(Opening Scene: Headmaster Theron listens intently as Zane and Astrid recount their encounter with Eclipse in the woods, the revelation of its potent venom hanging in the air of his study.)
Headmaster Theron stroked his beard thoughtfully, his gaze sharp with intellectual curiosity. "Venom, you say? A fascinating development. We must ascertain its potency and effects." He rose from his desk. "Come. We shall conduct a controlled test in the training grounds. Master Elmsworth oversees the menagerie; he will have a suitable subject."
Zane and Astrid followed the headmaster to one of the larger training arenas, where various magical creatures were often studied and observed. Master Elmsworth looked surprised to see them, but nodded respectfully at Headmaster Theron's request. Soon, a large, scaled beast with razor-sharp claws and glowing red eyes was brought into the arena, contained by magical restraints.
"This should suffice," Headmaster Theron stated, gesturing towards the snarling creature. "Zane, if you would be so kind as to retrieve a sample of your familiar's venom…"
Before Zane could respond or even consider how to safely approach Eclipse for a sample, the restrained beast lunged forward with surprising speed, its magical bonds momentarily faltering. It roared, its gaze fixated on Zane, and it launched itself directly at him.
Time seemed to slow. Zane instinctively raised his hands to defend himself, a surge of adrenaline coursing through him. His hand connected with the beast's clawed paw just as academy staff scrambled to re-establish the restraints.
The moment their skin touched, a visible change occurred in Zane. A dark purple hue spread rapidly across his hand, as if shadow itself was solidifying into a toxic stain. The beast, mid-lunge, suddenly convulsed. Its glowing red eyes flickered, its powerful muscles spasmed, and it crashed to the ground with a heavy thud, lifeless.
A stunned silence fell over the training arena. Headmaster Theron, Master Elmsworth, Astrid, and the academy staff stared in disbelief at the fallen beast and Zane's now-purple hand. The venom they had intended to test had somehow manifested… through Zane himself.
Zane stared at his hand, the dark purple receding slowly, leaving his skin feeling strangely numb. He hadn't consciously done anything. It was as if Eclipse's venom had, in some inexplicable way, transferred to him, becoming a part of his very touch.
Astrid gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. "Zane… what happened?"
Headmaster Theron approached cautiously, his eyes narrowed in intense study. "Incredible," he murmured, more to himself than to them. "It seems the bond with your familiar is even more profound than we realized. The venom… it has become a part of you."