KAI'S OPPONENT
He was weaker than I was and yet ...
As I faced the boy, I couldn't help but sense tremendous potential emanating from him. It was as if he possessed a hidden power, waiting to be unleashed. I charged forward, my massive athletic body barreling down on him. He stumbled backward, barely avoiding my initial attack.
I chuckled, mocking him as he struggled to regain his footing. "Is that really all you've got?" I taunted, my voice dripping with condescension.
Yet, despite my jeers, I couldn't sense any fear emanating from him. It was as if he had accepted his fate, and was merely waiting for the inevitable.
Suddenly, a chill ran down my spine. I glanced down at my body, searching for any signs of injury, but found none. It was then that I noticed the boy's eyes. They seemed to bore into my very soul, filling me with an unspeakable terror.
He rushed forward, his movements slightly faster now, but still sloppy. I grabbed him by the arm, using my right hand, and connected my left fist with his lower abdomen. He cried out in pain, and I couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction.
"Ha!" I exclaimed, drawing him closer to me. "That must have hurt, didn't it?" I said my voice filled with mockery.
But my triumph was short-lived. As I gazed into the boy's eyes, I saw something that made my blood run cold. His eyes, once a bright arctic blue, now shone with a garnet red glow, like embers from a fiery pit.
Tears of blood began to flow from his eyes, like a dark, unstoppable river. My heart pounded in my chest, and my hands began to tremble.
The crowd fell silent, their cheers and applause dying on their lips. It was as if they, too, sensed the darkness emanating from the boy.
He begun to laugh, but I couldn't understand why... was this normal to him?
His laughter grew louder, more maniacal, and I felt my grip on reality begin to slip. I tried to push him away, but he wouldn't budge.
And then, I saw it. A figure, identical to me, stood before me. He was injured, bleeding, and on the verge of death.
I cried out, my voice shaking with fear. "Wh-what are you?" I stammered.
The boy's response sent shivers down my spine. "I'm you," he said, his voice low and menacing.
But what terrified me the most was not his response, no. Rather it was the way he said it, so casual and nonchalant as though he hadn't a care in the world.
And speaking of the world...
The world around me began to distort, reality bending to the boy's twisted will. I felt myself being pulled into a void of darkness, with no escape.
And then, everything went black.
I tried to scream but my voice could not be heard, I tried to run but my feet could not move. It was as though I never existed. I was Nothing yet everything all at once.
My subconscious mind begged me for freedom but I was utterly powerless.
"I want my mommy" I said my voice breaking as tears dropped from my eyes. I then felt a wetness in my undergarments. "Mommy.."
When I came to, I was lying on the ground, the crowd cheering and applauding around me. The boy stood over me, a triumphant smile on his face.
"Winner, Kaiden Blackwood!" the announcer declared, his voice booming through the arena.
I scrambled to my feet, my eyes fixed on Kaiden. "Get away from me!" I shouted, backing away from him in terror.
LYRA FROST
As I watched Kaiden's opponent flee in terror, I couldn't help but wonder what had happened. The match had seemed fairly one-sided, with Kaiden's opponent dominating the early stages.
But then, something had changed. Kaiden's opponent had frozen, his eyes fixed on Kaiden with a look of unspeakable horror.
I turned to Kaiden, who was grinning from ear to ear. "Congratulations," I said, applauding him. "You were amazing out there!"
Kaiden beamed with pride, his eyes shining with excitement. "Thanks, Lyra!"
I smiled, happy to see Kaiden so confident. "By the way, where is Einar, have you seen him?" Kaiden asked, scanning the crowd.
I hesitated, unsure of how to respond. I had seen Einar earlier, but I knew he was busy as he was summoned by the royal guard. "Uh, I think he's with Professor Thorne," I said, trying to sound convincing. "He'll probably meet up with us later."
Kaiden's face fell, but he quickly recovered. "Oh, okay. I'll just have to tell him all about my awesome match later, then!"
I laughed, happy to see Kaiden's spirits lift. "I'm sure he'll be thrilled to hear all about it," I said, smiling.
And finally the realization had struck me. To satisfy my own curiosity I pulled Kaiden closer and questioned him no how he was able to win that match.
His response seemed soo casual and collected. He pulled me closer and whispered in my ears.
"Simple...I used illusion magic."
EINAR STONBROL
After my meeting with Reynod I walked down the hallway hoping to arrive at the festival in time to see Kaiden's performance.
As I walked down the hallway, I overheard a suspicious conversation. "Be careful with this," a male voice said, his tone low and secretive.
I froze, my ears perked up. Who were these people, and what were they discussing?
I hid behind a nearby pillar, listening intently.
"Yeah, yeah I know," an oddly familiar sounding feminine voice replied
"Make sure no one sees it," the male voice continued. "This drug is supposed to be ten times stronger than the first one."
My eyes narrowed. I had stumbled upon something big. I took a deep breath, preparing myself for the confrontation ahead.
Time to bust the bad guys !
"I don't know who you guys are, but I do know this: drugs are bad," I said, trying to sound confident.
As I stepped out of the shadows, I realized that my words sounded more like a cheesy public service announcement than a threatening warning. I winced inwardly, hoping that my opponents wouldn't notice.
But as I looked at the two people standing before me, my eyes widened in shock. It was Amy and Jack, two members of my own team.
"Amy and Jack...?" I stuttered, trying to process what I was seeing.
"My name is Ray," Jack corrected me, his expression calm.
But to genuinely honest I didn't care whether his name was Jack or Ray.
I ignored him, my eyes fixed on Amy. "You guys are the ones distributing the drug?" I asked, my voice firm.
Amy smirked, her eyes glinting with amusement. "What, you want some?" she asked, her tone dripping with sarcasm.
I hissed, my anger rising to the surface. "You're not funny, " I snapped, but in reality I too must admit it was kinda funny.
Jack, or Ray, or whatever his name was, looked at me with a mixture of confusion and annoyance. "My name is Ray," he repeated, as if I hadn't heard him the first time.
I glared at him. "I don't care what your name is," I said. "What I care about is stopping you two from distributing this drug."
Amy raised an eyebrow. "And how do you plan on doing that?" she asked, her voice dripping with challenge.
I smiled, a plan forming in my mind. "I'll take you down, two on one," I said, my eyes locked on Amy.
Ray snorted. "You think you can take us down?" he asked, his voice full of skepticism.
I nodded, my confidence growing. "I know I can," I said, my eyes flashing with determination.
And with that, the battle began.