Chast Vaughn, the Chosen...
"Who are you?" Chast asked, staring deeper into the light as he felt himself drifting further into his thoughts.
"I'm the power hidden deep within your soul," the voice whispered. It brushed against his ear like a breath... soft, close, and hauntingly familiar.
"I am you, Chast Vaughn. The power you are destined to awaken."
Chast looked around, but all he could see was endless white.
"Show yourself!" he demanded.
A heartbeat echoed steady and powerful as his own pulse began to race in response. A cold breeze swept through the space, carrying a spiraling mist that twisted upward like smoke.
In seconds, the mist cleared and a man's silhouette emerged.
Chast blinked rapidly and rubbed his eyes. Am I hallucinating?
Another Chast stood before him.
"I am you!" he whispered.
The other Chast smiled faintly. "I am you," he echoed.
Chast rolled his eyes. Yeah, I can see that.
The double stepped closer, taking Chast's hands. He guided one to his own chest and pressed the other against Chast's.
"Listen to our heartbeat."
Chast closed his eyes. Slowly, their heartbeats aligned, the rhythm steady and synchronized as two pulses merging into one.
For the first time... he felt it.
The true rhythm of his magic.
"We are one, Chast!" The double declared, smiling brightly.
An unfamiliar sensation surged through his body—raw, powerful, alive.
It felt as if something ancient and boundless had been sleeping inside him, waiting all this time for the right moment to awaken.
His hands trembled uncontrollably. He stared at them, wide-eyed, as his palms began to gleam—tiny arcs of electricity sparking and dancing across his skin like living light.
Chast was mesmerized. His eyes widened further, his lips parting into a breathless, joyful smile.
"Is this... my magic?" he asked softly, his voice trembling in disbelief.
"Yes," the voice answered, calm yet resonant, echoing around him like a whisper of thunder. "You hold a legendary magic—one of great burden and with greater destiny. A power only the Chosen may possess."
Excitement rushed through Chast's veins, flooding every nerve, every breath.
The revelation was overwhelming, yet exhilarating. He could feel it—his soul, his magic, his very essence—finally becoming one.
"Chosen?" Chast asked, narrowing his eyes.
He'd been hearing that word since the beginning—Zera, the elves, even random whispers in his dreams. He'd always brushed it off as a joke... a title tossed around for fun.
But now, hearing it again sent a strange chill down his spine.
"The Chosen from the prophecy," the double replied, his tone deep and heavy with meaning.
"Look at your palm."
Chast slowly turned his hand over. His breath hitched.
The familiar diamond-shaped mark shimmered back to life, the same mysterious sigil that had appeared once before. The letter V pulsed faintly at its center, radiating warmth.
His eyes widened in disbelief. "It's... back."
"It never left," the voice murmured. "It was waiting—for you to remember what you are."
The mark glowed brighter, its pulse quickening—hotter, louder, alive.
"Ahh!" Chast groaned, gripping his hand as pain flared through his veins. The heat burned beneath his skin, spreading from his palm to his wrist.
"The sigil was embedded in you," the double said calmly, his voice steady yet echoing like thunder wrapped in silk. "A mark that proves who you are—the Chosen one."
The double stepped closer. His hand reached out, grasping Chast's trembling one. Instantly, a cool sensation spread through his arm, soothing the burn, calming the tremor. "It's been waiting too long to awaken."
Chast's breathing steadied as the pain subsided, replaced by ease. The sigil was still glowing and pulsing in harmony.
"What does this symbol mean?" Chast asked, staring at the glowing letter V embedded in his palm before showing it to his double.
"That represents your bloodline," the double replied, pausing for a moment as if gauging Chast's reaction.
Chast blinked, stunned. Bloodline?
"The mark ties you to your celestial lineage," the double continued calmly.
"Valkiery?" Chast asked, narrowing his eyes, hoping for confirmation.
The double smiled — a slow, knowing grin that carried more weight than words.
"V stands for your bloodline — the thread that binds you to your lineage. Soon, it shall come to light. When the truth awakens, the real you will ignite... and at last, unite with the mark of V."
The voice softened into a whisper as the double's form began to fade, turning into mist that spiraled upward, dissolving into the light.
The phrase echoed in Chast's mind — Unite with the mark of V... unite with the mark of V... — before the light consumed him completely, dragging him back to reality.
He gasped as he returned, clutching his chest, lungs heaving like he hadn't breathed for hours. Beads of sweat rolled down his face.
"Chast! Are you okay?" Luke asked nervously, rubbing his back as if to steady his breathing.
Chast nodded weakly, raising a trembling hand as he caught his breath. Slowly, the tension drained from his body.
Gasps broke out around him. The students' eyes widened as they saw his palm glowing, the same mysterious sigil — the V — shimmering in golden light.
Chast looked up to see his teammates surrounding him in concern.
"What are you guys doing here?" he asked, brows furrowed in confusion.
Weren't they supposed to still be focusing on the lesson?
They exchanged uneasy glances before Luke spoke. "We've been trying to wake you up. You were in deep sleep."
"Well... most likely dead," Sean added with a sigh. "You weren't breathing — but your heart was still beating."
"Uh..." Chast let out a shaky laugh, half-nervous, half-terrified. What are they even talking about?
Keller crossed his arms, nodding toward the glowing crystal in front of Chast. "Class ended hours ago, and you're still glued to your crystal. We gathered to check on you."
A loud applause broke their conversation. The professors standing behind the students roared, clapping their hands in celebration.
The students quickly stepped aside, giving way as the professors approached Chast's direction, their smiles proud and approving.
"Congratulations, Chast," Professor Morrwynn announced, her voice filled with delight. "You've successfully achieved Level Two of the Resonance Training!"
Gasps and murmurs rippled through the class.
Chast was astonished. What!? How?
"Level two already?" Keller whispered, eyes wide.
"That's insane..." Nico muttered, in disbelief yet impressed.
Chast blinked, still catching his breath, not fully understanding what had just happened but the glowing crystal beside him and the mark on his palm said it all.
He did it!