The Whispering Woods were a realm apart—an ancient forest where the trees whispered forgotten secrets and the air shimmered with latent magic. It was a place where even the bravest trainees feared to tread.
The Hunt was meant to be a trial of skill and teamwork. The creatures within were supposed to be manageable—wild beasts, dangerous but no match for the Academy's elite.
But silence fell quickly.
No rustling leaves. No birdsong. Only a heavy, unnatural stillness.
Then came the roar.
A horned panther, cloaked in azure flames that danced like liquid sapphire, burst from the shadows. Its eyes burned with primordial fury, its claws gouging the earth with terrible force.
Panic surged through the trainees. Screams echoed as the panther tore through ranks with lightning speed, shredding flesh and armor alike.
Kael's eyes gleamed silver as he stepped into the clearing.
The beast's gaze locked with his. It lunged with savage intent.
Kael's body did not move.
With a mere thought, time twisted and the panther froze mid-leap, suspended in an invisible cage woven by pure will.
Gasps erupted from the survivors.
Kael reached deep into the essence of the beast. His mind embraced the fiery power—the speed, the strength, the flames—and pulled it into himself.
His body surged with the stolen might of the panther. His wounds healed rapidly, his senses sharpened beyond mortal limits.
The beast collapsed, its flames extinguished, erased from existence.
A heavy silence fell.
Ryn, bloodied and defeated, spat, "You're no mortal. You're an abomination."
Kael's smile was cold, confident, and eternal.
"This is only the beginning."
And with those words, the world of gods and men would tremble.