(Opening Scene: Zane sits up in the infirmary bed, feeling a strange mix of renewed strength and lingering confusion. Astrid and Headmaster Theron stand nearby, observing him with a mixture of concern and a quiet sense of anticipation.)
Zane looked from Astrid to Headmaster Theron, his gaze searching for answers. The void within him felt… different, somehow. The absence of Eclipse was a palpable ache, but there was also a sense of… completeness, a feeling that something had shifted within him.
"What happened?" he asked, his voice firm despite the lingering weakness. "After the simulation… I don't remember much. And… Eclipse is gone?"
Astrid hesitated, glancing at Headmaster Theron, allowing him to take the lead.
Headmaster Theron stepped forward, his expression calm but serious. "You unleashed a tremendous amount of power, Zane. Far beyond what we anticipated. The simulation… it was designed to test even advanced students. It struck you hard, a blow that should have incapacitated you. For a moment, we feared the worst."
He paused, his gaze intense. "Then… something extraordinary happened. Just as the energy construct was preparing a final strike, a dark crown of shadow materialized above your head. Your eyes glowed with a deep purple light, and the shadowy blade you wielded… it shattered, not into fragments, but into a swirling storm of countless obsidian shards, each crackling with immense power."
Zane listened intently, the fragmented images from his subconscious beginning to coalesce with the headmaster's words. He remembered the searing pain, the encroaching darkness, and then… a surge of something new, something powerful.
"You unleashed that storm of shadow upon the simulation," Headmaster Theron continued, his voice filled with a hint of awe. "It was overwhelming. The energy construct, a being of pure magical force, was… annihilated. The arena itself sustained significant damage. We had to teleport the other applicants out to ensure their safety."
Astrid nodded, her eyes wide. "It was incredible, Zane. Terrifying, but incredible. I've never seen power like that."
Headmaster Theron then shifted to the events in the infirmary. "After you collapsed, unconscious, Eclipse materialized. It was… fiercely protective. When Master Elmsworth attempted to assess you physically, Eclipse reacted with hostility, lashing out with shadow tendrils. It wouldn't allow anyone near you until I retrieved a fragment, a tether of its being that had been in my family's possession, and returned it. Upon reclaiming it, Eclipse's energy spiked, and then it vanished. My current theory is that it has become significantly more powerful and has retreated for reasons unknown."
Zane absorbed this information, the pieces of the puzzle clicking into place. He had tapped into a new level of his power, triggered by the near-death experience, and Eclipse's return to wholeness had somehow amplified that. The headmaster's words painted a vivid picture of a power he was only beginning to understand.