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After the thunder struck, everything changed.
A surge of heat and light swallowed me whole. I couldn't move. I couldn't breathe. I wasn't even standing—I was suspended in mid-air, weightless, engulfed in a blinding white glow.
My body trembled violently as raw energy coursed through my veins. My vision blurred, then sharpened.
When the light finally faded, I dropped softly to the bed and blacked out.
LATE IN THE EVENING
The world was quiet when I opened my eyes.
A soft orange glow filtered in through the window, casting golden streaks across the room. Evening.
I sat up slowly, the bedsheets slipping off my chest—and froze.
Something felt different.
My breath caught as I looked down. My arms—thicker. Veins pulsing. My abs—defined. My skin shimmered faintly, like it held residual energy from the storm that struck me.
I swung my legs over the bed and caught sight of my reflection in the mirror across the room.
Blue hair. Long, wild, and untamed, draping over my shoulders like a warrior from legend —long, flowing, and blue like a roaring tide. My eyes, once dull brown, now radiated a piercing cerulean glow, My eyes glowed faintly—an eerie, electric blue.. The air around me warped, charged with an aura so intense it made the ground tremble.
I didn't recognize myself.
"What the hell…?" I whispered.
"You finally woke up, Sleeping Beauty," Damian said with a snicker in my head.
I flinched. "What... what happened to me?"
"You evolved," he said simply. "The storm didn't hurt you—it awakened you."
I stood, staring at my reflection, heart pounding. The aura around me crackled faintly, distorting the air.
This wasn't a dream.
This was real.
I wasn't the same Keisa anymore.
And the world was about to find out.
Gone was the lanky, wiry frame I once had. Now, I was ripped. My clothes had been incinerated in the transformation—good riddance, really. Thick muscles wrapped my frame, my chest carved with defined abs, my thighs bulging with power. I was a completely different person.
"What the hell…?" I muttered, staring at my own reflection in a puddle of water, mesmerized.
A low chuckle echoed inside my head.
Damian.
"All right, spill it," I said, narrowing my now-glowing eyes.
"Spill what?" he replied innocently.
I folded my arms. "Don't play coy. You've been hiding something."
A beat of silence.
"Well…" Damian began, "There's something I might have forgotten to mention."
I rolled my eyes. "Of course there is. Out with it."
"For years, without a true master, most of my abilities were sealed. Dormant. But that… burst you just unleashed? That rage? It unlocked everything."
I blinked. "Everything?"
Damian's tone grew serious. "Now, the real training begins."
My stomach twisted. "Define 'real' training."
"From this point on, you'll be trained by different masters, each from a unique cultivation path strategically positioned by Michiko to train you . Each one will push you harder than the last. It's going to break you—rebuild you. But I believe you can do it."
"That sounds… horrifying," I muttered. "And exciting."
"Good. You'll need that excitement," Damian said. "There's a war coming. And you're not ready—not yet. But you will be."
I exhaled slowly, letting that sink in. "Still don't get half the crap you just said, but all right."
Damian sighed dramatically. "Let me simplify it. Remember when I said my core was locked? Yeah, Dregan did that in the last battle.But somehow, you just unlocked it. Now I can access my full potential—and so can you."
Before I could respond, Damian added with a smirk in his voice, "Now tell me about this Inter-School Golden Orchid Competition."
I rubbed my temples. "You're the ancient spirit. You tell me."
"C'mon. Humor me."
"Fine," I sighed. "Once every thirty years, all three ARADINA ,KANDESH ,DUTRIB kingdoms come together for a massive competition. It's split into three phases—Inter-Rank, Inter-School, and Inter-Kingdom. Each phase has eight stages. You fight eight opponents in different environments, under different rules."
I paused. "The Inter-Rank phase is the first. Top students, representing various masters, duel in the school until three champions emerge."
"No weapons. No booze. No amulets. No cheat codes. Just raw power and skill."
Damian's voice was casual: "We're signing up."
I choked. "What?! Have you lost your damn mind?! That's suicide! You want me to fight the top eight monsters in this academy? I just grew abs today!"
"I didn't choose you to be a coward, Kingston. I chose you to face every challenge without backing down," Damian said, firm and unwavering.
I gave a dry laugh. "You ever consider motivational speaking as a side gig?"
He ignored me.
I sat down, thinking it over. Signing up would be insane. Like asking a baby deer to run with lions. But still… the power I felt earlier—it was real. I just needed to master it.
"You know what?" I said quietly. "We got this. We'll train, and we'll win. Or die trying."
"That's the spirit," Damian replied.
"First things first—I need to check in with Master. It's been a while since I saw that old grump."
"And how exactly are we going to hide that monstrous aura of yours?" I asked, suddenly realizing how noticeable I must look.
"Relax. I'll handle the aura suppression," Damian said smugly. "Also… take a bath. You smell like a wet skunk."
I groaned. "You just had to ruin the moment."
Still, I did as told. I went into the bathroom, trying to manage the absurdly long hair now trailing down my back. Shampoo kept getting into my eyes while Damian cackled like a demon in my head.
Once I was done, I towel-dried myself, glaring at my reflection. Note to self: get a damn blow dryer.
Opening my wardrobe, I groaned. "What do I even wear now?"
Damian snapped. "Just pick something already!"
"There's too many choices!"
Without warning, he hijacked my body. A blink later, I was dressed in navy-blue joggers, a white shirt beneath a navy-blue polo, and crisp white sneakers and my ear was packed up in a neat bun with a white face cap.
I stared at the mirror. Damn. I looked good. Too good.
"You're quite the stylist," I said.
"Better than your tragic fashion choices before," Damian snorted.
I rolled my eyes and stepped outside. Almost immediately, gasps and whispers rippled through the student body. People stared, confused. Some even pulled out their phones taking pictures especially the girls some were drooling, some winkinh6it's natural they didn't know who I was considering the transformation plus I came out of the domitory they didn't know I was peice of shit .
I ignored all of them and made my way to Master's house—until a group of girls blocked my path.
My eyes narrowed.
In the center was Joan—Jayden's sister. High B rank. Dangerous. Entitled. And clearly used to getting whatever she wanted.
She stepped forward, eyes locked on me.
"Hey, handsome," she purred. "Haven't seen you before. I like what I see. Wanna be friends?"
I was tempted to play along—until Damian's voice snapped through my head.
"Don't. You. Dare."
"C'mon," I said. "Can't I have a little fun?"
"You wanna keep your balls intact when Jayden finds out? Be my guest," Damian growled.
I sighed. "Fine…"
I met Joan's eyes, letting my expression turn cold. Phones were out, recording everything.
Perfect.
"I don't befriend trash cans," I said flatly. "They reek. And even if you were the last woman on Earth, I'd still pass."
I brushed past her, shoulder slamming against hers, not even looking back. The silence that followed was deafening.
Let them talk. Let them wonder.
Because the old Kingston?
He's gone.
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