Unleashed Darkness

The dawn breaks, but its light does nothing to ease the icy knot of fear in my gut. My heart pounds like a war drum in my chest as I step into the arena, a vast space encased by shimmering walls of magic, designed to contain the power that will soon be unleashed.

The air is thick with tension, and every breath I take feels like it could shatter the fragile peace before the storm.

Across from me, Dustin stands, his face pale but determined. His eyes, however, betray a flicker of fear—the same fear that gnaws at my insides. I know what he is capable of—his wind magic is swift and relentless, a force that can slice through steel if given the chance.

When he harassed Ivy, he was barely using any of his true potential.

But I also know what I am capable of, and that terrifies me more than anything Dustin could throw at me.

The Keepers line the edges of the arena, their expressions impassive and cold. They are here to observe, to judge, and to determine whether I am fit to remain at Keeper Academy as their lab rat. I catch sight of the Principal Keeper; his gaze locks onto me with an intensity that makes my skin crawl.

He promises that no one will die today as a result of combat during the duel. He implies that their defensive magic will protect us. But I can feel the darkness within me stirring, hungry and wild, and I'm not sure if any magic can contain it.

Dustin makes the first move, his hands glowing with a soft, greenish light as he summons the winds to his command. The surrounding air swirls, forming a vortex that lifts him off the ground. His voice is steady, but there is a tremor in it as he speaks the incantation that will set his magic loose.

"Tempest Gale!" he shouts.

The wind roars to life, a furious cyclone that races toward me, tearing at the ground and sending debris flying in all directions. I barely have time to react, raising my hand instinctively, and with it, the dark magic surges.

"No!" I yell, but it's too late. The dark energy explodes from within me; a wave of purple and black flames meets Dustin's cyclone head-on. The two forces collide with a deafening crash, sending shockwaves through the arena. The magical barrier around us holds, but I can feel the ground beneath my feet tremble as the power of our clash shakes the very foundation of the academy.

Dustin's eyes widen in horror as he sees the dark flames devouring his wind, eating away at anything that stands in its way, and for a moment, I see the boy behind the bully—a boy who has been forced into this duel just as I have, a boy who now realizes that he is in over his head.

A boy who is not inherently evil but insecure about himself and his social standing.

I want to stop, to pull back the darkness before it can do any real harm, but the magic has a will of its own. It feeds off my fear, my anger, and my desperation, growing stronger with every passing second.

I watch in helpless terror as the flames engulf Dustin, wrapping around him like a living thing, siphoning away his strength and life force.

"Stop!" I scream, but the magic does not listen. It never does.

The roar of the raging flames drowns Dustin's shrieks out, his figure barely visible through the purple inferno of hell. The Keepers remain silent, their expressions unreadable as they continue to observe, taking notes and whispering to one another.

Finally, the flames recede; the darkness retreats into the depths of my soul. I stand there, trembling, my hands still glowing with the remnants of the dark magic, as the smoke clears to reveal Dustin lying on the ground, motionless.

His body is still intact—barely—but his chest rises and falls in shallow, labored breaths.

His skin looks pale, almost translucent, as if someone has drained the very essence of life from him.

I take a step forward, my legs weak, and fall to my knees beside him. His eyes flutter open, glazed and unfocused, and I see the fear there—the realization of how close he has come to death. My hands hover over him, trembling as I try to find some way to undo the damage I have done.

"I'm sorry," I whisper, but the words feel hollow and meaningless.

Sorry won't change what has happened; it won't bring back the life force I have stolen from him. I have wanted to win, but not like this. Never like this.

The Keepers finally move, their leader stepping forward with a nod to the others. They approach us, their hands glowing with light as they work to stabilize Dustin and keep him from slipping away entirely. I watch as they lift him onto a stretcher; their movements are efficient and practiced, but there is no comfort in their actions. They are doing their duty, nothing more.

While they carry Dustin out of the arena, I find myself alone in the silence, with the weight of what I have done pressing down on me like a thousand thorns in my heart. The worst thing about this whole situation is that somehow, from Dustin's pain and the damage done to his body, I feel more powerful, not even human.

My eyes glow a deep purple hue for a moment before disappearing like they weren't there in the first place.

The tsunami of magical energy circulating through me crashes into my heart and then stores itself throughout my body.

The Principal Keeper steps forward, his gaze cold and unforgiving.

"You are not expelled," he says, showing no emotion. "But understand this, Nico. We will keep a close eye on you from now on. You will use your fire magic in public, and only under supervision will you be allowed to access the dark magic within you. Fail to control it, and the consequences will be far worse than expulsion."

I nod, my throat too tight to speak. The principal turns away, leaving me to follow in his wake as he leads me to the great hall where the other students await. But as I walk, my mind races with the horror of what I have done and the realization that the power within me is more dangerous than I have ever imagined.

Dustin might have been a bully, but he doesn't deserve this. No one does. And now, I will have to live knowing that my victory has come at a terrible cost.

As the doors to the great hall loom before me, I know that this is just the beginning. The tests ahead will challenge me in ways I can't yet imagine, but nothing will be more difficult than facing the darkness within myself.