Blood Bound Relic

Chapter 1 More than thirty students sat in complete silence. The only sounds in the classroom were the scratching of pens against paper, the occasional sigh, and the ticking clock hanging above the blackboard. Some students nervously chewed the ends of their pens while staring at the questions as though they had been written in an unfamiliar language. Others buried their heads in their answer booklets, writing whatever came to mind before time ran out. Near the window, Liora Vaelor calmly turned a page of her booklet and continued writing. Unlike most of her classmates, there wasn't the slightest trace of panic on her face. Today's examination was announced three weeks ago. It wasn't exactly a surprise. Unfortunately, many students had assumed they had plenty of time to study... until those three weeks disappeared. Celestia Academy wasn't an ordinary school. Built more than a century ago by the Kingdom of Celestia, it has produced countless elite warriors, scholars, and Royal Guardians. For many families, having a child accepted into the academy was a greater honor than receiving a noble title. Admission was never easy. Only children from influential noble houses entered through recommendation. Everyone else had to fight for a place. Every year, the academy opened a limited number of scholarship positions for commoners and fallen nobles willing to prove themselves. Liora Vaelor had claimed one of those places. She was the last surviving heir of House Vaelor—a name that had once commanded respect across the kingdom but had long since faded into ridicule. People laughed whenever they heard the family name. Liora never did. One day, she would restore it. To achieve that, she needed strength. Enough strength to join the Royal Guardians. Enough strength to make the kingdom remember House Vaelor. The academy entrance examination had tested far more than written knowledge. Combat ability. Magical aptitude. Physical endurance. Strategy. Every candidate had been pushed to their limit. Liora had excelled in every single one. She finished as the highest-scoring applicant of the year. "Two minutes remaining." Mrs. Eleanor's calm voice echoed through the classroom. The room instantly grew restless. Several students exchanged desperate glances. One boy leaned sideways, trying to steal a look at his neighbor's answers before a sharp tap of Mrs. Eleanor's ruler against his desk made him jump. "Eyes on your own papers." The classroom fell silent again. --- A few minutes later... The examination bell rang. Students poured into the hallway, some celebrating while others looked as though their lives had just ended. Liora walked out with a textbook tucked beneath one arm and her question paper in the other. As she walked, her eyes moved back and forth between the questions and the answers in the textbook. A smile slowly spread across her face. "Yes..." She clenched her fist. "I got it right." Without looking up, she continued walking. Thud. She collided with someone. Her books slipped from her hands and scattered across the polished floor. "Are you blind?" A sharp voice cut through the noisy hallway. "Can't you watch where you're going?" Conversations nearby came to an abrupt stop. Dozens of students turned to watch. Liora looked up. Standing before her was Miranda Esteban. Her long golden hair rested neatly over the shoulders of her perfectly tailored academy uniform. Behind her stood her two closest friends with folded arms, wearing identical smirks. Miranda wasn't known as the smartest student in the first year. She didn't have to be. She was beautiful, wealthy, and untouchable. More importantly... She was the granddaughter of the Commander of the Royal Guardians. The man who had defended the kingdom against countless beast invasions. The Esteban name alone was enough to silence most people. Liora lowered her gaze. "I'm sorry," she said calmly. "I wasn't paying attention." She bent down to pick up her textbook. Before her fingers could touch it— Crunch. A polished black shoe landed squarely on the cover. Liora froze. Slowly, she lifted her head. Miranda stared down at her with an amused smile. "And who said you could pick it up?" Liora frowned. "I already apologized." "My apology wasn't enough?" Miranda gave a small laugh. "That's not the point." She pressed her foot harder onto the book. "The point is..." "I haven't given you permission." Liora straightened to her full height. Confusion flickered across her face. "Permission?" She glanced at the book beneath Miranda's shoe before looking back into her eyes. "Why would I need your permission to pick up my own book?" A few students gasped. Miranda's smile slowly disappeared. "Oh..." "So you wanna pretend as if you don't know who I am?" She folded her arms. "I'm Miranda Esteban." "Heir to House Esteban." The hallway became even quieter. Liora let out a quiet scoff and folded her arms across her chest. "Miranda... or whatever you call yourself." Her voice remained calm, almost indifferent. "I don't care who you are or which noble house you belong to." Her eyes met Miranda's without the slightest hint of fear. "But here's one piece of advice." "Don't mess with me." The hallway fell silent. A wave of shocked whispers spread through the surrounding students. "Did... did she just talk back to Miranda?" "Is she trying to get herself expelled?" "She's finished." Miranda stood frozen for a moment. Disbelief flashed across her face. Ever since enrolling at Celestia Academy, everyone had either admired her or feared her. Students lowered their heads whenever she passed. Even some instructors treated her with extra respect because of her family's influence. No one... No one had ever dared to speak to her like this. "You insolent—" Before Miranda could finish, the girl standing behind her stepped forward. "How dare you speak to Lady Miranda like that?" She jabbed a finger toward Liora. "Have you grown tired of living?" Liora slowly turned her head toward the girl. One eyebrow rose. "And what exactly are you planning to do?" she asked, her tone as calm as ever. "Beat me because your friend had her pride bruised?" The girl's face reddened. "You—" She rushed forward, raising her hand as if to slap Liora. Several students instinctively stepped back. Someone even covered their eyes. Just as the girl's hand was about to reach her— Liora caught her wrist. Effortlessly. The girl's eyes widened. She tried to pull free, but Liora's grip didn't budge. "You..." Liora looked down at the trembling hand in hers before lifting her gaze again. "If I were you," she said quietly, "I'd think twice before throwing my hand at someone." A faint crackling sound escaped from the girl's wrist as Liora tightened her grip ever so slightly. The girl's confident expression vanished. It was replaced by pain. "Le-Let go..." For the first time since the confrontation began... The smiles on Miranda and her friends' faces disappeared. The girl cried out in pain. "Ah... it hurts!" "Let go of her already!" Miranda took a step forward, her voice sharper than before. Liora didn't answer. She simply raised her eyes and met Miranda's gaze. Cold. Steady. Unwavering. For a split second, Miranda's heart skipped a beat. She swallowed unconsciously, and the foot she had stepped forward with stopped where it was. The hallway fell into complete silence. No one dared to speak. The tension hanging in the air was so heavy that even breathing felt difficult. "Ahhh!" The girl screamed again, her knees threatening to give way beneath her. Miranda bit her lower lip. For the first time in a long while... She felt powerless. Liora looked at her for another second before a faint smirk curled across her lips. She loosened her grip. The girl immediately collapsed onto the floor, clutching her aching wrist. "Mia!" Miranda's other friend hurried over and helped the trembling girl to her feet. Liora calmly crouched down and gathered her scattered books. After dusting the cover of her textbook, she looked straight at Miranda. That same faint smile remained on her lips. Without saying another word, she walked away. Miranda stood rooted to the spot. Her fists trembled. She had never... Not once in her life... Been humiliated in front of so many people. Her nails dug into her palms as she clenched her fists. "This isn't over..." She turned sharply on her heel and stormed down the corridor. Her two friends hurried after her. Only after they disappeared did the surrounding students finally breathe again. "I can't believe someone stood up to Miranda..." "Who exactly is that girl?" "I heard she's the top freshman." "No wonder..." Their whispers slowly faded behind Liora as she continued walking. A few minutes later... A towering stone building came into view. The grand library of Celestia Academy. A small smile appeared on Liora's face. "At least I'll have some peace and quiet while I read." She pushed open the heavy wooden doors. The familiar scent of old books greeted her. Rows upon rows of towering bookshelves stretched across the enormous hall. Only a handful of students occupied the library. That wasn't unusual. Most students preferred spending their free time in the training grounds, practicing swordsmanship or improving their abilities instead of burying themselves in books. What surprised Liora... Was the noise. The library was rarely this lively. Small groups of students stood between the shelves, whispering excitedly among themselves. No one seemed interested in reading. Curious, Liora found an empty seat and opened her book. She tried to focus. She really did. But the constant murmuring made it impossible. "...Did you hear?" "...They're saying it's true..." "...No way..." The voices were too low for her to make out the full conversation. After a few minutes, she let out a quiet sigh and closed her book. "I'll just find somewhere quieter." She stood up and headed toward the exit. Just as she reached the doorway— Thud. She walked straight into something solid. Her book slipped from her hands once again. "Not again." She mumbled. She instinctively looked up. And froze.