(Opening Scene: The tense standoff in Astrid's chambers reaches a breaking point. Lady Elara has ordered the guards to seize Eclipse and Zane, and Prince Lysander is demanding their arrest. Dark energy flickers around Zane's hands.)
Before the Montaigne guards could move to obey Lady Elara's command, the air around them shimmered and distorted. A wave of cold, earthy energy washed over the room as Zane initiated a void walk. In the blink of an eye, the entire group – Zane, Astrid, Eclipse still coiled protectively on his shoulder, Lady Elara, and the remaining guards, along with the groggy Prince Lysander – vanished from the confines of Astrid's chambers.
They reappeared just outside the academy walls, the sudden shift in environment leaving them disoriented. The cool night air of the Aetherian landscape hit their faces, a stark contrast to the heated tension of the room. The academy's illuminated towers loomed behind them.
As the others stumbled, trying to regain their bearings, a blade of pure obsidian darkness materialized in Zane's hand – the Null Blade. It hummed with a silent, menacing energy, its sharp edges glinting in the moonlight. Zane held it steady, his stance firm, his gaze sweeping over the shocked faces of Lady Elara, Prince Lysander, and the wary guards. Eclipse shifted on his shoulder, his golden eyes narrowed, the black venom still coating his scales.
"Alright," Zane said, his voice low and dangerous, the void energy around him intensifying. "If it's a fight you want, it's a fight you'll get. You will not harm Eclipse, and you will not force Astrid into anything she doesn't want". His gaze locked onto Lady Elara and Prince Lysander. "Consider this your only warning."
The sudden teleportation and the appearance of the formidable Null Blade had shifted the power dynamic once more. The fight had spilled out into the open, and Zane was making it clear he would not back down.