Ashen stood at the threshold of the Hall of Induction, the sky above bruised with the color of dying dusk. The massive room inside buzzed with voices—new recruits gathered beneath banners of old glory. Torches lit the grand arches, their flames casting long shadows across the marble floor.
He stepped in slowly. He was early.
There were five others already gathered in a loose circle.
The first to approach was a girl with vivid red hair neatly braided over one shoulder. Her uniform bore the unmistakable Crest of the Crimson Fang—a noble military family known even among commoners. Her face carried warmth despite her upright stance, her polished boots clicking with discipline.
"You must be Ashen," she said, smiling like they were old friends. "I'm elira valen, House Valen. My family's served in the royal guard longer than the fortress has stood."
Ashen blinked, caught off-guard by her friendliness. "I've heard the name," he replied, nodding slightly.
She extended her hand. "Guess we're in the same unit now."
Ashen took it. Her grip was firm, the kind that spoke of trust and steel.
A sharp laugh cut through the air.
"Well, isn't this heartwarming?"
Ashen turned toward the voice.
A boy a little older than him leaned against a pillar, arms folded across his navy-and-silver uniform. His posture oozed effortless arrogance. Golden hair fell over one eye, and a smirk pulled at his lips.
"raynar veron," he said, drawing out each syllable like royalty. "Firstborn of House veron. Magic lineage on my mother's side. A pity we're mixing street trash with nobles now."
Ashen stared at him, jaw tightening. "You always talk this much?"
raynar gave a cold chuckle. "Only when something smells off." His eyes dragged across Ashen's plain clothes and worn boots. "Like peasantry parading as a soldier."
Sera's face stiffened. "Enough, raynar. This isn't the arena for your family's pride."
"Perhaps not," raynar said, raising his hands mockingly. "But I find it hard to believe that someone like that survived the Trial."
Before Ashen could respond, a new voice spoke.
"You doubt someone for surviving what you did not understand?"
The room fell silent as the last girl stepped forward.
She moved with quiet purpose. Silver hair pulled back, face unreadable. Her bearing was sharp, eyes colder than winter steel. The insignia on her shoulder—black thorns curled around a crimson crown.
Even raynar stood straighter. "Princess sara," he muttered.
sara's gaze cut to raynar. "He passed. That is all that matters."
For a moment, raynar said nothing. Then he scoffed and looked away.
Ashen gave her a small nod. "Thanks."
"I did not do it for you," sara replied. "I do not enjoy pointless noise."
Before tension could rise again, two others entered the hall—laughing, arms around each other.
The first was a tall, broad-shouldered girl with tan skin and sharp eyes. A thin scar marked her chin, adding to her confident look. The second was a wiry boy with chaotic curls and an easy grin.
"Lin Borra," the girl said. "This bouncing idiot is Kerr."
Kerr waved at everyone. "Nice to meet ya! So this is the new blood? Hey, you're Ashen, right? Heard about your trial!"
Lin gave a nod of approval. "Good to see someone survive without needing noble blood."
Kerr slapped Ashen's back. "You look like you fought that Trial barehanded, man."
"I did what I had to," Ashen replied.
An officer entered then, tall and severe, his voice carrying authority.
"You six have been chosen as Unit Nine. You will train together, eat together, and learn discipline. There is no mission. Yet. But this is your formation. Treat each other like your life depends on it, because soon, it will."
He looked at them, eyes sharp. "You all bear the mark of survival. Each of you has emerged from the Trial of Blood. And by the Blood God's decree, each of you has been granted a true weapon. These weapons are not forged—they are born from the Trial, formed by your will, your suffering, and your soul. They are yours until death."
Ashen's hand instinctively went to the blade at his side. Rough, jagged, and not forged by any human hand, it felt alive, pulsing faintly with memory.
The others, too, rested their hands on weapons that whispered to them in ways steel never could. Sera's long spear shimmered faintly under torchlight. raynar's ornate sword glowed with stored magic. sara's weapon was sheathed but radiated presence. Lin wore heavy gauntlets that flexed with hidden force. Kerr's twin blades danced on his belt like restless shadows.
They stood in a circle, the echoes of the officer's words still hanging in the hall.
"Well," Kerr said, rubbing his chin. "Guess we're teammates now. And we've all got true weapons. That's insane."
Sera stepped forward. "We should introduce ourselves properly. Learn each other's strengths."
"I'll start," she added, voice clear. "elira valen. Spear-and-shield user. Defensive style. I've trained for combat formations since I was five. My blood weapon amplifies my reach and defense."
Kerr jumped in next. "Kerr Halden. Daggers. I'm real fast. Not super strong, but I can get behind enemies before they know what hit 'em. My blood blades seem to shift shape when I move."
Lin followed. "Lin Borra. I fight with fists. Monk training from Dust Hills. I break bones. My gauntlets get heavier when I want to hit harder."
raynar stepped up, brushing nonexistent dust from his sleeve. "raynar veron. Sword and elemental magic. Mid-range. I excel in battlefield control. My blood weapon stores magic like a second core."
"Don't get in my way."
Sera sighed. "sara?"
sara stood with arms folded. "sara. Sword. Royal style. I do not follow formations. My blood weapon pierces barriers. That is enough."
"That'll make training fun," Lin muttered.
All eyes turned to Ashen.
He shrugged slightly. "Ashen. I don't have a legacy or a house. I don't have a specialty. I fight to survive. My blood blade... it's not elegant. But I feel like it remembers something I don't."
raynar rolled his eyes. "And we're supposed to trust our backs to a nameless rat from the ashes?"
Ashen tensed, fists clenching at his sides.
"I don't need you to trust me," he said. "Just don't get in my way."
raynar smirked, stepping closer. "Big words from someone who probably begged for scraps before arriving here."
Before anyone else could speak, sara stepped between them.
"That's enough."
raynar blinked. "Excuse me?"
"You waste your breath trying to provoke someone who has already proven himself," sara said coldly. "Focus that arrogance on training, or I will break you myself."
raynar narrowed his eyes but didn't reply.
Sera stepped up quickly. "Enough, both of you. We haven't even started training. We're here to grow, not break each other."
Lin nodded. "Agreed. If we don't learn to work together, none of us will survive what's coming."
Kerr grinned. "Well, I like Ashen already. He doesn't talk too much, and he looks like he's been through hell."
Ashen gave a faint smirk. "You're not wrong."
Sera looked around. "We'll be sleeping in the recruits' quarters tonight. Training starts at dawn. I suggest we get some rest. Tomorrow, we prove we're not just a thrown-together band of misfits."
As the group dispersed, Ashen stayed behind a moment, looking at the five silhouettes walking ahead.
They were strange, loud, cold, and proud.
But for the first time in his life, he wasn't alone in the hall.
And somehow, that mattered.