Wrath Of The Last Pureblood

Prologue: Shadows Awaken

A pale, orange dusk settled over the empty school corridors. Shadows stretched across the lockers, and the air hung thick with the stillness of finality. Alex hurried through the halls, clutching a worn leather book against his chest, his shoulders tense as if braced for a blow.

"Hey, Alex!" The familiar voice called out, sharp and mocking. Alex froze, his heart hammering in his chest. He turned slowly to see Jake and his crew leaning casually against the lockers. Jake's blue eyes glinted with malice, his towering frame and muscled arms casting a shadow over Alex. Behind him, his friends snickered, their faces twisted with the delight of the hunt.

Alex's fingers tightened around the book. "What do you want, Jake?"

"What do we want?" Jake sneered, stepping closer. "You've got some nerve showing up today after everything."

Alex's face flushed, his gaze dropping to the floor. He could feel his pulse racing, anger bubbling beneath his fear. But he said nothing. He was tired of fighting back, tired of giving Jake the satisfaction.

"What's that, huh?" one of Jake's friends, a lanky boy with a smirk, pointed at the book in Alex's hands. "Homework? Or maybe a little bedtime reading?"

"Leave it alone," Alex mumbled, stepping back, his grip on the book tightening.

"Or what?" Jake's voice dropped, a dangerous edge creeping into it. He shoved Alex against the lockers, pressing his arm against Alex's throat. Alex gasped, trying to suck in air as Jake's smirk deepened. "Come on, nerd. Tell us what you're hiding."

Alex clenched his jaw, trying to ignore the prickling heat in his eyes. All he wanted was for this nightmare to end, for a chance to leave it all behind.

"Can't do anything, can you?" Jake sneered, finally releasing him. Alex stumbled, his heart pounding with rage and humiliation.

"You know, sometimes I wonder," Jake leaned in close, his voice barely a whisper, "if you even belong here."

"Maybe I don't." Alex's voice came out sharper than he intended. For a split second, he saw Jake's expression falter. Then the boy just laughed, a cruel sound that echoed down the hallway.

As they walked away, Alex sank to the floor, chest heaving. The book lay on the cold tiles beside him, its weathered leather cover glinting faintly in the dim light. He traced its edges with a trembling finger, the worn gold lettering barely visible.

For reasons he couldn't explain, something about it felt... alive. He held it to his chest, feeling its weight, its strange pull.

"I wish... I wish I was strong enough," he whispered into the silence, his voice cracking. "Strong enough to make them regret everything they did."

The air around him thickened, heavy and electric. Alex's fingers tingled as he opened the book. Lines of strange text swirled across the page, shimmering like liquid. He could feel his heart beating faster, his breath catching.

"Who... who are you?" he murmured as the text began to shift, as if responding to his words.

In the silence, a whisper rose from the pages, curling around him like smoke.

"I am the path to your power. If you seek it, I will give you what you desire... but there will be a price."

Alex swallowed, his throat dry. His mind raced, fear mingling with an exhilaration he'd never felt before.

"Give it to me," he whispered, his voice steady. "I don't care what it costs."

A low, haunting laugh echoed from the book as shadows began to swirl around him, sinking into his skin. A rush of energy surged through his veins, fierce and powerful, and for the first time, Alex felt something other than helplessness.

His face hardened, his grip tightening on the book.

"They'll regret this," he murmured, voice laced with a new edge of confidence, of darkness.

For the first time, Alex wasn't afraid. And for the first time, the world should be.