Douluo Dalu (Soul Land AU) : The Heavenly Demon

POV: First Person

I began following this Nu Li until she led us into a large, somewhat imposing building, with dark, austere walls that seemed to weigh down the air. The other children and I were all silent, the sense of apprehension and mystery heavy on our shoulders like an invisible burden. The old woman walked ahead of us, all dressed in white, her face exuding a soft, reassuring kindness, though her barely open eyes seemed to see everything.

"Stand to the side in a line. I'll call you by your numbers to awaken your martial soul," she said, her smile both warm and a little strange. It reminded me of a grandmother's smile, but with an air of authority.

"Number 1!" The child at the front of the line naturally stepped forward, without hesitation, and stood before Nu Li. Before she did anything, a strange energy seemed to manifest behind him. Shortly after, something appeared— a black feline form, majestic and imposing.

"Hmmm, interesting. An Obsidian Jaguar," the old woman murmured, observing the creature with keen attention.

I didn't really understand what that meant, but I could tell from the way everyone around her looked that it was something noteworthy.

"So, this is what a martial soul is… but what does it really mean? How do you judge if one is good or not? Are there bad ones?" I thought, my mind swirling with questions. What if I didn't have one? Or worse, if I did, but it was too weak to be of any use? Doubt crept in, sneaking its way through my thoughts like a lurking beast.

"Number 1, step in front of this orb," Nu Li ordered, her tone as calm as it was firm.

"This orb will measure your innate power."

"Innate power? Is that how they measure if a martial soul is good or not?" I continued to think, distracted, not really noticing what was happening in front of me.

"Ohhh! An innate power of rank 7, truly impressive! Yes, truly remarkable!" Nu Li exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with admiration. Was that really such a high rank? I had no idea, but the excitement in her gaze made it clear that it was something significant.

"Number 2!!"

"Number 3!!"

The numbers kept flowing, and with them, my anxiety grew. The closer it got to my turn, the more the pressure built inside me.

"Will they kill me if I'm not good enough?!!!" The thought gnawed at my mind, like waves crashing on a rock. I barely heard anything around me anymore. What if I didn't even belong here? What if they rejected me? My body and mind were already on edge, and I didn't even notice when they called my number.

"Number 71!!!! It's your turn." Her voice pierced through the fog of my thoughts, snapping me out of my daze.

I moved forward mechanically, my legs feeling as heavy as lead, my hands trembling but clenched. I stood before her, my eyes fixed on the orb, waiting for what would come next, my breath shallow. The old woman performed her usual gesture, a silent incantation, and I suddenly felt a wave of warmth envelop me. It was like being wrapped in a comforting blanket, a feeling I hadn't realized I had missed—like being held in the arms of a mother.

I didn't immediately notice that her barely open eyes, which had been half-lidded before, were now wide open, staring intensely at something that seemed to be… me.

I wasn't particularly tall for my age, but my features had a distinctive edge, like something ancient was reflected in them. My black hair fell in soft waves down to my shoulders, its light texture contrasting with the depth of my red eyes, which seemed to burn with an inner fire that I couldn't control or explain. My skin was lightly tanned, adding contrast to the pale light of the room, a mix that felt strange, almost as though I didn't quite belong to this world.

"It's strange," she said aloud, watching what appeared to be my martial soul: a colorless flame, trembling and flickering, almost intangible, but alive. It moved with an eerie independence, as though it had a mind of its own.

"Very well, come test your innate power," she said, prepared to touch me. But before she could make contact, the martial soul— the flame— suddenly surged forward, seemingly trying to repel her.

CRACKLE!!! CRACKLE!!!

The old woman skillfully avoided the flame, narrowly dodging its attack. Her gaze, which had been intrigued, now focused intensely on me.

She looked at me with a smile, one that was both enigmatic and unsettling.

"Child, touch this and try to channel the power you feel into it," she instructed, her voice calm but piercing, as though new stakes had just been introduced.

I didn't hesitate. I placed my hand on the orb, and suddenly, it blazed with an intense light, emanating an aura that felt tangible, almost like a pressure enveloping me.

"!!!!" All the other children in the room turned their gaze toward the orb, stunned. The murmur in the room grew louder, more intense.

"Very impressive, the full power of innate soul," Nu Li said, and I quickly turned around to find her standing just behind me. Her expression was a mix of admiration and… perplexity.

"But your martial soul… I've never seen anything like it. What is its name?" she asked, her tone quick, almost impatient, but I knew exactly how to answer. It was a name that had come to me instinctively, from deep within.

"Divine Flame."

However, that wasn't what she was expecting. Her gaze fixed on me for what seemed like an eternity, her eyes piercing mine. I couldn't decipher her thoughts, but I felt a palpable tension in the air.

"Very well," she finally said, her tone leaving no room for argument. She turned away from me and motioned for me to leave.

"Number 74!!!" she called, returning to the ceremony without sparing me another glance.

I quietly stepped aside, rejoining the others. My thoughts were still spinning, but I dared not look back at the orb. My heart was still pounding, and I watched as the awakening ceremony continued, as though everything that had just happened was nothing more than a strange dream.