Felix noticed Raze's hesitation, a sly grin spreading across his face. Never seen anything like that before, huh? he murmured, lowering his voice. That's because most people don't get to.
Raze tilted his head, curious. "What do you mean?
Felix chuckled, the red lightning sparking faintly on his fingertips before fading away.
"The Blaze bloodline... we keep a low profile. People who poke around too much don't usually live to tell the tale." His tone was light, but there was a clear threat hidden beneath the words.
Nearby, a couple of teens whispered, glancing nervously at Felix.
"I've heard of them," one muttered. "The Blaze bloodline doesn't live in the cities. They stay hidden away. Anyone who finds their home... disappears."
"Yeah! My uncle said they wiped out a whole group of people who tried to find them. Vanished without a trace."
Raze stared at Felix, trying to read him. Felix just smiled like it was all a game. 'So that's why I've never heard of them,' Raze thought.
Felix leaned in, amusement dripping from his voice. "You look like you want to know more, Raze. But trust me... knowing too much about us never turns out well."
Raze stayed silent, unsure what to say. He definitely had questions, but the chances of Felix answering were close to zero.
The officer called out more names, one by one. Teenagers stepped onto the field, some confident, others clearly nervous, each showing what they could do. The rest watched, some cheering, others whispering doubts or feeling pity for those who struggled.
Raze watched the field, but Felix had already gone back to normal, acting like nothing had been said about his bloodline. He leaned against the railing next to Raze, grinning.
"So... think they'll put us in the same dorm?" Felix asked casually. "Wouldn't mind having you as a roommate. Beats ending up with some boring person."
Raze raised an eyebrow. "Uh, sure... maybe we will," he replied. Felix chuckled, tapping his fingers on the rail as the tests went on.
Not far away, Beatrix stood with her arms crossed, her golden eyes flicking between the field, Raze, and Felix. She barely heard the officer's instructions.
'Why is someone from the Blaze bloodline even talking to him?'
It wasn't normal for someone from a bloodline to hang around someone without an awakening. It just didn't make sense to Beatrix.
One by one, the officer called out more names. Teenagers walked up to the field, some confident, some nervous, each showing off their own awakenings. The teenagers who were waiting for their turn watched with mixed reactions, cheers for those from bloodlines, whispers of doubt or pity for the ordinary ones who struggled.
Raze kept his eyes on the field, but Felix had already shifted back into his usual self, acting as if nothing about the Blaze bloodline had been said at all. He leaned against the railing beside Raze and grinned.
"So… you think they'll throw us in dorms together?" Felix asked casually. "Wouldn't mind having you as a roommate. Beats ending up with someone boring. Hopefully we're lucky enough to get the same keys."
Raze raised a brow slightly, "Uh sure…maybe they'll throw us into the same dorms." he replied. Felix chuckled. tapping his fingers against the rail while the next test went on.
The officer kept calling names. More teenagers stepped up for the tests, Combat Robots, Strength, and Speed, one after the other.
A boy from the Frostfang bloodline went first. When the robots came at him, ice spread across the ground in jagged spikes, freezing them solid before he shattered them with a single punch. He scored high on strength too, the pillar cracking loudly under his strike. His speed was solid, though not as fast as Beatrix or Felix.
Next came a girl with a weaker awakening, someone from no bloodline. She tried her best, but the robots quickly overwhelmed her, forcing the officers to shut down the test before she got hurt. The teens whispered, some sneering, others looking away awkwardly.
Felix stretched his arms casually, smirking like none of this mattered. "See? That's why I want us in the same dorm, Raze. You're not boring like half of these people." He glanced at him playfully. "Besides, who else can say they'll be rooming with someone who can cut through robots in one strike?"
Raze didn't respond right away. His eyes stayed on the field, watching as another boy used a rock-based ability to crush the robots, then struggled with his speed test.
The officer continued calling names, and teenagers stepped forward one by one for the three tests:. A tall boy with the Stoneclaw bloodline went first. As the combat robots charged, he slammed his fists into the ground, sending jagged rocks shooting out to crush them. Sparks flew as the robots staggered and then broke apart.
For the strength test, he slammed against the pillar, leaving a large crack. His speed was solid, though not remarkable compared to Beatrix or Felix. The crowd murmured their approval, impressed but not shocked.
Several more students were called, each with varying levels of awakening. A boy with electric pulses shattered the robots with multiple arcs of lightning, but his speed faltered.
A girl with a simple wind ability could barely redirect a single robot before the officer intervened. Ordinary teens who had no awakening due to not being able to buy an Awakening book, struggled the most. Some collapsed mid-test, while others barely scraped through.
Finally, the tests concluded. The officer stepped forward, raising his voice. "All right, that's enough for today. You'll be assigned dorms and given your keys. The dorms will house students based on age, ability, and rank. Those lucky enough to be placed with friends may consider themselves fortunate."
Felix nudged Raze with an elbow. "Looks like we might end up in the same dorm. Think about it. Training together, competing, and maybe a little fun on the side," he whispered, his grin wide.
"What does he mean by rank?" Raze asked, completely ignoring what Felix had just said.
Felix just shrugged, "I have no idea... Maybe there will be a hierarchy for Military School."
The officer continued, "Before all of you are handed the keys to your dorms, there will be a quick tour around the academy. I won't be the one guiding you. That task will fall to your homeroom teacher. For some of you, at least." He paused, letting the teenagers absorb his words before continuing.
"You'll all be split into groups of four. Since there are eighty of you, that will give us twenty groups. Once the groups are set, I'll lead you to your teachers."
Felix leaned closer, whispering into Raze's ear with a sly smirk. "We better be in the same group. Same dorm too."
Raze sighed inwardly, keeping his face straight. 'At this point, I'm starting to think he's obsessed with me.'
The officer lowered his gaze to the tablet in his hand and tapped a tab that displayed a full roster of names. With a single tap, the system randomized and automatically arranged everyone into groups of fours.
"Alright!" the officer barked. "I'll begin calling your names now. When you hear your name, step forward and away from anyone who's not in your group."
He began calling out names down the list. One by one, students broke from the line and moved toward their assigned groups.