The academy had returned to a tense silence after the events in the great hall. Nyvian had kept his distance from everyone, retreating further into himself with each passing day. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was fundamentally wrong with him-something dangerous and uncontrollable. Even in his training, he was distracted, pushing himself to exhaustion but gaining no peace of mind. His powers were growing, but with them came an unpredictable darkness that terrified him.

Jaguar and Alana had watched this downward spiral with concern, sharing more than one quiet conversation about how they could help him. Jaguar, always proactive, had suggested getting Nyvian out of the academy for a while. "Maybe a change of scenery will snap him out of it" he'd said, a glint of determination in his eyes. "He just needs to feel useful again."

Alana agreed, her worry for Nyvian only growing. "He needs to be reminded of who he is" she added softly. "And maybe get out of his own head for a bit."

With that in mind, they signed the group up for a C-rank mission-simple, low-risk, and a chance for Nyvian to focus on something positive. The mission was straightforward: deliver medical and food supplies to a group of refugee merchants on a distant planet, and then escort them to a secure location where they could store their wares safely.

When Jaguar and Alana presented the mission to Nyvian, he had been reluctant at first, his usual confidence eroded by the self-doubt that clung to him. But after some persuasion, he agreed. If nothing else, it would be a distraction.

The three of them, along with a small team of academy soldiers, made their way to the refugee camp, which sat on the edge of a desert planet, its sandstorms visible on the horizon. The refugees, a mix of species and

cultures, welcomed them with open arms, grateful for the supplies and the promise of safe passage to a more secure location. For the first time in weeks, Nyvian felt like he was doing something good, something that mattered.

As they moved through the camp, distributing food and tending to the sick, Nyvian found himself able to focus on the task at hand. He helped Alana heal the wounded, watched Jaguar cheer up the children with hi beast-like transformations, and even managed a smile when a young refugee thanked him for the food he brought.

For a moment, Nyvian allowed himself to believe that this mission was exactly what he needed. The weight on his shoulders felt lighter, and the darkness within him seemed to shrink, retreating into the corners of his mind. He was doing something positive, something good.

The relief, however, was short-lived.

On the second day, as they were escorting the refugees to their secure location, the air suddenly became thick with tension. Nyvian, ever alert, noticed it first-the silence, the subtle change in the wind. His instincts process what was happening, he shouted a warning to the group. kicked in, and before he could fully

"We're under attack!"

The words had barely left his mouth when a fleet of pirate ships descended from the clouds. These weren't just any pirates-they were The Black Maw, one of the most ruthless and feared pirate groups in the galaxy, known leaving no survivors and taking anything of value.

The first blast hit the ground near the refugee convoy, sending sand and debris flying. Screams filled the air as the refugees scrambled for cover, and the academy soldiers moved to form a defensive line.

"Jaguar! Alana!" Nyvian shouted, his voice cutting through the chaos. "Form up! Protect the refugees!"

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Without hesitation, Jaguar

transformed, his massive frame shifting into a beast-l ike form, his muscles rippling with power. Energy crackled around him as he unleashed blasts of force at the incoming pirates, his roar filling the air as he charged into the fray.

Alana, always the calm in the storm, began casting spells of protection and healing, her hands glowing with power as she threw up shields to protect the refugees. At the same time, she hurled blasts of destructive energy at the pirates, each one detonating with a force that shook the ground.

Nyvian, slipping effortlessly into the role of a leader, directed the batlefield with precision. He ordered the soldiers into strategic positions, ensured the refugees were escorted to safer ground, and fought alongside Jaguar and Alana, his own powers surging as he manipulated the energy around him to create barriers and launch attacks against the pirates.

For a while, it seemed as though they were holding their own. The pirates were relentless, but the training they had undergone over the past three years was paying off. Nyvian's commands were clear and effective, and together, they managed to push back wave after wave of attacks.

But as the battle dragged on, the brutality of the pirates became more apparent. They weren't just after the supplies-they wanted blood. Nyvian's heart clenched as he saw the pirates ruthlessly cut down some of the guards protecting the refugees. Worse still, some of the refugees, too slow or too exposed, fell under the pirates' assault, their bodies crumpling to the ground.

The sight of the senseless slaughter ignited something deep within Nyvian. He had seen death before, but this was different. This was cold, calculated murder, and it tore at something inside him. His blood boiled with rage, his heart hammering in his chest as the horror of it all sank in.

This is my fault, the thought crept back in, sharp and painful. They're after me. These people are dying because of me. As he watched the life drain from another refugee's body, something inside him snapped. A surge of energy erupted within him, wild and uncontrollable, flooding his senses with a primal, ancient force that he couldn't understand, let alone control. His skin began to ripple with energy, glowing faintly at first but growing brighter, hotter, with each passing second. His hands clenched at his sides as the power surged through him, and his vision began to blur. The world around him darkened, his focus narrowing to the rage that consumed him.

As he watched the life drain from another refugee's body, something inside him snapped. A surge of energy erupted within him, wild and uncontrollable, flooding his senses with a primal, ancient force that he couldn't understand, let alone control. His skin began to ripple with energy, glowing faintly at first but growing brighter, hotter, with each passing second. His hands clenched at his sides as the power surged through him, and his vision began to blur. The world around him darkened, his focus narrowing to the rage that consumed him.

His eyes shifted-swirling galaxies where irises should have been.

The sound that escaped his throat wasn't human. It was a guttural, beastial roar that echoed across the battlefield, causing both ally and enemy to pause in shock. Nyvian's mind blacked out, consumed by the overwhelming force that had been building inside him.

When Nyvian came back to his senses, the world around him had changed.

The sand beneath him was drenched in blood. Bodies-pirates, guards, refugees-lay scattered across the battlefield, torn apart, their limbs twisted and broken. The once-clear sky was darkened by smoke, and the air was thick with the metallic scent of death.

Nyvian looked down at his hands, his body covered in blood. It wasn't his own. His fingers trembled as he stared at the destruction that surrounded him. Craters pockmarked the battlefield, the remains of some monstrous force that had been unleashed.

His heart pounded as panic set in. What have done?

He staggered through the wreckage, searching frantically for any sign of life. But the more he searched, the more hopeless it became. Everywhere he looked, there were only bodies. The guards, the pirates... even the refugees. Their bodies lay broken, their lives snuffed out.

No. His breath hitched, panic clawing at his throat. No, no, no... His legs gave out beneath him, and he collapsed to his knees in the middle of the devastation, his hands trembling, his mind racing. The blood soaked into the sand, pooling around him, and the sight of it twisted his stomach into knots.

He had blacked out.

He had lost control.

And now.. now, they were all dead. Because of him.

Tears blurred his vision as he stared down at his bloodied hands. The darkness he had feared for so long had finally taken hold of him, and in that moment, Nyvian knew-he was a danger to everyone around him. The weight of his guilt and shame pressed down on him, crushing him, suffocating him. He had done the unthinkable.

He had killed them all.

And with that thought, the world around him faded into a haze of grief and self-loathing, the full weight of his actions sinking in as he knelt in the middle of the massacre he had caused.