Chapter 1 – The Awakening Ceremony
The wind smelled like ash.
It always did in Emberlight City, especially near the cliffs—where the wind carried traces of old magic, scorched soil, and the faded memory of the apocalypse that had once cracked the world open like glass.
Kael Draven stood near the front of the line, third from the doors of the Temple of Awakening, and tried not to yawn.
Around him were rows of eighteen-year-olds lined up in nervous silence, each cloaked in the gray ceremonial robes of their district. Some fidgeted. Some whispered prayers. Others stared ahead with glassy determination.
Kael just looked bored.
Maybe he shouldn't have stayed up all night. Maybe he should've at least pretended to be anxious. After all, this was the day when his entire life would supposedly change. The day he would awaken his elemental affinity—and, if the stars aligned, maybe even a talent.
If you were lucky.
If you were special.
If the world gave a damn about you.
"Bet you Tavin awakens a Rank-A Fire Talent," someone behind him muttered.
Kael didn't look. The name Tavin had been tossed around like a chant for the past month. Son of a Tier-5 Flamecaster. Already mastered two external flame techniques by age sixteen. Walked around like his boots never touched dirt.
"He's practically guaranteed a spot in the Flame Academy," another whispered. "I heard his core is already glowing red—he's not even awakened yet!"
Kael tuned them out. He'd heard it all before. People always talked loudest about those who had something to show. Kael? He had a plain tunic. No family crest. No spirit tags. Just a name and a letter in his pocket—the last thing his mother and sister had left before vanishing.
When the time is right, we'll meet again. Until then, become strong.
The memory stung a little, but Kael had learned not to linger.
"Next three," a guard announced.
The line shifted. The massive silver doors of the temple creaked open, revealing a blue-lit interior carved entirely from obsidian. As the first group walked in, Kael stepped forward, his boots echoing slightly on the marble.
The temple loomed before him—smooth towers, sloped walkways, and floating orbs of light orbiting spires like stars. The Awakening Chamber was built directly into the cliff, pulsing with mana veins that glowed brighter the closer he got.
"Oi, Kael."
He glanced sideways.
It was Bren, tall and wide-shouldered, hair like dried hay and a smile that never seemed to leave his face.
Kael raised an eyebrow. "I thought you were six spots behind."
"I was. Slipped a bribe to a girl who doesn't like mana lines. Terrible fear of glowing floors, apparently."
"You cheated."
"I creatively rearranged fate."
Kael snorted. "Fine. Stick close. If I combust, you're dragging my body out."
"Please. If you combust, I'm selling the ashes."
The gate creaked again.
"Next three. Step forward."
Kael, Bren, and a girl he didn't recognize were ushered into the inner chamber. They entered a round hall lit by a single floating orb in the center. The Awakening Core. Ancient, radiant, and alive.
"It's… brighter than I thought," Bren whispered.
"Place your hand on the core," said a robed officiant without looking up. "Let the mana scan your soul. Your affinity will appear in the flame chart. If you carry a talent, it will reveal itself."
The girl went first. Her hand touched the orb. It pulsed once—green. A leaf-like symbol appeared.
"Earth affinity," the officiant said. "No talent."
Bren stepped up next. Kael watched as his friend closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
The orb turned brown, then orange. Then it shimmered—briefly—with a flicker of gold.
"Dual Affinity," the officiant muttered, blinking. "Earth and Flame… and a talent. Rank C. Hardened Core Body."
Bren turned back toward Kael, eyes wide. He looked like someone had told him gravity no longer applied to his feet.
Kael stepped up.
He placed his hand on the orb, expecting… nothing.
No flicker. No glow. Maybe a faint pity from the officials as they dismissed him.
But the moment he touched the surface, something pulled.
The orb pulsed—once, violently—flashing red, then violet, then black.
Then it started to scream.
Mana burst from its center, spiraling upward into a storm of color Kael couldn't understand. Heat radiated outward. The officials stood. The guards moved. The other two in the room stepped back.
The orb cracked. It fractured with a sound like thunder tearing through silk.
And then—it vanished.
No explosion. No sound. Just sudden, absolute silence.
Kael remained standing, hand frozen mid-air, staring at empty space.
Gasps rang out behind him.
"He broke it—!"
"That's not possible!"
"Was it… a backlash?"
But Kael didn't hear any of them.
Because in his mind, he wasn't in the chamber anymore.
He was somewhere else—floating in a black sky where stars had never been born.
Before him was a wisp of violet flame, flickering gently in the void.
And then, it spoke.
"…Tch. Finally. You took long enough."
Kael blinked. "What the hell…?"
The flame spun once, like it was sizing him up.
"Welcome to the end of your peace, Kael Draven."
"Who are you?"
The flame dimmed slightly, as if sighing.
"I'm Pyra. Your guide, your headache, and the only reason you won't die screaming in a ditch."
A pause.
"Oh, and I'm the Time Flame. So… congratulations, heir of the Flame God."
Kael blinked again. "You what?"
"System initializing," Pyra muttered. "Welcome to your new life. You're going to hate it."
And just like that, Kael's world changed forever.