Chapter 11

  Bloodline Hunt: Part 8

  “Now, whose first? Of course, I’ll gladly take on both of you at once.” Wearing a cocky smirk, the red-eyed little girl raised her guards in preparation to fight off the two upperclassmen.

  The older girl cackled loudly, amused by Anna’s misplaced confidence. “She must think she’s cute acting so cocky; I’ll deal with her.”

  “No.” The older boy threw his hand in front of his partner. “Knowing you. You’ll try to disfigure her face out of jealousy.”

  “Jealously?!” The older girl exclaimed. “If you fought her, you go easy on her just because she’s a girl!”

  Anna silently analyses her current predicament while the two older kids argue. She figured the two kids were adept rank, but that didn’t bother her. She was truly worried about Jeze, who she knew was watching this fight either through Caleb’s eyes or from somewhere else.

  If I use anything too advanced or powerful, it will reveal who I am. I’ll have to get through this using only the basics.

  “What a fun handicap.” Anna's smile widened, amused at the thought. She thrusts her arm toward the two upperclassmen, channeling her mana into the center of her palm. The two flinched, expecting a spell to be shot at them, but nothing came, and the magic in Anna's hand faded.

  The upperclassmen cackle loudly. “She can’t even cast a spell!” The older girl managed to say between her laughing fits.

  “Don’t underestimate her!” Caleb shouted.

  “Relax, kid. I can handle a mage who doesn’t know how to use magic.” The older boy approaches Anna, still chuckling. “If you want, I can teach you how to cast a sp-“

  Before the boy could finish speaking, Anna fired the spell she was holding. The energy bolt slammed into the boy’s stomach, knocking the air out of his lungs.

  “Just because I cast a spell doesn’t mean I have to use it immediately,” Anna warned.

  “You bitch!” The older boy roared. He hopped back onto his feet, enraged. “I was going to go easy on you.”

  “Cool it, Luke. Remember, we came here to teach the girl a lesson. Not to kill her.”

  “Don’t worry; I’ll teach her a lesson.” Luke dashes towards Anna, turning into a blur. The little girl’s eyes widened momentarily before she threw herself out of Luke’s path. The older boy’s body slammed into the roof’s railing, easily denting the metal structure.

  Before Anna could get back on her feet, Luke was already on top of her, swinging his leg.

  “Guh!” Anna groaned. Her body hunches forward as Luke’s foot sinks into her stomach. Her painful expression melted into a smile. She straightened her posture, revealing that she managed to grab Luke’s foot. She tightens her grip on his while channeling a large portion of mana into her other hand.

  Luke’s face went pale as he realized the girl was trying to break his leg. He lifted his other leg to throw another kick as he fell. Anna abruptly stopped her attack to block the attacker. The impact of the blow hitting Anna’s arm resounded across the roof. Anna releases Luke’s leg, letting the force of his kick push her away.

  Luke rolled back onto his feet. He silently studies Anna as he dusts off his clothes. “Not bad. I can see why you’re so cocky now.”

  Anna grimaced as she shook her injured arm. Despite having a barrier around her body and even successfully blocking Luke’s kick, it still hurt like hell.

  “I’m going to assume you’re a striker, right?” Anna asked.

  Luke tilted his head. “What the hell is that?”

  “Do you even listen to anything in class?” Melody groans. “A striker is a mage who focuses solely on close-quarter combat.

  “Indeed. And normally, there are two reasons for that.” Anna continued. “The first reason is that the mage is terrible at manipulating their mana. Or their physical prowess is so great that using magic is almost completely irrelevant to them. Which one are you?”

  “That’s a good question.” Luke playfully taps his chin, pretending to ponder Anna’s question. “If I had to pick, I’m probably the third option. I just really like hitting shit!”

  “Is that right?” She looked up at Luke with a newfound interest. Every mage Abaddon meant in this era was a scholar who preferred to study magic rather than sharpen their skills in battle. “I feel the same way. Magic is wonderful, but nothing more satisfying than crushing someone with your bare hand, right?!” A sadistic smile spread on Anna’s face, excited that she found a kindred spirit.

  Anna clasped her hands together in preparation to cast a spell. “As a reward for amusing me, I’ll show you something nice.”

  “Oh, are we getting serious?” Luke excitedly reached into his pocket, pulling out a metal baton.

  “Indeed, and this time, you’ll be the one on defense.”

  Evocation: Dancing light

  A dozen orbs of light formed around Anna’s body.

  “Hey!” Caleb barked. “How dare you use my spell!”

  “Sorry, but I’m borrowing it for a moment.” With a simple hand gesture, Anna sent all her projectiles flying in a random direction.

  The baton in Luke’s hand extended, turning into a staff. “Bring it on!” He screamed as he batted away a few of his spheres with his staff. From his peripherals, he notices two more projectiles coming at him from his flank. He attempted to back away, only to find his feet in the air. Surprised, he looked down to see that Anna had swept his legs from under him. The two orbs slammed into his side, driving him into the wall,

  “You should pay attention to your surroundings!” Anna yelled

  Evocation: Dancing Light

  Anna claps her hands together again, manifesting a dozen more orbs of light around her.

  “Ah, again!” Luke quickly scrambles to his feet, frantically swatting the projectiles away with his staff. Anna dashed to his flank to land another sneak attack. Luke roared as he deflected Anna’s attack. One of the projectiles managed to slip past his defense, hitting him in the shoulder. Luke winced in pain, and Anna dashed in to take advantage of the distraction her spell caused.

  Luke’s eyes shot open the moment Anna got close. “Gotcha.” He snatched the girl off the ground; he wrapped his arms around, putting her in a crushing hold. “Try creating more of those annoying orbs now.”

  “I don’t need to.” Another one of Anna’s projectiles struck Luke in the back. The older boy's eyes widened in pain and confusion.

  The second time she cast the spell, she sent two of her projectiles around the roof for later use.

  Still in shock, Luke released his hold on the girl.

  Evocation…

  As soon as she was released, Anna clapped her hands together again. Sensing Anna’s mana, Luke gritted his teeth, determined to stop her from casting the annoying spell again.

  “Ahh!” Luke screamed in pain as the second projectile Anna sent flying around the academy slammed into his side.

  …. Dancing Light

  Dozen orbs of light formed around Luke. Anna cackled, enjoying the sight of the older boy getting pummeled on the sides by her spell. “What’s the matter?! Didn’t you come here to humble your junior? So far, all you've proven is that everyone in this academy is beneath me!”

  Anna cocked her fist, going for another blow. She suddenly stops and leans backward, barely avoiding Melody’s familiar soaring past her face. In that split moment, Luke swung his staff at her.

  Shit! Anna curses as she raises her guard. She gritted her teeth. Even with the protective spell ‘shell’ cast on her body, the pain from Luke’s attack reverberated through her arm.

  “Couldn’t wait for your turn?” Anna turns her attention to the older girl as her familiar lands on her shoulder.

  “Don’t get cheeky just because you manage to land a few blows on Luke, brat. He’s going easy on you because you’re a little girl. I, however, have no problem ruining your pretty face.

  “Stay out of this, Melody!” Luke barked. ”This is my fight.”

  “Your fight?” Caleb glared at Luke. “Do I need to remind you why you’re here? If you don’t listen to me, I’ll have my father kick you out of the Junior Games this year; you’ll do as I say.

  Luke bit his lip, his body trembling with frustration. “I’m sorry, kid, once this is all over. I want to fight you again, fair and square.

  Anna took a deep breath. She was already winded from fighting the older boy for a few seconds. She grimaced at the thought of fighting both of them at once while exhausted. She interlocked her fingers. A flash of light coated her body before quickly vanishing.

  Both Luke and Melody cautiously took a step backward. They knew Anna had cast a spell, but were unsure what it was and if she was holding it again like last time.

  “What are you guys doing? Hurry up and attack her!” Caleb shouted.

  The two upperclassmen silently nodded at each other before dashing in opposite directions while Melody’s familiar flew into the air, circling above Anna, searching for an opening. Anna hurls her remaining orbs at all three while backing away to keep some distance.

  Melody slid to a stop and slammed her hands into the ground. The ground in front of her rose, shielding her from the projectiles.

  Luke dashed straight at Anna while deflecting all her orbs with his weapon. Anna took a step backward, her feet sinking into the mud.

  “Sorry, you’re not going anywhere, kid!” Melody shouted. Anna clicked her tongue, annoyed, before returning her attention to Luke, who thrusts his staff at Anna rapidly.

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  Anna effortlessly dodges the first two attacks. The third one grazed her face. The fourth one came too fast for her to dodge. She raises her arm, barely blocking the attack. A flash of light engulfs Anna as the spell she cast before is activated.

  The light changed into a raging fire that swallowed Anna whole. In a panic, Luke tried to back away, but Anna’s hand lunged out of the fire, grabbing the staff, pulling it, and dragging Luke into the mud and fire.

  “Luke!” Melody quickly cancels her spell so Luke can escape from the mud. Immediately, the older boy dives out of the flame, his clothes only slightly singed.

  Caleb gritted his teeth. Not only was Anna easily using spells that took him months to learn, but she was using them better than he ever had. It almost felt like she was bragging that she was better than him while fighting.

  Through the veil of fire, Anna watches the two upperclassmen prepare for her emergence. She dropped to one knee, her body weighed down by fatigue and her heart threatening to burst out of her chest. The corner of her vision darkens, and she could feel her thoughts beginning to fade.

  Anna bit the inside of her mouth, using the pain to keep herself awake. This shouldn’t be this difficult, Anna thought. Frustration began to bubble within her heart. She landed a dozen hits on the boy, yet she didn't leave so much as a scratch on him.

  The thought almost made her laugh. The emperor who nearly conquered the entire continent can barely hurt a teenager.

  “Enough whining.” Anna sighed heavily as she picked herself up. She slowly raised her hands to cast another spell.

  Evocation…

  A dozen orbs of light burst from the flame.

  “That spell is really getting old!” Luke Hollard as he parries the orbs. Mixed with several projectiles was a crescent, iridescent slash. The colorful light easily cuts through Luke’s staff.

  Anna dashes out of the blazing fire, wielding a black blade that reflected a starry night sky. Stardust trails behind the sword as Anna swings it. Luke reflexively used the two broken parts of his staff to block Anna’s weapon.

  The blade slices through the metal rod and continues towards Luke, who threw himself back before it could touch his flesh.

  Melody aimed her finger at Anna and fired two beams of magic before she could regain her balance. Two of Anna’s orbs moved in the beam's path to intercept them.

  The older boy guffawed, genuinely impressed by the girl’s skill. “I really want a one-on-one match after this!” Luke unleashes a flurry of attacks using what remains of his staff as two batons. Anna parries the blow with her sword while deflecting Melody’s beam with the orbs.

  The older girl groans, annoyed that she is struggling to take down a nine-year-old girl. “Okay, I’ll admit you have some skills, little girl, but still, you’re going down.”

  Element…

  Anna’s gaze shifted towards Melody. She could tell what spell the older girl would use at a glance.

  Lightning? How fun. A smile spread on Anna’s face at the thought of hurling the lightning bolt back at the caster.

  Electricity gathered in Melody’s palm. Anna lifted one hand in preparation to catch the bolt of lightning. Melody smiles as the electricity in her hand vanishes. Suddenly, a searing pain struck Anna’s back.

  For a moment, Anna's vision and mind went white. Her mouth opens as if to let out a scream, yet no sound escapes from her.

  “Here’s a lesson for you, kid. Just because I cast a spell doesn’t mean I must fire it from my body. Melody looked down smugly at Anna. While petting her familiar. The owl happily chirped as electricity danced around its feathers.

  Anna dropped to her knees; her body was numb from the pain. Caleb chuckled as he approached. “How does it feel to lose to me?”

  “You really think you beat me?” She said in between gasps for air. Her body trembles as she weakly chuckles to herself. All you did was hide behind your father’s name. A coward like you can never beat me.

  Caleb tightly clenches his teeth. “Stop looking down on me!” he roared as he kicked Anna into the railing. The already weak structure wobbled as her body slammed into it. “Look at you! You’re covered in dirt and can barely breathe! You’re the loser! Not me!” Caleb screamed as he repeatedly stepped on Anna’s body.”

  “Calm down!” Luke yanked Caleb away from the girl. “You’re going too far; she's already been beaten.”

  “No, she’s not!” Caleb rips himself free from the older boy’s grip. He looked down at Anna. Even after being stepped on and desperately gasping for air, Caleb could still see a smug smirk resting on her lips.

  “Why?!” Caleb grabbed Anna by the collar. “Why can’t you just admit I won?!”

  “Because you didn’t.” Every single one of your accomplishments is someone else’s accomplishment. You’re nothing more than a puppet, a coward who proudly lives in his father’s shadow.

  Caleb's mind went blank with rage. In the next moment, he found himself throwing Anna back into the railing. The old bar finally broke from the weight and fell off the roof, taking Anna with it. As she fell, Anna desperately threw her hand forward to latch onto anything. Caleb reflexively grabbed her arm.

  Drop her! Drop her! Drop her! Caleb’s grip grew weaker each time Jez’s voice echoed in his head. “Stop.” He cried. “Please, I don’t want to do this!”

  Anna forced out a laugh as she watched the boy struggle. “You’re not even in control of your actions; you really are pathetic." Anna's words felt like a knife that cut the last string of his will. Caleb's eyes widen in horror as he unconsciously lets go of her.

  “No!” Caleb blindly lunges forward, throwing himself off the roof. Both Luke and Melody grabbed and pulled him back onto solid ground. Caleb looked in horror as he watched Anna fall.

  Anna clasps her hands together in attempt to create a barrier, but her oxygen-deprived brain made it nigh impossible for her to form a spell in her mind. In her fading vision she caught a silhouette looking down on her from the roof.

  “Please, my lord, you need to rise.”

  It’s strange. I’ve been climbing my whole life, yet the summit still feels so far away.

  .

  .

  .

  Nandi’s body slammed into the glass roof, creating a large crack. Before she could catch her breath, she noticed she was sliding off the tilted roof. Nandi screamed as she desperately tried to cling to something. In an instant, once again, she found herself plummeting. The barrier she created when Anna threw her off the roof smashed into pieces when her body hit the pavement.

  Nandi let out a weak groan as she picked herself up. “Anna?” She looked around the courtyard, hoping her friend would follow her. Her heart dropped when she realized Anna was alone on the roof.

  “No, no, no. It’s happening again. This can’t be happening again.” Nandi nervously bit her nails, her body trembling as an unpleasant memory returned. She immediately bolts for the Academy door. “Someone, help, please!” She screamed as she banged on the locked door, but no one answered. Nandi peered through the glass only to see an empty and dark hallway. Just as she was about to lose hope, she noticed someone in the reflection approaching her from behind.

  “Damnit, Aiden. This is the third time I've missed a date with my girlfriend because of your kids.” Z angrily grumbled to himself.

  “Mister!” Nandi cried out. “Mister, you have to help me!”

  “Sorry, kid, I don’t have time. I already have one troublemaker to deal with.” Z tried walking around Nandi, but she tightly clung to his leg.

  “Please, my friend, Anna, is in trouble!”

  “What?” Z froze. “What happened?! " Z yanked Nandi off the ground and held her at eye level.

  “Caleb, the boy she fought yesterday, hired a couple of upperclassmen to fight her.”

  “Where is she?!” Z snarled. He glared at the little girl as if she were the one who attacked Anna. Before Nandi could answer, the sound of glass shattering sounded through the courtyard. Both Z and Nandi slowly turned towards the noise to see Anna’s body lying inside the entrance of the academy, covered in blood and glass.

  “Anna!” Z dropped Nandi and bolted straight for Anna.” He slammed his shoulder into the door with enough force it swung open despite it being locked. He looked up at the glass ceiling Anna fell through, catching a glimpse of someone walking away from the roof's edge.

  It took all his willpower to stop himself from chasing the suspect and stay by Anna’s side. He gently placed two fingers on her neck. He sighs in relief when he feels a pulse.

  “Hey, do you know any healing spell?” Z looks back at Nandi, who stood frozen in the doorway, her eyes locked on the pool of blood around Anna as an old memory played out in her head.

  “Why are you just standing there?!” Her dad’s voice echoed in her head. “You’re a mage, aren’t you? Heal her! Cast a spell! FUCKING DO SOMETHING!!!”

  “I can’t.” Nandi dropped to her knees, convulsing. Z clicked his tongue. He picked up Anna’s limp body and rushed her to the nurse’s office.

  “Maia! I need your help!” Z shouted as he kicked open the door. The woman inside the room jumped, dropping her sandwich.

  “Z, I told you not to bother me when I’m at work. I swear if you came here for more dating tips, I’ll- oh my god.” Maia’s face paled when she saw the bloody girl in Z’s arms. “What happened?”

  “Someone pushed her off the roof.”

  “Put her on the bed, quickly.” Maia’s expression hardens. She had a lot of questions she wanted to ask, but the girl's life came first.

  Z obediently put Anna down on the bed. Maia closed her eyes and clasped her hands together as if she would utter a prayer.

  A soft, warm light envelops Anna’s body. “How is she doing?” Z asked as he anxiously paced back and forth as he watched Maia cast a spell.

  Maia opened one eye; annoyed, Z broke her concentration. “I’m surprised. Her wounds are only minor. She’s either the luckiest girl alive or she managed to cast a protective spell on herself before she hit the ground.

  “So, she’s okay?”

  “No, far from it. External wounds aren’t bad. The Internal, however, is a different story.” Z’s expression darkens as he listens to Maia.

  “Her lungs are severely damaged. They’re on the verge of collapsing, and I doubt that happened because she fell.”

  “No, she was born with defective lungs.”

  “C-Can it be fixed?” Nandi asked as she timidly entered the room. She kept her eyes to the ground, too ashamed to look at anyone.

  “I can heal most of the damage, but I can’t fix a flaw she was born with.”

  “Can’t she get a transplant? Wouldn’t that fix it?” Maia gave Nandi a weak smile as she answered the girl’s question.

  “Yes, a lung transplant could help her. However, she’ll have to deal with even more problematic conditions.”

  “Like what?”

  “Like losing her ability to use magic,” Z said. “I’m sure one of your teachers told you that mages’ bodies automatically absorb mana from the leyline, right? Well, when they say body, they mean every inch of you. Your skin, your hair, your organs, and even your cells absorb mana. If Anna gets a lung from a normal human, the best-case scenario is that she can’t use magic anymore. Worst case scenario, mana becomes poisonous to her.”

  “Think of the scenario as having a bad peanut allergy,” Maia said. “And the only food around you is peanuts, regardless of whether you want to or not, your body forces you to eat it.”

  Nandi bit her lip as she desperately tried to find a way to help Anna. “Ah! What if a mage donated a lung? I know there aren’t that many of us. But I’m sure someone is willing to help, like her father or me! If it helps her, I’m willing to give anything away!”

  “…” A tense silence fell over the room. Both Maia and Z simultaneously looked away from Nandi.

  “What? Did I say something wrong?” Nandi took a step closer to the adults, tears starting in the corner of her eyes. Maia turned her to Nandi, unable to look at the girl anymore, while Z balled his hands into fists, his body trembling with anger.

  “Tell her,” Z said in a low, almost threatening tone. “She has the right to know. Every mage has the right to know.”

  Maia silently stared at Z before letting out a reluctant sigh. “Mages aren’t allowed to donate their blood or organs.”

  “What? Why?”

  “Because only our bodies absorb mana, and there are so few of us. Researchers still don’t know what’ll happen if mage blood enters a normal human body.”

  “You’re lying, Maia,” Z said. “The truth is, we’re nothing but a precious resource to the military. The moment we die, our bodies are immediately shipped off to some labs so they can do their sick research. They don’t even bother making graves for us.”

  “Z, that’s enough,” Maia said softly, but he spoke over her, his voice growing more heated by the second.

  “That’s not even the worst. Sometimes they don’t even wait for you to die. Sometimes they’ll just take you and-

  “That’s enough, Zeke!” Maia shouted. Her words snapped him out of his tirade. He looked down at Nandi to see that she was trembling in fear.

  “Right, sorry about that. I, um, got to make a few calls.” Z raced out of the room, leaving an awkward silence behind.

  “Is there no way I can help her?” Nandi looked up at Maia hopefully.”

  “The best thing you can do is stay by her side.”

  “I can’t even do that right. The moment she needed me, I froze. Even though she did so much for me, I didn’t do a thing. Again. just like before.” Tears ran down her face, blurring her vision.

  Nandi wanted to drop to the floor and curl into a ball.

  Maia grabbed the girl's chin and lifted her face. "Go to her," Maia whispered, " and tell her everything you want to say."

  Nandi hesitantly approached Anna. She kept her gaze downward, still too ashamed to look at the girl.“How could you be so proud?” Nandi mumbles. “Even though you have such a debilitating illness, you always challenge yourself and don’t let anyone look down on you." Nandi wiped the tears off her face. “Tell me, how do I become as strong as you?”

  .

  .

  .

  A shard of the broken moon’s light spilled into the academy’s hallway, illuminating the corpses that littered the floor. A weak groan echoed through the dark corridors as a severely wounded guard crawled down the hall.

  “How?” He maddingly utters to himself repeatedly. Just a moment ago, he was planning to go out and eat with the other guards, but now they were dead, and he was on the verge of dying. “How? How could you?” He whimpered, blood pouring out of his mouth. He could feel his body growing colder as he moved; he knew he had no time left. The guard used the remainder of his strength to follow the bloody footprint his assailant left. He grabbed the edge of an open door and pulled his body into the principal’s office. The shadowy figure stood behind the principal’s desk, typing something into the computer.

  “How could you betray us? " he shouted at his attacker. The shadowy figure glanced at the man before returning to the computer.

  “I got the data; I’ll send it to you shortly.” The assailant said as he pulled a flash drive from the computer and ran straight for the exit.

  The guard grabbed the assailant’s leg, holding them in place. Moonlight pours into the principal’s office, illuminating the shadowy figure. The assailant’s eyes glowed a faint red as he looked down at the wounded guard.

  “Why did you do it? Why did you betray us, Aiden?!”

  “I’m sorry,” Aiden said as he pulled his pistol out of his holster. A tear ran down his face as he aimed at the injured guard. “There’s no going back now.”