Ashfield Academy didn't look like a school.It looked like a warning.
Sharp towers clawed at the sky, walls built from dark obsidian stone hummed with sealed runes — not to keep enemies out, but to keep something in.
The gates groaned as they opened.
Kael and Mikaho stepped through together. Ten years old. Their shadows stretching long behind them — still innocent, still human.Not for long.
"Once you enter, you can't leave unless you're forged or broken," an instructor muttered.
Behind them, the gates slammed shut.
They wouldn't open again for five years.
🏫 The Orientation
Hundreds of kids stood in the stone courtyard, lined up like an army of mismatched socks — tall, short, nervous, proud. Kael glanced at Mikaho.
"We're definitely not the weirdest ones here," he whispered.
That thought was immediately challenged.
A boy beside them — pale, chubby, and wearing goggles — was eating what looked like a dead scorpion.
"Want one?" he asked with a crooked grin."Extra protein. Crunchy too."
Kael blinked.
"We're gonna die."
📣 Instructor Enters: Commander Virel
Virel's boots echoed on stone as he walked past the recruits. His eyes were sharp and grey, his scar looked more like a blade mark than an injury.
"Welcome to Ashfield. This is not a school. This is a crucible."
He gestured toward the main building.
"You'll learn history, tactics, anatomy of demons, and how to kill them faster than they kill you. There will be no mercy for the weak."
Someone coughed loudly behind Kael. It was the scorpion boy again.
"Do we get lunch before or after demon anatomy?""Asking for digestive reasons."
A few kids laughed — until Virel turned his cold gaze on him.
"Name?"
"Uhh… Benny, sir?"
"Benny, you're assigned to Latrine Duty for the next three weeks."
"What's latrine—"
"Toilets, Benny."
🛌 Dorm Room Madness
Kael and Mikaho were separated into male and female dorms, though both were in Unit B6 — a special class of recruits who had real-world demon contact.
Kael's dorm was chaos.
Benny (the scorpion guy) was already there, building what looked like a pillow fortress and naming each pillow like a commander addressing troops.
"This is Sir Fluffington. He's in charge of nighttime defense."
Kael just dropped his bag and sat on the creaky bed, sighing.
"I miss the demons already."
💎 The Echo Vault
By Day 2, the real test began.
They were led to a chamber hidden under the school: the Echo Vault — a living archive of ancient, sleeping weapons. The Vault didn't give weapons. It chose who was worthy.
"Step forward when your name is called," Virel ordered.
"Mikaho Seiryu."
She entered the glowing circle. A shard of light emerged — blue and curved like a floating petal.
"Weapon: Soulthread Bow.""Attribute: Calm Flow.""Compatibility: 98%."
The instructors whispered.
Kael gave a small smirk.
"Showoff," he whispered under his breath.
"Kael Arkan."
He walked in. And something growled from the dark.
A crimson chain slithered from the ground, like a serpent awakening after centuries. It didn't hover. It latched to Kael's arm like it had been waiting.
"Weapon: Hellbind Chain.""Attribute: Unstable Flame. Forbidden Class.""Compatibility: 100%."
The room fell silent.
Even Benny dropped his scorpion snack.
That night, Kael sat on the rooftop, staring at the moon.
Mikaho climbed up beside him quietly.
"Tomorrow's our first combat simulation," she said."You scared?"
Kael smirked.
"Only of Benny accidentally stabbing himself again."
They laughed — the first real laugh in days.
The stars above flickered. The sea below whispered.And far underground, a chained demon stirred in its prison…Because Kael had woken it up.
[End of Chapter 3]