Rook stood at the edge of the central plaza, the cold morning light barely piercing the smog that clung to Nexcarra's towering spires. Around him, throngs of teenagers and their families gathered, each waiting for their turn to face the Ascension test. The air was heavy with tension and false hope.
He glanced down at his wrist the faint flicker of the fractured rune still barely visible under the dirt and grime. It was a small thing, almost nothing, but it was all he had.
A voice broke through the murmur.
"Lowborn, aren't you?" A tall boy stepped forward, his cloak embroidered with a golden sigil that marked him as Highblood. His eyes were cold, filled with disdain.
"You don't belong here."
Rook's jaw tightened. "Neither do you, But here we are."
The boy sneered and turned away, but the message was clear: Rook would face more than just the test.
As the call came to begin, Rook took a deep breath. This was his moment, not just to survive, but to prove that even a flicker could ignite a blaze.
The Ascension plaza was a cavernous, stone floored arena surrounded by towering columns inscribed with runes. The air crackled faintly with latent magic, and the eyes of hundreds bore down on the initiates standing before the Resonance Pillar.
Rook stepped forward, his fractured rune pulsing weakly on his wrist. The crowd's whispers swelled into a low roar of skepticism mixed with anticipation. He could feel the weight of all the eyes placed upon him, the silent judgement.
The examiner, a tall thin woman with eyes as sharp as blades, motioned him closer. "Place your palm on the pillar. Focus your mind. Show us your resonance."
Rook swallowed hard. His thoughts scrambled as he reached out, the cold stone pressing against his skin.
A dull hum filled the plaza as the Resonance Pillar dimmed lightly, scanning the magical essence flowing through him.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then-a flicker
A single, cracked rune shimmered faintly on his wrist, its glow unstable and weak. Gasps rippled through the crowd. Some faces twisted in disdain; others in surprise.
The examiner's eyes narrowed. "Lowborn," she muttered to herself. "A flicker, but functional."
"Passed. Barely." she announced, her voice cold. "Prepare for transport to the institution. Low-tier admission"
The words stung like fire, but they were his saving grace.
Rook stepped back, his heart pounding. His future lay not in the brilliance of his rune but in the perseverance to make it burn brighter than anyone ever expected of him.