The school day was a blur of anxiety and anticipation. Alex could barely focus on his classes, his mind constantly drifting back to the amulet tucked safely under his shirt. It felt like a secret, a burning truth that only he knew, and it weighed heavily on his chest. He had always been careful, always tried to avoid attention, but now he felt like every eye in the school was on him, like he was carrying something far too powerful to keep hidden.

By the time lunch rolled around, Alex’s nerves were frayed. He hadn’t seen Samira yet, and without her, he felt exposed, vulnerable. The memory of the previous day’s bullying was still fresh in his mind, and the thought of facing Victor and his gang again made their stomach turn.

But the confrontation was inevitable. As Alex walked down the hallway, trying to keep his head down, he heard the all-too-familiar sound of Victor’s mocking laughter. It sent a shiver down their spine, a wave of dread that made their legs feel like lead. But this time, there was something else too—a flicker of anger, of something deep and primal that made him clench his fists at sides.

“Hey, Chen!” Victor’s voice rang out, loud and taunting. “I see you’re still slinking around like a scared little rat.”

Alex stopped in his tracks, his heart pounding in his chest. He knew he should keep walking, should try to avoid the inevitable, but something inside him wouldn’t let him. Maybe it was the weight of the amulet, or the memory of his mother, or the burning sense of injustice that had been building up inside him for far too long. Whatever it was, it made them turn around, his eyes locking onto Victor’s with a defiance he hadn’t known they possessed.

Victor was flanked by Jake and Emily, their faces twisted into sneers of contempt. The sight of them filled Alex with a surge of anger so intense it nearly took their breath away. These were the people who had made his life a living hell, who had taken pleasure in his pain, and for what? Just because they could? Because they enjoyed seeing others suffer?

“I’m not afraid of you, Victor,” Alex said, his voice shaking slightly but filled with a determination that surprised even them.

Victor’s sneer deepened, his eyes narrowing as he took a step closer

Victor’s sneer deepened, his eyes narrowing as he took a step closer. “Not afraid?” he mocked, his voice dripping with condescension. “You should be, Chen. You think you’re brave now, but you’re still the same pathetic loser you’ve always been.”

Jake and Emily closed in behind Victor, their faces twisted into malicious grins. The hallway seemed to close in around Alex, the walls pressing in on them as their heart pounded in his chest. The anger that had flared up moments ago was still there, but it was now mixed with a cold, creeping fear that made his hands tremble.

But then, beneath the fear, something else stirred. The amulet, warm against his skin, seemed to pulse with a strange energy, as if it was responding to his emotions, feeding off his anger and fear. The sensation was unsettling, but also oddly comforting. It was a reminder that he wasn't alone, that he carried with him a power that was far greater than anything Victor could understand.

Victor must have seen something in Alex’s eyes, because his sneer turned into a scowl. He stepped forward, shoving Alex hard against the lockers. The metal dug into his back, sending a jolt of pain up their spine, but he refused to look away. He stared back at Victor, refusing to give him the satisfaction of seeing him cower.

“You think you’re tough now?” Victor spat, his voice low and menacing. “You think you can stand up to me? Let’s see how tough you really are.”

Before Alex could react, Victor’s fist lashed out, striking them across the face. The impact sent Alex sprawling to the ground, his vision swimming as pain exploded across his cheek. For a moment, he lay there, dazed and disoriented, the cold floor pressing against his skin. He could hear Jake and Emily laughing, their voices cruel and mocking, but it all seemed distant, like a bad dream he couldn’t wake up from.

But then, through the haze of pain, Alex felt it—the amulet, growing warmer against their skin, as if it was trying to reach out to him, trying to connect. It was a sensation unlike anything he had ever felt before, a surge of energy that seemed to course through his veins, filling him with a strange, almost electric vitality.

As he pushed themselves up, Alex caught sight of their own reflection in the metal surface of the locker. Blood was trickling from a cut on their lip, their face was bruised, but there was something different in their eyes. It was as if a fire had been lit behind them, a spark of something powerful, something ancient.

Victor loomed over them, his fist raised to deliver another blow.

Victor's fists pounded against Alex's body, each strike harder than the last. Jake and Emily stood by, their laughter echoing through the empty hallway, fueling Victor's rage. But despite the pain coursing through Alex's body, something deep inside him refused to break. The amulet, warm against his chest, pulsed in time with their heartbeat, as if it was calling out to him, urging them to hold on.

"Enough, Victor," Emily finally said, though her tone was more out of boredom than mercy. "Let's get out of here before we get caught."

Victor sneered, breathing heavily, his eyes filled with a twisted satisfaction. But as he moved to step back, Alex, dazed and barely able to stand, stumbled forward, his hand instinctively reaching out to stop him. It was a weak, almost desperate gesture, but it was enough to anger Victor even further.

"Oh, you want more?" Victor snarled, shoving Alex back with more force than he intended.

Alex lost his balance, his foot catching on the corner of a locker. He tried to steady himself, but it was too late. With a sickening thud, Alex's head collided with the edge of the locker, and he crumpled to the ground, motionless.

For a moment, the hallway was silent. The laughter died on Jake and Emily's lips as they stared at Alex's lifeless body, a growing sense of horror dawning on their faces.

"Victor, what did you do?" Jake whispered, his voice trembling.

Victor took a step back, his face paling as he stared at the blood pooling around Alex's head. "I didn't mean to... I just... Oh God, we need to get out of here!"

Panic set in, and without another word, Victor, Jake, and Emily turned and bolted down the hallway, their footsteps echoing as they fled the scene. They didn't look back, too terrified of what they might see.

As the sounds of their retreat faded into the distance, the hallway was left in eerie silence. Alex lay still, his vision darkening as the pain in their head intensified. But as his blood seeped from the wound, it touched the amulet resting against his chest. The moment the blood made contact, the amulet began to glow, its light growing brighter and brighter until it was almost blinding.

The warmth from the amulet spread through Alex's body, soothing the pain, and for a moment, it was as though time itself had stopped. The world around them faded away, leaving only the pulsating glow of the amulet and the steady rhythm of his heartbeat.

And then, with a jolt, Alex's heart stopped beating.

There was a moment of stillness, of quiet, where the only sound was the faint hum of the amulet's magic. But then, as if in response to some unseen force, the amulet flared with an intense, golden light. The energy from the amulet surged into Alex's body, mingling with his blood, coursing through his veins, and breathing life back into him

With a sudden gasp, Alex's eyes snapped open. They were no longer in the hallway, but somewhere else—somewhere between life and death. A place where memories and power intertwined, where the past and present collided. He could see his mother, hear her voice, feel the strength of the generations that had come before them.

The knowledge of his ancestors flooded into Alex's mind, a rush of images and sensations that were both overwhelming and exhilarating. He saw battles fought and won, felt the power of the amulet as it had been wielded by those who had come before him. And as he lay there, at the threshold of life and death, Alex understood. The amulet wasn't just an artifact—it was a part of him, bound to his very soul.

The light from the amulet dimmed, and Alex was thrust back into reality. He was lying on the cold, hard floor of the school hallway, the taste of blood still fresh in his mouth. But something was different—something had changed. He could feel the power of the amulet within him, could sense the flow of energy that connected him to the world around him.

Slowly, Alex pushed himself up, the pain in his head now a distant memory. The blood that had pooled beneath him was gone, absorbed by the amulet, which now hung from his neck, glowing softly. As he stood, he caught sight of his reflection in the metal surface of the lockers. His eyes, once filled with fear and uncertainty, now burned with a fierce, determined light.

Victor, Jake, and Emily had fled, believing Alex to be dead. But they were wrong. Alex was very much alive, and with the power of the amulet now fully awakened, he was stronger than ever before.

Alex’s vision darkened as they stumbled backward, their foot catching on something unseen. They felt their body tilt, falling, and then there was nothing but darkness and a sharp, searing pain as their head collided with the corner of the locker. The world spun, and everything went black.