The Day the World Froze
Five years ago, the world held its breath.
In the heart of the Royal Talent Tournament, beneath the gleaming banners of all great nations, a ten-year-old boy stood alone in the Grand Arena of the Celestial Crown.
His name?
Arin von Rinehaver.
He was pitted against three of the strongest young talents on the continent:
Kailos Derist, the Blade of Nerva – master of fluid sword arts.
Marin Elthara, Elemental Tricaster of the Azure Court.
Foren Soldrag, heir to the Wrathful Dragon Clan of the East.
At first, the crowd laughed. A child? Against these monsters?
Kailos sneered:
"What is this, a joke?"
But the moment the match began, everything changed.
Arin didn't chant. He didn't raise a shield.He simply breathed — and the mana around him trembled.
Then… it exploded.
White, pure mana erupted from his body like a tidal wave.The ground cracked. The air howled. The magical seals of the arena shattered from the pressure.
In seconds:
Marin's triple-elemental storm was dismantled mid-cast.
Kailos's blade shattered upon contact with Arin's focused mana burst.
Foren's draconic aura
All three were down in less than two minutes.
The arena fell silent. The world paused.
Then, came the line that burned into legend:
"The sword is a crutch for the weak who fear real power."
Arin dropped his sword onto the bloodstained arena floor.
"I am no knight. I don't honor battles—I end them.""Chivalry… is just nobility's excuse for losing with pride."
And he walked away. No bow. No salute. Just silence and awe in his wake.
Whispers of a Return
The memory, once buried, now resurfaced—a resurfacing storm.
A recording of that legendary match had gone viral across all scrying channels.In the hallways of the Grand Academy, students huddled around mana projectors, eyes wide with disbelief.
Even those too young to have witnessed it the first time felt the weight of that presence.
"Is that really Arin?""The Fallen Prodigy…?""If he returns to that level… can anyone stop him?"
Rumors spread like wildfire.
Echoes from the Peaks ⚔ Zail Ventura – Current #1 in the Academy
Standing alone in the upper dueling ring, arms crossed, Zail watched the battle on repeat.
He clenched the hilt of his sword tightly.
"So… he spits on the sword? Believes himself above us?"
He scoffed, but in his eyes burned a rare fire.
"Good. Let him climb. Let him glare down from the peak.""Because when he reaches it—I'll be there, waiting to knock him off."
🔥Melissa Draith – Top Ranked in the Southern Continent
Watching from atop a glacier fortress, Melissa narrowed her eyes at the boy in the memory.
"That mana… it wasn't just vast. It was pure.""Unfiltered, unstable… yet terrifyingly alive."
She turned away, the wind whispering around her.
"If he learns control, this era belongs to him."
🐉 Kaiden Sorn – Heir to the Dragon-Fused Monks
In a blazing mountain shrine, Kaiden watched and laughed.
"He threw his sword like it was trash. That wasn't arrogance. That was truth."
He licked his lips.
"This boy… wasn't wielding mana. Mana bowed to him."
The Forgotten Blade
Back in the Academy, deep within the High Council chamber, the Director of Magical Surveillance whispered as he rewatched the footage:
"He never fell. He simply went quiet."
Then, he looked to the map of the world.
"And now… the world begins to scream his name again."