Bound By Power

Chapter 9

The next morning as we walk from our dorms, the air feels lighter, but there's still an unspoken connection between James and me. After a few minutes of comfortable silence, James speaks up.

"You ever heard of Jaden Knight?" he asks, his tone casual but with a hint of intrigue.

I shake my head. "No, who's that?"

James chuckles softly. "He was a student here, years ago. People used to call him 'The Jade Knight.' He had two powers—one of them was really rare and... dangerous." He shows me a photo of a man with a sinister smile and glowing red eyes.

I glance at him, my curiosity piqued. "What kind of power?"

"Necrokinesis," James says, his voice dropping as if saying the word alone held weight. "He could kill anyone with just a touch."

I shudder involuntarily. "That's terrifying."

James nods. "Yeah, it was. Especially since his other power was conjuration. When he was a kid, the other students bullied him constantly. You know how kids can be—especially when someone's different. He tried to control it, but one day, he just... snapped. Lost control."

I'm silent, absorbing the weight of his words.

"He conjured creatures," James continues, his voice low, "gruesome, terrifying things to deal with the bullies. People say it was unlike anything anyone had ever seen. And then, one day... he disappeared. No one knew where he went, just that he was gone."

I glance at James, waiting for him to continue. He looks ahead, the street lamps casting shadows across his face.

"When Jaden came back," James says, "he wasn't the same. He'd mastered necrokinesis—could use it without even thinking. He didn't hold back. Worse, he'd learned how to use the souls of the people he killed to conjure even more creatures. It was like he had no mercy left in him."

"That's... dark," I say quietly. "What happened to him?"

"No one really knows. Some say the school kicked him out, others say he left on his own. But there's this story that his creatures still roam the places he once visited, like they're tied to him somehow."

I shiver at the thought. "Why are you telling me this?"

James shrugs, giving me a sidelong glance. "I just thought you might find it interesting. Telekinesis is rare, but necrokinesis... that's on a whole different level. Powers like that—they can change a person."

His words linger in the air between us, and I can't help but wonder if there's a warning hidden in his story. It's strange to think about—how power can shape who we are, for better or for worse. And maybe, just maybe, James is reminding me that the path we take with our powers is just as important as the powers themselves.

As we continue walking, I can't shake the feeling that there's more to Jaden's story—something that resonates with the uncertainty I feel about my own abilities. But before I can dwell on it for too long, James glances over at me, flashing me a grin.

"Don't worry," he says, "you're not going to end up like Jaden." As James finishes his story, I can't help but wonder if there's a connection between the creatures Jaden conjured and the shadowy figure that attacked me during my adventure.

"So, these creatures Jaden conjured..." I begin, "What were they like? I mean, did they have any specific traits, or were they just... monsters?"

James slows his pace, thinking for a moment. "From what I've heard, they were different every time. Some were shadowy, shapeless things—others more like twisted versions of animals. But all of them were dangerous. People said they could move through walls, disappear into thin air... almost like they weren't fully part of this world."