Awakened in a Realm of Magic and Blood

Poor, Powerless

The hut fell quiet after Eli left.

Andrew let out a slow breath he hadn’t realized he was holding and leaned back against the cracked wall. The thin wood pressed uncomfortably into his spine, but he barely noticed. His thoughts drifted far from Ashwake House, far from Aetherion, back to a life that now felt like a dream fading at dawn.

Nightclubs filled with neon lights. Music so loud it drowned out thought. People who smiled when he entered a room because his name carried weight. Women who laughed at his jokes even when they weren’t funny. Cars, money, power. Control.

His father.

Andrew’s jaw tightened.

For the first time since waking in this world, regret seeped in quietly. Not loud, not dramatic. Just a dull ache. He had lived like tomorrow was guaranteed. Like consequences were for other people.

Now tomorrow had arrived wearing rags and hunger.

He scoffed softly. “Pathetic,” he muttered, unsure whether he was insulting his past self or his present one.

He exhaled and stared at the ceiling, listening to the distant sounds of Ashwake House. Footsteps. Raised voices. Someone laughing bitterly. Someone else crying. Survival echoed everywhere.

So this is my new life, he thought. Starting from the bottom.

A sudden noise shattered the quiet.

The hut’s curtain was yanked aside, and Eli stumbled in, gasping for air.

Andrew sat up instantly. “What—”

“Hide,” Eli blurted out.

Andrew frowned. “What?”

“They’re back,” Eli said, bending over, hands on his knees as he struggled to breathe. “The guys from earlier. The ones who—” He swallowed. “They’re looking for trouble.”

Andrew stood despite the protest from his body. “Good.”

Eli’s head snapped up. “Good?”

Andrew’s eyes hardened. “I was hoping they would come.”

Eli stared at him like he had truly lost his senses. “You’re serious.”

“They should come,” Andrew repeated calmly. “I’m not running.”

Eli grabbed his arm. “You can barely stand straight! This isn’t some story where things magically work out!”

Andrew looked down at Eli’s hand on his sleeve. Slowly, deliberately, he removed it.

“I’m done hiding,” he said.

Eli shook his head, panic flashing across his face. “No. No, you don’t understand. These guys don’t fight fair. They don’t stop when they should.”

“I know,” Andrew replied quietly.

That was exactly why he wanted them to come.

Eli grabbed his shoulders and pushed him toward the back of the hut. “You hide. Just for now. Please.”

Andrew hesitated.

Eli met his eyes. “For me.”

Something twisted in Andrew’s chest. He looked away, then nodded once.

“Fine.”

Eli shoved him into one of the smaller side rooms barely big enough to stand in. Andrew pressed himself into the shadows as Eli closed the door, his footsteps retreating.

Moments later, loud voices approached.

“Well, well,” a mocking voice said. “Look who’s still breathing.”

Andrew clenched his fists.

The leader’s voice carried easily, dripping with disdain. “Where’s your friend, round boy? We weren’t done with him yet.”

“I don’t know,” Eli replied, forcing a shaky laugh. “He left. I just got back.”

“You expect us to believe that?” another voice sneered.

The door creaked open wider. Andrew could see through the narrow gap as five boys entered the hut. Their posture was relaxed, confident. Cruel.

The leader stepped closer to Eli. “You think we’re stupid?”

“I swear,” Eli said quickly. “He was gone when I came back.”

“Search the place,” the leader ordered.

Two of them moved toward the rooms.

Eli stepped in front of them. “Hey—this is all we have. Leave it alone.”

The leader’s smile vanished. “Move.”

Eli didn’t.

The next moment, he was shoved aside and hit the floor hard. Andrew’s vision narrowed.

The sounds that followed made his jaw clench tighter with each second. Eli tried to scramble up, only to be knocked down again. Laughter filled the hut.

“Stay out of grown men’s business,” someone mocked.

Inside the room, Andrew’s breathing grew heavy. His body trembled, not from fear, but from restraint.

This is because of me.

Eli cried out once, then went quiet.

Andrew stepped forward.

The door burst open.

The room fell silent.

All eyes turned to him.

“Well,” the leader said slowly, looking Andrew up and down. “There you are.”

Eli looked up, disbelief written across his face. “Andrew… no…”

Andrew ignored him and walked forward, his posture straight despite the pain screaming through his muscles.

The leader laughed. “You came out on your own? Brave. Or stupid.”

Andrew stopped a few steps away. “You’re done here.”

The hut erupted in laughter.

“Did you hear that?” one of them said. “He’s ordering us around.”

Another cracked his knuckles. “Guess he wants another lesson.”

They moved together.

Andrew moved first.

He didn’t charge blindly. He stepped in, redirected a swing, and used the momentum against them. Surprise flashed across their faces as one stumbled back into another.

“What—?”

Andrew struck again, sharper this time. Controlled. Efficient.

The hut echoed with shouts of shock and anger. Two went down quickly, scrambling to get back up. Another hesitated, eyes wide.

“This isn’t the same guy,” someone muttered.

Andrew breathed hard, but his eyes were clear. Focused.

One rushed him from behind. Andrew twisted, using the narrow space to his advantage. The boy crashed into the wall instead.

The fourth fell moments later, backing away in disbelief.

Only the leader remained standing.

He stared at his fallen friends, then back at Andrew, rage twisting his features. “Useless fools,” he spat. “You couldn’t handle one poor, powerless man?”

Andrew chuckled softly.

The sound sent a chill through the hut.

“Poor,” Andrew repeated. “Powerless.”

He stepped forward.

The leader swung wildly. Andrew dodged, closed the distance, and struck once—hard enough to make the leader stagger back and fall.

Silence.

The leader scrambled up, fear finally replacing arrogance. “This isn’t over,” he snapped, backing toward the door.

Andrew said nothing.

The five of them fled.

Andrew stood still, chest rising and falling, as the curtain settled back into place.

Behind him, Eli stared in stunned silence.

“…What just happened?” Eli whispered.

Andrew finally turned.

“I told you,” he said quietly. “I’m not the same anymore.”

Eli swallowed.