Leo Griffin sat at his desk, hands gripping his pencil tightly, knuckles pale. The classroom buzzed with energy as the first day of academy classes began. Freshmen like him had arrived with hope in their eyes and scrolls in their hands, eager to awaken powers.
Around him, classmates manipulated fire, water, air, and metal with ease. Some levitated objects, others conjured sparks that danced along their fingertips. Every demonstration reminded Leo of what he lacked. No scroll could awaken anything in him. He was powerless.
Whispers slid through the desks like vipers.
"Still useless."
"Why even bother with him?"
Leo's chest tightened. Heat rose to his face. Ignore them. Focus. Survive. He gripped his notebook as if it could shield him from their scrutiny.
The teacher lectured on controlling elemental powers, guiding students to nurture their latent abilities. But for Leo, the words fell flat. His scrolls were useless; his peers' eyes were always on him.
Yet deep inside, a spark stirred. His Asura bloodline, dormant and ancient, pulsed quietly in his veins. Unseen, it whispered, faint but persistent: "Azure… awaken."
Leo shivered, goosebumps prickling his arms. For now, it was only a murmur, a distant echo buried beneath his lack of visible ability. But something extraordinary was waiting within him, ready to awaken in ways no one could imagine.