The Bloodline Arena was carved into the cliffside like the ribcage of some ancient beast. Stone pillars rose in jagged arcs overhead, each etched with runes that pulsed faintly with stored magic. Students filled the stands, their whispers echoing like insects in a hive.
Elias stepped onto the arena floor, heart pounding. The hunger stirred beneath his ribs, sensing the concentration of life around him.
Arcturus stood at the center, staff planted firmly in the ground.
"First‑years," he announced, voice booming, "today you will demonstrate the awakening of your bloodlines. Strength, control, and resonance will be measured."
Seraphine Vex stood among the front ranks, arms crossed, golden eyes fixed on Elias. Her aura shimmered, a heat haze of Solar Basilisk power.
Elias looked away.
Arcturus raised a hand. "Elias Thorn. Step forward."
A ripple of murmurs spread through the crowd.
"That's the boy who broke the orb."
"Impossible. He had a Lesser Python."
"Maybe it was a fluke."
Elias ignored them and stepped into the circle.
Arcturus's gaze sharpened. "Channel your bloodline. Show us its nature."
Elias swallowed. He didn't know how to control it, only how to endure it.
The hunger surged.
His veins glowed.
Shadows twisted around him.
Gasps echoed through the arena as the air thickened, darkened, warped. The runes beneath his feet flickered violently.
Arcturus took a step back.
"What… is that?"
Elias clenched his fists, trying to contain the surge — but the abyss inside him pushed outward, eager, ravenous.
A pulse of dark energy rippled across the arena floor.
Students stumbled.
Seraphine's eyes widened not in fear, but filled with shock and fascination.
Arcturus slammed his staff down, stabilizing the runes.
"That's enough!"
The darkness snapped back into Elias's body like a recoiling serpent. He collapsed to one knee, panting.
The arena was silent.
Arcturus stared at him with a mixture of awe and dread.
"This bloodline… is not recorded in any archive."
Seraphine stepped forward, voice carrying across the arena.
"It's evolving."
Elias looked up.
And for the first time, he saw fear in the eyes of the Academy.