Kaen's eyes stared at the symbol carved into the bark.
It wasn't blood.
It wasn't paint.
It looked… burned. But the tree was untouched.
He reached out to touch it.
A sharp pain shot through his finger — like a thorn had pricked him, but nothing was there. He stepped back quickly, holding his hand.
His heartbeat rose.
That mark… was not just a mark.
---
The next morning, Kaen didn't speak much.
He walked to the academy, but his mind was trapped beneath the tree. In that moment. In that whisper.
Mistress Vaela was missing from class.
Instead, a senior instructor entered. His name was Instructor Dren — tall, silent, strict. He announced a sudden change in schedule.
"You'll be undergoing the Blood Reflex Test," he said. "All of you."
Whispers spread across the room.
The Blood Reflex Test wasn't normal training. It was rare — used to see how a warrior's body responds under deep pressure. Some called it a glimpse into the soul.
---
Kaen stood in front of the stone slab. Behind him, the others watched.
Instructor Dren nodded. "Place your hand."
Kaen placed his palm flat.
For a second… nothing.
Then — the slab glowed a dim red. Faint. Almost like it didn't want to respond.
Students laughed.
"That's it?" someone muttered.
But Instructor Dren didn't laugh.
He stepped forward, narrowed his eyes. "The stone reacted… but strangely."
He turned to Kaen. "Have you ever taken this test before?"
Kaen shook his head. "No, sir."
Dren stared at him for a long moment.
Then marked something down. "Next."
---
That night, Kaen sat alone in his room.
He looked at his palm. It had stopped glowing. But something was still there. A faint tingling. Like something inside had moved.
Then — a voice.
Not loud. Not a whisper. Just… inside.
"You are not ready. But the soil remembers…"
Kaen's breath froze.
What did that mean?
---