Chapter 4: The Poisoned Awakening

Samim led Mustak away from the others.The training hall grew distant behind them as they entered a narrower chamber made of cold stone. There were no torches here—only a faint light filtering through cracks in the ceiling.At the center of the room stood a metal table.On it rested a blade darker than the others.Samim stopped walking.“Some Setam,” she said quietly, “use venom.”Her voice carried no drama—only fact.“The venom does not kill immediately. It forces the body into unbearable pain. Most candidates lose control before their power stabilizes.”Mustak listened without blinking.“This method,” she continued, “is the last option. I rarely use it.”She gestured toward another candidate standing at the far end of the room. His face was pale, sweat already forming along his brow.“His seed has not awakened,” Samim explained. “Without awakening, he will die in the field.”The candidate swallowed.Samim approached him.The blade pierced his shoulder.At first—nothing.Then—A scream.Not loud.But broken.His body collapsed to the floor, trembling violently. Veins darkened beneath his skin as if something burned inside him. He clawed at his chest. His breath turned sharp and desperate.“Control it,” Samim ordered. “Let the seed respond.”The candidate’s eyes rolled back.Moments later—He stopped moving.Silence returned.Mustak watched without expression.Samim studied him carefully.“This is the path,” she said. “If your ability cannot awaken naturally, pain will force it.”She stepped closer.“For most people… this is where fear wins.”Mustak extended his arm.Without being told.Samim did not hesitate.The blade pierced him.The venom entered his bloodstream.For a single heartbeat, nothing changed.Then—Fire.It felt as if his bones were melting from the inside. As if his spine had turned into molten metal. Every nerve screamed at once. His vision fractured. Sound became distant.The Dragon’s seed reacted violently.Inside his spinal column, green energy flared uncontrollably.Pain demanded escape.His mind offered a simple solution:End it.For a fraction of a second, his hand twitched toward his own throat.Samim noticed.If he chose self-destruction, she would not stop him.The room blurred.The pain intensified.But beneath the agony—Something else stirred.Not the Dragon.Something older.The dormant force within him expanded.It did not rage.It did not panic.It simply… asserted control.The venom slowed.The Dragon’s seed stabilized.The fire inside his bones cooled—not extinguished, but mastered.Mustak’s breathing steadied.He remained standing.Seconds passed.Then minutes.Samim’s expression shifted.“I have never,” she said slowly, “seen anyone awaken their power through this method.”The air around Mustak changed.Not violently.But undeniably.His presence grew heavier—like gravity had increased around him.The venom that should have crippled him dissolved completely.The seed within his spine stopped fluctuating.It matured instantly.Samim stepped back.“Your ability has awakened,” she said. “And it has already reached mastery.”Other Destroyers required months to stabilize their power.Mustak required pain.He lowered his arm.The wound had already stopped bleeding.Samim sheathed her blade.“From this moment forward,” she declared, “you are not merely a candidate.”She looked directly into his eyes.“You are a weapon.”Days passed.Training intensified.Destroyers learned to channel Dragon abilities—five potential powers hidden within each contract.Most struggled to activate even one consistently.Mustak did not struggle.Because his awakening had not been gradual.It had been absolute.Where others learned control—He already possessed it.After one month, evaluations began.Many Destroyers still lacked full command over their abilities.Some would be reassigned to support roles.Some would die early.But Mustak stood apart.His power did not flicker.It did not drain rapidly.It did not destabilize.And more unsettling than that—It felt limitless.Soon after, the first mission was announced.A team of twenty would enter Setam territory.Ten Destroyers.Ten carriers for food.Samim gathered them before departure.“During this mission,” she said, “you will understand your true worth.”Teams were assigned.Mustak was placed alongside Siddiq and Muskan.He shook his head.“I will go on Thursday,” he said calmly.Samim narrowed her eyes.“Thursday patrols face stronger Setam.”“I know.”She studied him for several seconds.Then nodded.“Very well.”No one understood his choice.But Mustak did not choose randomly.He never had.And somewhere beyond the forest line—Something was already waiting for him.