RISE OF THE SWARM

Liam barely dodged the assassin's attack, stumbling back as the dagger grazed his shoulder. A sharp sting came from where the dagger had cut him, he placed his hand on the cut, stopping the wound from bleeding. Adrenaline gushed through his veins as he searched for an escape opportunity.

The assassin leisurely circled him like wolves closing in on their prey, their shadows behind them contorting. Their movements were synchronized, professionals. Why are they after me Liam thought to himself. His mind raced none of this made any sense at all but he didn't have time to think about it.

One of the assassins flicked their wrist a shadow tendril appeared rushing to Liam at terrifying speeds he tried dodging but it was to quick. It latched onto his ankle, yanking him off his feet high into the air. He hit the ground hard, his breath knocked out of him. Before he could stand up a leather boot pressed down on his neck with force.

He tried fighting but shadow tendrils once again appeared from the assassins firmly tying him to the ground. He began choking as the assassin pressed the boot down even harder. His eyes began watering as his vision slowly began getting fuzzy. He was going to die.

Up in the rooftops, two figures could be seen observing this scene with mild interest. Ell and Garrik.

"We should help him." Ell said, as a long mesmerizing sword appeared in her grasp, she prepped herself, ready to jump down and intervene but Garrik clutched her arm, preventing her.

"Not yet." He said with a smile on his face.

Ell looked at him in confusion. Without their help, he was going to die, and they couldn't afford to let him die; he was far too important.

"Look," Garrik said, pointing at Liam's struggling figure.

Liam eyes slowly closed as he felt his body slowly losing strength and going limp. But there was one thing he didn't notice, the grey particles that were in the air, the ones that only he could see, started reacting. They began to violently vibrate as they began entering his body at a rapid pace.

His eyes closed as his arms fell to the side, he had no strength left in his body. Is this how i die? he thought. He had always imagined himself going out in a blaze of glory fighting for what he loved but reality was cruel; he wasn't granted the ability to use mana so he was destined to be weak forever, he knew this feeling all to well it had been with him since he learnt he couldnt use magic, it peaked when he watched the villagers and his teacher being murdered, while he couldn't do anything. A tear streamed down his eye.

No...

A voice.

I refuse to die, it spoke once more. I CAN'T DIE HERE. it roared. I WILL NOT DIE HERE. It bellowed. This voice it was Liams. His body began violently shaking as he fought against his own weakness. I WILL LIVE, I WILL NO LONGER BE WEAK.

The grey orbs on the outside began streaming into his boy at a greater pace. Slowly warmth began returning to his body. The assassins on the outside felt something shift in the surroundings. Their instincts screamed at them danger.

The assassin pressing Liam raised his obsidian dagger in the air, aiming to quickly finish off Liam, but right as he was about to bring the dagger do

wn, a strong energy wave launched him away, causing him to crash into a nearby wall.

He quickly stood up, weapons drawn, ready to confront Liam. Liam opened his eyes. Something had changed within him, he could feel it a foreign strength gushing through his body, but something felt strange; it felt...familiar. This was the same power he used to kill the heretics.

His clenched his hand directing the energy into his hands. His hands combusted into flames, only the flames were far from ordinary the gave of no heat nor cold. They were a mixture of black and white.

The assassins looked on in shock, according to their information the boy shouldn't have any mana yet here he was using magic, but even now, they couldn't sense any lick of mana coming from the boy or his weird, white black flame. But their instincts didn't lie the danger they felt coming from the boy was very much real.

One of the assasins attacked, he flicked his wrist launching shadow bolts at Liam each aimed at a vital organ. Liam looked up seeing the incoming attack, but now the attack seemed slow he could dodge them if he wanted but he didn't. He raised his hand whether it was instinct or stupidity he didn't know.

He projected the energy in his hand outwards in a invisible wave. The wave struck the projectiles instantly combustion the projectiles turning them into burning balls of black and white flame. The attack was consumed whole before it even reached Liam.

The assasins eyes widened magic that could destroy someone else's magic, this was unheard of. We need to kill him quick they thought in unison.

Liams let out a smile, it seems he just found his path towards true strength. He assumed a fighting stance, ready for any attack that may come.

The assasins scoffed, each entering formation.

One of them placed their hand on the ground muttering am incantation Liam couldn't hear. His shadow expanded covering the floor. Black smog began rapidly feeling the area smothering put any foreign mana and reducing visibility. This would make the assasins attack stronger as well as making Liams attack weaker. But thay was only of he used mana.

Liam quickly circulated the foreign energy in his body towards his eyes, instantly gaining clear vision through the fog. He looked up seeing an assassin rushing towards him short sword raised. He rolled to the side dodging it. The assassins eyes widened once again.

"You can see me?"

Oh Liam could do much more than just see.