"What are you guys doing, to anyone who manages to hit or capture that guy they will be free from any form of punishment!" Momo announced.
The first-year students started to look at each other. They didn't want to be involved in the first place and were unsure of what to do.
"Why should we listen to you." Layla said, "Just a second ago you dealt with one of us for asking a question, who knows whether we can trust you or not."
"Fine you don't want to help, attack them all.
"The two-level fours then stopped chasing after Quin and started going for the first years, but to their surprise their abilities had grown 10 times weak, unable to tell what just happened. But fearing Momo they stilled try to do whatever possible.
Erin finally stepped forward, sword drawn when water nearly struck her, from the level 2 users. She cut the attack down with a shard of ice. "Enough," she said coldly.
"I wasn't going to get involved but you guys attacked me first," Erin said.
Layla stayed silent, only raising a wall of earth using telekinesis when the stray attacks neared her. She had no reason to defend Quinn—but she wasn't about to be collateral damage either.
Meanwhile, Quinn's body trembled with every step. He had received several wounds, and he had no mastery of these powers, The heaviness of stone, the damp rush of water—it swirled inside him like unrefined ore, waiting to be shaped. and he didn't fully want to reveal that he had abilities, that will rise too many questions.
With Erin and the other students distracting the other high levels in the room, Quinn felt like this was his chance to free Vorden, and only he can stand against Momo.
Out from the side, a long thin object came lashing out at him.
It was too fast for Quinn to react causing him to be hit across his body. Not only did the attack pierce his chest but it also sent him tumbling to the ground.
Just short Infront of Vorden.
"I am sorry Quinn, you are only getting hurt because of me this is all my fault," Vorden said.
"If you want to help him, then let me take over." A voice said in Vorden's head.
Coming towards Quinn was Momo, in his hand, he held a beast weapon whip by his side.
"You have caused so much trouble." Momo said, "I don't know how you can activate the beast weapons so well, and your surprise attacks seemed to work but you will always be a weak level one."
The whip from Momo almost drained all the energy from Quin, and in that last moment, before Momo raised his hand to whip Quin, he did the last thing he could do, by jumping towards Vorden, in an attempt to lose the chains around Vorden, but Momo's whip came too soon.
He toppled into Vorden, collapsing over him.
And then—Vorden's eyes widened, as just right now he could just feel 2 abilities finally rushing inside him.
---
Inside the assembly hall, one boy stood frozen with uncertainty—Peter. From the very beginning he had been there, blending into the crowd, praying no one would notice him. But when he saw Quinn step forward to defend Vorden, guilt twisted inside him like a knife.
And that guilt had a reason. Vorden was tied up because of Peter.
A few days earlier, the second years had cornered him with an offer that wasn't really an offer at all. "Help us lure Vorden to the hall," they told him, "And we'll make sure you don't suffer." Peter knew the truth: if he said no, they'd beat him until he gave in anyway. So, he agreed, feeling sick with himself.
After class, he convinced Vorden to follow him to the hall under the excuse of wanting extra practice. The moment they stepped inside, Momo and his gang had been waiting in the shadows. They attacked at once.
What shocked Peter most was Vorden's reaction. Instead of blaming him, Vorden shoved him aside.
"Run. This is my mess," Vorden said, even as they closed in on him.
Peter fled, heart pounding. He told himself there was nothing he could do. By the time he returned with the other students, it was already too late—Vorden was restrained, and the hall belonged to the second years.
And then Quinn—someone as powerless as himself—stepped forward to fight back. Watching that, Peter's chest ached with shame. He had betrayed his friends. He had done nothing while they suffered.
But that would change. While the others were focused on the fight, Peter quietly slipped out of the assembly hall. He was going to fix this, no matter the cost.
---
Vorden now stood directly Infront of Quin, free from the bounding chains,
"Finally, I Rayten have returned."