Chapter 13: TROUBLED

Ahhhhhhh....pls make it stop.....pls I can't bear it anymore, male it stop Ahhhhhhh.....

"Vondrel!!!" Samuel shouted

'GASP'

Vondrel jolted up, trying to catch his breath, he had just had a terrible nightmare, now he is awake he couldn't remember the content of his dream.

"Hey dude are you okay.....did it happen again?"Timmy asked worriedly

The four friends has grown closer for the pass two months, they had passed through hard times in the academy, they had also endured their fair share of being bullied by stronger students in the academy.

"yeah i'm fine" vondrel replied after calming down

"are you sure man?" Noah asked for confirmation, as he passed a cup of water to him.

Vondrel gupled the water hurriedly before flashing his friends a reassuring smile.

Vondrel's mind was a maelstrom of turmoil, his dreams a twisted tapestry of memories that weren't his own. The dual blade's power had unlocked a door in his mind, allowing glimpses of the past to flood his consciousness. He saw himself as a warrior-king, wielding the blade to conquer a realm of dark magic. He saw a young apprentice, using the blade to avenge his master's death. He saw a ancient sage, harnessing the blade's power to seal away a malevolent deity.

Each night, the visions grew stronger, more vivid. Vondrel felt the weight of countless lives bearing down upon him, their joys and sorrows, triumphs and tragedies. He began to question his own identity, wondering if he was merely a vessel for the blade's dark legacy.

The nightmares intensified, leaving Vondrel gasping for breath, his sheets drenched in sweat. He felt an unseen force stirring within, straining to break free. His sealed memories, once locked away, now threatened to consume him. The dual blade's power had become a double-edged sword, both a blessing and a curse.

Vondrel's days became a blur of anxiety and fear. He couldn't shake the feeling that he was losing himself, becoming a mere puppet for the blade's malevolent force. His relationships began to fray, his friends and allies growing concerned about his erratic behavior.

Vondrel's slumber was restless, his mind beset by dark visions that lingered long after he woke. The dual blade's power still resonated within him, a constant reminder of the mysterious energy coursing through his veins. Nightmares wracked his sleep, leaving him drenched in sweat, with an unshakeable feeling that something ancient and malevolent stirred within.

At first, Vondrel dismissed the turmoil as mere coincidence, but as the nights passed, the intensity of his dreams grew. He saw himself wielding the dual blade, unleashing destruction upon a world shrouded in shadow. The blade seemed to feed on his rage, growing stronger with each passing moment. He felt an otherworldly presence, a dark entity that whispered terrible secrets in his ear, tempting him with promises of unfathomable power.

Vondrel tried to shake off the feeling of impending doom, but it clung to him like a shroud. He began to question his own sanity, wondering if the dual blade's power had awakened a malevolent force within him. The surge of energy he felt during their bonding had been exhilarating, but now it seemed to come at a terrible cost.

As the nightmares persisted, Vondrel became withdrawn and isolated. His friends and allies noticed the change in him, but he couldn't bring himself to share the true extent of his torment. He feared they would see him as cursed, or worse, a danger to himself and others.

He had been experiencing a bad dream for the past few weeks..... it happened that very day when they were asked to check out the weapon of their choice. He could remember the feeling as if something entered his body, just a tingling feeling and that was it, since then he has been experiencing a terrible nightmare as if someone memories are trying to come back.

It's as if he had lived multiple lives or he's just experiencing the life of another person, whenever he wakes up, he find himself not remembering the content of the nightmare, Sometimes feeling pain coarsing through his head.

With each day, he endured and found out that the nightmares lessened and his connection to the blade grew stronger.

......

"Hey man what's up, how do you think today's class is going to be?" Samuel's cheerful voice brought Vondrel back from his thought.

"Well... I don't know " he replied

They were having a combat context in their department today and anyone from other departments that are interested are allowed to partake in the challenge. It is just a friendly match where all departments compete against each other to show who is best in the mastery of beast weapons.

It is compulsory for the main combat students to participate since they are the host. Not to brag he was one of the best combatant in his department. They were led to an arena meant for training.

"Announcement everyone, the combat contest will begin in the next 60 seconds and the we will call on the participants from the combat department to step forward and show us who the best is." a voice said from an unknown source.

After few minutes the participants from the combat department were called.

"Hey dude....go out there and whoop some asses." Samuel exclaimed

Vondrel who was part of the contestant, went to the seat reserved for the participants..

....

An holographic screen popped up displaying the various names of the participant.

A monotonous voice resounded and said

"the participants displayed on the screen after the shuffle should step forward." The screen then displayed two contestants.

(Caleb vs Anthony)

Everyone became silent after the name was been displayed. The two contestants went up to the stage and faced each other.

(wait for the count down)

(start in 3,2,1)

(Fight)

Caleb stood with a Katana blade while Anthony held a long sword, Anthony rushed forward straight to Caleb while the latter took a fighting stance. He placed his left leg forward and used his both hands to hold his blade.

He channeled his ordinary energy and poured it into the blade, he then swing the blade forward and immediately a slash coupled with fire came out of the sword, it came out so fast that Anthony had to stop his charge to parry the attack. The fiery slash collided with his long sword, pushing him backward. By the time he could get hold of his footing, another slash struck him, but he was able to still parry it, still the slash kept coming at him.

Everyone watched as the slash keeps pushing Anthony backward until he got to the edge of the stadium, then suddenly his aura exploded and condensed on his long sword.

It became hot and clashed with the fiery nature of his blade before synchronizing, he swung it forward and a large fiery line came out and clashed with Caleb's slash.

It took out the slash and collided with Caleb sending him flying backward and out of the stage. The audience erupted in cheers while Caleb look down at his blade and noticed it has a scorched mark on it, he walked away.

Staring deeply at the stage was vondrel, calmly watching the matches. There was a small crack on the stage which started mending itself almost immediately

.....