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Chapter 2: The Idol's Fury
The moonlight bathed the academy's courtyard in silver silence.
Nabila Aderenle stood frozen, her heart pounding as she watched Malik's transformation. The scrawny, fragile boy she had shielded from the shadows was gone.
What stood in his place was something else entirely.
White hair shimmered like starlight, muscles sculpted as though carved by the gods, and eyes—those eyes, glowing with violet storms—radiated both sorrow and a terrifying resolve.
Nabila's lips parted, but no words came. She had trained with monsters, dueled prodigies, stared down creatures from beyond. None of them had shaken her as much as this moment.
So this is… Malik's true self?
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Her fists clenched. A sharp pain stung in her chest—rage, guilt, and relief all crashing together.
Rage at Dick and his pack of cowards who had done this to him.
Guilt for standing by, hidden, while Malik bled.
Relief that he had not died… though she wasn't sure what he had become.
"Malik…" she whispered softly, as if the name itself might tether him back to the boy she once knew.
But Malik had already vanished into the night, his newfound speed carrying him beyond her reach.
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The next day, whispers filled the academy like wildfire.
"Did you hear? Malik was attacked again."
"I heard he's in the infirmary—dead this time."
"No, someone said he vanished! Just disappeared like a ghost."
"Either way, he won't last long. Trash like that never does."
The gossip was cruel, careless. Nabila walked through the halls with her usual grace, cold and untouchable, her silver hair flowing like silk. None dared speak ill of Malik in her presence, though she could hear their mutters once she passed.
Her expression betrayed nothing. But inside, her fury burned.
If Malik is gone… if Dick truly killed him… I will not forgive it. Not even if he is the King's son.
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Later, in the Aderenle estate, the fury only deepened.
Her father, Lord Aderenle, awaited her in the grand hall. His robes of deep crimson and gold signified his status—second only to the King himself. He regarded his daughter with the same calm, unyielding authority he gave all things.
"Nabila," he said, his voice measured, "the King and I have spoken. The engagement is settled. You will marry Richard."
Her breath caught. "What…?"
Lord Aderenle's eyes narrowed. "You are the pride of our family. Your union with the crown prince will secure our future. Together, you will strengthen the throne."
Her heart twisted violently. Rage clawed up her throat, but she bit it back.
Dick. That bastard. After what he's done… they want me to be his bride?
"Father," she said, her voice tight, "Richard is unworthy."
"Enough." The word carried the weight of finality. "You will obey. The king himself requested this alliance. Do not disgrace us."
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That night, alone in her chambers, Nabila pressed a trembling hand against her heart.
She had always played the perfect daughter—the untouchable idol of the academy, the pride of her house. Cold on the outside, unreachable. Only she knew the truth: she had been protecting Malik in secret, shielding him when no one else cared.
And now… her family had bound her fate to the very monster who had tried to kill him.
Tears pricked her eyes, but she crushed them away.
Malik… I don't know what happened to you last night. But if you truly awakened… if you've truly changed… then don't stop. Keep rising. Even if the whole world stands against you.
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Far from the academy, Malik stood atop a desolate cliff overlooking the sleeping city. The wind whipped through his white hair, his purple eyes burning in the dark.
The world had branded him weak.
Fate had marked him as Chaos.
The Child of Destiny had stolen everything from him once.
But this time was different. This time he had power.
"I will break this world," Malik murmured, his voice calm, merciless. "And from its ashes, I will carve a place where no one can ever chain me again."
The night roared with thunder, violet lightning flashing across the horizon—heralding the rise of the Child of Chaos.
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