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Zach winced as the meta’s words cut deeper than any physical attack could. As the guy patted his tophat, Zach didn’t even flinch; he was too consumed by his own thoughts, the magic that once flowed through him feeling distant and out of reach.

The swift punch that followed knocked his hat askew, and Zach stumbled back, catching it just before it hit the ground. He stood there, clutching the brim of his hat. The comment about his parents hurt the most. The idea that they might see him as a failure now, after all his training and hard work. His father, who had sparked his love for the stage, and his mother, who had tried to protect him by sealing his powers. Despite everything, he had chosen this path, not to defy them but to honor them, to prove that he could stand on his own as both a magician and a hero.

Zach watched the meta walk away, anger bubbling beneath the surface, in spite of the raging feeling of inadequacy. He desperately wanted to prove the guy wrong, to prove himself. [color=darkviolet]“Hey, you can badmouth me all you want. But keep my parents out of your mouth!”[/color] He slowly stood up, still trembling from all the conflicting emotions. “They were better people than you’ll ever be. Everything I am is because of them. “And I’m not going to just sit this one out,” he declared. [color=darkviolet]“You’ll see exactly what I have magic for.”[/color]

[color=darkviolet]“Mih barg seniv cigam!”[/color] Ethereal vines erupted from the ground, shimmering with a faint glow as they surged forward, wrapping around the man’s legs and arms, pulling him back toward Zach. [color=darkviolet]“You think you can just walk away after insulting my parents? After making me doubt myself? Not happening.”[/color]

And then, Zach did something… unexpected. He punched the guy in the face while the guy was bound, as hard as he possibly could. [color=darkviolet]“How about you sit this one out! Oh, and another thing. No one touches the hat but me.”[/color]