Facing the towering Sorcerer whose eyes glowed with stolen starlight, Cole braced himself. As the Sorcerer unleashed his final assault, Cole's weakness and desperation awakened something primal ,a surge of heat, a growl rising from his bones. His skin split, sprouting obsidian fur and claws curved like daggers.
The crowd screamed as Cole transformed into a mystic creature, half man, half beast. The lynx, with eyes of fire, charged forward, shattering his opponent's spell with a single swipe. It all happened in the blink of an eye; not everyone saw what occurred. They only heard a cry, loud and sharp from the impact of the lynx's strike.
Standing over the fallen Sorcerer as he groaned in pain, the lynx drew back and charged to finish the attack. But suddenly Cole, once a towering beast burning with rage, shifted again. The snarling creature dissolved, replaced by a shivering man on his knees, whimpering and pounding the ground as he returned to his human form.
The warden immediately ordered the capture of Cole.
Adam could do nothing but watch as his friend was bound in chains and dragged off the arena floor.
"Next!" the warden shouted.
Lost in confusion, Adam didn't move. His hand stretched forward, suspended in the air as his mind drifted elsewhere.
"Adam, next!" the warden called again.
This time, the voice pierced into Adam's subconscious and yanked him back to the present. Still flustered, he stepped into the arena,onto the ground mixed with sand and blood. Every eye fixed on him.
He faced the rumored son of one of the lords, the young warrior who had held the front against goblins in the forest of Valoria until dawn. Adam knew he was bound to lose. But something dark stirred within him,something that wanted a challenge, something he instinctively suppressed. After witnessing Cole's duel, Adam found himself wanting anything other than the Octa House or the Guardian Knights. His dreams of adventure no longer looked like what he had imagined.
The first attack from Seth, son of Lord Neon, came as a lightning bolt from above.
Currents of electric charge ,visible as day. Adam dodged swiftly,he didn't know how, but he could sense exactly where the strike would land. Realizing his attacks weren't landing, Seth filled the air with tiny arcs of current, storing power.
Adam managed to avoid critical hits but took a lot of damage. Getting close enough to land a punch , but Seth was a trained warrior, he dodged with ease. Enhancing his body with magic, Seth struck Adam sharply in the ribs. Bleeding from the mouth, Adam stood his ground, rolling to his feet almost instantly. Smiling through the pain, he charged again, slowly losing himself in the heat of combat he took more hits and blows .
He slammed into the wall of electric current Seth had been gathering ,a massive barrier of crackling energy. Struggling inside the trap, Adam instinctively activated Kiaos, neutralizing the current. The sudden burst caught Seth off guard. With the force of a charging bull, Adam rammed him, but Seth escaped with a clever feint, the body Adam struck crumbled into soil shaped in Seth's likeness(A double ).
Already drained of energy, Adam could barely stand. The arena murmured at how he had held on,evading the lightning attacks, surviving the blows, and still fighting. His vision blurred,blood drenched his clothes.
Furious at having his victory tarnished, Seth unleashed a storm of vicious attacks. Adam took them all without collapsing. He turned toward Seth, pointed a finger at him, and smiled.
Silence fell. Fear rippled through the arena. The warden felt it first ,this familiar stench of vengeance and death. Students stepped back in fear. Even the elders retreated.
Seth stumbled two steps backward… then two more. Every instinct urged him to run, but he stood frozen.
Adam took one step forward and then collapsed. His body hit the ground with a thud so heavy and loud it broke the silence of the arena.
Julian watched with simmering anger at the possibility of losing to Adam. The nobles scowled angrily, this trial was meant to showcase the rising highborns who would one day protect the realm. But even in Adam's defeat, something felt wrong. The common folk muttered among themselves.
A commoner without magic, with no name, had stood his ground.
Then a voice rose from the crowd:
"That man is a demon!"
Another answered.
"Yes!"
"Execute such a monstrosity!" came a shout from the opposite side.
The warden signaled the guards. They lifted Adam carefully, honoring him as a warrior despite the fear he had inspired in the arena. People always feared what they did not understand and wish for it to be gone . The duel was declared over, the victors of the duel praised as the new face of the Octa House Knights.
The Halliem ,Lords and high warden descended to the knights' quarters, where Adam lay unconscious. Standing over him, they decide his fate.