THE HEIR OF AETHER

CHAPTER FIVE WHEN THE CROWN AWAKES

Night starts to come quietly and the darkness settles all over Outcast Academy.

Aren laid on his bed staring at the cracked ceiling that was above him. His body was still aching from the training he had undergone.

The dormitory was silent outside of the doors and turning of bodies on the beds.

Sleep had refused to come. His mind was drifting off and back to that moment when he lost his father.

While he was going through the thought process, he felt a strange pain in his chest again..

At first, it was small and Aren shifted his body and placed his hand over his chest directly to where the Mark was hidden.

It was a pulse and Aren froze.

The heat was growing sharper and it felt like someone was digging into his bone. He sat up slowly and was breathing hard.

"No...not again," he whispered.

Another round of pain shot through his body without any warning signs and Aren screamed out loud.

The Mark burned harshly inside his chest. He heard voices echoing in his head and in that moment nothing seemed to be real anymore.

His fingers clenched into a stone floor, while his body convulsed.

Outside the dormitory, a horn blasted all over the yard and another round followed till it became so much.

"Werewolves!" Someone screamed from the outside. "They are in the forest. They are coming to the gates!"

Aren did not hear anything clearly. He was in agony and needed to make sure no one knew what was happening to him.

He felt the power spreading inside of him. When he turned to see if others were still in bed, a painful realization struck him.

His dorm mates all left without saying a word to him.

The door burst open moments later and Lyra rushed in.

"Aren!"

She rushed forward and dropped to her knees next to him. The moment her hand touched his shoulder, Aren felt the power surged forward throwing Lyra back against the wall.

Lyra groaned in pain staring at Aren.

"The Aether Crown." She whispered in horror. "It is spreading fast."

Aren felt his body slightly lifted from the floor. The Mark glowed underneath his skin.

Meanwhile outside the Academy there was chaos everywhere as Dark shaped Werewolves leaped over the walls.

They were huge and had glowing eyes and jaws that desired blood. Some of the students screamed and others tried to fight back.

Master Dorian stood at the center of the yard, giving out commands.

A werewolf broke through two students before it was blasted apart by lightning.

Kael Stormborn stood near the front with his sword in his right hand.

"Make sure they don't get to the dormitory!" He yelled.

Back into the dormitory, Aren's pain was fading and he was not saying anything. His body dropped and the glowing light had vanished.

Lyra scrambled over to his side with her hands shaking.

"Aren?" She called.

His chest rose and fell back slowly.

For a moment, Lyra thought he was dead but then he opened his eyes.

"Aren!" She said as relief washes over her.

His eyes looked sharper and more clear at that moment.

Aren inhaled and slowly rose up from the ground.

"What happened?" He asked.

Lyra stopped to take a good look at Aren. Everything about him was different. His movement was better and his energy felt very heavy.

"You almost died." She said quietly. "And the Aether Crown. I think it woke me up."

Before Aren could reply, there was a loud crash which shook the building. The wall that was opposite to them exploded and a werewolf smashed through the stone and there was dust everywhere.

Lyra pulled out her sword instantly.

"Aren, stay back!"

The werewolf snarled with its saliva dripping down its jaws while it charged forward.

Aren moved forward precisely. He stepped to the side just as the werewolf lunged forward. His body reacted before his mind could catch what was happening.

Aren grabbed a broken piece of stone from the floor and drove it into the Werewolf's neck. He felt his powers moving through the course of his body and the Werewolf howled as it shrunk to ashes from the piece of stone.

Lyra gasped in shock, while Aren stared at his hand.

"I know where to move," he said. "I did not think. I just knew." He said while Lyra stepped forward.

She was going to say something when more howls filled the building.

"We have to move." Lyra said. "The academy is under attack."

By the time Aren and Lyra got out of the dormitory, the entire wolves were scattered across the yard. The students tried to fight, but their powers were not enough.

"We need to go!" Lyra yelled as she noticed Aren staring at the fight before him.

"No!" Aren replied. "I will fight!"

He gazed towards a werewolf who was about to lunge and attack Master Dorian and he felt rage running through the course of his body.

He could not save his father, but he could save the old man from dying.

The Mark begins to glow from within his chest and Aren feels more powerful than ever.

"No Aren! You can't unleash such power here!" Lyra pleaded.

She tried to grab his hand, but she fell back to the ground as she could not match Aren's energy.

His powers surged forward like smoke towards the werewolf. They howled in pain as they dropped to the ground, one after the other.

Lyra gasped as she saw the Werewolves turning into ashes.

"Aren!" Lyra yelled and he managed to regain control of his body before the core of his energy could explode.

"Let's go!" Lyra yelled and grabbed Aren's hand who was completely weak and their movement was slow as they rushed into the dining hall.

"And where do you think you are going?"

Lyra froze as she turned to meet Master Dorian's intense gaze.

"I...I was carrying my brother to the clinic. He is weak." Lyra says.

Master Dorian sighed and walked towards Aren. He tried standing straight but his body was failing him.

"You possess the Mark of Aether Crown!" He said with a shock on his face.

"We can explain!" Lyra said.

"That's all I need right now. An explanation!"