Pureblood

Ray lay in bed, his eyes scanning the room as he counted each person entering, one by one. As they stepped inside, they lined up against the wall on Gary's side, their movements precise, almost military-like. It was a strange sight, the kind that sent a shiver down his spine.

Everyone he had seriously interacted with at some point was here—Sylvia, Gary, Ian, Dan, Monk, Kyle, Martha, and the two red-haired twins, Sloth and Badger. Each of them carried an air of uncertainty, their expressions tense, as though they had already sensed that whatever was about to happen wasn't going to be good.

"What's going on?" Ray asked, his voice breaking the silence.

Before anyone could answer, the door creaked open again. Sir K stepped inside, his posture rigid, his sharp eyes surveying the room before closing the door behind him. From his pocket, he pulled out a small magical device—an object shaped like a stone spider. With a flick of his wrist, the spider-like object scuttled onto the door, embedding itself into the surface. A soft glow emanated from it, forming a faint magical ring around the room's entrance.

"Don't worry," Sir K said. "This device ensures that no one is eavesdropping on us." He let the silence linger before continuing. "What I am about to tell you is top secret, but Wilfred and I have decided that it's best to inform you students of the current situation."

His words settled uneasily in the room, the weight of them pressing down on everyone present.

"As you all know, two of our students were seriously injured. In truth, they were lucky to make it out alive."

Sir K's gaze moved toward the two red-haired twins. With a nod, he gestured for them to speak. "Sloth and Badger, could you describe the attackers to Sylvia?"

Sylvia stood from her seat next to Ray's bed. The usual confidence in her stance was shaken, but she maintained her composure.

"There were three intruders in total," she said. "We only managed to catch a glimpse of them, but they all had one thing in common—they wore red masks."

Sir K then shifted his gaze to Gary and Ray. "You both saw the face of one of them, didn't you?"

Gary gulped, his throat dry, before nodding. "It was the Squire Master, Lancy."

The moment the words left his lips, the room erupted. Gasps filled the air, followed by murmurs and disbelieving whispers. The shock was evident on everyone's faces.

Sir K clapped his hands once, and silence fell again.

Sylvia hesitated before raising her hand. "Were they members of the Dark Guild?"

Sir K shook his head, his expression grim. "If they were, this would be much simpler. The truth is far more complicated. That's why I've gathered all of you here today. The red-masked men belong to a faction known as Pureblood."

The name itself sent a chill through the room, the very sound of it leaving an unsettling presence in the air.

"Eleven years ago," Sir K continued, "a prophecy was spread throughout the lands—one that came directly from the Divine Being. It foretold that our savior would come in the form of a boy with red hair. The prophecy led to a great search across the continent, where our best knights sought out red-haired children, believing one of them to be the chosen one. That search led us to the students before you—Badger, Sloth, Kyle, Ian… and Ray."

Ray's stomach twisted at the implication. The air in the room felt heavier now.

"But this same prophecy also gave birth to the Purebloods. Their goal? To eliminate every red-haired child."

Monk frowned. "That doesn't make any sense. Why would they want to kill the saviors?"

Sir K sighed. "Because there was a second prophecy, given at the same time. One that stated that the red-haired boy would also bring about the destruction of the world."

The room fell deathly silent. For a moment, no one spoke. No one even breathed.

"This was the first time two prophecies had ever been given simultaneously," Sir K continued, his voice heavy. "And they contradicted each other. It caused a great divide within the Alure Kingdom, leading to the formation of the Pureblood faction. Many knights at Avrion Academy… are also part of the Purebloods."

Dan scoffed. "And why does this concern us? We have nothing to do with them." He jabbed a finger toward Sloth and Badger.

Sylvia snapped. "How could you say that? Ian, Kyle, and Ray are our friends! Of course, this involves us!"

Martha gently pulled Sylvia back, attempting to calm her. Once the tension settled, Sir K continued.

"Whether you like it or not, you are involved now. For this, I am truly sorry. We never expected the Purebloods to act so aggressively. Until now, their protests were limited to mere demonstrations against the red-haired students attending the academy. This is the first attack.

"The Lurker has been secretly protecting Badger and Sloth all this time. But Ray, Ian, and Kyle? We had no one guarding them. Fortunately, Ray had surrounded himself with powerful allies. With Sylvia by his side, I had hoped the Purebloods wouldn't dare to strike."

Sir K's eyes locked onto Ray's. "Ray, at this moment, you are the most likely candidate for the child of prophecy."

Ray's breath caught in his throat. "What?! What makes you think that?"

"Your body," Sir K said simply. "Three times, you have been placed in near-death situations, and each time, your body has healed at an unnatural rate. People will see this as a blessing from the Divine Being. Student medical records are accessible by high-ranking knights. The Purebloods already know this, and now, they know about everyone close to you."

Ray's fists clenched at his sides. He wanted to tell them they were wrong. His body didn't heal because of some divine gift. It was because he wasn't human. Even now, he could feel the red aura within him, something different from normal magic. Sylvia's words only confirmed his suspicions. He was healing faster than others because he wasn't ordinary.

They didn't know that his hair had once been black and only later turned red.

His teeth ground together. He wanted to shout the truth—that he was a dragon. But if he did, they would think he was insane.

"I can't be…" he muttered under his breath. "I'm sure I'm not."

"It doesn't matter if you believe it," Sir K said firmly. "What matters is that the Purebloods do. And now, everyone around you is in danger. We cannot protect you every second of the day. That's why I am warning you all—look out for each other. Be careful."

With that, Sir K removed the device from the door and stepped aside.

"Wait! That's it?" Dan shouted. "You're not even going to protect us?!"

"There isn't much we can do," Sir K admitted. "Our duties as knights must continue as usual. If we assign guards to you, it will only make it obvious that we suspect something. And right now, we don't know who among us belongs to the Purebloods. We could send someone to protect you, only for them to turn around and kill you."

The gravity of those words settled into everyone's bones.

This academy was supposed to be a place of unity, a place where knights trained to fight a common enemy. But now, they realized the enemy was already inside.

One by one, everyone filed out, leaving Ray and Gary behind.

Days passed. Ray stayed with Gary as he recovered, guilt gnawing at him. Two weeks later, they were finally released from the hospital.

As they returned to their dormitory, a sealed envelope sat on the table.

Gary picked it up.

It was addressed to him.