Chapter 6: Awakening of the Shadow
The night lay heavily upon the Grand Aether Academy. A thin mist clung around the high spires and silent courtyards. Most of the students had gone into their dorms, their magic wards off for rest. But in a quiet corner near the edge of the training grounds, Soso remained behind, polishing her sword and reviewing her combat notes.
Her tresses shone silver-white where the moonlight found its way onto them, making her all but ghostly in appearance. The golden phoenix emblem stitched on her robe pulsed softly, an indication of her arcane energy. She hummed a soft tune to herself, unaware that danger was approaching through the shadows.
Echo stood hidden behind a cluster of pillars, his body perfectly still, eyes sharp. For hours, he had been watching the academy grounds, guided by his instincts, which had grown sharp through months of training in secret places no one else dared to go. Now something in him stirred uneasily.
He could feel it-something cold, something dark, was near.
A faint shimmer in the air caught his attention. Then three figures emerged out of the mist, clad in long black robes that merged with the moonlight and dulled its glow. There was something heavy, chilling, and malicious about them.
"Abyssal Sect agents." Echo whispered.
He had seen their symbols before, carved deep into the walls of the cavern during his training, but now for the first time, they were out in the open, and their target was clear.
Soso.
Without the slightest hesitation, Echo moved as silent as a shadow. He positioned himself between Soso and intruders.
The muscles tensed, ready to strike.
His gaze followed every minor movement.
His mind was racing as he remembered every technique and counter he had ever learned.
They struck first; their speed was so unreal and full of killing intent.
The first one lunged at him with a dagger shining of dark energy.
Echo dodged smoothly, rolled across the marble floor, and gained momentum by using a pillar.
He then counterattacked with a spinning kick, sending the attacker crashing into the wall.
The second agent lifted his hand, sending out a wave of black magic-a ripple to weaken and entrap.
Echo's body had reacted before he thought. Overdrive flickered awake inside him.
His muscles flexed, surging with strength.
His reflexes were sharpened to beyond human capabilities.
Time was standing still; the movements of his foes, their every breath, became visible.
He dodged, rolled forward, and then attacked all in one smooth motion. Again and again, his dagger flashed and bit with perfection.
"This… this is my strength," he thought.
Soso was frozen, her mind refusing to wrap itself around what she was seeing; then the third agent sprang toward her, his blade raised, the intent clear in his eyes: capture, not kill.
Echo saw it in an instant.
Forward he dash'd, swifter than sight.
His dagger met the enemy's blade midair with a sharp metallic clash.
He twisted his body and struck with a spinning kick, followed by a solid elbow that sent the man crashing back.
Overdrive was in full force now: the body moving as fast as lightning, each attack swift, every dodge smooth and flowing, each strike powerful and controlled.
The first agent recovered and came at him again, but Echo read every move like a book.
A low sweep knocked the man off balance.
A thrown dagger hit his shoulder before he could react.
Echo followed with a quick combination of punches, kicks, and a final spinning strike that sent him tumbling into the dark.
Soso could only stand and watch in utter amazement. She had never seen anyone fight like that-no spells, no magic circles, just plain speed and skill.
"Who… who is he?" she whispered.
Echo didn't reply. His gaze didn't falter for a split second.
The last agent dropped down from a rooftop, blade first.
Echo rolled forward just in time.
Performing the move, he sprang from a pillar, spinning in mid-air, hitting the agent's arm. The weapon flew away.
He landed softly, dagger at the ready, body low and balanced.
The fight was like a living film-unfolding before one's eyes-fast, sharp, impossible to look away from. Each move flowed into the other with just the right balance of agility and power.
The agents now moved as one, wordlessly communicating. These weren't just killers; they were scouts, testing both Soso and Echo alike.
They struck in waves, dark energy flashing through the night.
She used the walls for cover, the pillars, and even the shadows.
His movements were as fluid as water: dodge, strike, counter, repeat.
He had fought without magic, but his mere presence seemed to hold the strength of any spell.
One agent let out a sudden burst of energy that was supposed to crush him totally. But Overdrive surged more than ever.
His body absorbed the shock.
His reflexes spiked.
He immediately counter-attacked, sending the attacker flying.
He looked at Soso, who was trembling but unharmed-and it hit him.
"They want her. Her purity, her light… they'll destroy everything to get it."
His heart hardened. He couldn't, wouldn't, let that happen.
The battle became most intense, with Echo facing her three foes at once.
He disarmed one with a perfectly thrown dagger.
He struck another with a spinning kick that shattered the marble pillar beside them.
The third engaged him in hand-to-hand combat-a blur of punches, kicks, and throws that could be heard in the courtyard.
Every move flowed into the next, quick and powerful, like in some sort of fighting movie. Echo's training from the caves came to life-the flips, the rolls, the twists-all perfectly choreographed. The agents' magic was pointless against his instinct and strength.
For the first time, Overdrive was no longer flickering: It burned. Echo moved like a storm — unstoppable and untouchable.
Soon, the last agent fell, groaning in pain, unable to rise. Echo stood over him, dagger in hand, chest heaving. Behind him, Soso's wide eyes shone bright with awe and disbelief.
"Y-You… saved me…" she said softly.
Echo sheathed his dagger. His body was bruised, his breathing uneven, but his eyes were tranquil.
"I told you… I'll protect you. No magic can stop me."
Soso's lips trembled into a small smile. She didn't fully understand his strength — but she could feel the truth in his words.
As the agents finally retreated, their presence faded and left behind faint marks of the Abyssal Sect etched into the stone walls. Echo turned to Soso.
He gently brushed a strand of hair away from her face.
His voice, low but steady, carried a quiet promise.
"No one will touch you. Not now, not ever."
For the first time, she looked at him, not just with gratitude, but with something deeper — trust, respect, and something she couldn't quite name.
When night had once again fallen, the true danger of the Abyssal Sect was realized.
Soso's purity was what made her the perfect key for something dark and terrible.
Echo's magic, though born without it, had proved powerful in an effort to protect her thus far.
But Overdrive was still unstable, growing stronger with each battle.
He knew this was only the beginning.
High above, the moon shone down on the academy, its silver light touching both stone and shadow. Echo and Soso stood side by side, tired but unbroken.
The complete awakening of the Shadow was not only around them but within Echo himself.
True danger had faced him.
He had awakened the full power of Overdrive.
He had saved Soso and also had now discovered the threat looming over both of them.
A soft voice whispered through the towers, and Echo made a silent vow:
"No one will harm her. I'll exceed all limits. And I'll face the Abyssal Sect… no matter what it takes."
The night grew quiet once more, but deep in it, a new storm had started to rise.