Chapter 17: Fated Cinders And Gilded Shock

CHAPTER 17: FATED CINDERS AND GILDED SHOCK

The crimson-cloaked vampire collapsed to one knee, blood sizzling on the scorched tiles of the dueling platform. Smoke curled from his tattered sleeves. His crimson pupils, usually calm and composed, twitched with disbelief.

Lux stood silently across from him, golden eyes aglow. The mark of the Codex flickered faintly over his left wrist before vanishing beneath his sleeve.

Around them, silence. Then—

A storm of voices erupted.

"He beat the Crimson Thorn heir—again one realm below!"

"What was that technique? He vanished—like he bent space!"

"That flame… it burned even the blood aura! What kind of fire is that?!"

Students from noble families, distant empires, and forgotten star-realms whispered and shouted alike, their pride cracking under the weight of what they'd just seen. All one hundred of them, each a prodigy from their own domain, found their confidence shaken.

Instructor Aemorin, an ancient being clad in robes woven with celestial threads, raised a single hand. The entire hall fell into instant silence.

The vampire boy rose shakily. His pride barely held him upright, eyes hollow.

"You held back," he muttered, lips trembling.

Lux gave a small bow — not of respect, but finality. "You fought with pride. That alone deserves acknowledgment."

Aemorin descended from his stone dais. "Lux, step forward."

The boy obeyed without expression. Despite the awe he inspired, his eyes were distant — filled with memory, as if staring through time itself.

"Explain," Aemorin said flatly, though his sharp gaze betrayed curiosity. "Two victories. Both against those stronger than you. Both without a known technique."

"I awakened a strange physique during my isolation," Lux answered, voice cool. "It gave me fleeting glimpses of the future… and allowed me to tear through space, just briefly. The flames, I don't understand, but they feel… natural. Like they respond to my blood."

A ripple of astonishment washed over the hall.

Aemorin folded his arms. "A time-space physique, perhaps. Rare. Dangerous. Most burn themselves out. But yours is… stable."

His eyes narrowed slightly, studying Lux with an expression bordering on reverence.

"You mentioned your blood. What is your lineage?"

Lux simply answered, "Outer Rings.Sun elf No house."

A low murmur spread.

Aemorin didn't press further. He turned to address the class, his voice amplified by divine force.

"Listen well. In this place, where War generals are forged, talent alone will not save you — but it does define the battlefield you begin on."

He raised his palm, and golden motes formed into glowing words in the air: not names, but swirling symbols that radiated meaning.

"There are those born Ashborn — struggling even to sense divine energy. Most mortals fall here. Then come those of Ember-Willed potential. With stubbornness, they make slow progress. Many village protectors and minor sect guardians are such."

He walked slowly among the students as the sigils shifted.

"Then we come to the Sunfire-Blooded — children born with enough affinity to enter academies like ours. Capable, but still limited."

He paused before a boy in silver scale armor, then continued.

"Starlight-Aligned — those whose cores sing in harmony with divine energy. They are considered elite even within empires."

Many nodded proudly. Some even smirked.

"Beyond them, rare as falling stars, come the Sunborn. Their bodies breathe divine energy. They don't chase realms — realms chase them."

Students turned toward a silver-haired girl from the Azure Sky Empire, who lifted her chin slightly.

"Then," Aemorin said softly, "are the Starchildren."

He looked across all of them.

"You, the hundred chosen. You are the children of warlords, gods, and ancient races. Chosen by the universe — by fate itself. You were not meant to fail."

All heads lifted. Every student stood taller — save Lux, who had not moved at all.

"But there is a rumor," Aemorin added, his voice now cold and sharp, "of a level beyond even that. A level that cannot be defined by law or lineage. A flame that burns fate itself. Some call it the Sovereign Flame. Others… something even older."

His eyes fell on Lux, just for a moment.

"Only one such being has ever appeared — long ago. And it nearly broke the heavens."

The students exchanged glances. Some scoffed. Others looked shaken.

Aemorin gestured, and the sigils dissolved.

Lux only gave a faint nod. Inwardly, the Codex hummed.

Golden Crow's Fate-Reversal Record Accepted

(Primordial Rank)

Fused with Fate Codex. Hidden from all detection.

Effect: Every realm reached births a Golden Crow. Flames burn time, fate, and law. Physique enhanced. Stealth successful.

Lux's golden eyes dimmed. No one could know. Not yet.

Not until he was ready to burn the heavens again.