Edward walked into the stadium-structured building.
It was sealed, enclosed, and oppressive, as if the stone itself rejected weakness. Children of his age stood in the very center, arranged in a wide circle, silent and tense. Around them were chambers carved directly into the walls. Inside each chamber stood families watching, judging, waiting.
Every chamber bore a symbol.Family crests.Royal bloodline marks.Fragment families those who had carved their own names into history through power stolen, earned, or seized by fragments they built and mastered.
Above all of it, at the highest level of the structure, was a single chamber.
Inside it stood a throne.
Black. Ancient.Engraved with the image of a black dragon, its wings spread as if ready to devour the world.
The seat was empty.
Two guards stood before it, dressed in formal suits rather than armor, swords held loosely but never lowered. They were not protecting the throne. They were waiting for someone worthy to sit upon it.
This building housed the nine Eternal Bloodlines.
Their chambers were positioned at the top. The children below could not see them, but they were fully visible to those above. Every movement. Every breath. Every flaw. This was where awakenings were judged.
Fragments holders were arranged vertically, from top to bottom, strictly by status. Power decided position. Blood decided worth.
The atmosphere was dark. Heavy. Mysterious.It pressed down on the mind like an unspoken command.
The children wore simple clothes shirts fit for their age, plain and unremarkable. In contrast, every adult in the building wore exaggerated, immaculate attire. Clean lines. Sharp cuts. Branded fabrics. Buckles engraved with symbols of authority and lineage.
Nothing here was casual.Nothing here was accidental.
This was not a ceremony.
its a selection for power
As Edward stepped into the awakening circle, the people who were talking suddenly fell silent. Every voice died the moment they noticed him. The atmosphere shifted, heavy and sharp, as if a switch had been flipped. Edward felt it immediately the sensation of being watched by countless eyes. Not just the children standing beside him, but the people in the chambers, the unseen figures above, and every presence within the building. It felt as though all attention had narrowed down to him alone.
Before the silence could suffocate him, a boy stepped out from among the children. He wore a white shirt with black stripes, a black dragon engraved across the fabric. His hair was black, his eyes black, and in his hand he held a pocket watch, gripping it lightly by its chain. His gaze was calm, assessing."Are you Edward Shade?" he asked. "Son of Kenzo Shade? Brother of the former clan leader?"
"Yes," Edward replied. "My name is Edward Shade."
The silent crowd erupted into restrained whispers. The chambers stirred. People leaned forward, interest ignited. The boy smiled faintly and raised his voice deliberately so everyone could hear."Oh, so you are my cousin. My name is Derek Shade. My father is your father's elder brother the clan leader of the Shade Family and the hidden king of the Shade Kingdom." His voice hardened. "Remember this. You will be respected the same as me. Anyone who disrespects you insults the clan elder directly. We are equal."
The message was unmistakable.
Derek's eyes swept over Edward's appearance his worn white shirt, black pants, simple slippers, the old bag slung over his shoulder. Derek understood instantly. If he had not stepped forward, Edward would have become the punching bag for every child present.
Edward saw it too.He's helping me.By binding me to authority.But why?
And why did Derek keep looking at him from head to toe like that?
Derek pulled Edward aside. "Don't you have better clothes at home?" he asked quietly. "You're the cousin of the clan leader. People here judge everything your blood, your future, even your hair. Your clothes matter more than you think."
Edward answered calmly. "This is the best I have. My father earns a minimum wage. We're not rich. And because he failed to awaken his power, he was stripped of his status and thrown out of the family."
Derek's expression darkened. "Bullshit. You don't know what really happened between our fathers. That's not information I can give you." He paused, then spoke firmly. "But listen. Your teacher will be decided here. You cannot choose one. They choose you. Your appearance and blood power decide everything."
"Is a teacher really that important?" Edward asked.
"Yes," Derek replied without hesitation. "All resources after awakening fragments, training rights, protection are provided through your teacher. If no one chooses you, say goodbye to your awakening life."
He then added, "First, change your clothes. I'll have a guard take you. The ceremony hasn't started yet." After a brief pause, he asked, "Did you bring the family token?"
Edward took out the token and showed it to him.Derek nodded. "Good. Without that token, you wouldn't even be acknowledged as Shade blood. No chamber would recognize you. No teacher would look at you."
Derek raised his hand. A guard immediately appeared. "Take him to my room. Dress him in family attire." Then to Edward, "Choose a pocket watch from my collection. You'll need it for the awakening. Go. Fast."
Edward followed the guard into a beautifully arranged room. Without wasting time, he changed into a clean white shirt and black trousers, neatly tucked, with classic shoes. His long hair was tied back. When he looked at the pocket watches, none of them felt right. He left without choosing one and returned to the ceremony.
Derek noticed immediately. "You didn't take one?"
"No."
Derek stared at him. "Are you stupid? Without a timepiece, you can't determine how much fragment time your body can endure."
Before Edward could respond, a loud announcement echoed through the building.
"The Clan Head is here.""The Clan Head is here."
Everyone stood.
A man walked toward the throne, hands behind his back. Black coat. Black suit. Each step carried crushing pressure. His aura was dominant, suffocating, absolute. Black hair. Deep black eyes. A body built like a weapon. Death followed him silently.
He sat on the throne.
Every guard, soldier, and attendant knelt instantly. The chambers followed suit, lowering themselves in respect."We welcome the Clan Head!""We welcome the Clan Head!"
Edward knelt as well. As he lowered himself, he felt the overwhelming dominance of the man abovebut strangely, fear did not take hold. Only pressure. Heavy and commanding.
The clan head was Jay Shade the current leader of the Shade Family and hidden ruler of the Shade Kingdom.
Jay's gaze slowly scanned the entire building. When it reached Edward, it stopped.
The chamber people noticed. Whispers vanished. Breaths were held.
Jay reached into his pocket and threw something toward Edward.
The chambers erupted in shock. Faces stiffened. Some elders widened their eyes. Others leaned forward in disbelief. clan head had ever done such a things .
Edward caught it.
A pocket watch.
Black casing. A blue dragon engraved at its center.
The hall fell completely silent.
Edward looked up at his uncle. Jay Shade met his eyes calmly, as if nothing unusual had occurred.
Edward clenched the watch and spoke softly, "Thank you."
Now, let the awakening of blood begin.
Everyone present was here for a reason. Not out of curiosity. Not out of tradition. They came to choose power, to judge potential, and to measure the future before it fully formed. Eyes watched not just for brilliance, but for danger for threats that must be erased early and for allies worth binding through blood and interest.
This was a place where hidden dragons were hunted, either to be claimed or crushed.
Each chamber observed with different intentions. Some sought weapons. Some sought shields. Some searched for successors, while others searched for enemies they would one day have to face. Smiles meant calculation. Silence meant caution. Every reaction carried weight.
But despite their different goals, every gaze slowly aligned toward a single point.
Edward Shade.
Whether out of suspicion, interest, disbelief, or quiet anticipation, all paths of thought converged on him. The outcast's son. The discarded bloodline. The boy acknowledged by the clan head himself. What he would awaken would not belong to him alone it would reshape balances, decisions, and futures.
In the end, everyone here wanted the same answer.
What would happen to Edward Shade?
(Dev Ravenclaw)
Blood never lies.