a violent force, he shattered the chains binding Ms. Rose and blinked in an instant to stand before Lin.
He thrust his sword forward, but Lin's claw intercepted with a thunderous impact. The force sent Lin flying several meters back, coughing blood but refusing to break.
Adam pressed forward relentlessly.
With a swift step, he lunged at Shun, who was caught off-guard and slashed brutally across the chest. A gust of wind tore through the air as Shun crashed into the wall, wounded but alive.
Adam's sword rose again to strike Lin—only to be stopped by a sudden, agonizing headache that blurred his vision and clouded his mind.
Lin seized the moment, forcing distance between them.
Frustrated and burning with rage, Adam turned to Silver—the source of his pain.
With a swift, brutal slash, he struck her down, leaving her bleeding and broken on the ground.
Lin's scream tore through the chaos, but his strength faltered. His legs gave way, and he collapsed weakly beside Silver, the energy drained from his body.
He cried out helplessly, tears streaming down his face as his reserves depleted entirely.
Adam moved to finish Lin, but suddenly a shimmering figure appeared between them.
A dome of icy blue energy erupted, enveloping Lin and Silver in a protective cocoon.
Metal blades clashed against the ice, failing to penetrate the barrier.
Within the dome, a quiet voice whispered to Lin, urging him to hold on.
His eyes widened with a mixture of fear and hope. He tried to respond, but no strength remained; only hoarse groans escaped.
Then, a deep, calm sigh filled the room.
Headmaster Kings appeared.
His expression was heavy with sorrow and reproach.
"Oh, my foolish disciple," he said softly, "Why did you bear this burden alone? Why not let me help you?"
Ms. Rose, though battered and fading, looked at Kings with a faint smile.
"Protect them for me... especially Lin," she whispered with a cracked voice, "He is all Silver has left."
Her aura flared briefly, ice swirling violently as she ignited the last of her strength—her sickness erupting in full force as a sacrifice to shield her children.
Her body convulsed; the price of her defiance was swift and merciless.
Ms. Rose's eyes closed, a serene peace overtaking her face as her life slipped away.
Kings's face turned solemn, tears falling silently as he fed Lin and Silver potent medicine to stabilize their broken bodies and spirits.
Adam's face twisted with rage as he sensed a new, overwhelming presence.
The air snapped as a massive surge of power—the Spirit King—arrived.
Adam screamed, summoning a barrage of deadly metal weapons hurled at the headmaster.
But Kings moved effortlessly, swatting aside the blades like flies.
Their eyes locked in a battle of survival for adams as he end was only delayed by kings just for revenge for his disciple, Kings standing unyielding as Adam was sent crashing to the ground repeatedly.
The one-sided beatdown was merciless; Adam was no match, As his injuries accumulate and kings enjoying how he toyed with adams.
Fed up, Kings raised his hand for the finishing strike, an overwhelming pressure erupted from the shadows.
It enveloped Adam, swallowing him whole.
Kings's expression darkened with shock and awe.
The power emanating from this unknown force was beyond anything he had ever faced—an Emperor or even higher realm.
Silent and grave, Kings turned away, carrying the exhausted siblings to his home in the north district.