The restroom door slammed open.
Alexei stormed in first, the rest of the team at his back. Their eyes widened at the sight of Nas, curled up against the cold tiles near a stall, trembling, barely holding himself together.
"Nas..." Phoebe's voice cracked. Her hand stretched out to him, shaking, uncertain.
He flinched, confused, hollow eyed. For a long moment, he didn't move. But her voice, soft, steady, promising she was there - pulled him back. Hesitantly, he reached for her hand. She gripped it tight, refusing to let go, and coaxed him out of the shadows.
The light caught him then.
His hair shimmered, streaked with gold and black. His eyes, glowing like twin sapphires, cut through the dim restroom. Blood traced his lip, but what struck them all was the raw untamed power radiating from him.
Phoebe didn't let go. Instead, she pulled him into her arms. His body shook against hers, his tears soaking her shoulder. "Phoebe..._ he stammered, once, before his weight collapsed fully and he fainted.
Tears streamed down her cheeks as she held him, rocking slightly, glaring at the others who only stared in shock.
"Impossible " Adrian whispered, but his lips were curved in a disbelieving smile.
When Nas woke, the world was calmer. His body has reverted, his friends circled around him, relief mixed with see.
It was late - the classrooms empty, the campus nearly silent. He tried to rise, but his legs betrayed him, unsteady like a child learning to walk.
"Take it easy" Phoebe urged, her hand hovering near his shoulder. "You... wont believe this. Sir down first."
"Believe what?" Nas rasped, his throat dry.
The group exchanged uneasy glances, tripping over who should speak. Until Adrian rolled his eyes and snapped.
"What's there to hide? Just tell him!" He leaned forward. "Nas, you have magic. You're a mage now. Congratulations. You achieved the impossible."
Nas blinked, stunned, as silence filled the restroom.
"That's right" Adrian pressed, almost laughing at the absurdity of the words. "A dud turned mage. The prayer everyone mocked you for? It's finally been answered."
"Adrian!" Phoebe hissed, glaring, before flocking her fingers. A rush of water bursts from a pipe overhead and drenched him. He cursed, sputtering, but Phoebe didn't care. She'd wanted to be the one to say it.
But the damage was done.
Nas's chest rose and fell quickly, disbelief giving way to wonder. His lips curled into a shaky, radiant smile as tears filled his eyes. "I... I have magic? Me?"
His friends nodded.
He laughed - half son, half joy - wiping his face with the back of his hand. "I can't wait to tell mom. And Victor too, hell..."
But then the memory hit. The forest. His mother's tears streamed face. Her final words. Her spell that dragged him back from the brink.
The smile faltered.
Phoebe tilted her head, worry clouding her gaze. "Nas? What's wrong?"
He shook his head quickly. "Nothing. I'm fine." Then softer, noticing her red-rimmed eyes, he reached up and tucked a stray of her hair behind her ear. His thumb brushed away the faint tear-line on her cheek. "You've been crying. Why?"
"I was just... happy to see you awaken magic" she admitted, her face warming. "It took you long enough."
Nas chuckled, even as a storm brewed quietly behind his smile.
On their way home, Adrian suddenly stopped, his brow furrowing.
"I'm sending something... off" he muttered.
Flourish and Phoebe both nodded uneasily. The air felt heavierthe wind stilled. Within moments, the group realized they were no longer walking freely - they were caught in a loop, passing the same twisted tree again and again.
"A barrier" Phoebe whispered.
The truth struck them cold: until they defeated whoever was waiting, escape was impossible. Running was no longer an option.
The figure emerged from the mist - familiar, armored, and suffocating in presence. This time, however, his mannerisms were different. He wasn't the mocking predator they had faced before. He moved with restraint, knocking them aside without drawing blood, studying rather than maiming. A performance, measured and deliberate.
Still, the kids stood no chance. One after another, they were thrown down. Even with Nas and Peter joining the fray, their attacks broke like waves against stone. And when Michael was finally snatched by the armored villain, despair clawed through the group.
Nas fell to his knees, trembling.
"Please" he whispered into the void "if I have magic... If I'm really meant for this - let me save them. Let me save my friends."
For a moment, nothing happened. Silence. The villain paused, curious, watching. Then he turned away, as if it were over.
"If it's power you want. Then power you'll get." A soft feminine voice yawned. "But, can you handle this power that has been gifted to you?"
Just then, the air split open with a surge of raw energy.
Nas rose slowly, hair blazing gold streaked with black, his eyes burning sapphire. Power pulsed through him like a second heartbeat.
The villain dropped Michael, muttering under his breath, "warren, are you seeing this?"
"He's finally awakened." Warren thought with a smirk "...oh Idia."
Nas charged, fist glowing with unleashed strength. His punch drove the villain to plant his feet heard, bracing against the impact. Steel rang against flesh. In a blur, Nas spun, his elbow cracking against the villain's chin, staggering him for the first time.
The fight raged - fist, bursts of energy, they ground trembling beneath each strike - until Nas finally broke through the armor's guard. With a roar, he drove his fist into the villain's chest, tearing open the plating. His hands clawed into the core, ripping free the chip at the heart and head. Sparks erupted - and then silence.
The suit dissolved into smoke. The barrier shattered.
The kids stood blinking in the ordinary world once more.
But Adrian sharp eyes caught the truth.
"This... wasn't him" he muttered, voice laced with suspicion. "It wasn't the real intellectual enemy. The whole thing - it was staged, the entire scenario was one big illusion crafted with magic. Someone's played wirh us... But who? And why?"
The question hung heavier than the battle itself.