Every student stood in neat lines. There were so many students, it seemed as though the line would never end. Hundreds and hundreds of lines of children, still and quiet, waiting for a long time. Knights patrolled the lines, distributing small cups, filled with unsettling juice.
One by one, the students drank.
Then the teachers began calling names. Each child would step up, and the teacher would simply make a small cut on their finger to see the color of their blood. The line kept moving, one by one.
There was nothing weird about the first fifty students. Just blood.
Leon stood there, crossed arms, quiet, watching. His face was relaxed—until his eyes shifted.
The two boys who bullied Amelie stepped up.
Leon's face hardened. His jaw clenched, both fists slowly balled up at his sides. He didn't even blink.
As the blade pricked the boys' fingers, beautiful, shimmering blue blood trickled down their skin. They smiled snidely at Leon, proud and arrogant smiles on their faces.
Leon's nails dug into his palms. Leon wanted to say something, but didn't. This was not the time.
"Blue blood is associated with water and ice manipulation," said a teacher observing nearby.
Then a new student stepped up, and all the attention was on that student.
A girl with shimmering silver hair and regal posture approached. Her noble attire glinted under the sunlight. She moved like she was gliding—confidently graceful, remarkably otherworldly.
Even the teachers straightened themselves.
"That's Isla Beaumont," someone said in a near whisper. "Daughter of the Beaumont patriarch."
She stepped in to the testing area. Immediately upon drawing her blood it shimmered—brightly yellow.
Everyone gasped.
"Yellow blood…" a teacher said, voice shaking. "It's very rare. Yellow blood allows forgers to forge weapons of their own blood—very powerful weapons."
Applause erupted. Nobles began to clap. The King gave a strong nod. Isla's father stood tall with a proud smile plastered on his face.
Then her brother, Harry Beaumont, stepped forward.
The crowd held its breath. His blood turned silver.
Another gasp.
"Silver blood users can teleport," said a teacher excitedly. "That is another very rare power."
Even the King leaned in, addressing the Beaumont patriarch, "Both of your children have awoken two of the rarest types."
"Thank you my King," the man said with a bow, modesty hiding the pride in his eyes.
One by one, each student had their turn tested. Some awakened abilities and others didn't. Finally, it came to Finn.
He looked nervous, his lips pressed tight and his hands shaking. However, when the blade grazed his skin, bright orange blood spilled out.
He beamed with pure happiness.
Leon slapped him on the back smiling. "I told you."
"Orange blood will grant explosive abilities," a teacher explained. "But be careful, with larger explosions, it will hurt the user more."
teacher called amelie now.
Leon placed a gentle hand on Amelie's shoulder and helped her step forward.
She stepped forward stiff and looked down at the ground while biting her lip.
"I'm not going to awaken anything," she said somewhat quietly. "I just know it."
But then we scraped the blade across her skin and a drop of green blood rolled down her finger.
The entire crowd froze.
"Green blood!" shouted a teacher. "It grants control over nature, especially trees. But, more importantly, it grants healing powers. The greatest doctors in the kingdom possess green blood."
Amelie blinked at her hand with her mouth agape and eyes sparkling. Then her eyes began to well up with tears, her lips quivered, and suddenly she wrapped her arms around Leon.
He clutched her tightly, eyes warm with pride and joy.
The students continued, one at a time. Most of them displayed no power. A few of them unlocked something.
Then, it was time to call the final name.
"Leon!"
He took a deep breath. His stomach twisted and he felt very cold all over. His heart was racing wildly as he took a step into the centre of the crowd. The teacher took the knife and made a small slice.
Gasps filled the air all around him. Some kids couldn't believe their eyes.
Purple blood.
The entire crowd of students, teachers andking went silent.
"Purple blood?" One of the teachers whisper.
"That's... one of the demon blood types..." another teacher murmurs.
The king leaned forward eagerly, though his expression became dark-- he too went stone face.
Fear rippled through the audience like a shock wave.
The whispers went to murmurs. A few of the children even took a step back- some even pointed.
Leon's mind went blank and he felt as if he was frozen in place. He stared wide eyed, with parted lips, and looked as pale as snow. He felt as if he was going to drown in the distant voices.
Demon blood...
Monster...
He's cursed...
He wanted to scream. I didn't ask for this! All I wanted was something normal.
Even the teacher who had cut him looked slightly taken aback, but quickly cleared his throat.
"This isn't the first time a human has awakened demonic blood," he said, sounding more authoritative. "It's rare, true, but not unheard of."
Leon blinked. The haze was beginning to lift.
That was all he needed to ground himself; he felt his shoulders relax, just a little bit.
He still felt the tension in the air; the children were looking at him with a mixture of fear and suspicion.
"Purple blood users" the teacher explained, "can cause illusions, manipulate thoughts, and move things with their mind."
Leon slowly went back to his place. Every gaze felt like a needle in his skin. He looked down - until arms wrapped themselves around him.
Amelie.
"I'm always with you," she whispered fiercely, "no matter what."
Finn stood behind her and gave an encouraging nod.
Leon managed a smile - small, but real.
Then, a loud voice boomed across the grounds.
""The testing is complete!"
But just as the celebration was about to start, a guard ran into the courtyard—bloodied, panting, wide-eyed.
"Demons!" he screamed. "Demons have attacked the border!"
Gasps, shouts, panic deepened.
The King stood still for a moment. Then, his jaw clenched, his eyes serious.
"Get the troops ready!" he shouted.
Guards ran off in every direction. Most were dispatched to the front line. A few stayed behind to protect the school.
The nobles and the King left too, but the 5,000 students and teachers stayed. Some paper work and administration was left to handle.
Ten minutes later, the last guards left—except for one at the school gate.
That same guard suddenly came running back, his face twisted with panic.
"Run! Run!" he yelled.
A teacher grabbed his arm. "What's wrong?"
"Demons! They have breached the school!"
The teacher's eyes widen, then disbelief turned to horror.
"No... that's impossible..."
Shock spread like wild fire. No demon had ever breached this far. Only four teachers left to defend everyone.
"How many?" asked a teacher.
"Over 150!" replied the guard, panting.
Only twelve mid-level guards and four teachers were left. There were 500 students who had awakened powers out of 5,000—and most didn't know how to fight.
"If we don't fight," said one teacher darkly, "we'll all die before they get help. They will take at least an hour to get to us."
He turned toward the students. His voice was steady, but his eyes shone with urgent energy. "You HAVE to fight. Even if you are scared. Even if your powers just awakened. You HAVE to protect one another!"
The students looked at one another. Some were crying. Some were trembling, immobilized.
Then Isla stepped forward.
"I will fight," she confidently stated. Her voice rang out, clear and defiant. "I will give it my all!"
She was brave, and that was like a spark igniting a flame.
The students readied themselves.
Then the front school gate detonated, sending shrapnel into the air.
Demons rushed in, skin glowing cherry red. Low-tier demons with a lot of fire and brute strength.
The guards charged first into the fray. The teachers entered next, their powers lighting up the battlefield. For the moment, they held their ground.
But the demons pushed harder. More guards fell. The wave moved forward.
"Fall back!" a teacher called.
Isla didn't hesitate. Her blood-forged blades glimmered while she whirled through demon after demon. Her expression was focused—calm but ruthless.
Inspiration followed, and the students jumped in. Blue-blooded ones froze demons. Finn fired a blast after blast, creating craters on the field. Even the bullies fought—gritting teeth and throwing massive punches.
Amelie was doing her best to help with healing for the sick and wounded. Her hands were shaking but she wasn't quitting.
Leon struggled.
The powers would not come. He felt useless—helpless.
Then he saw a demon charge Finn from behind.
Something in him snapped.
Outrage erupted like wildfire.
His blood surged and glowed.
He raised his hand—and the demon flew violently across the field, crashing into a stone wall.
He blinked. And smiled.
He had awoken.
Leon's eyes sparkled. He lifted demons into the air, crashing them down. Amelie was stupefied. Isla fought alongside him like a blur.
Together, they were unstoppable.
Harry had attempted teleportation but clearly misplaced his jumps, barely dodging attacks, desperate and drenched in sweat.
Forty-five minutes of brutality had passed.
The guards were dead. Yet the students still stood.
Only a handful of demons remained.
Hope began to well up in the hearts of people.
And then...