Ancestral Lineage

Chapter 6 Beast Awakening. Ethan's Luck(2).

The shadow serpent lunged at the red-scaled serpent, but before it could make contact, the serpent's third eye glowed with an intense blue light, freezing the shadow creature in place. Enraged by the sneak attack, the serpent lashed out, sinking its fangs deep into Ethan's shoulder and neck. The pain was so excruciating that Ethan couldn't even scream—his mouth hung open, eyes wide in agony. His mind raced as the unbearable pain consumed him. Was this how it would end? On the day of his Awakening, he was going to die—devoured by a furious, three-eyed serpent.

SLASH! BOOM!

In an instant, the serpent's body dropped lifeless to the ground, severed from its head. Only its neck and head remained attached to Ethan, fangs still embedded in his flesh as blood spilled onto the floor. It had been a trap—Miss Carmen had used the shadow serpent as a distraction, launching a decisive strike that sliced the serpent in two. But it came at a cost: Ethan had been bitten.

Ethan's face was ghostly pale, drained of blood from the bite, the serpent's fangs still firmly lodged in his neck and shoulder. His vision blurred as he looked at Miss Carmen, Clara, and the others, their faces etched with horror. The world spun around him, twisting and warping as darkness overtook him. Yet, just before unconsciousness claimed him, something strange happened.

[System Awakening]

[Energy Required For System Awakening: MAX]

[System Bonding With Host]

[New Host Bonded]

[Initiating Subordinate Bonding]

[Subordinate Bonding: 1%]

[Initiating System Awakening]

[System Awakening: 0%]

Miss Carmen's tone remained calm, though her eyes were filled with concern. "No, he's in the middle of an Awakening. The beast he's bonded with is a Peak Gold Rank serpent. You can't be near him—it's too dangerous."

Clara shook her head, tears streaming down her face. "But he'll die! He won't survive this!"

Miss Carmen's expression softened, but her voice was still measured. "I know it's hard, but there's nothing we can do. The energy around him is unstable, and he triggered this Awakening himself. His power is..." She didn't get to finish her sentence as a powerful telekinetic force burst out from Ethan's body, sending both Clara and Miss Carmen flying backward.

Clara was flung through the air but was caught by Emily before she hit the ground. Miss Carmen managed to stabilize herself, though it took effort. The telekinetic force wasn't just raw power—it was laced with mind energy, possibly telepathy.

Clara, regaining her composure, sprinted toward Ethan once again. Her eyes turned pure white, and blue runes appeared around her as she unleashed a wave of mind energy. But before it could reach Ethan, the strange blue power surrounding him blocked her attack and rebounded it straight back at her.

Ethan's eyes snapped open, glowing with the same blue light as the serpent's third eye. Clara was thrown backward, but Trevor leapt forward, catching her and pulling her out of harm's way as a crushing pressure descended on their previous position. Space around Ethan began to warp, objects floating and spinning in a frenzy as the blue energy intensified.

A mark appeared on Ethan's forehead, shaped like an eye—the serpent's third eye, now glowing bright blue. The objects around him spun faster, warping and twisting the very space around him. Clara tried to approach once more, but Miss Carmen was faster this time, summoning Shadow Needles to hold her in place.

"Stay back," Miss Carmen said, her voice gentle but firm. She placed a comforting hand on Clara's shoulder as the young girl struggled, tears streaming down her face. "He'll be alright. Ethan is strong—stronger than you think. His willpower is beyond his years. He'll make it through this."

Clara wept uncontrollably, her emotions finally overwhelming her. Miss Carmen allowed her to cry, not saying anything more as she turned her attention to the others, whose faces were filled with shock and confusion.

"I trust you all understand what's happening with Clara," Miss Carmen said, her voice serious. "But don't you dare mention any of this to Ethan. It's better they grow and understand these feelings on their own. They'll both need to get stronger. Do not interfere, but don't stop them either. Let them grow."

Trevor, grinning mischievously, thought to himself, So Clara actually likes Ethan. What crazy luck.

Emily's thoughts were similar, though more restrained. I knew she had something for him. This is going to be interesting...