(POV: Stellan Silverleaf)
"Oh, what the fuck!" Stellan groaned, slamming his head against the book on the table in front of him.
The neatly written equations stared back mockingly.
"Why is mathematics so damn hard? I don’t understand a single thing!" His eyes twitched in frustration as he leaned back on his chair, staring at the ceiling.
Stellan was the prince of the Elves, and one of the most powerful magic swordsn of his generation. Yet, despite all that, mathematics had a way of humbling him like nothing else.
"Oooh!"
As he sat there brooding, the faint sound of commotion drifted through the open window.
At first, he ignored it, thinking it was just another petty quarrel between students.
THUMP!
But the noise grew louder—shouts, jeers, and the unmistakable sound of fists hitting flesh.
Stellan’s sharp ears twitched.
"Oh, great. Another brawl," he muttered, pushing back his chair.
He was about to let it slide when a familiar voice caught his attention.
"Help! Soone—" The words were cut off by a sharp grunt of pain.
Stellan frowned.
He recognized that voice.
"Oh, no. Don’t tell …" He quickly stood up.
As he neared, his suspicion was confird.
A large crowd had gathered, forming a tight circle around the scene of the commotion.
And there, in the middle of it all, was Xyl—the notorious bully from the S-section.
Stellan’s fists clenched.
"Oh, fuck no. I’m going to beat the shit out of Xyl today if he’s picking on soone again," he muttered to himself.
He pushed his way through the crowd, ignoring the whispers and curious glances thrown his way.
As an President of second year and the strongest second-year student, Stellan rarely involved himself in petty disputes, but today he had had enough.
"Xyl, you’re dead to—" Stellan stopped mid-sentence as the scene before him unfolded.
Xyl wasn’t bullying soone.
Quite the opposite. Xyl, the infamous torntor of weaker students, was on his knees, his face bloodied and bruised.
His usually confident smirk was replaced with a look of fear and humiliation.
Standing over him was an A-section student, a muscular boy with a cocky grin.
"What’s the matter, Xyl? Not so tough now, are you?" the boy sneered, landing another punch to Xyl’s face.
The crowd erupted into cheers and laughter.
"Yeah, show him what it feels like!" soone shouted.
Stellan blinked, montarily stunned. Xyl being bullied? By an A-section student, no less?
This was… unexpected.
"Now, touch again like you did last ti," the A-section boy said.
He grabbed Xyl by the collar and slamd him against the wall.
"What happened to all that arrogance, huh? You think you’re better than us because you’re in S-section? Say it again, I dare you!"
Stellan crossed his arms, a small smirk tugging at his lips.
He wasn’t one to condone violence, but seeing Xyl finally get a taste of his own dicine was undeniably satisfying.
Still, there was one thing that didn’t sit right with him.
Xyl was an S-section student, known for his above-average combat skills and magic.
How could he lose to an A-section student so easily?
"What the hell?" Stellan muttered under his breath, his smirk fading.
Whatever was happening, it wasn’t normal
As the commotion continued, Stellan’s mind wandered to a conversation he had with Kael earlier.
"Have you noticed anyone suddenly growing stronger in the past few days?" Kael’s voice echoed in his mory.
At the ti, Stellan had brushed it off, thinking it was an odd question from his junior.
But now, as he watched the A-section boy beat Xyl rcilessly, sothing clicked.
"So this is what he ant…" Stellan muttered under his breath, realization dawning on him.
He stepped forward, his voice cutting through the crowd.
"Stop! Both of you! 100 points deducted from each of you for breaking academy rules."
The A-section boy froze mid-punch, his bloodied fist hovering in the air.
His head turned slowly toward Stellan.
The crowd fell silent, their excitent replaced by curiosity and tension.
Xyl slumped to the ground, coughing and clutching his stomach.
anwhile, the boy stood up straight, his broad fra radiating hostility.
He stared at Stellan, his lips curling into a smirk.
"You think you can stop , Silverleaf?" the boy sneered.
Stellan’s gaze hardened. "Do you really want to test that theory?"
For a mont, the two locked eyes, the air thick with tension.
But then, sothing changed.
A sudden wave of bloodlust erupted from the boy, raw and oppressive.
It was primal, uncontrolled, and terrifyingly potent.
The crowd gasped, many stumbling back as the aura spread.
Stellan’s sharp instincts kicked in.
’He’s lost control,’ he thought.
His eyes scanned the boy carefully, noting the veins bulging around his temples and the unsteady flicker in his pupils.
’This isn’t normal. It’s as if sothing is amplifying his power.’
The boy took a step forward, his bloodlust intensifying.
Stellan didn’t flinch, though his mind raced.
’I should stop this now… but this doesn’t make sense. How did he gain so much power so suddenly? And why does it feel so… unnatural?’
As the boy’s steps faltered, a flicker of doubt crossed Stellan’s face.
He clenched his fist, torn between acting now or seeking more answers.
"Kael. He must know sothing. He warned about this exact thing." Stellan sighed, his voice low. "Should I deal with him myself, or should I ask Kael? If anyone knows what’s happening, it’s him."
With a commanding tone, Stellan addressed the boy. "Stand down. This is your last warning."
The boy hesitated, the bloodlust wavering as a flicker of recognition passed through his eyes.
Whatever had consud him, it wasn’t complete control.
I need to figure this out before it’s too late.
(POV: Kael)
"If Stellan doesn’t co to soon, I’ll have to go to him myself," Kael murmured.
He leaned back in his chair, staring out the window at the academy grounds.
A faint sigh escaped his lips as he recalled why he had chosen to involve Stellan in the first place.
"The Abyssal Bloom," Kael thought grimly. "The event that targeted the second-year students the most. The fallout of its influence twisted their strength, consud their minds."
Kael clenched his fists, his mind flashing back to fragnts of the novel he once read.
"Stellan Silverleaf. He was the key. The main character who helped uncover the culprit behind the Abyssal Bloom. He knew the second years better than anyone and gained their trust to piece together the truth."
A bitter smile ford on Kael’s lips.
"If not for him, the academy might’ve crumbled under the weight of the Abyssal Bloom’s corruption. He was always the one who stood up, who acted as the anchor for the chaos. That’s why I chose him. He’s the best chance we have."
But
"Stellan’s personality... he won’t want others, especially juniors, to shoulder any burden. If he finds out what’s happening, he’ll throw himself into the storm without hesitation." Kael’s gaze darkened.
"Still, he’s the best person to start with. The Abyssal Bloom isn’t sothing I can stop alone. It’s already begun. It’s only a matter of ti before it spreads further."
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