POV: Aria
I didn't sleep.
Every creak, every whisper, every footstep in the hallway kept me awake with the mysterious knife clutched in my hand. When morning finally came, I was exhausted and paranoid and absolutely not ready for my first day of classes.
"Combat Training is mandatory for all first-years," Ivy explains as we walk toward the training arena. "Don't worry, they usually go easy on newbies. You'll probably just practice basic defensive—"
"Aria Blackwell." Instructor Graves, a man who looks like he eats nails for breakfast, points at me the second we enter. "You're up first."
My stomach drops. "First?"
"Demonstration match." His smile is cruel. "Let's see what the famous Eclipse heir can actually do."
The entire class goes silent. About fifty students circle the arena, watching. Waiting.
"Your opponent will be Sebastian Blackwell," Graves announces.
No. No, no, no.
Sebastian steps into the arena, already smirking. He's been training in combat magic since he was six. I've never thrown a punch in my life.
"This isn't fair," I say quietly.
"Life isn't fair," Graves replies. "Begin when ready."
I hear students whispering. Making bets.
"Five gold coins she doesn't last thirty seconds."
"I give her twenty."
"She's Eclipse. Maybe she'll surprise us."
Sebastian cracks his knuckles, magic already crackling around his fists—golden energy that marks him as Sovereign House. "Ready to be humiliated, stepsister?"
I raise my hands, having no idea what I'm doing. "Sebastian, we don't have to—"
He attacks.
A blast of golden magic slams into my chest, lifting me off my feet and throwing me backward. I hit the arena floor hard, all the air leaving my lungs.
Laughter echoes around me.
"Get up," Graves orders. "Defend yourself."
I struggle to stand, my ribs screaming in pain. How do I defend against magic? I don't even know how to use mine.
Sebastian advances, not bothering to hide his glee. "This is for all those years you lived in our house. For breathing our air. For existing."
Another blast. This time I try to dodge, but I'm too slow. The magic catches my shoulder, spinning me around and sending me crashing into the arena wall.
My vision blurs. I taste blood.
"Stop," I gasp, but my voice is too quiet. Nobody hears.
"The mighty Eclipse," Sebastian taunts, loud enough for everyone to hear. "Look at her. She's pathetic. All that power and she can't even stand up straight."
He moves closer, lowering his voice so only I can hear. "Regina sends her regards. She told me to remind you—you're nothing. You've always been nothing. And if you try to be anything more, we'll destroy you. Just like we destroyed your mother."
The world stops.
"What did you say?" My voice doesn't sound like mine.
"Your mom." Sebastian leans in, smiling. "You thought that was an accident? Regina's been planning since before she married your pathetic father. Your mother was just the first obstacle to remove."
Heat builds in my chest. Not normal heat. Something deeper, hotter, dangerous.
"You're lying."
"Am I?" He raises his hand for another attack. "Face it, Aria. You're alone. Powerless. And you're going to—"
Something inside me snaps.
It's not anger. It's not fear. It's something primal, ancient, furious—like a sleeping giant waking up after centuries.
"No," I whisper.
Power erupts from my body.
Not one color. All five. Gold. Black. Blue. Red. Silver. They swirl around me like a storm, crackling with energy that makes the air itself scream.
Sebastian stumbles backward, his smirk finally disappearing. "What—"
The arena floor cracks beneath my feet. Every torch in the room flares white-hot. Students cry out, throwing up defensive shields.
I take a step forward.
The power builds higher, brighter, more intense. I can feel it filling every cell in my body, demanding release, begging to be unleashed.
Sebastian tries to blast me again, but his magic dissolves before it reaches me—simply ceases to exist.
"Aria!" Graves shouts. "Stand down!"
I don't know how.
My vision starts going white at the edges. The power is too much. Too big. I'm going to explode, or implode, or destroy everything within a hundred feet.
Sebastian's face is pure terror now. Good. Let him be scared. Let him feel what I felt my entire life living under Regina's roof.
Let him—
The white completely fills my vision.
I hear screaming. Don't know if it's me or everyone else.
The last thing I see before everything goes blank:
Four figures rushing into the arena from different directions. Moving faster than should be possible. Reaching for me as reality itself starts to tear apart.
Then nothing.
Just white light, infinite power, and the terrifying realization that I can't stop it.
I'm going to kill everyone in this room.
Including myself.