Chapter 16: Bloodline Revealed
The air inside Conny Aldane's cottage felt charged, thick with incense and something older. Arcane symbols shimmered faintly on the wooden beams, reacting subtly to her presence as she stepped into the main room.
"Please sit," she said gently, gesturing to the circular table at the center of the room. "If you're telling me the truth, I'll know soon enough."
Tyler and Mason exchanged a glance, then sat. Selene and Sonique took seats nearby, both silent. Conny reached into a drawer and retrieved a small obsidian bowl etched with golden runes. She placed it in the center and lit a nearby candle. The flame turned violet.
"Place your hands over the bowl. Both of you," she instructed.
Mason went first, then Tyler. Conny murmured something in a tongue none of them recognized. The air began to hum, the candlelight flickering wildly as the bowl started to glow.
She pricked their fingertips with a silver needle. Blood welled up and dripped into the bowl, swirling together into a twisting strand of silver and gold light.
Conny's eyes widened. "Stars above…"
She leaned in, inspecting the glow. "You really are his descendants. I thought the line died with him."
"Who?" Mason asked.
"Your grandfather," Conny said softly. "Jared Graves."
Tyler blinked. "You knew him?"
"I helped him disappear," she said. "The Dark Creed was hunting him. They're blood mages, dangerous and fanatical. They wanted what ran through his veins. He was… special."
She pulled a thick leather tome from a nearby shelf and opened it to a marked page.
"Your family descends from a rare magical bloodline one capable of wielding not just a single school of magic, but multiple. Your grandfather could use illusion magic, like me and elemental magic, like her." She nodded at Sonique, who gave a cheeky little bow.
"You might even be from the royal bloodline."
Selene's eyes widened. "There's a magical kingdom out there… and none of us ever knew?"
"Of course not," Sonique smirked. "They erased themselves after the Sundering."
"The what?" Mason asked.
Conny pulled down an ancient scroll. Painted symbols lined its edges.
"There were once three great factions," she explained, tapping each crest in turn:
Mage Kingdom Factions:The Blood mages. Powerful, secretive, and increasingly corrupted. They created creatures of the night… and worse.The Illusion mages – Mind-benders, shapeshifters, memory masters. Conny's faction. They served as advisors, spies, and truth-breakers.The Elemental mages – Earth, fire, wind, water. Rooted in nature and power. Sonique's heritage."The royal family could wield all three. They united the kingdom—until one of the factions betrayed them. The kingdom fell, and most fled into hiding."
Sonique added quietly, "Some say a few heirs survived."
She glanced at Tyler and Mason, her curiosity burning brighter. Is that why I feel drawn to them? Elemental mages are protectors of the Royal family and are said to be loyal to a dying fault.
Mason leaned forward. "We're from Hollow Pines. That doesn't make us royalty."
Conny nodded slowly. "Maybe not. But something ancient lives in your blood. You may be something new altogether."
[SYSTEM MESSAGE]
New Stat Unlocked: Mana Affinity (Moderate)
New Tabs Unlocked: Spellbook (Beginner), Caster Abilities
Tyler's heart skipped.
Spellbook? Abilities?
He blinked and focused. A new reward notification blinked in his mind.
[REWARD PENDING]
New Form Unlocked – Feral Class Werewolf
A class born of raw instinct, tenacity, and unrefined dominance.
+10 Strength | +8 Endurance | +10 Stamina
[New Abilities Unlocked]
Shadowmeld | Luna Sight | Dream Snare | Echostep | Soul Mark
(Check Abilities > Class: Feral)
[Status Updated]
Strength: 16
Endurance: 10
Stamina: 14
HP: 120
Mana: 100
Class: Feral
Rank: Omega
"Tyler?" Selene's voice pulled him back. "You okay? You blanked out."
"Yeah," he said, swallowing. "Just… taking it all in."
Over the Next Two Weeks...Training began.
Conny led them through illusion magic. Sonique, ever theatrical, taught elemental control. Selene watched it all unfold like a dream she wasn't ready to wake up from.
Tyler struggled.
His focus broke easily. Spells backfired. Wind spells blasted sideways. Illusions fizzled.
Mason, on the other hand, was a natural. He could form simple illusions by Day 1. Fire orbs by Day 2. Sonique called him a quiet prodigy.
Tyler felt left behind.
Until Day 3.
He sat beneath the pine trees at dawn, repeating Kai's breathing techniques. He focused on stillness. Cold. Ice.
[SYSTEM MESSAGE]
New Ability Acquired: Ice Shard (Tier I)
Mana Cost: 15
Description: Conjure a blade of frost to pierce or defend.
A shard of ice formed in his palm.
From that moment, his growth accelerated.
He controlled the fire briefly. Moved gusts of air. And even enchanted a pair of boots with silent-step magic, he gave them to Selene, earning a long kiss in return.
Sonique's Gift
On Day 6, she handed them each hand-bound spellbooks. "Basic stuff," she said. "Healing, detection, minor enchantments."
[SYSTEM MESSAGE]
New Spellbook obtained
Would you like to learn? YES
Passive Memory Mode Activated
New Ability: Imprint Spell
You can now lock 3 basic spells for instant recall.
Tyler selected:
Flame Snap, Ice Wall, Instant Heal
On the 14th night, the wind howled like a warning ,Tyler stood on the porch, the pine trees whispering.
Selene stepped beside him.
Tyler said "Something's coming."
Ralf and Jacob stood on the path. Silent. Tense.
Ralf crossed his arms. "We want you to join us. You're an Omega, but you don't smell bound. You're alone."
Jacob grinned, fangs flashing. "You've got old blood. We want it on our side."
Selene stepped forward. "And if he says no?"
Jacob's grin turned cruel. "Then he will submit. Or he bleeds. You have until the next full moon."
Ralf's eyes glinted. "Decide by then."
They turned and vanished into the forest.