After a few discussions with Valdren, Kael began his training. For the first time, he picked up a sword—and immediately, memories of the man he had once seen came flooding back. The "Silent Dancer." His fighting style was a masterpiece to Kael. There was no brutality in his movements, yet every step he took brought death with such eerie calm. Every strike an enemy made was returned upon them, almost poetically.
Kael hadn't found many memories about the man, but he still tried to imitate what he saw—his movements, the battles he witnessed. As far as Kael could recall, there were six fights: the first to save the group of guards, and the others were skirmishes with criminals and bandits.
What amazed Kael most was that the man never used any bloodline power—not once. Only his sword, or his hands. Kael concluded that the man probably didn't have a bloodline. And despite his old age, his movements were astonishingly agile.
He explained all of this to Valdren, claiming he had retrieved the memories through his bloodline ability. Valdren didn't doubt him. As Kael mimicked the fighting style, Valdren watched intently, hoping to recognize it. Unfortunately, he didn't. Still, after hearing Kael's explanation, he began to understand the method behind the moves and offered advice that helped Kael get closer to mastering it.
With his understanding of Kael's bloodline growing, Valdren advised him to try unraveling the thread of the last bloodline. Kael tried—but failed. Something was still missing.
After training, the group headed to the cafeteria for lunch. They sat down, and Mousan was already complaining.
"Damn it, my bones are shattered. Training with the teachers was way easier. And we didn't even get breakfast today!"
Elmyra gave him a cold look, and he instantly corrected himself.
"I-I mean… Teacher Elmyra is the best instructor ever! I hope she trains me every day, hahaha…"
Kael chuckled from the side. "Careful what you wish for, my friend."
Mousan leaned in and whispered, "Kael, please save me."
Kael smiled at him. "Dear friend… do you think I'm not in the same pit as you? But maybe—I do have a way out."
Mousan's eyes lit up. "Really? What is it?"
"Well, I could break one of your bones. That way you'd have a solid excuse."
Mousan blinked. He stared at Elmyra, who was quietly eating. Beautiful, calm—and terrifying. He sighed.
"What is it with you and breaking bones?"
Kael laughed. "Honestly, if there was anything else to break, I'd happily do that instead."
"Enough talking, Mousan," Elmyra's voice cut through like a blade. "Eat your food. Weren't you complaining all day?"
Mousan flinched and almost teared up as he began eating slowly.
'Why am I always the one getting bullied…?'
Later, they attended a lecture by Professor Mailon. As usual, it was about history. But Kael's mind drifted.
"I have to find that family. If I can find the incantations, I might learn more about the god who gave this bloodline. Valdren said the incantations carry traces of their deity… Maybe that family is extinct, but there might still be some of them left. Or maybe I could even find my real parents, though that seems impossible right now."
Suddenly, a girl their age burst into the classroom, crying and screaming.
"Lasa! LASA!"
Everyone froze. Even Professor Mailon's face darkened slightly. Moments later, three enforcers entered—clad in black and white uniforms. Two of them restrained the girl as she continued sobbing. The third approached the professor and whispered something.
Then the officer turned to the class.
"We are looking for your classmate, Lasa. She's been missing for two days. Has anyone seen her?"
Silence.
The students began murmuring.
"Lasa? Kidnapped?"
"Is the academy not safe anymore?"
"Maybe she ran off with her boyfriend or something…"
The enforcers collected statements from all the students. Apparently, no one had seen Lasa in the last two days. Some didn't even remember who she was. Because of that, the class ended early.
On their way out, Mousan asked, "Elmyra, do you know her?"
Elmyra answered calmly, "No."
Kael frowned. "Do disappearances happen here often?"
Mousan shook his head. "Never. This is the first I've heard of something like this."
After a short silence, Elmyra added, "Believe me… things happen in the shadows. No one hears about them."
Kael sighed. "Well… at least they seem serious about it. Maybe they'll find her soon."
He raised a hand and waved. "I'm heading to the library. See you two later."
Kael spent hours flipping through books, searching for any mention of the black blood. Nothing. Not even a trace.
He sighed. "At least I found something about the family."
He scanned the open book in front of him.
"The Orval Family. Little is known about them. It is said they lived like snakes, refusing to mingle with others. Their forbidden bloodline allowed them to steal and store other bloodlines—but only nine in total. They didn't distinguish between friend or foe. When hunger struck, they even stole from their own kin."
Kael chuckled bitterly. "Well, at least I got their name. The Temple probably wiped the records and left crumbs behind. This might not even be accurate."
He continued reading, learning more about the world. When night fell, he borrowed a few books and left.
Outside, a servant was waiting for him.
"Master Kael. Lady Silvana requests your presence at her residence."
Kael gave a nod and followed her.