Jin stopped before the gates of black marble. "Remember: your life is worth even less here than in the camp."
Leng Wei nodded silently, his fingers tightening around Li's notebook in his pocket.
Mentor Lan's Office
The room was sterile and cold. Mentor Lan reviewed the documents.
"Leng Wei. Class F+. Uncontrolled power surge." She lifted her icy gaze. "Normally, such cases are eliminated."
"I didn't mean—" he began.
"Your intentions don't matter," she cut him off sharply. "Either you learn to control it, or you become expendable."
The Servitors' Dormitory
The room resembled prison cells. An older man approached him.
"Han. You're new?" He studied Leng Wei carefully. "My advice—don't stand out."
"What if I already have?" Leng Wei asked quietly.
"Then prepare for the worst," Han shook his head.
A girl emerged from the shadows. "I saw you arrive. Shadows of kings dance in your blood."
A powerful warrior scowled at her. "Stop frightening him. Do your work and don't ask questions," he said to Leng Wei.
The Laboratory
The vampire technician took a blood sample. When the needle entered his vein, the instruments went haywire.
"What's happening? His blood... it's resisting analysis!" The technician retreated in panic.
Mentor Lan approached. "Calm yourself. So the legends are true." She turned to Leng Wei. "Royal blood doesn't obey our laws. I wonder what the Council will decide."
The Dining Hall
Lin Mei passed by without looking at him. "The library. Midnight. Be careful."
The Library
Lin Mei waited among ancient scrolls.
"Little time. You're in danger," she whispered.
"Why?"
"The Council is divided. Some want to study you, others want you destroyed. Your blood... is special."
"Why are you helping me?"
She looked away. "Because I remember the boy you were... before all this."
The Training Hall
The son of a vampire lord shoved him into the arena.
"Well, 'defective,' show us what an F+ can do!"
"I don't want to fight," said Leng Wei.
"But I do!" The opponent attacked.
At the moment of impact, Leng Wei felt the familiar heat—but this time, he controlled it. He deflected the blow.
"I said I don't want to!"
Mentor Lan appeared suddenly. "Enough." She looked at him with new interest. "You used power without losing control. Perhaps we underestimated you."
The Dormitory - Evening
Han looked at him thoughtfully. "Heard you impressed Lan. That's... ambiguous."
"What do you mean?"
"On one hand, they might start valuing you. On the other—you're now a threat." He sighed. "Congratulations. You've gone from 'trash' to 'dangerous asset.'"
Xiao Fei emerged from the shadows. "A shadow watches you. But it's not a bad shadow..."
Leng Wei looked at his hands. "So everything has changed."
"No," Han shook his head. "Everything has become much more complicated."