Chapter 6: The Awakening
590 Words
“Azul…”
The voice no longer echoed.
It spoke as though it were standing right beside him.
His body moved on its own.
Step.
Another step.
The glowing stream welcomed him with gentle ripples, its blue light reflecting in his wide eyes.
“Azul!” Bashan called. “What are you doing?”
But Azul couldn’t answer.
An invisible force drew him closer until he stood at the very edge of the water.
The instant his fingertips brushed the surface—
BOOM!
A pillar of blue light shot into the sky.
The forest shook violently.
Birds scattered from the treetops while the wind howled through the ancient woods.
The stream erupted like a living storm.
The glowing water spiraled around Azul, lifting him off the ground.
His eyes snapped shut.
Visions flooded his mind.
A magnificent kingdom…
A throne carved from sapphire…
Warriors clad in azure armor kneeling before a king…
Then…
Flames.
Blood.
A crown shattered into countless pieces.
A voice, ancient and powerful, spoke from within the light.
“The heir has awakened.”
At the same instant, another stream of light surged toward Bashan.
He instinctively raised his arms to shield himself, but the energy wrapped around him before he could move.
His body froze.
His heart pounded.
Then silence.
The light slowly faded.
Azul dropped to one knee, breathing heavily.
“What… was that?”
Bashan looked at his trembling hands.
“I… I don’t know.”
Neither of them noticed the faint blue symbols that had appeared on the backs of their hands before fading beneath their skin.
A low growl interrupted the silence.
The Shadow Fang.
The beast had recovered from its shock.
Its hesitation was gone.
With a furious roar, it charged once more.
“Move!” Bashan shouted.
Azul barely had time to react.
The beast lunged.
In a flash—
His body moved.
Not by thought.
By instinct.
He sidestepped with unbelievable speed, leaving only a blur where he had been standing.
The Shadow Fang crashed into a boulder, shattering it into fragments.
Azul stared at himself in disbelief.
“Did… I just do that?”
Bashan’s eyes widened.
“That wasn’t normal.”
The beast turned again, angrier than before.
This time, Bashan sprang forward.
He drove his shoulder into the creature’s jaw with enough force to throw its massive head off balance.
Even Bashan froze in surprise.
“I shouldn’t be that strong…”
The two rivals exchanged stunned looks.
Something had changed.
Something inside them.
Without another word, they turned and ran.
Their feet barely seemed to touch the ground.
Trees, rocks, and fallen logs flew past in a blur.
The distance that should have taken several minutes vanished in seconds.
Ahead, sunlight pierced through the forest canopy.
“The gate!” Bashan shouted.
Ordinarily, it would have taken at least fifteen seconds to reach the forest gate from the First Dong.
But neither of them realized the truth.
The mysterious stream had awakened a power sleeping deep within them.
And with every stride…
That power continued to grow.
Behind them, the Shadow Fang let out one final roar before disappearing into the depths of the Forbidden Forest.
Neither Azul nor Bashan looked back.
Neither realized that hidden among the trees, an old man cloaked in dark blue had witnessed everything.
He watched the two boys race toward the gate, his expression filled with shock.
“The prophecy…”
He tightened his grip on the ancient staff in his hand.
“So… it has finally begun.”
- Writer
