"The blood remembers. The curse listens. But the will… must decide."
---
The wind down in the old drainage sector reeked of rust and wet stone. Kael leaned against the wall, sweat slicking his forehead, heart hammering from the precision escape.
> [Shadow Veil - Cooldown: 43 minutes]
His body ached from three consecutive duels, but what truly shook him was not the exhaustion—it was what came next.
The moment he vanished from Lyra's inspection, the system activated something new, something ancient:
> [Bloodline Vision - Active]
Memory thread unlocked. Your curse carries echoes of the Nameless King.
Path Quest Unlocked: "Seek the Hidden Coffin."
Objective: Locate the first seal.
Reward: ???
Danger Level: Unknown.
Warning: Path decisions may shape your morality alignment and soul integrity.
Kael slid down the wall and sat in the dark.
Nameless King.
The words were unfamiliar, yet they struck a chord deep within him—as if he'd heard them in a dream long before he was born. The crimson mark on his hand, glowing like molten blood, pulsed softly.
For the first time, the system didn't feel like a machine.
It felt like a being.
A cursed, ancient soul living through him.
> You've opened a door, Kael.
You can't close it now.
---
Meanwhile – Vanguard Academy, Inner Circle Hall
Lyra stood before a council of instructors, her posture rigid, voice clipped.
"He disappeared. Not ran. Not dodged. Just... vanished."
One of the instructors, a bald man with a steel jaw and three gold medallions pinned to his uniform, scoffed. "A low-tier student in Class Zeta managing stealth-class movement? Impossible."
"It wasn't movement," Lyra said firmly. "It was veil-class cloaking. No essence trail. No residual heat. No sonic displacement."
That made everyone go quiet.
Only one person moved—a tall woman sitting in the back, robed in gray and wearing no academy insignia.
She spoke for the first time.
"He has it, then."
Lyra turned. "Has what?"
The woman's voice was like gravel and mist.
"The curse your ancestors bled to erase."
Everyone turned toward her now. Even the Headmaster, who'd remained silent until now.
"You're not here as an observer anymore, Captain Mira," he said. "If you know something, speak it."
She nodded once. "The boy is a carrier of the Cursed Bloodline. He's no rogue essence user. He's something worse."
Lyra froze.
Vampire.
---
Later That Night – Back in Sector Nine
Kael crept into the shelter through the hidden vent, making sure to suppress his presence. Lina was asleep—her thin form curled into the blanket, a faint sheen of sweat on her pale skin.
She was getting worse.
The academy provided basic healthcare, but only to students—not their families. If Kael wanted real treatment for her anemia, he'd need credits. High-tier essence cores. Or a miracle.
His hands shook as he sat beside her bed.
> What am I doing?
Winning fights? Feeding the system?
Every step forward takes me further from what I was...
He brushed a strand of her hair from her face.
"Just hold on," he whispered. "I'll fix this. I swear."
The system chimed softly.
> New Optional Quest Available:
[Essence for Her]
Objective: Acquire a C-Class Healing Core to stabilize Lina's blood condition.
Reward: Permanent Health Stabilization, Moral Path Bonus
Optional: Deliver anonymously to avoid suspicion.
Kael stood up, eyes burning.
He knew where to find a C-Class core.
He also knew it wouldn't be given to him.
---
The Next Day – Upper Arena, Academy Training Sector
Kael entered under false registration.
He wore a loaned cloak, hood drawn low, face blurred with a borrowed [Essence Distortion Shard] purchased with all his Blood Points.
The match board lit up.
> Match 12: "Red Mist" vs. Tyran Solborn (C-Rank Healer, Gold Combat Class)
Kael's alias was Red Mist—a name the system assigned automatically the moment he used [Shadow Veil] inside academy registration.
He liked it.
Simple. Honest.
Blood. And mystery.
---
Combat Arena: Match 12
Tyran Solborn stood tall, robed in white-and-gold armor, glowing softly with healing energy. He was one of the Solborn elite—heir to a noble family, cousin to Kael's rival, Darius Solborn.
He wielded a massive golden staff and arrogance sharper than his weapon.
"An anonymous challenger with no rank?" Tyran said with a smirk. "How quaint. Let's get this over with. I have a gala in twenty minutes."
Kael didn't speak.
He let the silence stretch, building tension.
Then the match began.
---
Tyran struck first—rays of golden light erupting from his staff like lances. Kael ducked, rolled, and closed the gap fast.
> [Blood Pulse – Lv. 1 Activated]
He moved like a blur, fists landing with crushing force. Tyran staggered, stunned.
Kael seized the moment, wrapped his arm around Tyran's throat and whispered:
"I don't need to kill you. Just break the core."
Then he did.
A single, surgical punch to the solar plexus where Tyran's Healing Core was anchored.
It shattered.
Tyran screamed. Not in pain, but in fear.
Kael vanished into the mist before officials could identify him.
> [System Alert: Mission Complete – Essence for Her]
Healing Core extracted successfully.
Core sealed. Proceed to delivery.
---
That Night – Medical Wing, Sector 5
Kael left the healing core at the door under anonymous clearance.
Lina's name was on the med file.
Her treatment began before sunrise.
---
Meanwhile – Lyra's Quarters
She stared at the duel replay for the fifth time.
Red Mist.
Blinding speed. Calculated brutality. Precise core targeting.
Even masked, the movement was familiar.
Too familiar.
"Kael Draven," she whispered, eyes narrowing. "What the hell are you?"
A knock came at her door.
Captain Mira.
"You were right," she said. "He's moving too fast. The veil-class signature matches old war data. Rogue Class: Bloodborn."
Lyra turned to her. "You're saying he's… one of them?"
"Not just one," Mira said. "He might be the first to reach Tier One."
Lyra's stomach dropped.
"Do we arrest him?"
"No," Mira said. "We test him."
---
Back at the Shelter
Kael sat on the rooftop, watching the sky as the blood moon rose again—faint, distant, yet always there.
The mark on his hand pulsed.
> [Cursed Bloodline Tier Progress: 14%]
Path Update: Hidden Coffin Location Unlocked
New Objective: Investigate the Catacombs beneath Sector 3
Caution: Vampire Hunters Active in the Zone
Kael's heart beat slower.
Harder.
> The coffin. The origin.
Am I hunting it… or is it calling me?
He looked at his hands. Pale. Strong. Not quite human.
And whispered: "What am I becoming?"
---
End of Chapter 6