(Opening Scene: The library remains hushed, the lingering tension thick in the air after Zane's unexpected dissipation of Astrid's lightning bolt. Headmaster Theron stares at Zane, his surprise evident.)
Headmaster Theron stepped closer to Zane, his gaze intense and analytical. "Zane," he said, his voice filled with a newfound urgency. "What just occurred? You… you negated Lady Montaigne's magical attack. A direct nullification of elemental energy. Have you exhibited this ability before?"
Zane shook his head, still trying to understand what had just happened. The surge of purple energy from his eyes and hands had been completely instinctive, a reaction to the immediate threat and Astrid's uncontrolled power. He hadn't consciously willed the lightning to disappear.
"No, Headmaster," Zane replied, his voice slightly shaky. "I… I didn't try to do anything. It just… happened. When Astrid's lightning was about to hit Doctor Finch… it just… vanished." He looked at his hands, a lingering sense of the strange energy still present.
Headmaster Theron's brow furrowed in thought. "An instinctive reaction… triggered by extreme circumstances. Remarkable." He looked at Astrid, who was watching Zane with a mixture of awe and concern. "Lady Montaigne, did you feel any resistance, any drain on your magical energy when your spell dissipated?"
Astrid shook her head. "No, Headmaster. It was as if the lightning simply… ceased to exist. One moment it was there, the next… gone."
Headmaster Theron turned back to Zane, his expression now a mixture of fascination and serious consideration. "Zane, I need you to focus. Can you attempt to replicate this? Can you consciously try to negate a magical energy source?"
Zane closed his eyes, concentrating, trying to recall the feeling of that instinctive surge of power. He focused on the residual magical energy in the air, the faint hum of the academy's wards, even the lingering scent of ozone. He willed his void energy to reach out, to… nullify. But nothing happened. His eyes remained their usual shade, and no visible energy emanated from him.
He opened his eyes, a frustrated sigh escaping his lips. "I… I can't, Headmaster. I tried, but nothing happened. It was just… a feeling, a reaction to… to the danger."
Headmaster Theron nodded slowly, his gaze still fixed on Zane. "So, an involuntary ability, triggered by extreme conditions. A powerful, and potentially invaluable, defensive mechanism. But one that is not yet under your conscious control." He paused, his mind clearly racing with the implications. "This changes everything, Zane. This changes everything."