Born in Blood



As if the darkness and blood floor wasn't enough, Nelsa stumbled backwards in fear once she realized the lumps were human corpses.

Some floated on their backs, allowing her to see their severed body parts and marred faces. Deep gashes on their skin made them unrecognizable.

Here and there, a severed hand and leg floated freely about. 

And the worst thing of all… was the fact that the bodies never stopped appearing.

Faintly, countless whispers rung in her ears. They were near incomprehensible – but loud and quiet at the same time.

She could only deduce anxiousness and worry from them.

Nelsa's breathing grew erratic. In her decades of Reading people, students and teachers alike, she'd never Read someone like this.

She desperately wanted to leave.

…But she couldn't.

Once a Reading began, it would continue until the end, through reaching its conclusion or some other way.

They were like lucid dreams, except one you couldn't escape or wake up from.

At the same time, Nelsa could feel Liam's emotions. They came in complex forms – anger, ambition, bloodlust, worry, greed, apathy, vengefulness.

Those were the strongest emotions she could sense… alongside a very faint, hidden touch of regret.

More and more bodies emerged. That sight paired with the endless whispers and strong smell of blood made her knees weak.

'When will this end?!' she screamed inwardly, afraid her voice would attract any unknown attention.

Finally, the corpses stopped surfacing, the whispers slowly regressed, and the smell of blood ceased.

Nelsa's breathing gradually calmed down, just enough for her to regain some of her composure. 

She was a strong Magus and powerful Oracle! 

How could she fear from a mere junior's reading? 

She'd killed far more than the average cultivator, and she'd lived for a long, long time.

…Still, her hand still trembled from an ominous feeling that loomed above her heart, like an invisible blade pressed against her neck. Fear of the unknown, she presumed.

And there it was… the 'unknown' spoke to her. 

A voice so deep, so cruel and so foreign, it made her feel like she aged another hundred years.

"You're intruding. Leave."

///

Nelsa's eyes burst open, paired with heavy panting  and cold sweat that drenched her garment. 

When her gaze fell on Liam – who sat there with a wince – she flinched backwards and nearly fell. 

"Just… just what are you?!" she screamed with narrowed eyes, a heavy, hostile pressure grew around her. 

Liam's grimace grew darker. He'd been watching as Nelsa's expression rapidly changed.

"What did you see?" he asked with a low voice, his face dark. He stood up and took a few steps back.

Liam's blades were in hand's reach, he stilled the urge to unsheath them, or to make any sudden move.

His instincts told him to run. 

Was he going to fight an academic Oracle?

She must be at least two entire Ranks above him.

Where would he go afterwards to escape?

…Slowly, Nelsa retracted her heavy pressure, staring at Liam's cold face with a conflicted expression. 

After a short, tense pause, she spoke:

"You're too green if you think killing a few people would make me scared," she scoffed, slowly regaining her composure. "You… just caught me off guard. Sit."

Liam gave her a probing look. He couldn't suppress the frown from appearing on his face.

Reluctantly, he sat down, but his tense movements didn't go unnoticed. 

"You've killed many at such a young age. Part of me wonders what kind of life you lived to stomach that sort of thing, but… I'm not one to judge."

"There was something strange when I Read you," said Nelsa, a tint of fear in her old eyes. 

"It was another voice, there within you."

Liam narrowed his eyes. "Another voice?"

"It… told me I was 'intruding', then ordered me to leave. I've never had that done to me before, so I don't know how worried I should be," Nelsa spoke in a low tone. 

Liam wondered what it was that made even an Oracle feel scared.

"Let that be… for now. We'll talk more about it sometime later."

"For now, let me tell you what you can specialize in…"

After giving Liam his class recommendations and dismissing him, Nelsa immediately called Headmaster Reye.

///

One more day passed, and it was time for classes to begin.

Liam's scowl didn't leave his face ever since that meeting with the Oracle.

He was in deep, and he knew it. Although he felt like he had some sort of protection because of his potential, that didn't do much to reassure him. 

Nevertheless, there was no use thinking of it as of now. He'd plan something once he had a few cards up his sleeve.

'The first class is for cultivation. I better head there now. I'll check the ones she gave me after.'

Lines of youths had crowded the streets as they all made their way towards the Lecture Hall – a large pavilion with the interior of a modern university classroom.

The halls were lined with red carpets and lit by diamond-like chandeliers, which Liam thought was a bit overdone for something like school.

He walked through the packed corridors before eventually finding the cultivation classroom.

The front of the class consisted of an inscribed board which had a reflective surface, along with some different tools on the processor's desk

Apparently he came quite late, judging by how all the seats were taken. Only a single spot in the back was left.

Liam almost cursed when he saw Nord, Sveinn, Rin and Nessa sitting there with only a single seat left for him on the side.

A few sneers shot his way from the front, but he ignored them and reluctantly made his way to the remaining seat.

"Oh, Lawrence. You're finally here," Nessa said with a smile when she saw Liam approach.

Rin remained silent, Nord stared silently, and Sveinn exchanged a nod with him.

Liam nodded tersely and didn't say anything, quietly sitting down. 

"Man, this place is just unreal. The number of beauties in this place…" Sveinn said loudly, but multiple glares silenced his words.

Nord scoffed.

"I've already made a thousand Stones profit from wagering. They're all weaklings, this bunch."

'That should be a good way to make money,' Liam realized. 'The professor still isn't here, though.'

As though on cue, a woman had teleported in front of the class.