Jayden's body began to change. His skin took on a translucent quality, blue veins pulsing with unnatural light. The air around him wavered as if viewed through intense heat. Where his eyes had been, twin pools of blue-white fire now burned.
"THIS IS TRUE POTENTIAL!" Jayden's voice boomed, distorted by the extreme heat emanating from his transformed body. "SUPERHEATED TO PLASMA!"
The crowd gasped collectively. Many retreated from the lower seats, driven back by the heat that penetrated even the protective dome.
Lucas straightened fully, wiping blood from his mouth with the back of his hand. Rather than looking intimidated, a ghost of a smile touched his lips.
"Now we're starting," he said quietly, blood speckling his lips as he spoke.
