Chapter 23: Devil Blade academy
The rift swallowed us whole.
One moment I stood on the marble of Daveron, the Lord of Dreams watching from his throne of mist. The next, reality folded like torn silk.
"Liam what you see is spatial manipulation, caused by an artifact" Anki explained to me
Dabara's hand stayed firm on my shoulder as we stepped through the swirling vortex of black blades and screaming shadows. Anki pulsed against my chest, a warning thrum that vibrated through my ribs. The air inside the portal tasted of iron and old blood, and every footstep echoed as if we walked across the edge of a thousand unsheathed swords.
I wasn't alone in the passage. Footsteps followed, measured, confident. The twins. Garuda and Bobaros. I could feel their presence like twin daggers aimed at my spine.
They walked directly behind me, close enough that I caught the faint rustle of their cloaks and the low, rhythmic breathing of trained killers.
I could feel it or rather I could see the threads that wrapped them , those two converse in silence, like they spoke through a link, private, a twin-bond I could sense only because of the thread made of pure energy.
"Brother", Garuda's voice hissed through the mental thread, eager and sharp as a fresh edge. "I want to fight him. Right now. That blind slave just turned down three academies and picked us. He's hiding something, I can smell it."
Bobaros answered instantly, cold and steady, cutting his brother off like a parry. "Stop. Don't you feel it? The darkness of the abyss lurking within him. It's writhing just beneath his skin. One wrong move and we'll both be swallowed."
A heartbeat of silence. I felt Garuda's aura flicker, a sudden tightening as the realization hit him. Yet when he spoke again, his tone burned hotter, not cooler.
"Even more reason, he snarled. That's exactly why I need to see what he's made of. He's hiding his true power, I know it. And I want to drag it out into the open."
Bobaros's reply carried the weight of an oath. "When that day comes, I will be right by your side. We'll counter him together. No one faces the abyss alone."
Their mind-link snapped shut, but the echo lingered in the air between them like static before a storm. I kept my face blank, Anki's warmth steady against my heart. Let them think I was oblivious of there intentions . Let them sharpen their blades . I who had over come several trials was ready for them.
Light exploded around us as the rift spat us out.
We stood on a vast plateau of obsidian stone that stretched for miles in every direction. Thirty other new students materialized beside us,some wide-eyed, others already scanning for threats.
The Devil Blade Academy rose before us like a god-forged weapon. A single colossal tower shaped like an upright black blade thrust skyward, its edges lined with floating swords that spun lazily in formation. Training fields sprawled outward, each one ringed by razor-wire auras that shimmered blood-red.
Distant clashes rang out, steel on steel, screams of effort, the occasional roar of several demon beast. The sky itself seemed forged from tempered steel, heavy and gray, pressing down with the constant promise of combat.
Garuda stepped forward on my left, lips stretched into a large, evil smile that split his face like a wound. His eyes gleamed with feral hunger. Beside him, Bobaros remained utterly stiff, expression carved from stone, not a flicker of emotion crossing his features. They moved as one unit, already scanning the academy grounds like predators choosing their first hunt.
Dabara released my shoulder and turned to face us all. His voice rolled out, deep and commanding, carrying across the plateau without effort.
"Welcome to Devil Blade Academy. Here, strength is the only law. You may challenge anyone, anytime, but unauthorized killing in the outer sect will earn you a blade through the heart. Monthly ranking battles will decide your place. Train until your bones scream.
Survive until your edge never dulls. The Persistent Blade legacy waits for those who prove worthy. For now, all of you" his hand swept over the thirty of us, "are assigned to the outer domes. Climb the ranks. Only then will the inner spires open."
Murmurs rippled through the new students. Some looked excited. Others, like the twins, looked hungry.
Two seniors appeared from the shadow of the main tower. The male senior, tall, scarred, with a sword hilt protruding from his back like a second spine, stepped forward. "Boys, follow me to the eastern domes. Fall in line." The female senior, lithe and cold-eyed, her hair braided with thin blades, gestured to the girls. "Ladies, with me to the western domes. Move."
The group began to split. I felt eyes on me, Garuda's smile never wavering, Bobaros's blank stare drilling into my back.
Before I could join the boys, Dabara's hand settled on my shoulder again. This time his smile was private, sharp, almost proud.
"Liam Heart," he said, voice low enough that only I heard, "follow me."
The other students glanced over, envy flashing in their eyes. Garuda's grin widened further. Bobaros's face stayed carved from ice. I nodded once and stepped away from the line, Anki humming louder now, almost excited.
Dabara led me along a narrow path of floating obsidian steps that rose toward a smaller, separate spire behind the main blade tower. The air grew heavier here, thick with ancient killing intent. Training dummies shaped like fallen gods bled black mist when struck by invisible blades. In the distance I heard the clash of real combat, inner academy students already testing each other.
"You chose wisely," Dabara said without looking back. "The other academies would have chained you with gifts. Here… we forge you into something they will fear." He stopped at the entrance of a small dome carved directly into the base of the spire. Inside, a single black sword hovered in mid-air, its edge glowing with faint crimson runes.
"This is where your true training begins. The Persistent Blade is not a technique. It is a state of being. It refuses death itself."
He turned to face me fully, eyes gleaming. "But first… show let's meet someone."
Dabara said pushing the door.
Anki flared hot against my chest, and for the first time since stepping through the rift, I allowed the smallest smile to touch my lips.
Feeling a deep strong prescence within.