The training resumed.
But something had changed.
Ever since the Red Scroll trial, something inside Kael—and inside all five chosen—felt different.
They had seen things that others hadn't.Things they couldn't explain.Things they didn't want to talk about.
An Uneasy Silence
Kael sat near the edge of the academy's cliff, watching the waves crash below.
Mikaho joined him.
She didn't say anything. Just sat beside him.
"Did you see him too?" Kael finally asked.
Mikaho nodded slowly.
"He spoke to me. He looked like my father… but he wasn't."
Kael didn't answer. His hands were still trembling from the illusion.
The silence between them was comfortable—but heavy.
Behind them, Zehr stood watching.
"You two always leave me behind, huh?" he joked, forcing a smile.
Kael smirked, but his eyes didn't shine the same way anymore.
Yue's Secrets
Elsewhere, Yue was alone in the library.
She moved past rows of books until she reached the hidden shelf.
She pulled out a book with no title.
Inside was a map.
A map of the island.
But this map had things others didn't.
Marked zones. Symbols. Gates. Hidden cities.
At the bottom of the map were two words scratched in old ink:
"Bloodline Keys."
Yue closed the book quickly when she sensed someone behind her.
It was Arden.
"You're not supposed to be here," he said.
Yue looked at him without fear.
"Neither are you."
The Test of Trust
That afternoon, Master Shin called the five together.
"You are being sent on your first real mission," he said."It will test your teamwork. And your trust."
The mission was simple:Go beyond the marked zone. Scout the old Demon Graveyard. Return safely.
But it was anything but simple.
The Journey Begins
They packed weapons and rations.
Zehr carried a new chain-blade.Mikaho had her twin short blades.Kael carried his training sword—now infused with a strange mark after the trial.Yue… carried no visible weapon. Only a small pouch.
As they reached the edge of the zone, the atmosphere changed.
The air grew colder.
The sky darker.
Even the birds had stopped flying here.
Kael paused.
"Stay close. No one goes off alone."
In the Graveyard
The Demon Graveyard was not what they expected.
There were no skeletons.No bones.
Only massive black stones sticking out of the earth—like claws.
Each stone pulsed faintly, like a dying heartbeat.
Suddenly, they heard a noise.
Rustling.Footsteps.
Then—a scream.
They turned.
Arden was gone.
The Trap
They found him tied up by black vines, hanging upside down from a tree.
As Kael moved to cut him free, something moved in the shadows.
A demon.
But not like the ones they trained against.
This one wore armor.
Its eyes burned blue. Its claws were long and metal-like.
It looked… intelligent.
It spoke in a tongue they didn't understand.
Kael stepped forward.
The demon raised its hand.
Suddenly, Kael couldn't move.
"It's using... blood magic," Yue whispered."Runes. This is old magic."
Mikaho charged forward and slashed at the demon's side, making it scream.
That broke the spell.
Kael roared and jumped at it, clashing blades.
Zehr tossed his chain-blade, wrapping its legs.
With all of them attacking together—they defeated it.
The demon fell, not dead—but laughing.
"You've awakened the first… gate."
It dissolved into black mist.
The Crack Appears
As they returned to the academy, no one spoke.
They were all thinking the same thing.
Why was that demon… different?
Back at the cliff, Ashen watched the sea again.
A voice behind him spoke.
"They passed the first test."
Ashen nodded.
"Good. Then it's almost time for the truth to break them."
He looked down at his only hand.
Clenched it.
And whispered:
"You can only be strong… when you've been broken first."
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A memory forgotten. A map discovered. And someone begins to lie.