Twelve years later…
The morning sun slipped through the curtains, casting a soft glow across the room. Birds chirped faintly outside as the smell of breakfast filled the house.
Mother: Jonathan! Come eat and get ready for school!
Jonathan: …Five more minutes…
Jonathan buried his face deeper into his pillow, his voice muffled with sleep.
Mother: You said that last year and ended up late. Get up before your food gets cold!
Jonathan: Ugh… okay…
Jonathan slowly pushed himself out of bed, stretching as he let out a long yawn. He dragged his feet across the floor and made his way downstairs.
Mother: Come on, you don't want to be late for your first day!
Jonathan: It's not like the school's going anywhere…
His mother smiled warmly, shaking her head.
Mother: Yeah, okay.
Her phone suddenly rang. She glanced at it and sighed.
Mother: Hold on, I need to take this. Eat your food okay! Your father is on his way.
Jonathan nodded and sat down, quietly eating. A few minutes later, a car horn echoed from outside.
Jonathan grabbed his bag and walked to the door.
Jonathan: Bye, Mom.
Mother: Have a good day!
Jonathan stepped outside and got into the car.
Father: Ready for school, champ?
Jonathan: Yeah… I'm ready.
As the car began moving, Jonathan stared out the window.
Something felt… off.
That same feeling.
It had been there ever since the hospital.
Like something was watching him.
Waiting.
Jonathan: Hey, Dad… do you ever feel like you're being watched?
Father: That's a strange question… no. Why?
Jonathan: …No reason.
Jonathan turned back to the window.
For a split second, he thought he saw something—figures in the distance that didn't belong.
Then they were gone.
As the car stopped infront of the gate
Jonathan: Bye dad!
Father: Bye champ love you
As Jonathan's father drove off,
He looked up.
The school gates stood tall as students flooded inside. Voices overlapping, lockers slammed, laughter echoed.
Jonathan barely noticed any of it.
His thoughts drowned everything out.
Jonathan: Just… what is this feeling
He walked forward—
And bumped into someone.
Jonathan: Oh—sorry, I wasn't paying attention—
Billy: Oh, you weren't paying attention?
Jonathan looked up.
Billy stood in front of him, a smirk forming.
Billy: Let me give you something to focus on.
Bully 1: Yeah, get him!
Bully 2: Show him who's boss!
Billy raised his hand.
Billy: Blaze Burn!
A wave of fire shot toward Jonathan.
As Jonathan looked completely shocked,
Everything slowed.
Jonathan didn't think.
He just reacted.
He raised his hand—
The fire vanished.
Absorbed.
Silence fell.
Then—
The flames burst outward, twice as large.
Billy was launched across the field.
Gasps filled the air as students gathered around.
Jonathan stared at his hand.
Jonathan: …Did I just… absorb that?
Before he could process it—
A voice cut through the noise.
Ed: Jonathan.
Jonathan looked up.
A tall man stood before him.
Ed: I'm going to need you to follow me.
Jonathan: Am I in trouble?
Ed glanced at the scorched ground.
Ed: Not unless you plan on burning more of my students alive.
Jonathan: …Right.
Inside the office, Jonathan sat across from Ed, glancing around at the walls.
Ed: So… how did you perform that technique?
Jonathan: I don't know… it just happened.
Like my body did it on its own.
Ed studied him carefully.
Ed: I see. Do you mind if I run a few tests?
Jonathan: As long as I'm not in trouble.
Ed: Good.
A brief silence filled the room.
Then—
Ed: Now.
A pulse of energy filled the space.
Ed: Curse of Illusion.
The room shifted.
Jonathan's body changed instantly—growing, strengthening, surging with power.
Jonathan: Whoa… what is this?
Ed: I've accelerated your age to its optimal state. Your body can now handle your power.
Jonathan clenched his fist, feeling energy flow through him.
Ed stood and turned.
Behind him—
A door appeared.
Ed: The doors here lead to dimensions beyond your imagination.
Jonathan narrowed his eyes.
As Ed walks up too the door guiding Jonthan with his hand.
Ed: And now… your first test.
The moment Jonathan stepped through—
Everything changed.
The school vanished.
Endless sand stretched in every direction, the wind howling violently.
Jonathan: …Where are we?
Ed: A testing ground.
Jonathan: Testing ground for what?
Ed: Survival.
Jonathan frowned.
Jonathan: Survival agai—
The ground exploded.
A massive serpent burst from beneath the sand, launching high into the sky before crashing back below.
Jonathan stumbled back.
Jonathan: YOU EXPECT ME TO FIGHT THA—
He turned.
Ed was gone.
The door… gone.
Jonathan: …You've gotta be kidding me.
The sand shifted.
Jonathan's instincts screamed.
He moved—
Just as a beam of compressed sand shot past him.
Jonathan: GOSH I barley dodged that…..Okay… think…
He dashed forward.
Jonathan: If I can hit it first—
The ground beneath him erupted.
Sand surrounding him suddenly launched him into the sky.
Jonathan: What—?!
A massive vortex formed below, pulling everything inward.
Jonathan began falling.
Fast.
The serpent's mouth opened beneath him.
Waiting.
Jonathan: Alright… let's try this.
His fist ignited, glowing red.
Jonathan: BLAZE BURN
A sand beam fired.
The two attacks collided.
BOOM.
Jonathan was thrown back, crashing into the sand below.
Jonathan: Cough—cough—damn dust…
He looked up—
And froze.
A massive spiral of sand surrounded him.
Jonathan: …A sand whirl? Alright no biggy I will just jump over it
He jumped.
But sand hardened infront of him each time
He jumped blocking his way.
Again.
Blocked.
Jonathan: …Okay… jumping isn't an option.
He steadied himself.
Jonathan: Then I'll absorb it.
Jonathan closed his eyes.
The roaring wind faded.
He raised his hand.
The sand began to pull inward—
For a moment…
It worked.
Then—
Everything collapsed.
The sand crashed down on him, burying him instantly.
Silence.
A hand burst through.
Jonathan pulled himself free, coughing.
Jonathan: …That didn't work.
He wiped his eyes—
And looked up.
His body went still.
Its full body had emerged.
Massive. The serpents eyes locked onto him.
Watching.
Jonathan's breath hitched.
Jonathan: …There's no way…
For the first time—
He couldn't think.
He couldn't move.
Jonathan: …am I…. Going to die?