"When crystal shatters, truth breaks free. One Chosen awakens, the other bleeds. Bound as one, yet cursed by fate, together they rise, and darkness waits."
After the last word slipped from Zera's lips, the eerie atmosphere dissolved as if it had never been. The whispers died, and her body went limp. Slowly, she began to descend.
"N–no!" Nico rushed forward, arms outstretched. He caught his sister before she hit the floor, cradling her against his chest.
"Zera!" His voice cracked with fear as he gently tapped her cheeks, desperate to wake her.
Everyone panicked and rushed toward the middle, surrounding Zera and Nico.
Whispers rippled through the room, frantic and fearful.
"Is she okay?"
"She's breathing, right?"
"Will she wake up?"
"Why is it always the Enigmatics who faint?"
"What do we do? Will the King punish us?"
"Give way!" Professor Valkiery's commanding voice cut through the noise. The students stumbled back, clearing space.
Nico gently lowered Zera to the floor, his hands trembling. Professor Morrwynn stepped forward, her expression grave. She lifted her palms over Zera's chest and began to chant: "Maagasan ka... bumangon ka!"
A faint light spread from Morrwynn's hands, rippling like threads of silver mist. After a few tense moments, Zera stirred. Her lashes fluttered before her eyes opened weakly.
"Sister, are you okay?" Nico cried, pulling her into a fierce hug.
Zera gave him a small, tired smile. Her features smoothed, her eerie aura gone, as if nothing had happened. The room collectively exhaled in relief.
"Should we take you to the clinic?" Nico fussed, running his hands over her arms as if checking for hidden wounds.
Zera hissed, rolling her eyes. "I'm fine. Don't be so dramatic." She pulled free of him and calmly returned to her cushion. "Shall we continue?"
The tension broke. Students laughed nervously in relief and went back to their places, the storm of panic replaced by the comfort of routine.
"Woah! That was intense," Professor Vrynth snickered, shaking out his hands as if the tension still lingered in his fingers. He clapped cheerfully, breaking the unease that still clung to the room.
"Let's continue," he said, his eyes sweeping across the circle. "Who would like to go next?"
His gaze lingered on the four boys who hadn't yet stepped forward, a mischievous grin tugging at his lips.
Zayn, who had been quiet for a long time while watching the students, stood up and headed to the center.
The Professors stepped out of the center, giving Zayn the spotlight.
Zayn stepped into the center, removing his robe, and then dropped it on the floor. He slipped his hands into his pockets, and his gaze landed on the boy in front of him.
"You. Hunter," he said, his voice low but carrying the weight of command. "You're next."
Hunter obediently stood and moved to the center, carrying himself with effortless grace, like a prince.
"Hunter Valvrynth," he announced, his voice deep and sharp.
Everyone gasped at the sound of his last name. Their eyes shifted from Hunter to Zayn, and as they began to conclude that they were father and son.
Zayn Valvrynth's personal life remained shrouded in mystery throughout Labrynthia. Those who knew the truth of his past kept their lips sealed out of respect, never bothering to correct the endless Celestial gossip about him and waited for the right time when Zayn himself would choose to unveil his mystery.
"Well, they've got the same last name," Chast whispered, siding with the gossip.
"They don't even look like father and son." Luke narrowed his eyes, first at Zayn, then at Chast.
"You're more like Mister Zayn than Hunter," Luke added, rubbing his chin. "You know, it's my first time seeing Mister Zayn in person, and now I can see his resemblance to you."
Chast snorted. "You're not the first to say that." He recalled what the professors had told him last time.
Luke was about to say something when Nico and Zera interrupted.
"Who told you?" they both asked at the same time, looking at Chast impatiently.
Luke turned to Chast, furrowing his brows. "Tell us!" he demanded.
"The professors," Chast simply answered. "But, he's not my father, so relax!" He chuckled.
Luke kept staring at Chast, unconvinced, thoughts swirling in his head as he tried to put the pieces together.
Meanwhile, Nico and Zera exchanged a bright smile, as if a realization had just clicked. "Oh, that's why!?"
"You two know something, don't you?" Luke asked eagerly, his face lighting up with curiosity.
The siblings shrugged their shoulders and ignored him.
Chast hissed and turned his gaze back to Hunter and the crystal.
A mist formed around the crystal then dissolved slowly, showing the image of a battlefield. The crystal vibrated as the images shifted to different kinds of weapons.
Hunter grinned as he removed his hand from the crystal, while Zayn only nodded, and everyone clapped in awe.
"He's got a warrior type," Luke commented as he clapped eagerly.
"Weapon Augmentation," Zayn announced, then looked at the guy who was sitting beside Hunter's cushion.
As the Crystal's Judgement dragged on, only three of them were left. Chast felt his nerves crawl up his spine. Sweat trickled down his forehead like he was in a sauna, his palms damp as though a fountain had burst within them. Anxious thoughts swirled in his mind.
What am I going to do? Will I survive this without humiliating myself? He groaned inwardly.
What am I supposed to do? Fake fainting? Sneak out? Kill myself? Chast slapped his face, his thoughts were not helping him.
Everyone already thought he was powerless, but proving it again in front of the entire Enigmatics? That was basically volunteering to be the academy's official clown. A slap to the face, salt in the wound, and maybe a nice cherry on top labeled "Loser of the Year."
"Sean, you're next!" Zayn commanded, sharp and deep. Hunter sat, and Sean stood up.
"Good luck, bro!" Hunter patted Sean's shoulder. Sean smiled and headed to the center.
"Another Valvrynth," Nico commented. He knew Sean since they were young.
"Another Valvrynth? Hmm," Luke asked, his gaze darting at Sean and Zayn, who were standing next to each other. Definitely not a father and son. He thought, then looked at Chast. They really looked alike except for their eyes.
Luke took a deep breath and massaged his temple. These thoughts were giving him a headache.
"Sean Valvrynth," he said then placed his hands on the crystal, which immediately began to vibrate. White flares burst forth, spiraling upward as the crystal lifted and swirled in mid-air.
"Celestial Martial Arts," Zayn declared. The students clapped and cheered while Sean flashed a sheepish smile.
The professors clapped their hands as their gazes drifted toward a certain student—one who was visibly squirming in his seat.
"I can't wait for his turn," Professor Vrynth whispered, eyes darted toward Zayn.
"I'm curious how the crystal will react," Professor Valkiery added with a faint smile.
"Let's wait," Professor Morrwynn said calmly. "He's next."
Zayn moved, his steps deliberate, stopping right in front of Chast.
Fuck! Chast cursed inwardly, panic spiking. Am I next? Shit!
He tried to stand, but his trembling legs refused to obey. He slumped back down. Great. Should I just crawl?
Slowly, he lifted his gaze and froze. Zayn was staring down at him, blue eyes locking with his emerald. Neither spoke. They just held each other's gaze, like two opponents in a staring contest.
Meanwhile, a boy suddenly rushed to the center, and slammed his hands onto the crystal "Damon Morrwynn," he declared firmly. He knew Chast was obviously supposed to be next, but Damon refused to be the last student tested.
Damon's voice sliced through the tension between Chast and Zayn. Zayn turned his back on Chast to face Damon, and Chast finally released the breath he'd been holding. Safe for now. But deep down, he knew once Damon was done, there'd be no more escape. His turn was inevitable. At least he had a few more precious moments to prepare.
Professor Vrynth chuckled, elbowing Professor Morrwynn, who was already covering her face in exasperation.
"I can't with that kid," she groaned.
"Well, he is your nephew," Professor Valkiery teased with a sly grin.
They all watched as the crystal swelled with mist, twisting into a dark sphere. From it, shadowy hands stretched outward, as a chill descended over the room.
Some girls shrieked in horror, and the rest of the students gasped in terrified disbelief.
"Necromancy," Zayn announced blantly and slowly walked towards Chast.
Chast's heart pounded so fast that it will explode any minute. Fuck! It's time and I can't escape.
"Good luck, dude!"Luke smiled faintly as he patted Chast's leg for encourgement.
"Chast," Zayn called out. His gazes met Chast's.
Chast swallowed a mouthful of air. Slowly, he pushed himself to his feet, forcing every ounce of strength into each step as he walked toward the center, his body trembled with fear.
Chast placed his trembling hands on the crystal. He drew in a deep breath, squeezed his eyes shut, and braced himself. he couldn't bear to watch the crystal's reaction or see the disappointed faces of his team."
Fuck this!
The crystal trembled violently, making Chast's eyes snap wide open. Flickers of unstable light pulsed across its surface before sharp cracks split the air.
Chast's heart lurched. His knees buckled, and he collapsed to the floor just as the Aether Crystal shattered into a thousand glittering shards.
The room fell silent. Not a breath, not a whisper. Everyone stood frozen, as though time itself had stopped.
Students burst out laughing, convinced that Chast's lack of magic had broken the Aether Crystal. To them, it was over the moment the crystal shattered.
But they were wrong.
The shards didn't fall. They hovered mid-air, whirling into a tornado. Thunder rolled inside the room as lightning crackled across the spinning shards. Cold wind howled, carrying eerie whispers that clashed against the booming thunder.
Laughter died instantly.
Terror spread across every face. Some students froze, wide-eyed. Others shielded their heads and crouched low to the ground.
The professors, however, were starstruck, grins spreading ear to ear.
Even Zayn, who had been watching with detached calm, now wore a smile. Not just any smile, but one heavy with pride.
Chast, meanwhile, was frozen on the floor. None of it made sense. His trembling hands felt glued to the ground, yet he could feel something rushing into him, an unfamiliar energy flooding through his veins, down his arms then into his fingertips. The very floor vibrated beneath him.
The room panicked. Students dropped to their knees, arms thrown over their heads, as if bracing for the earthquake to consume them.
The tremors intensified. The entire building quaked as if it might collapse, while flashes of lightning split the skies outside.
Chast groaned, his body convulsing as though raw lightning was surging through his veins, electrocuting him from the inside out.
Zayn lifted his hands, his voice a low rumble as he began to chant. His gestures carved glowing sigils into the air, weaving magic to contain the chaos.
The three professors bolted toward the doors. One by one, they raised their arms, casting defensive spells against the raging storm that threatened to swallow the academy.
Within a minute, the chaos subsided. The storm stilled, the ground no longer trembled, and even the shards of the Aether Crystal clattered uselessly onto the floor, drained of all magic.
But Chast was not free. His body still convulsed, electricity crackling beneath his skin as he groaned in agony.
Flashes of his mother filled his mind... her smile, her voice, her touch and fragmented memories piercing through the haze of pain. His eyelids grew unbearably heavy. And just before darkness swallowed him whole, his trembling lips formed a single word.
"Mom..."