The following morning, Eclipse Ascension Academy seemed almost calm—deceptively so. Outside, the sun cast pale light over the training grounds. Inside, whispers still lingered like ghosts, shadows of yesterday's chaos.
Cael Ardyn walked alone through the corridor leading to the Silver training wing. His body was still marked with faint bruises, the subtle ache of backlash from manipulating the Bloodscale Ravager's life force lingering in his veins.
Pain reminds the living of limits, he thought. But also reminds them who survived it.
As he approached the central arena, a subtle movement caught his attention. A figure detached from the shadows—a girl, cloaked in muted gray robes that betrayed no affiliation to any noble family. Her eyes, sharp and calculating, observed him with unwavering intensity.
"You're the one they call Ardyn," she said softly, stepping closer. Her voice carried no fear—only curiosity and an edge of confidence unusual in Bronze or Silver students alike.
"And you are?" Cael asked cautiously, arching an eyebrow.
"I am Selene," she replied, voice steady. "I'm… different from the others. I understand things most students cannot, and I know what you are."
Cael studied her carefully. There was nothing overtly dangerous in her stance, no visible aura manipulation, no subtle pressure of mana—but there was a presence. A faint resonance, like a distant chord harmonizing with something ancient in his own blood.
"You know what I am?" he asked slowly, testing her.
Selene smiled faintly. "Yes. A relic. A thread of history that refuses to die. You manipulate blood. Not mana, not aura… but the essence of life itself. I've heard stories. Whispers of the Blood Immortal, the one who devoured time."
Cael's lips curved slightly. "Stories are usually exaggerations… or lies."
"But the blood remembers," Selene said quietly, stepping closer. "Even when the world forgets, even when the families try to erase history, the blood remembers. I can feel it. And so can you. That is why I seek you. I want to learn. I want to survive… and perhaps, one day, see the world change."
Cael remained silent, evaluating her.
Interesting, he thought. A student not driven by arrogance or fear. Potential.
"You will not reveal yourself to others," he said finally. "Or this world will consume you like it did me once. Secrets are survival."
"I understand," she whispered. "And I won't betray you."
Cael nodded faintly. Then let this be the first seed planted.
That same day, Top Ten Families' spies infiltrated the academy's outskirts. Small teams, expert in observation, disguise, and assassination, moved with lethal precision—tasked with evaluating the Bronze initiate who had killed a Silver heir.
One spy, cloaked in black and skilled in aura suppression, attempted to approach the dormitory corridor where Cael resided.
He stopped. Something… pulsed.
A heartbeat not his own.
Subtle. Subtle enough that no ordinary observation could detect it. But it was there. An echo.
The spy froze, heart racing. Shadows around him seemed to bend ever so slightly, the air thickening, resisting movement.
Impossible, he thought. The boy is just a Bronze initiate.
Before he could act, a faint, crimson thread wrapped around the shadow of his ankle, lifting him slightly off the ground. He struggled, only to realize that no physical force held him—something unseen, guided by sheer will, was manipulating the very life force he carried in his veins.
From the window, Cael observed silently. One drop of his blood, shaped subtly through concentration, had reached the intruder—enough to warn, to intimidate, to protect. No one else could detect it, and if they did, they would dismiss it as superstition.
The spy, shaken, retreated instantly. The Top Ten Families would hear nothing… not yet.
First warning delivered, Cael thought. The world watches. Let it continue to watch.
That evening, Cael returned to Selene. He had been cataloging every reaction, every ripple of observation, every tiny flaw in suppression magic.
"Did you see them?" he asked her quietly, closing the door to their hidden training room.
"They tried to watch you," Selene said, voice tight. "Top Ten Families. Spies. They knew something was… off. But you…"
"Yes," Cael murmured. "I am off-limits. Not yet, but soon enough they will understand. My blood remembers. And it sees far beyond the illusions of this world."
Selene's eyes gleamed. "Then teach me. I want to see the truth. I want to learn your methods. I don't care about rank or family. I want survival. I want power. I want—"
"Patience," Cael interrupted softly, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Blood obeys mastery, not desire. Desire will kill you before your strength awakens. First, you learn restraint. Then, control. Only then… power."
Selene nodded, understanding without question.
Cael drew a single drop of his blood, letting it hover between his fingers. Faintly, it shimmered, ignoring the suppression of the academy.
"This is your first lesson," he said quietly. "Do not fear the blood. Respect it. Let it guide you, not your desire. One day, you may see why it is called the Blood Immortal."
And in the silent room, beneath the faint moonlight, Selene whispered, almost to herself: "I will follow… even into the abyss."
Far above the academy, surveillance crystals trembled faintly, recording movements unseen by mortal eyes. The Top Ten Families adjusted their plans. The Bronze initiate had allies—unseen, unheard, but undeniably present.
Far below, in the abyss where shadows pooled and the Demon King ruled, a faint, crimson pulse reached him. He rose from his throne, towering, eyes glowing brighter than ever.
"Excellent," he murmured. "The Blood Immortal grows… even in a world that forgot him. Soon, even the families will learn the weight of his return."