The rescue

In the stifling air of the gymnasium, with a scene of unmitigated cruelty unfolding before his eyes, Zayn felt a growing fire within him. Desperate, he mentally cried out to the system, "Is there anything I can do? Anything to protect my brother?"

The system, as always, was prompt and impassive, "User lacks the necessary points to procure new skills. However, user may activate Dark Aura once more. It is advised to wear the Cloak of Darkness and the Vision Mask. The Cloak offers a shield against any offensive measures, while the Vision Mask, when worn, intensifies the user's focus, making their intentions manifest more potently to those around. Would you like to equip?"

"Yes," Zayn's response was instant, voice shaking with restrained fury.

Curiosity made him ask another question, "When Dark Aura activates, will it affect my brother?"

The system replied, "User can specifically target the influence of the Dark Aura. If you wish to exclude an individual, you may."

With his resolve solidified, Zayn mentally commanded, "Then activate it on my cue."

Barely a second had passed before Zayn moved protectively in front of Kayden, stepping out of the shadowy veil of the Shadow Realm and taking the brunt of the ongoing attacks. Miraculously, the Cloak of Darkness shielded him, each strike merely glancing off, leaving him untouched. The onslaught halted abruptly, the room heavy with a new tension.

The tormentors gaped, their expressions oscillating between confusion and growing unease. From their midst, the blonde ringleader stepped forward, eyes narrowed, "Who are you? From where have you emerged?"

Zayn, his figure shrouded in the dark cloak, responded in a cold, deliberate tone, "They call me Phantom."

Blondie's face contorted with irritation, "Move away from him, now."

Zayn's voice rose, echoing throughout the hall, "No."

"Do you even know who I am?" The arrogance in the blonde's voice was unmistakable.

Zayn retorted, "And should I care?"

Infuriated, the blonde snapped, "Step aside or face the consequences."

The atmosphere thickened the instant Zayn whispered to the system to activate Dark Aura. Reality seemed to warp around him. A bone-chilling wind arose out of nowhere, causing the gymnasium's lights to flicker and casting eerie shadows across the walls. The room temperature dropped significantly, and the moisture in the air condensed, causing small droplets of water to form on every surface.

Zayn's presence became the epicenter of a dark maelstrom. From beneath his Cloak of Darkness, tendrils of black mist emerged, snaking out and licking the ground, curling around the feet of the horrified students. These tendrils carried with them whispers – soft, unintelligible, and sinister. Sounds that hinted at the deepest fears of those present, secrets they believed were buried, and traumas they tried to forget. The gymnasium echoed with the cacophony of these whispered horrors.

But most terrifying was Zayn's transformation. His eyes, once filled with human emotion, now glowed an icy shade of blue, casting a luminescent, otherworldly light. They were the very embodiment of malevolent power, piercing into the souls of those who dared to look into them. Each person felt it individually - a force that seemed to burrow into their psyche, unveiling their most dreaded nightmares, and making them feel utterly vulnerable.

The blonde ringleader, who once stood proud, now looked petrified, as if facing his very doom. His bravado had evaporated, replaced with the undeniable recognition that he was but an ant before a tempest. His breath came out in ragged gasps, the icy air biting into his lungs, every exhalation forming small clouds of mist.

Zayn's voice, when he spoke, resonated with an echoing depth, as if multiple entities were speaking in unison, "This boy is under my protection. If you dare threaten him again, it will be the last thing you ever do. This moment, this fear you feel now, let it be seared into your very soul. It is but a fraction of what awaits you should you cross me."

The students, too overwhelmed to process what was happening, could only nod, their bodies shaking uncontrollably, drenched in cold sweat. The oppressive aura around Zayn was a clear message - it was a force beyond reckoning, and they had been given a mercy they perhaps did not deserve.

The once-vibrant gymnasium now echoed a chilling silence, interrupted only by the labored breathing of traumatized students. They had just experienced an encounter with an enigma known as Phantom, and the aftermath of his Dark Aura left a palpable tension in the air.

One particularly distressed boy, Jasper, with sweat plastering his disheveled blond hair to his forehead, bolted from the gymnasium. His legs carried him through the sprawling hallways, past the familiar lockers and classrooms, to the more secluded section of the school where the faculty's offices were located. On reaching the fifth floor, he sprinted to the end of the corridor where the senior faculty convened for emergencies.

"Phantom! We've been attacked by Phantom!" Jasper panted, struggling to find his breath.

The mention of this name caused the teachers to exchange uneasy glances, though some of them looked clueless.

A stern, silver-haired teacher, Professor Elara, known for her expertise in warding spells, asked with a raised eyebrow, "How? Our defenses ensure that no unauthorized individuals can breach our barriers without the Headmaster being alerted."

Mr. Burke, the history instructor with an air of intrigue always surrounding him, looked confused. "Who is this Phantom?"

Instead of answering, Jasper motioned them to follow him. Professor Alden, the school's combat teacher, sensed the urgency and took charge. "Everyone, link hands," he commanded.

Once everyone was connected, Alden initiated a group teleportation spell, a shimmering circle forming beneath them. Within seconds, they were inside the gymnasium. The sight that greeted them was chilling: several students lay unconscious, while others sat huddled together, their eyes wide with terror.

"What in the realms happened here?" whispered Professor Elara, her eyes darting around, taking in the scene.

Those students who had managed to regain some composure murmured in unison, "Phantom."

Mr. Burke, his brows furrowing, questioned, "And who exactly is Phantom?"

A girl named Lila, with tear-streaked cheeks, answered, "We don't know, but he seemed very protective of Kayden."

In the dimly lit gymnasium, The group turned their attention Miss Felicity conjured a screen that hovered in the air, large and translucent. The sharpness of the display was such that every detail was evident, even the finest textures of the floor mats and the very fabric of the students' uniforms.

The playback began just a few moments before the incident. At first, it showed students practicing their combat skills, their forms synchronized, casting spells, and the delicate dance of swordplay. To an outsider, it might have seemed like a regular day at the Royal Awakent School.

However, the mood on the screen quickly shifted. Kayden, tied and bound, was evident at one corner, his distress palpable. Surrounding students took turns displaying their might, using him as their target. There were sneers, laughter, and an overall air of malevolence that made the teachers' stomachs turn.

Then, as if from the void itself, a dark, swirling vortex appeared. Out of it stepped a cloaked figure – Phantom. His arrival was swift, his movements precise. With every step, the room's temperature seemed to drop, shadows intensifying around him. Every action he took, every defensive move, was executed with a grace and power that was both beautiful and terrifying to witness.

When Phantom spoke, even on the video, his voice resonated with an eerie echo, a chilling timbre that seemed to hold the weight of unspoken threats. The students around Kayden were frozen, not by any spell but sheer terror. The gymnasium, once filled with arrogant laughter, was now silent but for the ominous whispers of the dark cloak as it fluttered.

The real shocker was when Phantom's dark aura enveloped the room. On the screen, it manifested as a swirling black mist, thick and suffocating, radiating an almost palpable sense of dread. The students were visibly struggling, gasping for breath, their faces contorted in fear.

Even watching it second-hand, the faculty could feel a fraction of the terror that must have gripped those students. Some gasped, others whispered protective spells under their breath, and a few had to look away, unable to bear the intensity of the scene.

The video culminated with Phantom, holding a limp Kayden, stepping back into that abyssal portal, disappearing as swiftly as he had come. Once he left, the dark aura vanished, but its effects lingered. Students collapsed or stumbled away, their braggadocious demeanors crushed under the weight of what they'd experienced.

The screen dissipated, and the faculty was left in a room echoing with the aftershocks of the shocking scene they had just witnessed. The very fabric of their understanding had been torn, and they now had to face the stark reality of their student's abduction by a force they didn't understand.