Chapter 44
"You!" Clark bellowed furiously, hearing the laughter of his friends echo behind him.
"I'm going to kill you!" he roared as a violent gust of wind swirled around his hands.
"Oh really? I'd love to see you try." Grey smirked confidently.
In a flash, Clark lunged forward with blinding speed, propelled by his wind magic.
He thrust his hand forward, releasing a sharp burst of wind that tore through the air toward Grey at full velocity.
"Too slow," Grey said calmly, activating wind magic beneath his feet. His body shifted in a blur, narrowly avoiding the attack that exploded against the ground where he'd stood a second earlier.
'He... he dodged that? How?! Were my suspicions right? Did he somehow unlock his affinities? But how?' Clark thought in disbelief.
Shaking off the thought, Clark swung his arms in rapid succession, sending wave after wave of howling wind toward Grey. Each gust struck the ground with resounding impact, raising clouds of dust and rattling nearby stalls.
Passersby paused to witness the escalating confrontation. Two teenagers—one fiery-haired—clashed in the street with a skill that defied expectations. The red-haired boy, Grey, dodged each attack with uncanny precision.
They were shocked—wind attacks were known for their speed, yet this boy slipped through them effortlessly, like a leaf dancing through a storm.
"Enough! I'm tired of you humiliating me!" Clark shouted, rage contorting his face as he prepared a familiar spell.
"Wind Magic: Aerius!" he yelled, thrusting his arms forward. A roaring burst of wind erupted from his palms, larger and fiercer than before, hurtling toward Grey.
"This should knock the smugness out of him," Clark muttered, satisfied.
But Grey only raised his hands with a smile.
"Earth Magic: Earth Wall!" Grey called out. In response, a solid wall of rock surged from the ground before him, halting the violent wind in its tracks.
Clark staggered back, wide-eyed, his face pale and slick with sweat.
"How... how is this possible? You... you're a mage now? My suspicions were right—you've unlocked your affinities! But how?!" he asked, his voice trembling.
"Let's just say I got lucky," Grey replied with a faint grin. Then his gaze hardened as he lifted his hand again, locking eyes with Clark.
"Wind Magic: Aerius!"
The wind Grey summoned howled louder and moved faster than Clark's. The moment it left his hand, it roared through the street with terrifying force.
"Impossible! You're a dual elementalist!" Clark gasped, stunned, as the onlookers collectively drew breath in shock.
A dual elementalist—so rare in their part of town that most thought it a myth. In the capital, yes, such mages existed—but here? In this remote town? It was unheard of.
Everyone knew Grey. He was the boy without affinity, the so-called cripple. Many like him had taken their lives in despair, unable to withstand the ridicule.
That notoriety made Grey instantly recognizable. Seeing him wield not one, but two elements? It was beyond a miracle. For Clark, it was a nightmare.
The attack slammed into him before he could react, launching him across the street like a rag doll. His body tumbled across the dirt, bouncing violently until he finally lost consciousness.
"A job well done," Grey muttered, brushing invisible dust off his hands as he turned away. "Took out the trash."
The stunned crowd remained frozen, absorbing what they'd just witnessed.
Grey—the boy once mocked and pitied—was now a dual elementalist.
Word of the event spread like wildfire. Most dismissed it at first as overblown gossip, but in a town where everyone knew everyone, Grey's name carried weight. The disbelief only made the tale grow louder.
When Grey returned home, he found his mother, Clara, standing at the doorway, arms folded, a stern expression carved into her face.
"Grey! What did you do?" she asked, voice sharp with concern.
"Wow, Mum! Is it just me or did you somehow get even more beautiful while I was gone?" Grey grinned, trying to charm his way out.
"Don't flatter me, Grey." Clara narrowed her eyes. "Did you fight Clark?"
'How did she find out so fast? Damn! News really does travel fast in this town... Probably because it's me.' Grey thought grimly.
"Mum, it wasn't my fault. He attacked me first. I just defended myself," Grey explained.
"I believe you. But you should've been more careful. You were supposed to keep a low profile," Clara said, her tone softer now.
"I know. I'm sorry. Wait—was that why you were standing outside, waiting for me?" he asked.
"No, I was heading out to buy groceries. We're running low," she replied.
"Oh! Can I come along?" Grey asked eagerly.
"Are you sure?" Clara asked, surprised.
"Yes."
"Alright then. Let's go," she said, leading the way as Grey followed.
As they walked into town, Clara asked for the full details of the incident. Grey recounted everything without leaving a single part out.
A few minutes later, they arrived at the marketplace, where Clara moved from stall to stall, selecting fresh produce.
One stall owner nearly overcharged her, but when his eyes landed on Grey—and the rumors came flooding back—he quickly changed his tune, offering her a fair price. Clara smiled as she made her purchases.
They visited several more stalls, with Grey trailing beside her. But something inside him began to shift.
'Why... why do I feel so uneasy all of a sudden? Something's off.'
His heart pounded erratically, and a sense of dread began to crawl beneath his skin.
"Oh, you could sense it too? Impressive. That means your senses are sharper than I thought," Noir's voice echoed.
"What is it? What's going on?" Grey asked, but received only silence in return.
"Grey! Grey! Grey!" Clara called, snapping him back to reality.
"Yes, Mum?"
"You zoned out. What's going on?"
"It's… nothing. Did you get everything you needed?"
"Yes. Let's head back home now," she replied, leading the way once more.
But she stopped when she noticed he wasn't following.
Turning around, she saw him rooted to the ground, his head bowed and fists clenched tightly.
'Why is my heart thundering so hard? It feels like it's trying to tear through my chest... I can't breathe!' he screamed internally, his body trembling.
"Grey?" Clara called again, worry etching into her voice. "What are you thinking ab—"
She stopped abruptly.
Grey had looked up—and the sheer terror in his wide, dilated eyes made her blood run cold.
"Mum! Look out!" he shouted, reaching toward her as a shadow loomed.