Chapter 2: Velmora Part 10
Part 10: Crest of Fire, Crest of Blood
Tone: Tense, Dark Fantasy, Deep Suspense, and Hidden Conspiracies
---
[Scene 1 – The Forbidden Wing Beneath Arkalis]
It was midnight.
Velmora's twin moons hovered low, their pale glow casting long shadows across Arkalis Academy's outer towers. Deep underground — far beneath the Academy's oldest wing — two figures in crimson robes walked silently.
They reached a sealed gate covered in blood-etched symbols. One of them, a high-ranking professor — hidden under the guise of nobility — spoke:
> Robe 1:
"Initiate the ritual. Tonight… the crest will bleed again."
The other drew a blade across his palm and smeared the sigil. The wall responded — ancient metal folding away to reveal a long-forgotten altar.
At its center: a sealed heart. Still beating. Still bound by a Founder's chain.
---
[Scene 2 – Arshan's Nightmare]
Meanwhile, Arshan tossed in his dorm bed, sweat dripping from his brow.
Flashes.
Fire.
He stood in a city in ruins — shadows crawling up walls like ink.
A voice whispered:
> "Velmora's salvation… or its final crest-bearer."
Then a face — half-covered, eyes like burning stars — stared directly at him through the dream.
> Unknown Entity:
"The Founder failed. You will too."
He jolted awake.
> Zyana (low and alert):
"That wasn't just a nightmare. Something is tugging your mind across the Drift."
> Arshan (sitting up, breathing hard):
"Why now? Why am I seeing things I shouldn't?"
> Zyana:
"Because… someone's awakening a relic that should never breathe again."
---
[Scene 3 – Arkalis in Chaos: Rumors of Blood Magic]
The academy buzzed.
A student had gone missing.
Then another.
And whispers began to spread — of forbidden blood crests, of rites not practiced since the Second Founding War.
Even teachers were on edge.
> Student (whispering):
"They say Professor Malrik was seen with crimson mana around his eyes… like the cursed blood channelers."
> Another:
"Someone's performing sacrifices inside the academy."
In the courtyard, Arshan trained alone — his Soul Weapon flickering between solid and phantom.
Veyron approached.
> Veyron:
"The Founder's soul isn't done testing you. That blade... it has seven stages. Each one tied to a truth."
> Arshan:
"What if I can't handle the next truth?"
> Veyron:
"Then you'll die like the rest."
Arshan didn't flinch.
---
[Scene 4 – The Ritual: Grief Gate Begins to Open]
Underground — within the sealed altar — blood pooled around the heart as the ritualists chanted.
> Robe 1:
"Bring forth the Crest of Grief — open the First Vein."
Suddenly, a tear in space formed — thin, but glowing with black-red energy.
It wasn't just magic.
It was Drift energy.
The forbidden kind — one that only forms when the boundary between reality and corrupted thought collapses.
One of the casters screamed — his body torn into glyphs.
The others didn't stop.
---
[Scene 5 – Zyana Unlocks Emergency Protocol: "Founder Tier Access"]
Inside Arshan's mind, Zyana's voice glitched for a moment.
Then she returned — sharper.
> Zyana:
"I've detected a breach forming. Founder-level access required. Do you give permission?"
> Arshan:
"Do it."
[System Core Unlocked]
> Accessing...
Founder Tier 1 — "Passive Thread Activation"
Skill Gained: Bloodsense Radius
— Allows the user to sense unstable blood rituals and corrupted mana within 1km.
> Skill Gained: Founder's Seal: Level 1 Suppression
---
[Scene 6 – The First Attack Inside the Academy]
Just as students gathered in the outer dorm halls for morning studies — a surge of blood exploded from one of the towers.
A student screamed — his face half-dissolved, mana vein lines glowing red.
A beast had emerged — not natural, but born of failed ritual remnants.
The alarms rang.
Arshan appeared — Soul Weapon ignited.
Zyana guided him:
> Zyana:
"Its core is unstable. Hit it once with Drift energy and it will collapse in on itself."
> Arshan:
"I don't know how to use Drift!"
> Zyana:
"Yes you do. Remember what the Founder whispered."
Arshan took a deep breath… channeled.
A single black-blue glyph formed around his blade.
He slashed.
The beast howled — then imploded into red mist.
Silence followed.
Then applause.
But hidden among the crowd, two students smiled — not in admiration, but in confirmation.
> Student 1 (quietly):
"He's ready. The founder's chosen… may break Velmora faster than we hoped."
---
[Scene 7 – Evil Sorcerer Summit: Council of Five]
Far from Arkalis, atop a crumbling tower in a cursed valley, five evil sorcerers stood around a living map of Velmora. The ritual's success had unlocked the first Grief Seal.
> Sorcerer 1 (gravel voice):
"He opened it unknowingly. He's our key."
> Sorcerer 2:
"Do we kill him now?"
> Sorcerer 3:
"No. We let him open the next six. Then we break him."
They marked the second location on the map: The Library of Echoed Time.
> Sorcerer 4:
"Prepare the second corruption."
---
[Scene 8 – Arshan's Power Evolves, World Reaction Begins]
Back in Arkalis, the Royal Archives began recording the anomaly.
Mages in the Capital of Velmora debated the ripples.
One elder mage looked toward the east:
> Elder Mage:
"If this continues… the prophecy will awaken before the third eclipse. And that boy…"
> Royal Strategist:
"Shall we deploy the Sealing Knights?"
> Elder Mage:
"Not yet. Let him walk a little further into the dark."
---
[Scene 9 – Zyana's Warning]
At night, Arshan stood on the academy rooftop.
Zyana finally broke the silence:
> Zyana:
"They're using you."
> Arshan:
"Who?"
> Zyana:
"Everyone. The Founder's will. The sorcerers. Even Veyron has secrets."
> Arshan (softly):
"Then I'll uncover them all. One by one."
Suddenly, a shooting star tore across the sky — glowing black.
It wasn't a star.
It was a signal.
---
To be continued…
Next: Part 11 – The Black Comet and the Time-Eater Seal
> The corrupted sky brings Velmora closer to collapse.
A new dungeon opens inside the academy library.
Betrayal from within strikes hard.
Arshan must face the echoes of the academy's founder… in real time.