Chapter 16

Ethan found himself standing in front of Silver Field. That's weird; he's never been outside the school before. The scene soon changes. The sky was red, and the sun was black, like there was an eclipse. He looks behind him, and the school is in ruins. A dark silhouette of a boy appears, holding someone in his arms.

Ethan could recognize the person in the boy's arms. It's Taegen, and he's dead. What is going on? Did that boy kill Taegen?

Then the scene changes, and he sees Emily, Hadrian, the heads, the arcs—everyone facing him. But where is he? Isn't he supposed to be here?

Before he could do anything, he was drawn back and opened his eyes. Hadrian was holding him; his face looked panicked, Emily was there as well, and she was wearing the same expression.

"What?" he said in confusion. What was that? He never remembers his dreams, but he still remembers this one as clear as day. "What happened?" he asked.

"You were speaking in a different language in your sleep, and you didn't wake when I tried to wake you," Hadrian replies.

Ethan was confused. "Speaking a different language?" he asked.

"Then a time symbol appeared on your forehead," Emily said, pointing to his forehead. "You enjoy worrying us! Don't you?" Emily shouted at Ethan, but he ignored her.

He has never fully learned how to control the Third Rank of his ability, but this rank has been unconsciously activated; it isn't supposed to have been activated like this; it was almost like a warning. "It was part of my ability," he explained. "I had a vision," he said.

Emily's eyes widened. "A vision?" Hadrian asked.

"But all of your visions have never come true," she said. "Like the last time, you said you had a vision; you always saw the end of the world, which I doubt will be happening anytime soon," she said, jokingly.

Ethan got offended by this. Well, it's different this time," he said. "It seems like this would happen a lot sooner," he said.

"Then what did you see?" Emily asked.

"The destruction of Silver Field and the death of Taegen," he replies.

The mood to make fun of Ethan left Emily immediately. "What?" she said. She knows that the vision didn't say she was the one who caused the destruction, despite her mission.

"Everyone was standing in front of someone holding Taegen's dead body; I think they were about to fight him," Ethan explained.

"Who was it?" Emily asked.

"I don't know," Ethan replies. "Where isTaegen?"

"Finn said that he and Mr. Myster were called to the academy for an emergency earlier this morning," Hadrian replies.

"Can you find out what the emergency is?" he asked Emily.

Emily nodded and stood up to leave.

Ethan was eating his breakfast in bed, brought to him by Hadrian. He ate everything but the strange-looking dark liquid at the side of the tray.

"Aren't you going to drink it?" Hadrian asked, pointing at the bowl containing the liquid.

Ethan looks at the bowl in disgust. "I'd rather not," he replies.

"But Finn said it would make you feel better faster."

Ethan didn't want to drink that; it looked like it would make him sicker than he already is.

Hadrian felt helpless by Ethan's behavior, so he brought up a proposition. "How about I drink half of it, and if I spit it out, then you don't have to drink it?" he said.

Ethan looks at Hadrian, raising an eyebrow at him. "Alright," he replies.

Hadrian picks up the bowl; the aroma hits his nose, and he feels like gagging immediately. He looks at Ethan, who is looking at him expectantly. He prays silently and begins to drink it.

'It tastes worse than it looks,' he thought, wanting to spit it out, but he didn't. Ethan needs to drink this as well.

Ethan looked at Hadrian anxiously, waiting for him to spit it out, but when he saw that he didn't, he became worried. He doesn't want to drink such a horrid-looking liquid. It looks like it might even taste worse than the pill he took last night.

After a few gulps, Hadrian stops drinking, and the liquid is exactly halfway empty.

He hands Ethan the bowl. "Your turn," he said.

"Are you okay?" Ethan asked worriedly. He drank half of this horrid-looking liquid without gagging or spitting it out.

"Yes," Hadrian replies. His face looks like it has lost all its life.

"Yeah, I don't think I'm going to drink that," Ethan said, pushing the bowl away.

Hadrian glares coldly at Ethan. "Don't make me force it down your throat, Ethan," he said, and he doesn't sound nice.

Ethan wanted to cry, but he didn't know how to do so. Hadrian has a scary look on his face.

Ethan complies and collects the bowl from Hadrian. Just as he was about to drink it. The smell of the liquid hits his nose, and he immediately drops it. "No, I can't do it."

Ethan felt anger radiate from Hadrian, and he felt weirdly afraid as if he knew what he was going to do.

Hadrian picks up the bowl and begins to move closer to Ethan. "Open your mouth," he said in a scary voice.

Ethan refused and moved his head to the side. His action said, 'I'm not going to open my mouth, and there's nothing you can do about it.'

Ten minutes later...

Ethan regretted not opening his mouth and forgetting that Hadrian has a blood manipulation ability. He used his ability to open his jaw and kept his throat open, he watched in horror as the vile liquid was poured into his mouth.

His taste buds are dead, and his life flashed before his eyes. "I hate you," he whimpers in despair.

"Good boy," Hadrian said, stroking his hair in an attempt to comfort him.

Ethan had lost all the strength in his body. "I can still taste it," he said.

Hadrian smiled nicely. "But now you will be able to get better," he said sweetly.

"You're a monster," Ethan said. Now he is permanently traumatized, and his mental health is never going to recover from this.

Emily entered the room in a hurry. "Ethan, I've found out what is happening in the academy," she said.

"Not now, Emily," Ethan groaned. "My tongue has been destroyed by Hadrian," he said.

Emily's imagination went wild, but she shook her head. 'No, no,' she said to herself, trying not to think about it.

'You are disgusting.'

"Shut up," Emily shouted, annoyed.

"What did I do?" Ethan said, feeling confused.

"Nothing," Emily said, quickly. "Anyway, you have to know," she said. "The school has a Code Black."

Ethan sat up almost immediately. "What is a Code Black?" Hadrian asked in confusion.

"The Dark Realm is attacking the academy," Ethan whispers.

"The Dark Realm?" Hadrian asked. "I thought that realm's gates were sealed off," he said.

"It wasn't completely sealed off; the Dark Realm can still cause some trouble if they want," Ethan explained to him. "But the question is, why would they want to attack Silver Field all of a sudden?"

"Do you think it's because of the kidnapping?" Hadrian asked.

Ethan thought for a while. "It is possible," he said. "After all, that old man said that he was only after me to find the Staff of Nox to unlock the gates of the Dark Realm."

`"And you are not in Silver Field at all, so if they want to capture you, it would be in vain," Emily said.

"Yes, it would be in vain," Ethan said.

"But let's not forget your vision," Hadrian said. "Silver Field was in ruins," he said.

Ethan didn't say anything about it.

Finn came into the room holding a phone. "Taegen wants to talk to you," he said, handing Ethan the phone before leaving.

"Hello?" Ethan said.

"Stop hacking into the school's system," he said.

Ethan's eyes widened in surprise. "What made you think I did it?" he asked jokingly.

"Now isn't the time for jokes, Ethan," Taegen said seriously.

Taegen never sounds this serious. He's usually a laid-back person.

"I'm sure you already know of the Dark Realm attacking Silver Field," Taegen said at the other end of the phone. "I'm going to say this now," he said. "Don't join in on this fight."

"Why?" Ethan asked, raising his voice.

"I'm sure you know why, Ethan," Taegen said. "The Dark Realm is after you, and we would be handing you over to them if you were present. I don't want anything to happen to you," he said softly to Ethan like he was speaking to a child.

"I'm not just going to hand myself over like a slice of cake," Ethan argued back.

"You handed yourself over like a piece of cake when Hadrian kidnapped you," Taegen said.

"That--" Ethan couldn't argue with that fact, but he is hurt that Taegen doesn't trust him enough to defend himself on the battlefield.

"It doesn't matter now," Taegen said. "You start at your new school tomorrow, and I've asked Finn not to let you use your abilities."

"What?" Ethan exclaimed angrily.

"I'll speak to you later," Taegen said. "Don't be too angry when I return home, alright?"