Chapter 4: The Blue Atomic Power

The world seemed to slow down around Zynth as he moved, the blue flames engulfing him growing ever brighter. Every step toward Orion felt like a dream, each movement imbued with an unnatural weight. Time stretched and warped, but Zynth's focus remained fixed on his one goal—landing that hit.

But something was wrong. The power surging through him wasn't just energy anymore—it was something more, something volatile and unstable. He felt it building inside him, threatening to spill over, but he had no way to stop it. His vision blurred with the intense blue glow, and he could barely make out Orion's figure in front of him.

*Just one hit. One hit and I'll be a Hunter,* Zynth thought, pushing forward through the overwhelming force that now threatened to consume him.

As he closed in on Orion, there was a sudden flash of realization in the seasoned Hunter's eyes—an understanding that came too late. Orion's calm expression shifted, and for the first time, Zynth saw something that he had never expected to see in the best Hunter in all of *Chroma-Veila*.

Fear.

Zynth swung his energy blade toward Orion, but before the blade could connect, something inside him snapped.

A blinding explosion of blue fire erupted from his body with the force of a bomb, the air itself igniting in a brilliant, searing light. The ground beneath Zynth cracked and trembled, the power surging out of him in waves. The training grounds, the spectators, the sky—all were swallowed by the violent blue inferno.

And then, a deafening silence.

Zynth felt himself tumbling through the air, the force of the explosion throwing him like a rag doll. His body felt weightless, disconnected from the chaos around him. His ears rang with the aftershock of the blast, and his skin tingled from the intense heat that had engulfed him only moments ago.

When he hit the ground, pain shot through his body, but it felt distant—like a dull throb compared to the magnitude of what had just happened. He lay there for a moment, his chest heaving, trying to gather his bearings. The blue flames that had surrounded him moments ago were gone, replaced by a thick, ashy smoke that choked the air around him.

Slowly, painfully, Zynth pushed himself up onto his hands and knees. The world around him was unrecognizable. Where the training grounds had once stood, there was now only devastation. The ground was scorched black, the once-vibrant trees that bordered the arena now nothing more than charred husks. The force fields that had protected the spectators had flickered and collapsed, unable to contain the sheer magnitude of the blast. In the distance, the colorful sky of *Chroma-Veila* was dimmed by the rising plumes of smoke, and ash rained down like snow.

Zynth's heart pounded in his chest as the realization of what had happened began to sink in. He had unleashed something far beyond his control—something catastrophic.

His eyes darted around the wreckage, searching for Orion. Where was he? Had he survived?

Then, amidst the smoking ruins, Zynth's gaze fell upon a motionless figure. His breath caught in his throat.

Orion lay sprawled on the ground, his once-glowing skin now pale and lifeless. His chest—where Zynth's blade had struck—was blackened, the blue flames having burned through him with a terrifying intensity. There was no movement, no sign of life.

Zynth staggered to his feet, his legs trembling beneath him. "No… no, no, no," he whispered, stumbling forward. He hadn't meant to do this. He hadn't meant to kill him.

But as he approached Orion's still body, the horrible truth settled over him like a crushing weight. His hit had been too powerful. The explosion, the fire—it hadn't just landed the blow. It had obliterated him.

Zynth collapsed to his knees beside the fallen Hunter, his hands shaking as he reached out toward Orion, though he already knew it was too late. Orion, the greatest warrior in *Chroma-Veila*, was dead. Zynth had killed him.

A wave of nausea rolled through him, and his skin flickered between shades of green and pale yellow—shock, disbelief, horror. This wasn't how it was supposed to go. He was supposed to prove himself, not destroy everything.

As Zynth knelt there, staring in disbelief at what he had done, he heard voices in the distance—muffled at first, but growing clearer with each passing second.

"Impossible…"

"It can't be…"

"That power…"

Zynth's head jerked up, his heart pounding in his chest. Several figures approached through the smoke—Hunters, trainees, and instructors, their faces etched with a mix of awe, fear, and disbelief. Thaliss was among them, his normally impassive face showing the faintest trace of shock.

One of the trainees whispered, "It can't be… can it? The Blue Atomic Power?"

Thaliss stepped forward, his silver eyes locked on Zynth, his expression unreadable. "Zyntherius Luminas," he said, his voice low but filled with a weight that made Zynth's heart seize. "Do you understand what you've just done?"

Zynth opened his mouth to speak, but no words came. His throat was dry, his mind racing. He didn't understand it himself. He had never felt anything like the power that had erupted from him in that moment. It was as if something deep within him had awoken, something far more powerful—and far more dangerous—than he had ever imagined.

Thaliss's gaze hardened. "That was no ordinary magic. That was the Blue Atomic Power."

The words hung in the air, heavy with significance. Zynth had heard of the Blue Atomic Power before—whispers of it in old legends, stories of ancient Chromalites who had wielded an unimaginable force that could reshape worlds, for better or for worse. It was said that those who possessed this power had a greater purpose, but the power was also unstable, unpredictable. Few had ever harnessed it, and those who did were often consumed by it.

One of the instructors, a seasoned Hunter with a scar across his face, stepped forward, his voice filled with awe. "It's said that only a chosen few are born with that power. And those who possess it… they are destined for something far greater than even the Hunters."

Zynth's mind reeled. The Blue Atomic Power? Him? How could that be? He wasn't destined for anything. He was just trying to prove himself, to follow in his father's footsteps. This power—whatever it was—wasn't something he had asked for.

But now, it was his. And it had just killed one of the greatest warriors *Chroma-Veila* had ever known.

Thaliss stepped closer, his eyes piercing through the smoke. "Do you understand the consequences of this, Zyntherius?"

Zynth shook his head, barely able to form a coherent thought. "I… I didn't mean to… I just wanted to land the hit…"

Thaliss nodded slowly, his face grim. "And you did. You didn't just hit Orion—you obliterated him. The Blue Atomic Power is a force that cannot be controlled easily. You have it, but now, the burden of mastering it falls on you. If you do not learn to control it, it will consume you. And it will destroy everything around you."

The words struck Zynth like a blow to the chest. He had wanted to be a Hunter, but now… now everything had changed. He had unlocked a power that was far beyond anything he could have imagined. And with that power came responsibility—a responsibility he wasn't sure he could handle.

But as the weight of what he had done settled over him, one thought burned brightly in the back of his mind.

He wasn't just a trainee anymore. He was something more. Something dangerous.

And his journey had only just begun.

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**End of Chapter 4**