After Kael boldly asked for the Book of Origin and Ritual Ink, the entire hall had been buzzing with whispers, side-eyes, and suppressed suspicion. But none more so than the one burning in the mind of Jin Eldraven.
As the ceremony wrapped up and the clapping died down, Jin stood still, eyes locked on Kael's back as he walked down the steps.
> "What the hell is that guy planning?" Jin thought, narrowing his icy blue eyes. "Why would anyone ask for those items unless they were trying to do something… demonic?"
Jin's mind raced through possibilities.
He had read more than most about Books of Origin tomes written by celestial or abyssal forces, capable of unlocking ancient magic, forbidden rituals, or even summoning demonic entities.
> "Is Kael… a demon in disguise? Trying to bring back the Demon Lord?"
But then he shook his head, clicking his tongue softly.
> "No… if he was a demon, he'd have to be at least a Duke class or one of the Eight Black Sigils to even hide from the Headmaster's detection."
He glanced up at the distant figure of the Headmaster a known Triple-S Rank, and a specialist in aura-type perception skills.
> "Even Kael's absurd mana reservoir wouldn't be enough to pull off a full Demon Lord summon not without a demonic gate, and not alone."
Still, the fact that Kael Vernier was dabbling in something like that…
> "What the hell are you really trying to do, Kael?"
Later that evening, long after the applause and tension had faded from the grand hall, Kael walked alone through the silver-lit corridors of the academy. His cloak fluttered slightly behind him as he approached a sealed steel gate marked with ancient glyphs:
> "Item Vault – Access Level A+"
The guards standing watch silently bowed. Kael raised his temporary wish token, and the door unlocked with a powerful click-hiss.
Inside was a dimly lit vault, lined with artifact cases, floating weapon displays, and crystal shelves containing glowing relics, blades, potions, and scrolls each item radiating power above S-Rank.
Kael walked past golden spears, cursed swords, and even what looked like a dragon's fang-turned-dagger.
Then he saw it.
A black-bound tome chained to a pedestal, glowing faint red at the seams.
> "Book of Origin."
Next to it was a vial of ink so dark it seemed to absorb the light around it Ritual Ink, made from the blood of abyssal creatures and the bark of Ygdran roots.
Kael carefully unchained the book, placed both items in his academy-issued artifact satchel, and exited the vault silently.
Back in his dorm, Kael dropped the satchel on his desk. The room was quiet, the outside sounds muffled by mana barriers.
He took a deep breath and looked down at the sealed book, now resting still and innocently… as if it weren't a portal to some forgotten cosmic power.
> "One step closer."
Without another word, Kael turned and entered the bathroom, peeling off his sweat-laced academy uniform. The hot water hit his skin, and steam filled the room.
But his mind wasn't at peace.
It was spinning.
With thoughts of demons.
Of the Shadow Lord.
Of power too big for his body.
> "If I'm going to survive this… I'll need to become more than just a vessel."
The water continued to run.