The air in Max's room felt thick with unease. It had been days since his last confrontation with the Tier-3 beast, and despite his victory, the sense of danger had only grown. The memories he had unlocked about his father, Peter, seemed to haunt him like distant echoes, repeating words he couldn't fully understand. The more he tried to push them away, the more they lingered, gnawing at the edges of his mind.
Max paced back and forth, his fingers nervously tracing the edges of his necklace. The artifact—what was it? Why had Peter gone to such lengths to hide it? And why did the memories keep flashing back in fragments that felt so real, yet so out of reach?
The sudden flash of his system screen cut through his thoughts.
[System Alert: Hidden Memory Unlocked.]
[Fragment: "The Artifact's True Power."]
Max sat on the edge of his bed, his heart racing. He tapped the screen to activate the memory.
"The truth about the artifact… can't stay hidden. The moment it bonds, the world will change. And not for the better. I made a terrible mistake, Max. This power—it's a key. A key to something that could destroy everything we've fought for."
Peter's voice echoed again, but this time, there was an added weight of desperation.
The memory flickered, but Max barely had time to catch his breath. Another fragment emerged—this one more cryptic.
"The power comes with a choice. To end the world... or to save it. But remember, if the world finds out what you have, it won't be a choice you make. They'll force you into it. So... run. Hide. Protect it with everything you have."
Max's pulse quickened as the memory faded.
"End the world…" he whispered under his breath. Was that what this was? The key to destroying everything? Was that the secret Peter had been guarding? Was it meant to be a weapon? Or something worse?
His grip on the pendant tightened.
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.
Max stood up, startled. He quickly wiped his sweaty palms on his pants and opened the door to reveal Celia, her face tinged with concern.
"You've been avoiding me again," she said, her tone light but serious. "I wanted to talk. About the trials. You… did something crazy out there, Max."
Max hesitated, a bitter laugh escaping his lips. "Crazy? You mean using elemental fusion? I didn't think it was that big of a deal."
Celia's brow furrowed. "It's not that... it's just, you were different. You felt different when you summoned that fire and wind together. You were... in control."
Max turned away, his eyes darting to the necklace around his neck. "I wasn't in control," he muttered, his voice barely audible. "Not really."
"I don't understand. But I think you're hiding something," Celia said, taking a step closer. "What's really going on, Max? You don't just learn how to fuse elements overnight. You've been... acting strange."
Max turned back to face her, the weight of his secrets pressing on his chest. "You don't understand. You can't. I don't even understand it myself."
Before Celia could respond, a deep voice echoed through the hallway, startling them both.
"Max Ardent."
Max froze.
The voice belonged to Julius Frost.
He was here.
Celia's eyes widened in recognition. "What is he doing here?" she whispered, her face pale.
Max quickly stepped in front of her, blocking her view of the hallway. His heart raced as he tried to think of a way out. But there was no way to run. Not now.
Julius stepped into the room, his presence imposing, his eyes sharp with something unreadable. "I think we need to talk."
Max stood his ground, his fingers instinctively reaching for the necklace once again. It pulsed faintly, as if responding to Julius's aura. The last thing he needed right now was to show any sign of weakness.
"What do you want, Julius?" Max's voice was more steady than he felt.
Julius studied him carefully, his gaze lingering on the necklace for a moment too long. "I want to know how you've come to wield the powers of not one, but multiple elements."
Max's pulse quickened. Julius had already figured it out. He was just toying with him now.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Max said quickly, his eyes flickering to Celia. But she was no longer looking at him. Her attention was fully on Julius, her brow furrowed in confusion.
"You don't need to play coy, Max," Julius said with a small smile. "I've seen what you can do. You're much more than a 'green' talent."
Max could feel the weight of Julius's words like a trap closing around him. Julius was too smart to be fooled.
"I'm just a student," Max muttered, taking a step back. "I'm nothing special."
Julius stepped forward, his gaze sharp as ice. "That's where you're wrong. And that's why you're dangerous. You don't know what's inside you, but I do."
Max's heart raced. He couldn't let Julius see the truth. Not yet. Not when he still didn't understand it himself.
"I know what you're capable of, Max. And I know what your father did," Julius continued, his voice chilling. "You've inherited something far more powerful than you could ever imagine. And I plan to see it."
Max's blood ran cold. He hadn't thought Julius would be so direct. This was no longer a game of cat and mouse.
Julius's eyes narrowed. "You can either come with me now and learn how to control it... or I will take it from you."