The night air was thick with tension, the moonlight casting pale silver streaks across the academy's rooftops. Whispers of yesterday's events had reached every corner of Eclipse Ascension Academy. Bronze students avoided Cael Ardyn, some in fear, others in awe. Silver students were restless, muttering about forbidden powers and anomalies that defied the rules of mana and aura.
Cael and Selene trained quietly in the hidden chamber, blood ribbons weaving through the air in precise arcs. Their movements were controlled, disciplined, deliberate. Each pulse of blood reflected not only strength but understanding—a harmony of life energy that the academy could not suppress.
Good, Cael thought. The more she learns, the more they underestimate her… and us.
A faint disturbance rippled through the corridor outside the chamber. It was subtle but precise, like a spider stepping lightly across taut silk. Cael noticed immediately, his senses attuned to the faintest irregularities in blood flow.
"They've come again," he murmured. "More scouts. Not one… but many."
Selene's eyes widened. "Many? We can't take all of them—what do we do?"
Cael's lips curved slightly. "We adapt. Control, always control. Blood obeys those who respect it. And fear will teach them restraint."
The scouts—three students cloaked in the emblems of different Top Ten Families—entered the chamber silently. Each moved with lethal precision, their aura restrained just enough to conceal intent, but detectable to someone who could sense life itself.
Merrick, a junior from Silvercrest, struck first. He lunged with a combination of speed and aura-enhanced fists. Elara, agile and precise, followed, her attacks slicing the air with wind-infused mana. The third, a previously unknown figure in a black-and-gold robe, moved subtly, striking from the shadows—an assassin in miniature.
Cael's eyes glowed faintly crimson. A single drop of blood left his palm, spinning and stretching into multiple filaments. Each strike from the attackers was met with an invisible shield of life essence, redirecting momentum, destabilizing balance, and intercepting attacks.
Selene followed suit, her ribbons dancing in tandem with Cael's. They moved as one—a predator and her pupil, weaving a symphony of restraint and force.
The first scout fell back, stunned, his attacks deflected without direct contact. The second faltered, misjudging speed against the subtle manipulation of blood that defied suppression. The third moved cautiously, analyzing patterns—but even he was caught off guard when Selene's ribbon grazed his shoulder, a warning rather than harm, teaching him to respect control.
After the skirmish, the three scouts retreated swiftly, leaving faint traces of suppressed aura behind. Cael observed the trails, noting the families they represented.
"More will come," he said quietly. "And soon, they will send someone stronger… someone who does not merely test, but hunts."
Selene swallowed, her chest heaving. "Someone stronger than Bronze or Silver?"
"Yes," Cael replied. "There are students here with forbidden techniques, unrecorded by history. They are dangerous not because of skill, but because their powers cannot be anticipated. One day, we will face them directly."
The next morning, the mysterious third scout returned—but this time in the academy's training halls. He was tall, lean, with a subtle aura that flickered inconsistently, revealing a mastery of suppressed techniques. He introduced himself with a faint, knowing smile.
"I am Kaelith," he said. "And I've been sent to… observe. But perhaps also to understand you, Bronze initiate. Or to determine if you are worth the families' attention."
Cael studied him. Kaelith's aura flickered in ways inconsistent with normal students. There was danger, certainly—but also potential.
Selene tensed, instinctively preparing her blood ribbons. Cael held up a hand, signaling calm.
"Observe," he whispered. "Even the dangerous can teach… if you respect the lesson."
Kaelith's eyes flicked toward Selene. A faint smirk crossed his face. "Interesting… not alone, are you? Bronze initiate with… a companion? Curious."
Cael inclined his head slightly. "Curiosity can be fatal. Remember that."
Throughout the day, Cael guided Selene in controlling her techniques under direct pressure from Kaelith. The boy's movements were swift, calculated, and unpredictable, forcing Selene to rely entirely on instinct, discipline, and the subtle guidance of blood threads.
By the end of the session, Selene could manipulate multiple ribbons simultaneously, redirecting Kaelith's strikes and even subtly influencing his momentum without direct contact. Kaelith's respect grew faintly—but his curiosity remained sharper than ever.
"Not bad," he admitted, backing off. "But I will return. And next time, I will not merely test you."
Cael's eyes glowed faintly crimson. So be it, he thought. Let them come. The world is ready to remember the Blood Immortal.
That night, whispers circulated among the academy. Students and instructors alike spoke of Cael's "unbelievable control" and the mysterious Bronze student capable of manipulating life itself. Even Lyra Noctis took more deliberate steps, observing from the shadows, calculating every interaction.
Far below, in the abyss, the Demon King's crimson eyes blazed.
"Yes," he murmured. "The Blood Immortal grows stronger, and his disciple begins to awaken. Families send hunters… yet they fail to grasp the scale. Soon, all will know the weight of blood. All will remember."
Cael pressed his hand to his chest, feeling the faint pulse of life coursing beneath his skin. Blood remembers. And I remember. Every betrayal, every death, every victory. And now, the world will see why they should have feared me.
The Blood Immortal had faced his first serious field test—and emerged not only unscathed but strengthened.