BLOOD & SIGILS

Chapter 15: The Sigil Awakens

The manor was silent.

A cold breeze drifted through Kael's open window, rustling the curtains as he knelt beside his bed, hands carefully pulling out the hidden book.

His heart pounded.

This was it.

For years, the tome had been buried within the Veyrin family's vast library, forgotten and untouched beneath layers of dust. A book on runes—on inscription magic that defied the principles of the Crimson Sigil.

Something about it had called to him the first time he laid eyes on it.

Now, under the pale moonlight, he finally had the chance to uncover its secrets.

Kael swallowed, fingers tracing the faded glyphs on the cover. The language was old, unfamiliar—but not entirely indecipherable. The Veyrin family's extensive education had drilled countless magical texts into him, and though this one was different, he could sense its meaning rather than read it outright.

He flipped the cover open.

The ink glowed.

Kael flinched, his breath catching as the symbols on the first page pulsed with a faint crimson and gold light—as if responding to his presence.

This wasn't normal.

Magic books didn't just react to their readers.

Kael's hands trembled as he turned the page, revealing a single rune, carved deep into the parchment. Unlike the Crimson Sigil's markings, this one was more intricate, its edges sharp, its core pulsating with an energy that felt ancient.

Then—

The rune moved.

A flash of golden-red light burst from the page, rushing toward Kael like a living thing. He barely had time to react before it sank into his palm, sending a searing heat through his veins.

Kael gasped, his body convulsing as power flooded through him—not overwhelming like the Crimson Sigil, but intricate, layered, precise.

Then, a voice echoed in his mind.

[ARCANE SIGIL SYSTEM INITIALIZING…]

Kael's vision swam. His limbs felt heavy, his breath shallow.

What… what was this?

He wasn't using blood magic. He hadn't activated a rune. He hadn't done anything.

Yet something had awakened.

A faint glow appeared on the back of his right hand—a sigil, unlike any Veyrin mark he had ever seen.

It was not drawn in blood.

It was etched into his skin.

Then, his vision shifted. Letters and numbers materialized before him, as if carved into the air itself.

[ARCANE SIGIL SYSTEM – STATUS WINDOW]

Name: Kael Veyrin

Title: None

Rank: Novice Sigilist

Mana Reserves: 90/90 (Below average for a veyrin)

Physical Strength: 7

Dexterity: 10

Intelligence: 15

Arcane Mastery: 5

Rune Proficiency: 1 (Locked)

Sigil Techniques: None (Locked)

Kael stared, breathless.

A system. A magical framework tied to runes.

This wasn't like the Crimson Sigil's fleeting power. This was something permanent. Something that could grow.

And it had chosen him.

His breath steadied as the realization settled in.

This was his path.

Not his father's. Not Rheon's. Not the legacy the Veyrin family had forced upon him.

His own.