The silence was suffocating.
Every student in the training grounds stood frozen, their eyes darting between Bolt Ashborn and the mysterious figure who had just shaken the very foundation of their reality. The Legend of the Warborn was no longer a myth. It was real. And Bolt was living proof.
But Bolt had no time to process their reactions. His focus remained locked on the scarred man standing before him—the one who had shown him visions of a past he never knew existed.
His hands clenched into fists, his body still tingling from the phantom pain of battle. His breath came out slow and controlled, though his mind raced with a thousand questions.
And yet, only one managed to escape his lips.
"Who the hell are you?"
The man smirked. "I was wondering when you'd ask."
The students around them were still too stunned to move. Even Bolt's own faction—Aether, Akane, Darian, Sylva, and Kairos—remained silent, their expressions ranging from shock to unease.
This man wasn't normal.
The way he moved, the sheer power radiating from him—he wasn't just some rogue elemental user. He was something else entirely.
The man studied Bolt for a moment before speaking.
"I am Valeon."
The name sent a ripple through the air.
Bolt narrowed his eyes. "That supposed to mean something to me?"
Valeon chuckled. "Not yet. But soon, it will mean everything."
Akane stepped forward, fire dancing along her fingertips. "Look, pal, you just dropped a bunch of cryptic nonsense on us, nearly knocked Bolt through a damn building, and now you're playing the mysterious stranger act? How about you cut the games and start talking?"
Valeon turned his gaze to her, his smirk never fading. "Ah, the fierce one. You remind me of someone I once knew."
Akane's flames flared, but Bolt held up a hand, stopping her. His voice was steady, but his patience was wearing thin.
"Enough with the riddles. You said I was meant to reclaim my power. You said the world is in danger. Start explaining. Now."
Valeon tilted his head slightly, as if measuring Bolt's resolve. Then, with a deep breath, he spoke.
"Long ago, the Warborn stood at the peak of creation—beings forged by the gods themselves to bring balance to the world. But that balance was shattered. Betrayal, war, destruction… The Warborn fell. And their power—your power—was sealed away."
Bolt's breath hitched. He already knew he was different, but this… this was something else.
"You're saying I had all this power before… and someone took it from me?"
Valeon nodded. "Not just someone. The very forces that now hunt you. They feared what the Warborn could become. And so, they erased your existence from history, turning you into nothing more than a legend. A myth."
The weight of his words settled over Bolt like a storm cloud.
He had been erased.
Aether, who had remained quiet up until now, finally spoke. His voice was calm, but there was a sharp edge to it. "You're telling us Bolt isn't just strong—he was once something beyond what we understand. And now… there are people who don't want him to awaken that strength again?"
Valeon's smirk faded, replaced by a grim expression. "Not people. Gods."
The training grounds fell into dead silence.
Even the murmuring students stopped breathing for a moment.
"Gods?" Sylva echoed. "You mean like… the War God?"
Valeon nodded. "The War God is the only one who still believes in the Warborn. But the others… they see Bolt as a threat. If he awakens, he could tip the balance of the world itself."
Bolt's chest tightened. Gods. Actual gods were after him?
For a moment, his mind flashed back to the War God's warning—how he had already intervened three times and could only help seven more. Was this why?
Darian exhaled sharply. "So what? They're scared of him, so they wanna take him out before he gets strong enough to fight back?"
"Exactly." Valeon crossed his arms. "And they've already started moving. You think the Crimson Fang was your greatest enemy? They were just the beginning."
Bolt's fingers twitched. The Crimson Fang was one of the most powerful factions in the academy—ruthless, feared, and willing to crush anyone in their path. He had barely defeated them, but if they were only the beginning…
"Then what's coming next?" Bolt asked.
Valeon's gaze darkened. "Something that not even your War God can stop alone."
Bolt clenched his fists. Every instinct in him screamed that this was only the start of something much bigger than himself.
And then Valeon took a step closer.
"That's why I'm here, Warborn," he said. "To train you. To help you reclaim what was stolen. But be warned…"
His eyes locked onto Bolt's with an intensity that sent a shiver
down his spine.
"If you fail, you will not only die—this entire world will burn."