THE WEIGHT OF A KING

THE SILENCE AFTER THE STORM...

The moment Elias Nightshade opened his eyes, he knew the world had changed.

He stood in the middle of the Academy's training arena, his breayhing heavy, his body still buzzing with an unfamiliar power. Around him, the air crackled the energy, as if the very fabric of reality had trembled at his awakening.

The once- roaring crowd had fallen into absolute silence. Students who had mocked him just days ago now looked at him with awe, gear? And disbelief. In their eyes, je was no longer the weakling of the weakling divison. He was something else.

And lying in front of him-Lucius Vorn, the Academy's top prodigy, gasping for breath, his once-brilliant flames completely extinguished.

Elias had won.

But at what cost?

His hand still trembled, not from exhaustion, but from the Raw, untamed energy coursing through his veins. The dark mist that had erupted from his body had faded, but its presence lingered, pulsing just beneath the surface.

It was terrifying.

This power... it's too much.

For a moment, Elias wasn't sure if it was even his own.

LUCIUS VORN: BROKEN PRIDE...

Lucius pushed himself onto his knees, his face contorted with rage and disbelief. His Golden eyes- once filled with pride and arrogance- now burned with something else entirely. Humiliation.

"This...this is impossible," Lucius Spat, his voice shaking. " you had nothing! you were nothing! how did you-?"

Elias didn't answer. He didn't have one.

Lucius's hands clenched into fists. "That Power...it should not belong to you!" His voice cracked, his Fury barely contained. "you are just nobody! A weakling!"

The words cut deep, but Elias refused to let them show. Instead, he stepped forward, standing over Lucius, his Shadow stretching across the fallen Prodigy.

"Looks like you are the one on the ground now, Lucius." Elias's voice was calm, but there was an edge to it-a quite power that hadn't been there before

Lucius trembled. He had never lost before .

The students around them whispered in Hushed voices:

Did you see that? That was insane!"

" Lucius actually lost?"

"what the hell was that black energy Elias used?"

"Is he... even human?"

Lucius's face twisted into a snarl, his anger barely controlled. He forced himself to his feet, his entire body shaking with frustration.

"This isn't over." his voice was low, filled with Venom. "I will make you regret this, Nightshade."

And with that, Lucius turned and walked away, leaving behind the shattered remain of his Pride.

But even as he disappeared into the crowd , Elias knew- this wasn't the end.

Lucius would be back. Stronger. More dangerous. And next time, he would not fight fair.

THE HEADMASTER ARRIVES...

Before Elias could process what had just happened, a presence descended upon the arena-one so powerful that it felt like the very air had turned to stone.

A single man walked forward, his dark robe billowing behind him, his boots echoing against the stone floor. His piercing silver eyes locked onto Elias with an intensity that sent a shiver down his spine.

Vladis Arcanis.

The headmaster of Arcane Crown Academy. A legendary mage, a ruler of magic so powerful that even kings bowed before him.

The moment he arrived, the whispers died instantly. No one dared to speak in his presence.

Elias swallowed hard as Vladis approached him, his unreadable gaze never wavering.

For a moment, there was only silence.

Then-"you awakened something that should have temained buried.

Elias stiffened.

Vladis's gaze didn't hold the fear the students had, nor the jealousy that burned Lucius's eyes.

No, his eyes held calculation. Curiosity. And something else. Something dangerous.

"That power inside you," Vladis continued, his voice cold, "is not ordinary magic. It is ancient. Forbidden. And if you cannot control it, it will consume you.

Elias clenched his fists. "Then teach me to control it."

For the first time, something flickered across Vladis's face- interest.

"Perhaps," Vladis mused, his gaze still drilling into Elias's very soul. " But know this, Nightshade - this world does not tolerate unchecked power. Many Will Seek to control you, others will seek to kill you. You are no longer invisible. You have placed yourself in the centre of a game for larger than you realize."

His words sent a cold chill down Elias's spine.

"The Arcane War is coming," Vladis murmured almost to himself. "And I wonder...will you be it's ruler?Or its first casualty?"

And with that, Vladis turned and walked away, leaving Elias with more question then answers.

SERAPHINA'S WARNING...

As the crowd slowly dispersed, Elias felt a familiar presence behind him.

"That was reckless," a voice said.

He turned to see Seraphina Vale, her violet eyes studying carefully. She had been watching everthing.

"You don't understand what you've just done, Elias," she said, crossing her arms. "You've awakened something dangerous. And now, you're a target."

Elias exhaled sharply. "I didn't ask for this."

"It doesn't matter," she replied. " Power doesn't care whether you want it or not. It only cares who can weild it."

Elias met her gaze. "The I'll learn to weild it."

Seraphina studied him for a long moment, then sighed. " if you're serious about this, meet me at the east tower tomorrow at dawn."

Elias frowned. "Why?"

She turned away. "Because if you don't learn to control that power, Elias...."

"It will control you."