CHAPTER 49: FASTER THAN SOUND

He wasn’t standing still anymore. His body moved with the rhythm of the earth, his legs carrying him with swift, calculated steps. The terrain had shifted beneath his feet, and now he was a blur in motion. Kai darted forward, fast enough that Magnus barely registered the movement. The dust storm still lingered, but it had lost its ferocity, and the air between them was beginning to clear.

Magnus raised his hands, a wave of sound pulsing from his palms, and he sent it straight toward Kai. But Kai was prepared.

He dropped into a low crouch and then exploded upward, his speed a stark contrast to the explosive power of the blast. It was a technique he had learned during his sparring sessions with Aiden—the speed at which light moved had forced Kai to master his own speed, to anticipate and react in a split second. Aiden had drilled him on speed for hours—how to dodge, how to evade, how to turn the tables on a fast opponent.

Kai used that experience now. He launched himself off the ground, his body a blur, and the shockwave passed harmlessly beneath him. He was already in motion, shifting position and twisting his body mid-air as he closed the gap between himself and Magnus.

Magnus’s eyes widened. He had expected Kai to be fast, but not this fast. With a roar, Magnus unleashed another barrage of sonic blasts, each one faster than the last, each one more destructive. But Kai was already there—his feet planting firmly on the ground, a wall of stone rising in front of him just in time to absorb the worst of the blows. He didn’t hesitate. He gripped the earth beneath him, and with a single, powerful motion, he pulled up another giant boulder.

Magnus grinned, sensing his opportunity. He surged forward, moving so quickly that he was a blur of motion. His hands slammed against the ground, sending a wave of energy through the arena that would tear the stone to pieces. But Kai wasn’t there. He had already anticipated this—he had already moved.

In the blink of an eye, Kai pushed the boulder forward with all his might, launching it straight toward Magnus. The air thickened with the weight of the earth, but Magnus was fast. He sent a sonic pulse right at the boulder, cracking it in mid-air, shattering the massive stone into pieces.

Kai didn’t flinch.

He was already moving again. He spun around, creating a whirlwind of dust and stone behind him, and shot forward with a ground-shaking leap, aiming straight for Magnus’s side.

Magnus’s eyes went wide with realization. He tried to turn, but it was too late. Kai was there. In a single motion, he slammed his palm against Magnus’s chest, sending him flying backward with a force that left the crowd gasping. The air was thick with the aftershocks of the impact, and the sound was deafening.

Magnus crashed hard into the ground, the force of the impact leaving a crater in the arena floor. He groaned, the air knocked from his lungs, and he struggled to push himself up. His vision swam, and the ringing in his ears made everything feel muffled.

But Kai didn’t stop. He wasn’t finished yet.

Kai stood over him, his gaze unwavering as the arena around them settled into silence. His body was still—like the calm before a storm—but his mind was a whirlwind, calculating his next move. He knew that Magnus was dangerous and that this fight wasn’t over. He’d made his move, but Magnus was still alive, which meant he was still dangerous.

Without hesitation, Kai tightened his grip on the earth beneath him, feeling the pulse of the arena vibrate under his feet. Magnus was breathing heavily, his chest rising and falling with every breath. He could feel the weight of his exhaustion, but he wasn’t about to let it show. Not yet. Not now.

Kai pushed forward, his body moving with the fluidity of the earth itself. The ground trembled with his steps, his every motion a testament to his mastery. He raised his hands, and the earth around him responded. A massive stone fist rose from the ground, crackling with energy, and Kai aimed it straight for Magnus. It was a forceful, unyielding strike, a blow that would end this fight once and for all.

But Magnus, despite his fatigue, was far from out. In the split second before the fist could land, he moved. The sound around him rippled in a violent burst, a sonic wave erupting from his body. The wave shot him backward with surprising speed, his legs pumping as he shifted position. He moved faster than Kai had anticipated, a blur of motion as he closed the distance, aiming to strike from behind.

Kai’s heart skipped a beat, but his instincts kicked in immediately. The attack he’d planned wasn’t one to be easily dodged. As Magnus sped in, Kai felt the ground beneath him shift once again, and with a sharp twist of his body, he directed his power outward.

From the earth, two massive stone fists shot up—one from either side. They weren’t aimed at Magnus directly; they were positioned in such a way that they would trap him between them, leaving him nowhere to go but straight into Kai’s strike. The earth trembled again as the fists rocketed forward, slamming together in the center with a thunderous crash, just as Magnus attempted to swing around Kai’s back.

The impact was immediate. Magnus’s body was thrown forward by the force of the stone fists colliding, his momentum carrying him straight into the waiting strike. His body flew backward, his legs losing contact with the ground, and he collided with the arena’s outer edge in a crumpled heap.

For a moment, there was only silence.

The dust settled in the air, and the crowd held its breath. Magnus didn’t move.

Kai stood, his breathing steady, his eyes locked on his opponent. His stone fists slowly sank back into the ground, and the earth around them quieted. It wasn’t over yet, but there was no denying the power of Kai’s strike. His opponent was down, and he wasn’t getting back up.

The headmaster, his robes billowing as he moved toward the center of the arena, raised a hand. The crowd’s collective anticipation hung in the air, thick with tension.

"The winner is—"

But before the headmaster could finish, a sound ripped through the arena, a low, guttural thrum that seemed to come from deep within the ground. It was unmistakable. A heartbeat. A pulse. A single, unnerving beat of sound that sent a shiver through the air.

It was the kind of sound that you couldn’t ignore.

The crowd went silent, unsure of what they were hearing, unsure of what was happening. The heartbeat grew louder, more intense, until it filled the entire arena, vibrating through the bones of everyone present. The sound was deafening—like something alive, something ancient, stirring deep below them.

Darius, still sitting at the edge of the arena, straightened in his seat. His mind raced. He hadn’t felt anything like this before. Was it a part of the fight? A part of the magic?

Kai’s gaze flickered toward the source of the noise, his face expressionless. The heartbeat didn’t stop. It only grew louder, faster.

The headmaster hesitated, his eyes scanning the arena. His hand dropped to his side. The match was far from over.

Kai glanced at Magnus, still motionless on the ground. He was down—but something wasn’t right. The air was electric now, charged with something neither of them could explain.

And then the heartbeat came again—closer this time, as if it was beneath their feet. As if it were coming from the very heart of the arena itself.

The headmaster’s voice cut through the tension, though it trembled with uncertainty. "We may have... a disruption—"

But before he could say more, the heartbeat continued to throb, its rhythm impossibly loud. The very ground beneath them seemed to tremble with it.

Suddenly, Magnus stirred. His hand twitched, his body jerking as if the pulse had reached into him. His eyes opened slowly, but they weren’t the same eyes as before. His pupils were dilated, his breath quick and shallow.

The heartbeat pounded louder now—faster.

Magnus pushed himself up with a grunt, his body shaking as he struggled to stand. His once-confident demeanor had shifted. Something had changed within him. The sound around him was vibrating, warping, as if his entire body were resonating with the pulse.

It wasn’t just the arena. It wasn’t just the fight. It was something deeper. Something ancient.

And in that moment, Magnus’s voice cut through the chaos, a low growl escaping from his throat. "It’s... it’s happening."

His words were barely audible over the pounding sound, but Kai heard them. He took a step back, narrowing his eyes, unsure of what was going on.

Then, just as quickly as it had started, the heartbeat stopped. The arena fell into a stunned silence. The air felt heavy, like something had shifted, but no one knew exactly what.

The headmaster’s voice was thick with confusion. "What—what was that? Is everyone okay?"

Magnus stood completely still, his gaze fixed on the ground beneath him. The echo of the heartbeat lingered in the air, but there was no sign of the source. It was as if the earth itself had stirred, and now, it was silent once again.

Kai’s mind raced. What the hell had just happened?

The crowd’s murmurs echoed around them, but they didn’t dare to speak too loudly. Something had changed in the atmosphere, and no one knew how to react.

The headmaster, still trying to regain composure, turned toward the fighters. "The match—"

But before he could finish, another sharp pulse cut through the silence, deep and unsettling.

The heartbeat.

It was still there, lingering just beneath the surface.

And this time, the arena shuddered.