The sun rose over Eclipse Ascension Academy, casting long streaks of gold across the sprawling campus. Yet the warmth of the morning could not dispel the chill of unease creeping through its halls. Cael Ardyn walked silently alongside Selene, his crimson pulse faint beneath the surface, alert to even the smallest anomalies in life energy around them.
The families are restless, he thought. And the academy itself stirs against us. Today, the game truly begins.
Selene, now more confident after surviving her ambush, adjusted the ribbons of blood hovering lightly around her wrists. "Teacher… do you feel it? Even in the halls, something's off."
"Yes," Cael replied softly. "Whispers, subtle shifts… instructors plotting, families maneuvering. The world will always test the strong. And we are far from weak. But caution is necessary."
Their footsteps echoed in the corridors, drawing curious glances from Bronze and Silver students alike. Whispers spread like wildfire: the Bronze initiate and his disciple, once considered unremarkable, had survived multiple threats from elite heirs and scouts.
In a secluded chamber, Dorian Valerius convened a private council of family heirs. His eyes gleamed with calculation, a sharp contrast to the anger simmering beneath his composed exterior.
"The Bronze initiate is not simply a student," Dorian said, voice low but firm. "He manipulates life itself. His disciple survives ambushes that should have ended her. The academy, our families, and even the instructors are blind to the true threat. We must act strategically, subtly, and decisively."
One heir spoke hesitantly. "What if the Blood Immortal anticipates our moves? He survived for a thousand years before… and now he grows in power again. Could we truly contain him?"
Dorian's eyes narrowed. "Then we ensure that the threat is divided and tested. We will infiltrate the academy—not openly, but through shadows, manipulation, and hidden power. The moment he falters… we strike."
Meanwhile, within the academy, a new presence had emerged—a student under a false identity. Cloaked in ordinary robes, the newcomer's aura flickered faintly, hiding what should have been unmistakable. But Cael sensed the disturbance immediately.
He paused mid-step, scanning the faint life pulses around him. One heartbeat… irregular, layered, unnatural. A forbidden power user had infiltrated the academy.
"Selene," Cael said quietly, "another presence. Different from the heirs, different from the scouts. Someone concealing true strength beneath a false appearance."
Selene's eyes widened. "What… should we do?"
"Observe," Cael whispered. "This is not an immediate threat, but understanding them early will save lives. Control first. Attack only if necessary."
Cael began intensive training sessions with Selene in the afternoon. They retreated to a hidden chamber beneath the academy, one shielded from all external detection. Here, Cael would teach her advanced blood techniques—methods of offense and defense that manipulated not just her own blood, but subtly influenced the life essence of others around her.
"Blood is not merely a weapon," Cael explained, crimson threads weaving around their forms. "It is a medium of life, memory, and intent. If you control it fully, you control the battlefield, not through force—but through dominance of life itself."
Selene concentrated, practicing weaving multiple threads, redirecting kinetic attacks simulated by mana constructs, and subtly influencing their movements without touching them. Each ribbon pulsed in rhythm with her heartbeat, flowing and retracting as if alive.
This… is incredible, she thought, feeling the control deepen with every attempt.
As night fell, whispers among instructors intensified. Some plotted to expel Cael, citing dangerous anomalies; others advocated studying him in secret, curious about the methods behind his unnatural control. Political factions within the academy began forming quietly, their alliances fluid and strategic.
Lyra Noctis, observing from the shadows above, took notes meticulously. Interesting, she thought. The instructors are aligning themselves politically against him. But they underestimate how far he has seen… how long he has lived.
Far below, in the abyss, the Demon King's crimson eyes flared.
"Yes," he murmured, voice low and resonant. "The families move, the academy conspires, and the Blood Immortal strengthens. His disciple awakens, the shadows stir, and the world begins to tremble beneath the pulse of life itself. Soon… all shall bleed, and all shall remember."
Cael pressed a hand to his chest, feeling the faint, powerful pulse of blood beneath his skin—a reminder of centuries of experience, mastery, and survival.
"Tomorrow," he whispered to Selene, "we will push your limits further. Not through battle alone, but through control. Understand the flow of life, the rhythm of others, and the subtle threads that connect strength and intent. The world beyond these walls will not wait."
Selene nodded, determination shining in her eyes. "I understand, teacher. I will master the blood… and I will survive."
Cael's crimson gaze swept across the shadows creeping through the academy, sensing the stirrings of both allies and enemies. The world has changed, but I remember. And the Blood Immortal always survives.
The infiltration, the political intrigue, and the lessons of blood had begun. The first steps of domination, survival, and mastery in this new era were in motion.
The Blood Immortal's return was no longer a rumor. It was reality.