The library grew colder each night.
Kael stood in SectionE, holding a page torn from a forbidden text. The edges were brittle, the ink faded. But the title was clear:
"Bloodlines That Should Not Exist"
He had been coming here every night, piece by piece unlocking more of the restricted shelves. Most of the books were useless. But this one… this one mentioned something that stopped him cold.
"The Origin Lineage was erased from history by the Five Thrones. Any who possess even a trace are to be neutralized before awakening. Their power is incompatible with the world's design."
Kael's pulse quickened.
"Neutralized?"
"What does that mean?"
He turned the page.
There, hand-scribbled at the bottom by a long-gone scholar, was something else:
"Rumors persist that one family survived. Their name lost… their blood diluted… but their power sleeps."
Kael touched his chest.
His core pulsed faintly.
He didn't know if this was about him. But it was too close to ignore.
---
The next day brought an unexpected announcement that sent a ripple of unease through the student body.
"All students are required to undergo an official Bloodline Review Scan tomorrow," the voice declared, echoing through the corridors and classrooms.
Kael's eyes narrowed as he listened to the words, his mind racing with the implications. It was being presented as a routine examination, a mere formality to ensure students' magical abilities were on track. But Kael knew better.
He sensed there was more to it, a hidden agenda lurking beneath the surface. The question was, what exactly were they looking for?
---
Later that evening, Kael sat in the training courtyard, alone.
He watched the moon hover above the towers.
"Bloodline Review. If they detect mine… it's over."
The system had remained quiet since the last vision. But Kael opened his palm and whispered:
"What are you hiding from me?"
Nothing was answered.
Just the wind brushing through the leaves.
Until—
[ System Notification: Temporary Masking Protocol Unlocked ]
[ Feature: Bloodline Concealment ]
[ Duration: 6 hours ]
[ Cooldown: 72 hours ]
[ Risk: Incomplete masking— may fail against Tier 4 scans or higher ]
Kael stared at the screen.
They wouldn't be using Tier 4 on Class C students. At least… not unless someone expected something.
---
The next morning, the entire class was marched into the central diagnostic chamber.
Bright crystals lit the domed hall. Dozens of students stood in line. Magical scanners hovered above glowing platforms, humming softly.
Ryne stepped into one of them, arms crossed. The scan passed. "Human. Partial Wind affinity. Class D lineage."
Lior followed. "Human. Healing attribute. Dormant bloodline."
Then it was Kael's turn.
He stepped onto the platform, with an calm expression.
But inside though, he was already activating the masking protocol.
[ Masking Protocol Active ]
[ Time Remaining: 5:59:57 ]
A soft blue light passed over him. The machine beeped. Then again.
He didn't move.
After one minute and ten seconds, it flashed a subtle green light.
"Human. No active bloodline traits."
Kael stepped off.
No one stopped him.
But from the far corner, he noticed someone was watching.
A man in black robes. No crest. No insignia. Eyes hidden beneath a hood.
He was not a student.
Nor a staff.
Buta Seeker.
---
Kael returned to the dorms, unsettled.
He didn't show it. But something about that man lingered in his thoughts. That wasn't casual observation.
That was tracking.
---
That night, he couldn't sleep.
Instead, he opened the memory shard again.
The vision returned— but this time, deeper.
A woman's voice echoed.
"We hid our names… we hid our gifts. But you, child of ash and light… you will awaken it all."
The vision flickered.
Then a new scene.
A house, a child, a man and a woman— it was familiar, because they were his parents.
They were arguing. Quietly. Urgently.
Kael's mother: "He'll awaken soon. We can't stop it forever."
His father: "Then we should vanish. Before they find him."
The vision ended.
Kael sat up, breath sharp.
His parents knew something. They weren't just hiding themselves from danger. They were also hiding him.
He clenched his fists, thinking.
"Were they still out there?"
"Where can he find them? Why didn't they take him with them?"
---
The next day, Kael was pulled aside again. Not by instructor Vale, not by elder Mira.
But by the headmaster.
He was summoned to the upper tower. Where no other students were present.
The headmaster's room was vast, lined with floating tomes and shifting orbs. He looked ancient— more like statue than a man, his face lined with time and power.
"You performed well in the Shadow Vaults," he said, in a voice low.
Kael remained silent.
Thinking what to say.
But then the headmaster stood. Walked to a crystal floating in the center of the room.
"It reacted to your presence," he said. "Only twice before in this century has it done so."
Kael said nothing.
"Do you know what this is?"
Kael shook his head.
The headmaster turned. "It's a memory holder. It reacts to resonance with lostlegacies."
He studied Kael carefully.
"You are not an ordinary student. But neither are you a threat, not yet atleast."
Kael raised an eyebrow. "What happens when I am?"
The headmaster smiled faintly. "That depends on whether you remember who you are… before others remind you."
With that, Kael was dismissed.
But as he left the tower, something buzzed at the back of his mind.
---
That night, in the dorm, Kael stood near the window. Thinking about all the things which happened today.
He stared up at the stars.
He had so many questions.
His bloodline. The system. His parents' lies.
And now… someone at the Academy knew something.
But the biggest question wasn't who was watching him.
It was why he was watchinghim.
And then suddenly his system pulsed.
A new alert appeared:
[ Danger Detected: Incoming Assassin Class Threat ]
[ Estimated Arrival: 00:05:23 ]
[ Level: Unknown ]
[ Classification: Seeker — Rogue Tier ]
Kael's heart went still.
He stepped away from the window and grabbed his spear.
[System Advice: Engage only if necessary. Evade if possible.]
But Kael already knew.
Whoever was coming wasn't here to talk.
And they were almost here.