The shockwave hit the city like a silent earthquake.
Stones rattled. Windows cracked. Mana lamps flickered.
And Aren felt it first—
a deep, resonant pulse running through the ground, humming in his bones like an ancient heartbeat.
Kane steadied himself against a wall.
"That wasn't a normal demon surge…" he muttered. "Everyone, regroup! Fall back to the central barricade!"
Soldiers scrambled.
Elite squads retreated in controlled formation.
But Aren stood still.
His senses sharpened—so sharp the world seemed to distort. The air shimmered. The ground felt thin, as if something massive pressed from beneath it.
Then—
A voice stirred.
Not spoken aloud.
Not heard through ears.
Whispered into his mind.
"Void-bearer…"
Aren's pulse spiked.
He turned instinctively toward the cracked street where the shockwave centered.
A faint violet glow seeped from beneath the rubble. Lines of distorted mana rippled outward like breath.
No one else noticed.
But Aren felt watched.
Hunted.
Chosen.
Kane noticed Aren's expression first.
"Aren. What are you sensing?"
Aren didn't answer immediately.
Because the voice returned—stronger, closer.
"Your power awakens…
…but you are incomplete."
Aren's breath hitched.
Suddenly, pain shot through his skull—sharp, electric, like a drill trying to bore into his mind.
He staggered back.
Kane caught him instantly.
"Aren! Are you injured?"
Aren clenched his jaw. "Something… is calling."
Kane's face drained of color.
"What is calling you?"
Aren opened his mouth—
—but the answer came from below.
The ground split.
A thin crack, glowing faint violet, sliced across the street. Dust rose. Energy spiraled upward.
Students screamed.
Soldiers raised shields.
Kane's eyes widened. "Everyone, fall back! NOW!"
Aren didn't move.
Because he felt the presence on the other side of the crack.
Enormous. Ancient. Waiting.
A whisper slithered through the crack:
"Come…
Void Archer."
Aren's grip tightened on his bow.
He wanted to step forward.
His body leaned toward the crack—
instinct pulling him, urging him, beckoning him.
But Kane grabbed his shoulder and yanked him back.
"Don't even think about it," Kane hissed. "That thing is not calling you as a friend."
The crack abruptly snapped shut.
The violet glow vanished.
The presence retreated—
but not far.
Aren could still feel it, like a massive eye staring from underground.
Kane glanced around.
"We move. Immediately."
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Back at the Academy's central courtyard, the atmosphere was suffocating.
Elite students whispered nervously.
Kale glared at Aren, confusion and fury mixing in his eyes.
The Headmaster arrived—a stern, battle-scarred woman named Rellin. She looked like someone who had commanded armies for decades.
Behind her, several high-ranking soldiers stood in formation.
But most importantly—
So did a robed man with crystalline lenses over his eyes.
A Council researcher.
Aren stiffened.
Rellin spoke first.
"Report."
Kane responded crisply.
"Southern barricade breach neutralized. Minor casualties. One Knight-class mutant eliminated by Recruit Aren."
Gasps spread.
Rellin's gaze shifted to Aren.
Cold. Calculating.
The researcher stepped forward, adjusting his lens.
"Recruit Aren. Step closer."
Aren did.
The researcher raised a hand—the air shimmering with scanning mana.
A translucent field enveloped Aren for a second, then snapped violently.
CRACK.
The scanning array broke.
The researcher stumbled back, eyes wide.
"That—That's not possible…"
Rellin's eyes narrowed. "Report."
The researcher swallowed hard.
"His mana signature… isn't human."
The courtyard exploded in whispers.
Kale froze mid-step.
Kane's face turned grim.
The researcher continued, voice trembling:
"It's… layered. Multiple sources. And the void resonance is growing. Every hour."
Rellin stared directly into Aren's eyes.
"Recruit Aren.
What happened in that dungeon?"
Aren remained silent.
Kane stepped in front of him.
"Headmaster. Council Member.
It's dangerous to pressure him right now. His power reacts to stress. We don't know its limits."
Rellin considered this.
Then she turned to a soldier.
"Prepare a secured training chamber."
She faced Aren again.
"You will train under controlled supervision until further notice.
Your growth rate is now classified."
Aren felt the eyes on him.
Fear.
Curiosity.
Suspicion.
Even Kale took a cautious step back, jaw clenched, unsure for the first time.
But the worst part—
The whisper didn't stop.
It echoed in Aren's skull even now.
"Grow stronger…
so I may reach you."
Aren clenched his fists.
Whatever was beneath the city—
was getting closer.
And only he could hear it.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Far below the fortress, deep in ancient stone,
the chained dragon lifted its head.
Violet cracks spread across the walls.
Its voice rumbled with anticipation.
"Soon.
Very soon."