The cold pre-dawn air of the royal palace clung to the room as JamesJai

  Beside Jai, a small, sleeping figure, Arthurphoto frameEmma

  James’s eyes, quick to notice, narrowed as he stared at the picture pressed against Jai’s chest. "Why do you have her photo? And why... why did you place this right on your chest?" he demanded, a strange mix of confusion and intrusion in his tone.

  Jai, without a word, snatched the photo from James’s outstretched hand. He did not return it to its resting place but tucked it into his necklace storage

  A flicker of shock crossed James's face at the unexpected seriousness. "Whoa, what, man? Why are you so serious? Did I do something to you?" he asked, trying to lighten the atmosphere.

  Ignoring the question, Jai swung his legs off the bed and walked to the window. Outside, the sky was a muted gray. "It’s six o'clock," he stated, his voice flat. "Why did you wake me up this time? See, Arthur also got up because of your voice."

  James ran a frustrated hand through his hair. "Bro, the Principal Abinay

  The name shattered the last vestiges of sleep. Jai

  "What!" Jai whispered, his voice dangerously low. "The Principal

  "Yes, man," James affirmed, the urgency returning. "I was in the garden training when ZaynKing Borin

  James recounted the strange encounter: "Zayn and I were confused. It was only five-thirty. Why would the Principal come this early? We went to meet him. Zayn, ever the minister, asked him straight: 'Mr. Abinay, what is the reason for your visit this morning?'"

  "The Principal's reply was bizarre," James continued. "'Mr. Minister,' he said, 'I have come to greet King Borin. Since I became Principal, I haven't had the chance to meet the King in person.' Zayn was even more baffled. 'Mr. Abinay, do you know what time it is? It is five-thirty in the morning!'"

  "Then the guy gave us some nonsense about being a 'morning person' and that he was too busy at the academy fulfilling his duties to visit later. He claimed he hadThe ominous feeling became a shared current between them. Jai and James

  Before they could fully ascend, a loud, echoing soundKing's Room

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  They burst through the doorway.

  The scene was chaos. King Borintwo fingers mangledAbinayjoy

  "See? You feel the pain, right?" Abinay’s voice was a triumphant snarl. "Because my Leader

  King Borin, gripping his throbbing hand, fought past the pain to meet the cruel smile of his attacker. "WhoOrganization

  Abinay opened his mouth, prepared to utter the truth.

  But miles away, perhaps in a different dimension, a figure dressed in a red t-shirt and black pantsvirtual lens

  Then, he calmly raised his hand and destroyed a black artifacttransparent black spherewhite air

  The instant the artifact shattered, Abinay'sEveryone! Get away from that guy! Now!

  Abinay's eyes, wide with sudden, fanatic resolve, held one final thought:

  Then came the explosion

  The impact was cataclysmic, a force of nature unleashed indoors. Every person in the room was thrown backward as if by a giant's hand. The sheer magnitude of the blast destroyed nearly twenty percent of the palace

  Mid-air, spinning uncontrollably, James"Why? Why does an explosion happen wherever I go? And why do we always get thrown into the air like this?"

  When the world stopped spinning, and the ringing in his ears subsided, Jaihospital

  On his left, little ArthurMorisa

  Morisa saw his eyes open first. "Zayn! James!" she cried out.

  Zayn and James

  Jai's eyes scanned the room, a chill of horror replacing the pain of his half-burned body

  James

  Zayn

  Even little Arthur

  Jai pulled Arthur and Morisa gently into his arms, ignoring the searing pain. "Don't worry, Arthur, your big brother is fine. Nothing can take me away from you," he whispered, a promise and a reassurance.

  He then met Zayn'sfierce, questioning gaze

  "Don't worry," Zayn said, his voice strained but calming. "The doctor said she is going to cure us all. I know her very well. She is a Tier 6 Healing Elemental Master

  He continued, his words a balm of hope. "She has mastery over Wind, Earth, and Tree powersTier 6 Healing Artifact

  As the drugs took hold, pulling him back toward unconsciousness, Jai’s mind spun with unanswerable questions:

  Jai drifted away, a silent scream of uncertainty echoing in his mind, with no one to clarify the dark mysteries that now threatened his world.