The heavy golden doors of the Great Hall slammed shut with a deafening boom. The loud sound echoed off the high walls. The rich nobles and terrified students screamed and pushed against the doors, but the thick metal locks were tightly sealed. No one could escape.Beneath their feet, the polished wooden floor had turned completely transparent, like clear glass. Under the glass, the giant extraction circle glowed with a violent, dark red light. The King, possessed by the ancient Marquis Valerius, let go of Adam’s shoulder. Valerius did not attack immediately. He took a slow step back. He began to walk around Adam in a tight, slow circle. His shiny black shoes clicked softly on the glass floor. "Look at him, my friends," the King’s grinding voice called out to the panicking crowd. He pointed a royal finger at Adam’s cheap black suit. "Look at Adam Cook. He has such a quiet, unobtrusive nature. He sits in the back of the classroom. He lets the bullies push him into the dirt. He is jus

Kael stood just ten feet behind the King. The blind boy raised the sharp silver steak knife high into the air. His face was twisted with pure human determination. Kael was fighting the ancient possession, trying to kill Marquis Valerius to save everyone. Adam had exactly two seconds before Kael brought the knife down. If Kael attacked the King, Valerius would instantly feel the threat. The ancient monster would turn Kael into a pile of gray ash without even looking back. Adam’s hollow mind worked faster than lightning. He could not shout. He could not use dark magic. He needed a perfect, invisible distraction. Adam looked to his left. A waiter was walking past him, carrying a massive silver tray stacked high with fifty crystal glasses of red wine. Adam pointed his pale finger under the table. He focused a tiny, microscopic pulse of pure physical kinetic force. The invisible kinetic bullet shot across the room. It hit the waiter’s left knee perfectly. The waiter lost his balance

The loud alarm bells continued to ring across Bourbon Academy. Panic filled the bright, golden Great Hall. The news of the attack on the Capital spread like wild fire. Rich nobles pushed each other to reach the doors. They yelled for their carriages. They wanted to escape before the Blood Thralls arrived.The King, secretly controlled by Marquis Valerius, smiled and walked through the terrified crowd. He ordered everyone to pack their bags for the war.Adam Cook did not run. He walked out of the Great Hall with slow, calm steps. His beautiful black suit felt heavy. His hollow mind processed the massive shift in the war. The Academy was no longer the main battlefield. The Master’s army was attacking the heart of the kingdom. Adam had to pack his few things and follow the King to the Royal Palace. He walked up the dark, quiet stairs to the commoner dormitories. But Adam was not the only person who had ignored the party. Inside Adam’s small, dark dormitory room, an old man was searc

The dark red blood spear flew across the small dormitory room. It flew straight toward the heart of the old Inquisitor, Alden. But the old man was a veteran. Alden did not run. He slammed his glowing wooden box onto the floor. The bright white holy magic of the box clashed violently with the dark red blood magic of the spear. BOOM! The explosion was deafening. The holy magic pushed downward with massive force. The old wooden floor of the dormitory could not hold the pressure. The floorboards completely shattered. Adam Cook fell into the dark hole. He dropped through the air, surrounded by falling wood and broken stone. He crashed hard onto a solid floor. Dust exploded into the air, completely blinding him for a second. Adam did not groan. His hollow mind ignored the pain in his back. He immediately stood up. His beautiful black suit was covered in gray dust. He looked up through the hole in the ceiling. He could hear Kael laughing above him. The possessed blind boy was blocked

The vision of the golden throne room flickered. The King smiled, but the edges of his face looked blurry and soft, like a painting left in the rain. Adam’s hollow mind calculated the truth in a millisecond. He was not in the Capital yet. The throne room was just a magical projection. It was a picture painted on the inside of the swirling red portal to trick him into giving up. Adam was still trapped inside the fast-spinning tornado of blood magic. The spell was pulling him away, trying to teleport his body across the country. "I am not going with you," Adam whispered to the fake King. Adam did not use his dark magic. He used his incredible, evolved physical strength. He reached out with both of his pale hands. He grabbed the swirling red magic of the portal itself. The magic burned his fingers, but he ignored the pain. With a massive, brutal shout, Adam ripped his hands apart. He literally tore the teleportation spell in half. The fake image of the King shattered into a million