Before starting the lesson, Marina thought it was important to explain how the powers of the Blendbreeds worked. It was one of the most abstract concepts, unlike monsters and deities, so she believed it would help their understanding if she provided some basic knowledge.
"Let's start from scratch. All Blendbreeds are born with an organ called the 'divine particle,'" she enunciated the last two words carefully, then touched a spot just above her heart. "For us, it's extremely important; it's the container that allows us to manipulate mana and use our magic."
The younger Blendbreed made grimaces, probably not what they expected from the lesson.
Marina continued. "In the past, there was a real noble distinction among the ancient families, those with hundreds of generations of descendants. Some are still here, but they are much less influential than they used to be."
A boy in a blood-red hoodie asked from a distance, "What does this have to do with the lesson?"
"One moment!" replied the blonde, recognizing him as a son of Sidal.
She shot a glare at the Blendbreed, and he immediately trembled and looked away. Marina smiled smugly and went back to speaking, unaware that the boy was afraid because of Shirei. The son of Cragar remained silent and allowed her to continue.
"In the case of the Blendbreeds, at their birth, the pure particle is contaminated by the divine blood that flows through their bodies, and they end up following the paths of a deity."
"The paths?" This time the exclamation came from Michela, her stepsister.
"Yes," confirmed Marina. "The term shouldn't be taken literally, as it refers to ancient religious cults. Essentially, priests could devote themselves to a hidden god and pursue their worship until death."
No one spoke, slowly her speech was beginning to attract everyone's attention.
"If the powers that contaminate the particle have not awakened, the Blendbreed can try to reject their ancestry and remain without powers."
Ien's daughter noticed a young girl whispering with her friends and called her: "You, with the bangs, do you have a question?"
"I—" The young Blendbreed quickly stepped back. "I didn't mean to interrupt the lesson. I apologize."
Marina smiled kindly. "It's alright. You're here to learn, not just to listen to me. Please, what did you want to ask?"
"Why would anyone do that?"
"It's very simple. Not contaminating one's particle means not gaining that mark that distinguishes us Blendbreeds. Without it, the monsters can't smell us," she paused. "Was I clear?"
The girl nodded. "Yes! Thank you so much!"
"Ah!" exclaimed Dahlia. "So the particle is tied to the signal, and that's why the progeny of the major gods are the ones whose lives are most at risk!"
Marina smiled at her. "Exactly, they are more prominently marked. Thank you, Dahlia."
The young girl winked, and Ien's daughter could proceed toward the end of her speech.
"This particle was renamed by the divine Didreus as 'Thebrion,' clearly in honor of the primordial god, but in modern practice, it is simply called the 'Divine Core.' It contains all the power of a Blendbreed," she took a pause to moisten her lips. "Through training, it's possible to tap into the power contained in the divine particle more easily, but the limit is ultimately dictated by Fate."
"So we are… limited?" asked a Blendbreed from the crowd.
"Unfortunately, yes," admitted the blonde reluctantly. "We are mortal. Each person is born with a different potential, but once that is reached, there's no going further."
The answer seemed to leave everyone with a bitter taste.
"At the Daffodils Academy, there is also an evaluative test, held by the teachers, to receive your rank. From what I've heard, they work a lot with hierarchies there."
Marina thought of her friend Lilia but decided not to digress further and signaled the two sons of Cragar to come closer. She immediately noticed the strange expression on Shirei's face and wondered if he intended to add some information, but the boy remained silent. The blonde realized she had mentioned the academy by mistake and wondered if his reaction was because of that. She decided to push the thoughts out of her head and focus on the lesson.
"Now, let's get to the main topic of why we're here. Meeting Blendbreeds of this caliber, Forbidden Heirs, is quite rare. Today, we have the chance to observe two with our own eyes."
The same boy, the son of Sidal, asked her: "What about the others? Aren't you going to show us them?"
"I wish I could, but the only ones at Lilies Park are them… For today, you'll have to make do with this."
Marina made a face; that son of Sidal was starting to get on her nerves. She was aware that it was due to the nature passed on by the god of war, but she simply couldn't stand them. She hoped that after that answer, she could continue the lesson in peace, but the boy had other plans.
"You!" he shouted in Shirei's direction. "Let's duel!"
The son of Cragar gently whispered to the teacher, "Marina, is this part of the lesson?"
"Absolutely not, at least not yet."
The boy in the blood-red hoodie grinned arrogantly. "What's the matter, are you afraid of losing, Forbidden Heir?"
Marina remained silent, and the entire group did the same. Shirei slowly lowered his violet irises on the supposed opponent, who instinctively took a step back. A strange patch of darkness, resembling a portal, appeared near the left hand of the son of Cragar, and a sparkling glow poured out of it. After a moment, the darkness dissolved, and Shirei put his hands in his pockets.
"You can continue," said the boy confidently.
A few seconds passed before Marina regained her composure.
"Yes," Ien's daughter turned toward the crowd. "I want to emphasize that we must be careful about who we face. Knowing your companions is a step forward toward victory."
The son of Sidal looked at them, trembling, so she was sure he would no longer be a problem for the rest of the lesson.
"Dahlia, can you give us a list of the powers of a son of Cragar?"
The young girl took a few steps forward and raised her hand, palm facing herself.
"Certainly, I've specifically prepared to do this… According to the magical manuals available at the magnificent Lilies Park, there are seven distinctive abilities. The first…" she raised her index finger, "Premonition of Death, the ability to sense the inexorable scythe of the reaper the moment it severs the life of someone important."
The Blendbreeds were captivated by the girl's words and eagerly longed to know more. Marina covered her face with one hand.
Is it possible that no one ever studies the textbooks? It's all written there…!
Dahlia continued her list. "The second power is quite famous and very limited. Vital Theft, the ability to steal life force from living organisms. It can be used to heal minor injuries or save a mortal on the brink of death, but this technique is a last resort with limited impact."
"Like a form of energy vampirism?" asked Michela, who had begun taking notes.
The daughter of Cragar nodded. "I suppose so, though it's really quite rare."
"Although I am capable of using the powers mentioned earlier, there's another five that pose a serious problem. I'm doing my best, but as of now, I only master the first of these," she raised the other fingers with an annoyed expression. "I'm talking about: Necromancy, Geokinesis, Ferrokinesis, Osteokinesis, and Spectral Travel."
The daughter of Cragar scanned the assembly of Blendbreeds, noticing the attention they were giving her, and with a mocking smile, pointed a hand to the ground. A general shiver ran through the arena where the Blendbreeds had gathered, and a subtle sense of unease filled the air.
The ground began to tremble slightly. The leaves of the surrounding trees rustled, and small pebbles bounced into the air in response to some underground movement.
A skeletal hand, dirty and faded, began to emerge from the earth. The bones moved with a sinister symphony as the skeleton rose, floating upward.
The earth cracked under the force of the undead as it pulled itself out. The sunlight began to filter through its bones until, fully emerged, it stopped to stare at the onlookers with empty, hollow eyes.
The daughter of Cragar resumed her speech despite the stunned gazes fixed upon her. "Necromancy, the magic of the dead, the power to bring the dead back to life, to question spirits and converse with them. It's not as sinister as common belief would have you think. I stand by this statement. In any case, it is possible to perform such evocations and maintain complete control over them."
"Skeletons have no souls, so there's no worry about their will," Shirei added. "If it's people or creatures that died recently, they could even become zombies."
"This doesn't mean they can go around resurrecting people at will, of course!" Marina hastily specified.
"True, unfortunately, those are correct words. Our father is rather strict on this matter," the black-haired girl smiled. "Geokinesis is the next power mentioned. The magic of earth, the ability to manipulate this element and shape it as you please. If mastered, it wouldn't be fantasy to create landslides and earthquakes, or even open chasms in the ground that descend straight into hell."
The Blendbreeds expected some seismic tremors, but Dahlia immediately moved on to the next topic.
"Then come ferrokinesis and osteokinesis, respectively the magic of iron and bones. Unfortunately, I have no further information to provide on these," she said with a small bow of regret.
"Finally, Spectral Travel. The most interesting technique. It allows you to temporarily separate your physical body from the dimension you are in, enabling you to travel through the Interworld, the 'dimension in the middle.' The most comparable sensation would be becoming an incorporeal ghost and traveling at high speed."
The girl adopted a serious expression and was enveloped by a swirl of shadows that quickly disappeared. Dahlia smiled awkwardly, aware that she had just failed.
"It can be considered as a portal to the Interworld," Shirei corrected.
Marina came to their rescue and ignored the incident to divert attention away from the daughter of Cragar.
"Shirei, could you continue?"
The son of Cragar nodded, now finding all the Blendbreeds' gazes turned in his direction. "Yes. Dahlia explained everything broadly, but the more a power is generic, the more it can be applied in different contexts," he sighed. "The strength of necromancy lies in the variability of its use. It allows contact with the Interworld, to peer into it, not just summon skeletons. We, the children of Cragar, routinely see spirits, and we can even talk to them and have conversations. I just wanted to clarify that."
Marina watched the Blendbreeds, noting their expressions of wonder and confusion. That explained Shirei's lack of need to socialize. He spoke with spirits instead of humans.
It's time to regain control of the lesson.
She clapped a couple of times to regain attention. "These are the powers of a child of Cragar. Now, does anyone have anything to add, or shall we move on to the practical part?"
No one responded.
"Good, then form groups of three, and we'll practice how to fight against a child of Cragar."
The Blendbreeds gathered, ready to face the children of Cragar with their powers and abilities. Marina felt torn between anxiety and determination. As the Blendbreeds prepared for the exercise, her thoughts turned to Shirei. The more time she spent with him, the more she felt the weight of their complicated bond. She couldn't ignore the burning desire to prove herself to Aena and Mr. D'Agostini, but she wondered if it was the right choice. So far, nothing had happened. The Blendbreed was hiding something, she was sure of it, but she was confident it wasn't anything bad. Once again, he had helped her, saying just the right thing without revealing anything about himself. He was a Forbidden Heir, which already made him an extraordinary Blendbreed, but he chose to hide and remain unnoticed, even though everyone had already realized it. She struggled to understand how someone like him could be evil.
He's just too humble…
Perhaps her judgment was clouded by the different emotions she had experienced in the last few days, but she couldn't deny those thoughts.
Dahlia, in the meantime, confidently walked among the Blendbreeds, announcing in a sure voice: "Do not fear, young heroes. Worst case, I will subjugate you!"
With a sly grin, she skipped through the rows.
"I even possess another power, which I call Instigation Song," she said, lifting her gaze to them. "A single melody capable of permeating your skulls and driving you mad in no time. It might seem like a trivial move when said like that, but you can put your trust in my words: once subdued, you will no longer be able to understand or want anything!"
She gave in to a laugh, one that wasn't shared by her listeners, too worried about losing their sanity after becoming victims of that power.
With her heart beating with conflicting emotions, Marina prepared to instruct the contenders. She could feel the determination burning within them, and she already saw the son of Sidal, who had previously challenged Shirei to a duel, fastening his shield to his arm. With her gaze fixed on the horizon, she only hoped that the son of Cragar wouldn't go too far; she suspected that the Blendbreed in the red hoodie was overestimating his abilities. Her second thought was about the strange power Dahlia had mentioned; the girl had never spoken of it before. She had never heard of a son of Cragar instigating negative emotions through song.
It was far too strange, even for them.
She probably should have mentioned it when she went to the Grand Manor for her report.
Shirei lowered his head and drew the daughter of Ien closer with a whisper in her ear. "Are you distracted?"
"I was focused on something else!" Marina responded immediately, with a proud and slightly childish tone.
Dahlia laughed. "By something else, do you mean… my brother?"
The problem that the blonde had in mind was much more serious than the childish thoughts of the daughter of Cragar. Aena and the Lyceum wanted information, and she was simply obliged to get it by any means necessary, even if that meant ruining a new acquaintance and the bond with her best friend.
The Lilies Park came first.
She finally managed to snap out of her trance and responded to her friend, who had returned to the two boys.
"No, Dahlia. No," she replied sharply.
Shirei cast his gaze toward her and raised an eyebrow, but he didn't ask for details. He probably imagined she would interrogate her after class, as she would avoid talking about it in front of everyone. Marina wondered to herself how he could have so much confidence in her, after all, they had known each other for less than five days. The boy was strange, like all Blendbreeds, but every time they interacted, the daughter of Ien couldn't help but question where that strange magnetic force toward him came from.
"So, this song, are you going to show it to us, little girl?" asked a son of Corgi from the crowd.
Dahlia bounced up on her shiny flats and approached her brother with a swaying gait. "Gladly!"
"Wait…" Marina grabbed her arm. "Are you going to use your powers?"
The daughter of Cragar nodded, signaling for silence.
"I don't think you should do it…!" shouted Lorenzo.
Marina slightly bit her lip. She too was curious; she had always been too curious.
"Do we want to try?" Dahlia whispered to her.
The daughter of Ien shook her head. "Are you teasing me? I'm not taking any responsibility for this."
"As you prefer," Dahlia paused. "Ready, brother?"
Shirei didn't respond; his gaze was fixed on an indefinite point in the crowd. The son of Cragar had spotted him immediately and entered an alert state. Salix, the son of Tefine, lowered his head slightly as a gesture of respect. Marina noticed the boy's distraction, but it was already too late.
The black-haired girl began singing, and the song manifested in the air as a lilac-colored cloud. All those present were astonished as the melodic chant spread a sweet, yet wailing sound through the air. Shirei was completely enveloped by the mist, which changed color until it became crimson red and fuchsia. After a few moments, the veil dissipated, and the Blendbreeds had a chance to observe the result.
Shirei remained still for a few seconds; the chant didn't seem to have any effect. A spasm ran through the boy's body until he finally closed his eyelids. Something was happening—exactly what Marina feared. His eyes snapped open and began to glow, and then the aura around him shifted abruptly. The daughter of Ien bit her lip in anxiety. The calm emanating from Shirei had been relaxing for her up until that point, but that same sensation quickly became a distant memory. The pressure became so intense that the girl had trouble staying on her feet. The son of Cragar was silent, but the deadly chill emanating from his presence made the skin of everyone present crawl.
"Shirei?" the blonde asked with concern.
He stared at her for a second before looking in the direction of the Grand Manor.
The daughter of Ien was certain that he hadn't recognized her.
That was not Shirei.
"Aena…" the Blendbreed mumbled as if in a trance.
The son of Cragar summoned his Blade of Discord, fully manifesting the darkness used earlier to frighten the progeny of Sidal. Almost as if he were astonished by himself, he stared at the weapon for a few seconds before heading toward the promontory where the Grand Manor was located. Marina tried to move closer, but several beams of pure shadow erupted from the ground, forcing her to stay back.
She feared being hurt.
"What the hell?!" The daughter of Ien turned to her best friend. "Dahlia! What did you do to him?!"
The girl widened her eyes. "This wasn't supposed to happen…"
"Dahlia?!" Marina put her hands in her hair. "I told you this wouldn't be a good idea…"
Lorenzo joined them, his voice trembling. "I… please, c-call the Lyceum."
Marina ignored him for a moment and tried to think rationally; she was seriously worried about Shirei. Dahlia positioned herself in front of the boy with the intention of facing him, and the daughter of Ien moved closer to her. Someone had to warn the Lyceum and the goddess of love about what was happening. Marina's only fear was that, if they got there, Aena might not be so merciful with the son of Cragar. Lorenzo suddenly moved and positioned himself behind them, pulling an odd tool from his pocket. Francesca mediated the general panic and made the other Blendbreeds step back.
Salix was the only one to remain still, his lips curled into a slight smile.
"Now I recognize my old comrade-in-arms."