Bilric Ramel

"Hello, Teacher. Can I have a moment of your time? If it’s not a bother," I asked gently.

"Of course. What’s on your mind, young prince?" Teacher Biljana replied.

"Stop calling me that. You know I hate it," I said with a slight frown.

She chuckled, shaking her head. "Don’t be so intense, young man. Go on, spit it out."

"Yeah, it’s about my element," I started, shifting uncomfortably. "I’ve been training back at home, but I’m still not making any real progress. I had a question, Teacher... When Simon, for example, uses his element, the sand gathers in his palm from the environment. That’s a good thing, right? That’s what we’ve been learning in your class."

She nodded.

"But when I try, my hand twitches—or transforms into some kind of liquid. That means I’m using stored energy, not the energy around me… right?"

"Yes," she confirmed.

"Then, doesn’t that mean Simon is at a disadvantage too? I mean… if he’s in a place without sand, he won’t be able to defend himself. Doesn’t that worry you?"

"Oh, you're absolutely right," Teacher Biljana said thoughtfully. "Both of you have issues to overcome. Your brother relies too heavily on the environment, but he barely stores or channels energy inside himself."

"You know why that is, don’t you?" she asked, tilting her head with a small smile.

"Yeah," I replied, smirking. "Simon’s brilliant—super smart—but a little lazy."

"Exactly. His problem is a matter of personality, not elemental ability. But your problem…" she paused, giving me a firm yet kind look. "You always pretend your lack of control doesn’t bother you—but it does. You’re a kind soul, Bilric. But sometimes you focus too much on others, especially your brother. You need to start worrying about yourself."

Her words hit harder than I expected. Somewhere deep inside, I knew she was right.

I almost forgot why I came here in the first place…

"Teacher, about the anomaly… about me. I have a question."

Simon, Father, even our older brother—they all use sand as their element. Sure, they each use it in their own unique way, but it’s still sand. And then there’s me… with this strange liquid. Is it really just an anomaly? Or is it something entirely different?

What if—just as an example—I’m not even really a part of the Ramel family?

"Stop right there," Teacher Biljana said, her voice sharper than usual.

She took a breath, her tone softening. "You’re going too far. What’s going on with you today, Bilric?"

I looked away for a second, then said, “Isn’t it obvious? Simon and I are supposed to be twins, but we’re completely different. Simon looks like Mom and Dad—same eyes, same hair. I don’t look like either of them. Not even a little.”

I clenched my fists.

“The rest of the class—they think it too. They try not to say it in front of us because we’re the princes. But I know they talk behind our backs. Not that I care what they say. I just… I want to know the truth.”

She looked at me quietly, concern flickering in her expression. Then finally said, “As far as I know, you and Simon are twins. That’s the truth I can give you.”

She stood up and gathered her things. “Now, I have somewhere to be. But if this is still weighing on you tomorrow, come talk to me again. Don’t let it fester.”

I hesitated before she left and quietly added, “Please don’t tell Simon what we talked about. Just… don’t.”

She gave me a small, understanding smile. “Of course, young prince.”

Why am I thinking about all this so much today? I usually don’t care that much. Maybe… maybe it’s because of that old man’s visit. What was his name again? Karl… Karl Benoit.

He gave me a weird feeling. Creepy, honestly. Not sure why, but something about him just stuck in my head.

Anyway, about my element… I’ll figure it out eventually. I have to.

If only he was still around. I know he would’ve helped me—he always knew what to do.

Dad barely has time for us. I get it, he’s busy running the country. But still… it’d be nice if he could at least show up once in a while.

If only big brother was still around.

Where are you right now, brother? Gurd…

Simon Ramel
It seems the conversation between Teacher Biljana and Bilric is over. I’ve been glancing that way for a while now, lost in thought.

“You’re in the way, young prince,” a voice snapped me back to reality.

It was Teacher Biljana, passing by with a smile.

“Next session is practical training,” another voice said behind me, startling me again.

“Ah! You scared the life out of me!” I shouted.

It was Jasmine, another student in our class — soft brown hair, beautiful purple eyes. She always looks a little sleepy, but I think that’s just how she naturally is.

“Yeah, you’re right,” I replied, catching my breath.

“What’s Bilric up to?” she asked casually.

“I’m not sure. Looked like he needed to ask Teacher Biljana something,” I answered.

“Hm... is that so,” she muttered, trailing off.

The class started to gather as we made our way into the training room for the practical session.

As we entered the training facility, I expected to see the usual rows of practice dummies lined up — but today, the entire room had transformed. One half looked like a dry, cracked desert, and the other like a thick, wild jungle.

A sharp clap echoed from the corner, grabbing everyone’s attention.

“It’s been nearly two months of just shooting at dummies,” said Teacher Sirod, our combat instructor. “Now it’s time to change things up. Starting today, we’re moving to real-time combat practice.”

He paused, letting that sink in before continuing, “You’ll pair off for one-on-one duels. Choose your partners if you want, or I’ll assign them for you.”

Most of the class had already teamed up — everyone seemed to have their go-to buddy. I looked around, trying to find Bilric, but Lisa had already snagged him. Of course. I guess I can’t be by his side forever.

“We’re the only two left without partners,” said a voice behind me.

I nearly jumped out of my skin.

“Seriously, Jasmine — could you not sneak up on me like that? Are you trying to give me a heart attack?” I groaned.

“Well, it can’t be helped. Let’s team up,” I added with a sigh.

She gave me a look — a tiny smirk, maybe? Or was it just annoyance? Hard to tell with her. I still haven’t figured out what’s going on in that sleepy head of hers.

“Great, everyone has a partner,” Teacher Sirod called out. “Now listen up. Starting today, it’s simple — instead of firing at practice dummies, you’ll be aiming at each other.”

That got everyone’s attention. A wave of surprise spread through the room.

“Isn’t that dangerous?” one student asked, clearly uneasy.

“No need to worry,” Teacher Sirod replied confidently. “If I sense any attack becoming too dangerous, I’ll intervene. But we need to simulate real combat — that means going all out. Don’t hold back. Don’t worry about hurting your partner. That’s what I’m here for. Now show me what you’ve learned.”

With that, he clapped his hands once. “We’ll go one pair at a time. First match — Simon and Jasmine. Step forward.”

“Oh, great… we’re first?” I groaned inwardly. Of course. I was hoping we’d end up somewhere in the middle, quietly blending in while watching how others do it.

“Start moving. It’s not a big deal, just a practice round,” Jasmine said in her usual half-sleepy, half-annoyed tone.

“Okay, okay…” I replied, trying to hide the nerves in my voice as we stepped forward. Every eye in the room was on us.

As we stepped into the center of the room, Jasmine calmly drew her sword from its sheath. Right… she’s from the Sword family — their whole style revolves around using blades to channel their elemental power. She wasn’t playing around either. The way she held that sword… yeah, she was serious.

Well, if she’s serious, I better get my act together too.

I backed off toward the more arid, desert-like side of the room. The sand would give me a clear advantage. Just as I found my footing, I heard a low whisper behind me — “Lazy as always.”

Bilric.

He was clearly trying to mess with me. Classic.

Whatever. I’ve got the edge here, and I’m not about to apologize for it. If you’ve got an advantage and you don’t use it, that doesn’t make you noble — it just makes you an idiot.

“Go!” teacher Sirod shouted.

The moment I heard the word, I moved.

I reached out to the sand scattered around me, pulling it to my palm in a fluid motion, then launched it straight toward Jasmine. Nothing too fancy — just enough to test the waters, see what she’s working with.

The sand shot across the field, closing the distance fast. But before it could hit, she raised her sword, and in an instant, a thick tree branch shot up from the ground to block the attack.

Tch—figures.

So I’m not the only one pulling energy from the surroundings. She’s definitely been training outside class — no way she learned to do that just from firing at dummies.

Alright then. This won’t be as easy as I thought.

She waved her sword again, and the branch that had blocked my sand started to twist.

In seconds, it expanded — coiling, snaking forward like it had a mind of its own. I barely had time to react before I felt it — that spike of panic, like the wood might actually pierce through my chest.

Damn, she wasn’t holding back.

I quickly conjured a thick layer of sand around me as a shield, and at the same time, I shot another burst straight at the twisting branch. My body moved on instinct. I braced, shut my eyes—

But the blow never landed.

When I opened them, everything was still.

Both my sand and her branch had vanished.

Standing between us was Teacher Sirod, one hand raised casually. “That’s impressive — both of you,” he said, clapping. “You’re already at this level?”

Teacher Sirod
As expected, these noble kids pick things up fast.

Jasmine — clearly her family’s been training her from a young age. Typical Sword family move. I’m not a fan of pushing kids too early, making them grow up before their time. It shows in how she fights — precise, but too rigid, like she’s always trying to prove something.

Simon, on the other hand… He’s different. That move wasn’t something you get from being drilled day after day — it came from observation, adaptation. He’s a smart kid. Probably picked it up on his own. Maybe from watching his older brother, Gurd…

Let’s just hope he doesn’t follow too closely in those footsteps.

I clapped my hands once, loud and sharp.
“Next! Bilric and Lisa — move forward. Let’s begin the next duel.”

As they stepped into the center of the field, I gave the signal.
“Begin.”

“Let’s have a good duel,” Lisa said with a soft, respectful nod.
Bilric returned the gesture, quiet as always.

Then, it began.

I noticed it first in her eyes — her warm hazel tone deepened, shifting toward a reddish hue, faint but unmistakable.
No… it can’t be.

My hand twitched, instinctively prepared to step in.
Should I stop this?
No… not yet. Let’s see how far she goes.

And then it happened — subtle, but undeniable. A dark shape began to emerge from her back, unfolding slowly.

A wing.
Small, underdeveloped, not fully grown — but black as onyx, textured like velvet and shadow. It pulsed once with energy before steadying.

Bloodrose.
I clenched my jaw.

The ancient vampire bloodline. Their family has stood just behind the Ramels — the royal family — for centuries. Guardians, politicians, warriors. Dangerous, all of them. And it seems Lisa’s inheritance is beginning to awaken.

So young, and already showing signs of transformation?
We’ve got ourselves a monster.

And then—boom—she was gone.

In an instant, Lisa appeared right in front of the boy, striking toward his hand with shocking speed. “Damn it,” I muttered in my head, “I didn’t even react… I got lost in thought watching that little girl’s transformation.”

I scanned the scene, tense. Is Bilric alright?

But where she struck, his hand shimmered and shifted—morphing into a light blue liquid, smooth and cool like water from a frozen lake. No wound. No blood. No damage. Just… flow.

“Woah,” I exhaled internally, a drop of sweat tracing down my temple. That was close.

Lisa, though… she smiled. A small, eerie smile. Not cruel exactly, but off. Too still.

“Don’t tell me…” I thought, a chill creeping into my gut. She’s not in full control. She’s too young for a proper transformation—this has to be a partial one. But if her mind slips even a little...

Then her nails elongated—sharp, pointed, unnatural. “She’s going all in,” I realized, just as she vanished again.

She reappeared in front of Bilric—but he had already moved. Now he stood near the artificial waterfall we’d installed in the facility, mist clinging to the edges of the rocks.

Why’d he move there? No matter—I need to step in soon. This is getting dangerous.

Lisa struck again, aiming for his chest this time. But just as I was about to intervene, something incredible happened.

The water from the waterfall moved.

It rose—twisting, forming—until it shaped itself into a human-sized hand. A mirror of Lisa’s own attacking arm. Then came the clash: vampire claw against a watery fist.

The impact echoed.

What…? Is that Bilric’s doing? Did he summon that?

Before I could wrap my head around it, I heard it—faint, but clear: Lisa’s laughter. Strange, shaky… wrong. Her eyes fluttered closed, her energy faltering. Then her body crumpled forward.

I rushed in to catch her—but Bilric beat me to it. He caught her gently, lowering her to the ground just before his own legs gave out. He collapsed too, drained.

Now both of them lay there: Bilric unconscious on the floor, Lisa unconscious in his arms, her head resting against his chest.

The training room stood still—like time itself had stopped.

For a moment, no one breathed. Not the students, not the teachers. All eyes were locked on the two bodies lying in the center of the battlefield: Lisa, unconscious and slumped over Bilric, who had caught her just before they both collapsed.