Imperial Martial Academy – Moon Pavilion Rooftop
Ashen sat alone, cross-legged beneath the night sky. A thin trail of steam rose from his back, the lingering aftereffect of Breakstep Lunge and the Fist of Scorching Faultlines.
His hand trembled slightly.
Not from fear.
From restraint.
"I could have killed him," he whispered.
He didn't. And that was the difference between him and the nobles.
But the path he now walked had no room for mercy if it cost him what little remained.
Behind him, he heard no footsteps. Just... silence.
"You're calmer than I expected," a soft voice said.
Ashen didn't move. "I knew you were watching."
Selene Veyrin stepped from the shadows, her violet eyes gleaming under moonlight. She wore the Inner Division's silk uniform—but with no weapon on her.
"That was a poor display for someone supposedly beneath our notice," she said.
He gave a dry smirk. "Your nobles have sharp tongues. Dull fists."
Selene sat across from him—uninvited. Unbothered.
"You are the last heir of the Virelion Kingdom, aren't you?"
Ashen's eyes narrowed.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
But Selene tilted her head, gaze unreadable.
"I saw the mark on your shoulder when you lifted that girl from the fire. The split-lion crest. It hasn't been seen in over a decade. Not since the Virelion capital was razed."
Ashen said nothing.
"I was ten when I watched the flames rise from the southern border," she continued. "My father said the Virelion line died with its king. But I remembered the banner. That lion."
She leaned forward slightly.
"And now it reappears... on the back of a stone-ranked trash from the outer quarters."
Ashen's Silence Broke
"I never wanted the crown," he said quietly. "I only wanted my people to live."
Selene studied him.
"Then why wear the mark?"
His hand clenched into a fist.
"Because if I don't carry it, no one will."
System Notification:
Bloodline Pressure Detected – Virelion Ancestral Qi Signature Recognized
Manual Compatibility Enhanced
Future Skill Tree Unlocked: King's Wrath Path
Selene rose.
"I could report you," she said, dusting her sleeve. "The academy executes hidden royals without trial. But I won't."
Ashen raised an eyebrow. "Why not?"
"Because if you're really the last Virelion... then I want to see whether you're the savior your kingdom hoped for—"
"—or just another broken heir clawing at dead glory."
She turned, hair fluttering in the breeze.
"But understand this: You're being watched. And not just by me."
Elsewhere – Deep Beneath the Academy
A chamber sealed with ancient runes pulsed in the dark.
A shadow cloaked in armor stood before a cracked crystal tablet.
Etched in faded script: Bloodline Detected – Virelion Spark Reawakened
The armored figure spoke in a voice like metal scraping bone.
"So... the child survived.
Let us see how long he lasts... before history repeats itself."
System Update
New Skill Path Branch Unlocked: King's Wrath Path
1. Lion's Breath Strike – Locked
2. Royal Guard Step – Locked
3. Crownless Dominion Aura – Locked
Hidden Trial Incoming…