(Opening Scene: Zane approaches the designated testing area with the Resonance Orbs, feeling a mix of curiosity and uncertainty. An instructor explains the rules: channel their power into the orb, and its brightness will be measured. They are encouraged to push their limits but maintain control.)
Zane watched as other male applicants took their turn with the Resonance Orb. Sparks of fire, streams of water, gusts of wind – each display caused the crystalline orbs to glow with varying degrees of brilliance, earning nods of assessment from the instructors. When it was his turn, a nervous anticipation settled in his chest.
He stepped forward and tentatively reached out a hand towards the smooth, faintly glowing Resonance Orb. He focused on the void energy within him, that familiar cold darkness that was both a part of him and something… more. As his fingertips brushed the surface of the orb, the ambient light around it seemed to dim.
Then, a profound change occurred. The soft glow of the Resonance Orb began to recede, as if being consumed from within. The light faded rapidly, replaced by an absolute, all-encompassing blackness that seemed to absorb the very light of the morning. The orb, moments before a source of gentle luminescence, now resembled a void itself, a miniature black hole held in place by unseen forces.
A collective gasp rippled through the observing applicants and instructors. The sudden and complete absence of light was unsettling, a stark contrast to the vibrant displays of elemental power they had witnessed moments before. The air around the orb seemed to grow colder, a subtle but distinct chill.
Zane himself recoiled slightly, a sense of the raw, untamed nature of his power washing over him. He hadn't intended for such a dramatic reaction. He could feel the pull of the void within him resonating with the orb, an almost magnetic attraction.
The instructor who had been overseeing this station stepped forward cautiously, his expression a mixture of astonishment and concern. "Young man… what… what did you do?" His voice held a tremor of unease.
Zane could only stammer, "I… I just channeled my power…" He didn't understand it himself. The orb's reaction was as surprising to him as it was to everyone else.