The sun was already high in the sky when Akash arrived at school, his heart still pounding from the vivid dream. As soon as he spotted Zenith, Anya, and Kael near the entrance, he rushed toward them.
"I had the strangest dream last night," Akash blurted, barely able to contain his excitement.
Zenith turned to him with a curious smile. "What was it about?"
Akash took a deep breath before recounting everything—the glowing green transformation, the monstrous shadow, the sheer power of the battle. His voice carried both awe and uncertainty.
"It felt real," he admitted. "Like... something important." Anya and Kael exchanged glances, both intrigued.
"Maybe it's a vision of the future," Kael suggested, half-joking, but there was a seriousness in his tone. "Your clan does have the power to see beyond time, after all."
Akash swallowed. He wasn't sure what it meant, but deep down, he felt that this dream was just the beginning of something much larger.
Before he could say anything more, the school bell rang, signaling the start of the day.
"Let's talk more later," Zenith said as they hurried toward their class.
The classroom was buzzing with anticipation as their teacher, Professor Alden, stepped forward, his deep voice carrying authority.
"Today," he announced, "we will not be having a theoretical class." A murmur of excitement rippled through the students.
"Instead, we will be testing your combat abilities. Strength is not determined by lineage alone—it is refined through skill and determination."
With that, he led them out onto the training grounds, a vast open space surrounded by stone pillars and sparring dummies.
Zenith, Anya, Kael, and Akash stood together as the training began. Students from different clans were testing their abilities—fire-users from the Magma Clan conjured flames, Aqua Clan students manipulated water into fluid weapons, and even those from the Gale Clan summoned gusts of wind to push their opponents back.
Amidst the training, a sharp impact rang through the field.
Zenith staggered backward, dust rising around him as a jagged stone struck his arm. The force wasn't enough to seriously injure him, but it was deliberate.
Laughter echoed from a group of students, and at the center stood Peter, a broad-shouldered boy with veins of earthy brown, a clear sign of his Rock Clan heritage. His arms still glowed with the remnants of his power, showing that he had been the one to attack.
"Why are you even here, 'colourless'?" Peter sneered, folding his arms. "You don't have an ability. You don't belong in combat training."
Anya and Kael, who had been practicing on the other side of the field, immediately turned their heads. Anya's expression darkened.
Fury burned in her eyes as she stomped toward Peter, fists clenched.
"Zenith is stronger than you think!" she snapped. "I've seen it with my own eyes. He saved my life when raiders attacked me!"
Peter scoffed. "With what? His fists?"
Professor Alden stepped forward, his presence alone silencing the crowd.
"Enough," he commanded. "Peter, power is not everything. Every student in this academy has something special within them."
Peter huffed but didn't argue.
Anya, however, wasn't satisfied. She turned to the professor, eyes shining with determination. "If Zenith isn't strong, then let him prove it in a duel!"
The crowd murmured.
Even Zenith himself hesitated. A fight? He wasn't afraid, but he knew Peter's strength.
Anya saw the uncertainty in his eyes.
"You can do this," she whispered.
Kael nodded in agreement. "Show them what you're capable of." Zenith took a deep breath. Then, he stepped forward. The air grew tense as the two fighters faced each other. Peter smirked, cracking his knuckles. "This will be quick." The teacher threw a wooden sword to each of them.
Peter barely waited for the signal. He lunged first, his strength making the ground beneath him tremble. He swung his sword with brutal force, aiming straight for Zenith.
But Zenith wasn't there.
With precise footwork, Zenith sidestepped, allowing Peter's attack to miss by inches. The crowd gasped.
Peter snarled, sending a wave of jagged rocks toward Zenith.
Instead of retreating, Zenith ran straight toward them, his body twisting at the last moment. He weaved through the flying stones like a shadow, fluid and untouchable.
Then, with one clean strike, he countered—his wooden sword hitting Peter's wrist with perfect accuracy. Peter's weapon flew out of his grip, landing with a dull thud.
Silence.
Peter stood frozen, staring at his empty hand.
Zenith pointed his sword at him. "Power is nothing without skill."
The crowd, once filled with skeptics, now whispered in amazement.
Even Peter couldn't deny it—he had been outmatched. Finally, the teacher broke the silence.
"Well fought," he said, nodding at Zenith. Then, turning to the rest of the class, he added, "Let this be a lesson to all of you—strength comes in many forms. Never underestimate someone just because they are different from you."
Zenith lowered his sword. Anya and Kael rushed toward him, grinning.
"You were incredible!" Anya beamed.
Kael chuckled. "I think they'll think twice before messing with you again."
Even Akash, who had watched from a distance, felt something stir in his heart.
For the first time, the academy no longer saw Zenith as "colourless."
They saw him as a warrior.
The sun hung low, casting a golden hue over the academy grounds as students poured out of their classrooms, their chatter blending into a soft hum in the air.
Zenith, Anya, Kael, and Akash gathered near the sparring field, their faces still brimming with excitement from the earlier duel. The battle with Peter had shifted something—not just in how the others saw Zenith, but in how he saw himself.
Akash, for the first time, stood amidst friends, a soft smile on his face. "That was... incredible, Zenith," he admitted. "You didn't use any special abilities, but you still won."
Zenith shrugged, a small smirk playing on his lips. "I just did what I had to."
Kael crossed his arms. "We should train together more often. I'm sure there's still a lot we can learn from each other."
Anya nodded in agreement. "Tomorrow, let's meet at the Hall of Lunaris. We can practice there without any distractions."
Zenith glanced at Akash, sensing his hesitation. "You'll come too, right?"
For a moment, Akash hesitated, as if something still weighed on his mind. But then he nodded. "Yeah. I'll be there."
With their plan set, they each parted ways, heading home as the sky deepened into twilight.
Zenith sat on the rooftop of their small home, his legs dangling over the edge as he stared up at the sky. The stars blinked down
at him like tiny scattered lanterns, their cold glow contrasting the warmth of the city below.
His mind was restless, tangled with thoughts of the day—of the battle, of the way people had looked at him differently, and most of all, of the words Peter had spat at him:
"Why are you even here?"
The question dug into him deeper than he wanted to admit. Footsteps echoed behind him.
He turned to see Anya, her silhouette framed against the dimly lit doorway. She walked over, settling beside him, silent for a moment before speaking.
"You're thinking about your father again, aren't you?" Zenith inhaled sharply but didn't respond.
Anya's gaze softened. "You always do when something big happens."
He clenched his fists. "It's just… he left. And I still don't know why."
The words came out strained, frustration lacing his tone. "He didn't die. He didn't sacrifice himself. He just left me. And I don't know if it was because I wasn't good enough for him or if there's some bigger reason."
The quiet stretched between them, thick with unspoken emotions. Then, another voice joined them.
"You think too much for your own good, kid."
Wilson stood at the doorway now, arms crossed. The older man's face was unreadable as he stepped forward, lowering himself onto a wooden crate near them. The glow of a lantern inside cast flickering shadows across his features.
Zenith glanced at him. "You knew my father. You trained with him. Do you know why he left?"
Wilson exhaled through his nose, his fingers tapping idly against his knee. "There's a reason why you're here, Zenith. And why you were born into this world."
Zenith frowned. "That doesn't answer my question."
Wilson gave him a long look before continuing, his voice quieter now. "Right now, people don't see you for what you really are. They judge you because you don't have a special ability. But mark my words, one day, those same people will look at you with respect."
Anya watched the conversation unfold, her expression unreadable.
Zenith, however, felt the frustration in his chest grow tighter. "You're avoiding it. Why won't anyone tell me the truth?" His voice was louder now, edged with desperation. "Who am I really? And what's my purpose?"
Wilson's gaze flickered, something unreadable passing through his eyes.
Then, he simply said, "You'll know when the time is right."
Silence.
Zenith felt his nails dig into his palms. He wanted to push further, to demand the answers he craved. But something in Wilson's tone told him that he wouldn't get anything more—not tonight.
Wilson stood, stretching his arms with a yawn. "Get some rest, kid. You've got training tomorrow." Then, with a nod at Anya, he disappeared inside.
The weight of the conversation hung in the air long after he left.
Zenith let out a slow breath, his shoulders sinking. "He always does that."
Anya glanced at him. "Maybe he's right. Maybe there's a reason you don't know yet."
Zenith closed his eyes for a moment before pushing himself up. "Maybe."
But deep down, the uncertainty still gnawed at him.
As he lay in bed that night, his mind replayed Wilson's words over and over.
"There's a reason you were born into this world."
What was that reason?
What was he supposed to become?
Sleep came slowly, the unanswered questions swirling in his mind as he drifted off into uneasy dreams.
The hall of Lunaris buzzed with quiet conversations as Zenith, Anya, Kael, and Akash stepped into the grand chamber. The towering columns, bathed in the soft golden light of the setting sun, cast long shadows across the polished marble floors. They had come to watch a local event, but there was a strange air of expectation hanging over the gathering, a tension that none of them could shake.
Zenith, always the curious one, leaned toward Akash, his voice barely above a whisper. "Did they say the President would be here?"
Akash nodded, glancing around at the grandness of the hall. "I think so. But this feels... different. This isn't just some local function."
Anya's gaze swept the room, eyes narrowing. "Something's off. The people here—they don't seem like they're just here for a casual event."
Before they could discuss it further, the doors at the front of the hall opened with a quiet grandeur, and the crowd fell silent. Stepping into the room was Gayle, the President of Lunaris. Her presence was undeniable. She was tall, her silver hair like a halo of moonlight, her eyes sharp and calculating. The weight of her gaze seemed to pull the room toward her as she walked to the podium, her every step measured and deliberate.
She looked out over the room, and a hushed reverence fell across the crowd as she began to speak.
"Citizens of Lunaris," Gayle's voice was calm, steady, but there was an undertone of something darker, something unspoken. "I stand before you today, not only as your President but as a person who has witnessed the extraordinary rise of this city, and with it, our unprecedented progress."
Zenith leaned forward, his brow furrowed. Lunaris had grown rapidly over the years, from a small, struggling town into a vibrant city—its skyline gleaming, technology advanced, and infrastructure thriving. The city had come so far, yet Zenith could never quite shake the feeling that something was looming, something hidden just out of sight.
Gayle continued, her tone warm, but the weight of her words began to seep through the walls like a cold breeze. "In the past decade, we have made great strides. Our advancements in technology, our green initiatives, our creation of the shield that protects us—all of this has ensured our prosperity. We stand as proof that we are capable of overcoming any obstacle."
The crowd erupted into applause, but it was fleeting, their hands stilling as Gayle raised a hand to silence them.
"But," she continued, her voice now steady but edged with something deeper, "this progress... this prosperity, is fragile. We have lived under the protection of something—something we do not fully understand. The Green Shield."
A murmur ran through the crowd. Zenith stiffened, a sense of unease settling in his chest. The Green Shield. No one really knew much about it—only that it had been created by some ancient force, an unseen protector of the city. It had always been there, guarding them, but its origin was a mystery, and its true nature remained unknown.
"The Green Shield has kept us safe," Gayle's voice softened, almost as if she were speaking to herself, "but we do not know how it works, or even where it came from. It is a force beyond our understanding, and we've never been able to explain it fully. But there's one thing we know for certain—it will not last forever."
The room seemed to freeze in that moment, the weight of her words sinking like a stone. Zenith's heart pounded in his chest, and for the first time, he felt the tremor of uncertainty ripple through him.
"In six years," Gayle continued, her voice dropping into a more somber tone, "the Green Shield will cease to function. And when that happens, we will face something... we thought we had left behind. Something called 'The Darkness.'"
The air in the hall turned cold, and for a split second, everything seemed to stop. No one moved. The word "darkness" hung in the air like a heavy fog, obscuring their thoughts.
Anya's voice broke the silence, barely above a whisper. "What is the Darkness?"
Gayle's eyes locked onto the crowd, her gaze intense. "It is ancient. It is primal. It is not something we can predict, nor something we can control. We've only heard fragments of it from those who came before us—stories passed down through generations. And every time, the message is the same: When the Green Shield falls, the Darkness will return."
Zenith felt his breath catch in his throat. "But… how does it come? Why now?"
Gayle shook her head, her expression hardening. "We do not know. There are no answers. But it is coming. The time to prepare is now."
A murmur swept through the crowd, fear rising like a wave. The city that had once felt so invincible now seemed fragile, its future uncertain. The people were left in the wake of Gayle's words, confused, frightened, and unmoored.
"The Green Shield was never meant to last forever," Gayle continued, her voice quiet but resolute. "It is a mystery we have never fully understood, and we cannot predict what will happen when it fails. But I promise you, Lunaris will face this challenge together, and we will not falter."
With that, Gayle turned and walked away from the podium, the room still reeling from her announcement. The crowd began to disperse, but Zenith stood frozen, his mind a whirlpool of thoughts. The Shield... something unknown, something beyond them, was keeping them safe. But how could they prepare for something they couldn't even comprehend?
Akash's voice snapped him back to reality. "Six years... That's not much time."
Anya gripped his arm tightly. "We need to figure out what this 'Darkness' is, before it's too late."
Kael, ever the realist, spoke with quiet determination. "But where do we even begin? The Shield is a mystery, and so is the Darkness. Gayle doesn't have answers for us."
Zenith looked at his friends, his heart heavy. "We start by looking into everything—every legend, every old story, every clue we can find. Whatever this Darkness is, we need to understand it before it's too late."
They stood in the middle of the grand hall, the weight of the unknown pressing down on them, their minds racing with questions that had no answers. The city of Lunaris, once a beacon of progress, now seemed on the edge of something unimaginable, and Zenith couldn't shake the feeling that whatever lay ahead, it would change everything..