“I knew you were hiding something.” “Huh?” I stared at my friend as we sat in a small room with three others. “What power do you have, Anwar?” he asked. “Umm…” “What?” “Crimson.” “Whoa! Did you hear that, guys? We’ve got a special one among us.” The others looked equally shocked. The only girl in the room leaned forward. “Do you mean blood manipution?”I nodded.

  Crimson—one of the rare powers that falls into the special category of magic. The other three categories are Elemental, Physical, and Spiritual.

  “Excuse me.” A firm voice silenced us. We turned toward the entrance. Nasir Uddin, the chief of our isnd, was standing there. He stepped into the room and sat in the empty chair across from us. He was an old man with a strong physique and a confident presence. “Ahem… Can we start?” The five of us nodded.

  I’d received a letter from the chief’s office just yesterday. It said he wanted to meet those who had performed well in the entrance exam for the Magic Academy. I was one of them. When I arrived, I found Nahid—my childhood friend and the chief’s grandson—along with three others: two boys and a girl. I hadn’t expected any of this. I was still recovering from the shock of Nahid asking about my power, a secret I’d kept since childhood.

  “I invited you all here to introduce you to one another,” the chief began, “as all of you will be attending the Magic Academy in a few days. You’ve shown great promise, and that makes me happy.” He smiled, genuinely proud. Chief Nasir was a role model across generations. A hero of the Fourth Great War, in which nearly every nation in the Morvian Ocean took part. His praise made us blush.

  “Let me introduce you.” He gestured toward me.“This is Kazi Anwar. He pced 5th in the Standard Track. As you’ve heard, he possesses the rare Crimson power—blood manipution.”

  Then he pointed at Nahid.“This is Nahid Uddin, my grandson. He pced 10th in the Standard Track and has already awakened Torrent—water manipution.”

  Next to Nahid sat the blonde girl.“This is Ayesha Aktar. She earned 1st pce in the Standard Track. She hasn’t awakened any power yet, but her knowledge of magic is remarkable.”

  He pointed at the next boy.“This is Walid Ulh, who ranked 25th in the Military Track and awakened a rare Physical power—Cw.”

  “And finally, Omar Faruk. He demonstrated incredible combat skill and pced 3rd in the Military Track. I expect great things from you all and hope to see you as elite graduates in the future.”

  Nyasi Academy of Magic is the only magical institution on our isnd in the Morvian Ocean. It offers a three-year course in two distinct paths:

  The Standard Track, also known as Elementis, for general magical studies.The Military Track, or Vanguardis, for those preparing to join the army.Elite students—those who demonstrate outstanding performance—are given a chance to take an additional year of advanced studies.

  And I, Kazi Anwar, am about to begin my first year.

  After the meeting, Nahid and I headed to the beach to get some fresh air. I was curious about his power—and I could tell he was just as curious about mine. He turned to me. “Why didn’t you tell me about your power? Don’t you think I’m your friend?” “I was going to tell you after we started the academy. You didn’t tell me yours either.” “Ahh… yeah, sorry about that.” “Show me your power and I’ll forgive you.” He smiled. “Only if you show me yours first.”

  I don’t even remember when I awakened Crimson. My parents told me the story. When I was little, I accidentally cut myself while pying and started crying. My mother rushed in—and saw drops of blood floating mid-air as I stared at them, silent. That’s how they found out. As I grew older, I noticed something else. No matter how deep the cut, I could stop the bleeding just by focusing on it. That’s when I understood—I had Crimson.

  I pulled out the pocket knife I always carried and ran it lightly across my palm. Blood welled up, but I focused. “Float,” I whispered. A few drops lifted off my skin and formed the shape of a small eraser. “That’s my limit,” I said. Nahid’s eyes sparkled. “That’s awesome.” Then the blood slowly flowed back into my palm, and the wound dried up. I took out a bandage from my pocket and wrapped it neatly. “Now show me yours.”

  Nahid took a deep breath and extended his right hand toward the ocean. To my surprise, water started pulling toward him like it was being sucked through an invisible straw. It formed a hovering orb the size of a tennis ball. “See?” I was genuinely impressed. “That’s amazing.” He tossed the water orb into the sea like a kid flicking a paper ball.

  “But you know,” he added, “your power would be useless against mine.” I frowned. “Why?” He grinned. “Water washes away blood. Until you master an advanced form of Crimson, you won’t be able to do much.” He was right. Crimson, in its basic form, wasn’t very powerful. “I need to train hard,” I muttered. Nahid pced a hand on my shoulder. “Yeah—and you can’t use it at the academy until you become an elite. So you’re on your own for now. But don’t worry. I’ve got your back.” “Thanks, buddy.” “Yeah, yeah. No problem.”