The academy's outer perimeter, usually quiet at dusk, carried an undercurrent of danger. Students trickled through the gardens, exhausted from the day's training, unaware that tonight would mark the first direct challenge from the Top Ten Families.
Cael Ardyn stood alone on a balcony overlooking the courtyard. The faint crimson pulse beneath his skin resonated faintly, alerting him to a disturbance invisible to ordinary senses.
Someone approaches with intent, he thought. Not curiosity. Not observation. Malice.
A cloaked figure slipped through the shadows with lethal precision. Every step was calculated. Aura and mana were suppressed—standard for assassins trained by the Top Ten Families. Their purpose was clear: eliminate the anomaly, the Bronze initiate who dared defy centuries of expectation.
Selene, standing quietly behind him, noticed his subtle shift in posture. "Teacher… someone's coming," she whispered.
Cael didn't turn. "I know," he said softly. "And they will learn why blood remembers."
The assassin struck silently. From the courtyard below, a thin, nearly invisible dagger infused with suppressive aura shot upward, aimed at Cael's heart. Most students would have been oblivious until it was too late.
Cael's hand moved almost imperceptibly. A ribbon of his own blood shot forward, coiling around the blade midair, absorbing the force and redirecting it harmlessly into the ground below. The assassin's weapon shattered upon impact, faint crimson droplets dancing in the evening light.
Selene's eyes widened. "I've never seen blood move like that!"
Cael allowed himself a faint smile. "This is just the beginning. Observe carefully."
The assassin recovered instantly, now attacking from above with multiple blades, each aimed at vital points. But Cael's control over his blood extended beyond defense. A single drop expanded into a dense crimson web, nearly invisible, which moved like living sinews. Every blade was intercepted, deflected, or trapped within the threads.
Selene followed suit, cautiously forming her own blood ribbons, guided by Cael's whispers. Together, they moved in synchronized harmony, a deadly dance of anticipation, control, and precision.
The assassin's movements grew frantic. Each strike met with countermeasures he could not predict. Blood, not aura, not mana, was controlling the battlefield.
This is impossible, he muttered under his breath, sweat running down his temples.
Finally, Cael spoke, voice low and commanding. "Enough."
The crimson web converged, tightening gently around the assassin—not to kill, but to immobilize and warn. He struggled, realizing too late that the Bronze initiate was not merely defending himself. He was dictating the flow of life, overriding instincts and suppression magic alike.
Cael leaned slightly forward. "Leave now. Do not return. Your families will learn that warning is cheaper than death."
The assassin's eyes widened in understanding. Without another word, he vanished into the shadows, retreating swiftly, leaving only faint traces of suppressed aura behind.
Selene exhaled deeply. "I… I can't believe we did that. You controlled him… without even touching him!"
Cael nodded. "Blood obeys those who respect it. Today was your first lesson in using it under extreme stress. Remember this feeling. Fear teaches focus, and control protects life. Misuse it, and you'll kill yourself before the world touches you."
Selene's chest heaved, determination burning in her eyes. "I understand, teacher. I will master it… no matter what comes next."
Meanwhile, in the hidden chambers of the Top Ten Families, alarms sounded faintly. The assassin's report reached the eldest members: a Bronze-ranked student, with abilities beyond comprehension, had not only resisted their elite operative but controlled him using life essence.
"It cannot be," Lord Valerius muttered, teeth grinding. "No Bronze student has ever… yet the report confirms it. He must be eliminated—but carefully. This is… an entirely new threat."
Plans began to form for a covert operation to isolate Cael and remove him permanently from the academy. But as their strategies unfolded, faint tremors of crimson energy pulsed across the ether—subtle, omnipresent, and alive.
The Demon King, deep in the abyss, observed. Crimson eyes gleamed brighter than ever.
"Yes," he whispered. "The Blood Immortal takes his first steps in the world once more. His disciple awakens, the families scramble, and the world begins to feel the pulse of what it once feared. Soon… all shall bleed in remembrance."
Back in the academy, Cael turned to Selene. "This is only the beginning. They will continue to test us, observe us, and attempt to manipulate the academy against us. You must grow stronger, faster. And you must understand: power is meaningless without foresight."
Selene nodded, determination etched on her face. "I will follow you. I will survive. And I will master the blood."
Cael allowed himself a rare moment of satisfaction. In a world unfamiliar to him, in a time long after his previous life, the Blood Immortal had once again begun to carve his path—a path filled with enemies, intrigue, and a darkness waiting patiently in the shadows.
They will learn, he thought, that blood remembers—and I do not forgive.
The first serious test from the Top Ten Families was over. But for the Blood Immortal, the battle had only just begun.