In the vast city of Lumora, where neon lights flickered alongside towering buildings of glass and metal, Kael awoke in the cold, sterile hospital room, his head pounding. His breath was shallow, his body drenched in a cold sweat. The hum of machinery around him seemed distant, almost muted, as if it was coming from somewhere far away from him. He could barely remember how he ended up here, and there was a strange sensation in his chest, like a foreign power stirring within him,it was subtle buy undeniable.
"Kael…?"
The voice came from the doorway. A woman, older than him by several years, entered the room. Her name was Seraphine, and she was his only family. But she wasn't here to comfort him. Her eyes held a glint of curiosity, as though she were studying him.
"Seraphine… What's happening? Where am I?" Kael's voice cracked.
Seraphine remained silent for a moment before approaching him with slow and calculated steps. "You've… changed."
Kael frowned, confused. "Changed? What are you talking about?"
She hesitated, looking around as if ensuring no one else was watching before she pulled out a small device from her pocket. It glowed softly, and a holographic display flickered to life. "It's your mana. It's been altered, enhanced." She scrolled through the data on the device, her expression unreadable. "You're an Etherion."
Kael's eyes widened in shock. "An Etherion? But… I don't have any magical abilities. I've never—"
"You've always had them," Seraphine interrupted. "But they were dormant, suppressed. Until now."
Kael stared at her, his heart racing. Magic? Him? He had heard of Etherions before—the powerful individuals who could manipulate mana to bend reality to their will. But to be one? It seemed impossible.
"Then why now? Why would I suddenly—?"
"You've awakened," she said simply. "Your powers have been unlocked. Someone or something has triggered it after all the causes of awakening are varied from case to case."
Before Kael could ask more questions, the door to the room slid open with a hiss, and a tall, imposing figure stepped inside. He wore a black uniform adorned with silver accents, and his face was hidden behind a mask.
"Seraphine," the man said in a low, grating voice. "The Council has issued an order. He must come with us."
Kael blinked, feeling the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. "Who are you?"
The man turned to him, his eyes sharp and calculating beneath the mask. "I am Executor Jalen of the Etherion Control Unit. You've been marked as a potential threat to the system. The Council wishes to see you."
Kael's mind raced. The Council? The same Council that controlled the flow of magic through the city? They wanted to see him?
Before Kael could react, Seraphine stepped forward, her body tense. "You're not taking him," she said firmly.
Jalen's expression didn't change, but his voice was colder. "It's not up to you. We cannot allow any unregulated Etherion to roam freely. His powers must be tested."
Kael's body trembled as something deep inside him began to stir—his mana, no longer dormant, pushed against his skin like a coiled spring. A whispering sensation filled his mind. Let it go. Let it out.
The power, unfamiliar yet primal, surged in his chest, and he stumbled to his feet, his vision blurring. He could feel the magical energy pulsing through his veins, like fire flooding his limbs. With a guttural cry, Kael extended his hand, instinctively releasing the magic that had been buried inside him for so long.
The room trembled as a wave of raw energy burst from Kael's outstretched hand, slamming into Jalen and sending him crashing into the wall with a violent force. The walls flickered with a strange, shimmering light as Kael gasped for air, his hand still raised in the air.
The power that had once been so foreign to Kael now felt natural, as if it had always been a part of him, waiting for the right moment to emerge. He looked at his hands, the glow of his mana flickering like a storm contained within him.
Jalen stood up from where he had been thrown against the wall with astonishing ease and brushed of the dust on his shoulder, his masked face showed no sign of pain. Slowly, he stood up, his movements mechanical. "You've proven yourself to be dangerous. We will take you in."
"Take me in?" Kael repeated, his voice trembling with a mixture of fear and anger. "I don't even know what's happening to me. Why would I go with you?"
"Because," Jalen replied, stepping forward, "the council wishes to take you in and their authority shall not be questioned." Jalen gave a shot pause and then said "at least not by me….and certainly not by you either."
Kael clenched his fists, his resolve hardening. He didn't know what this power meant or how it had awakened within him, but he couldn't just let them take him. Not without answers.
"That's quite excessive don't you think, after all I'm still just a minor " Kael muttered with a wry smile, taking a step back.
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