The Fighters' Registration Hall of Metris buzzed with energy. This was the place where dreamers became recognized, where nameless fighters took their first step into the ladder of power.
Shubh walked forward when his name was called. The registrar, a sharp-eyed man in black robes, read from the scroll before him.
"Vayaungan Shubh."
The crowd stirred at the name, yet Shubh spoke firmly, silencing them:
"I don't care which clan I am from. I am here to prove myself."
The registrar smirked faintly. "Very well. Then prove it through your Affinity."
He gestured to the glowing crystal behind him, its light humming softly. "In this world, every fighter's path begins with their Affinity—the power they are born to wield. Fire. Water. Wind. Simple beginnings for most."
To the gathered crowd, he began reciting what all fighters knew: the Hierarchy of Strength.
Lowest: Merchant – no Affinity, only trade and survival.
Half-Awakened – a faint spark of Affinity, weak and unstable.
Awakened – a fighter who can control at least one basic Affinity.
Controller – one who can shape their Affinity beyond instinct.
Manipulator of Affinity – a fighter who bends their Affinity to their will, mastering forms and attacks.
Master of Affinity – warriors of terrifying power, capable of destroying cities.
Testers of Fate – a hidden rank
Five Unknown Ranks – shrouded in mystery, few even know their names.
Master-in-Training – standing on the edge of transcendence.
Master – wielders of many Affinities, unmatched in dominance.
Pure Master – those who refine their very existence into their Affinity.
Seven Unknown Ranks – guardians of secrets beyond comprehension.
Highest: Legend of the Omniverse – those who have surpassed all boundaries.
The registrar's voice echoed through the hall. "Now… show us what you carry, boy of Vavugan."
To demonstrate, he first conjured flames in his palm. "Fire, the most common." He dismissed it and summoned a sphere of water. "Water, the flow of life." A breeze stirred, swirling around him. "Wind, the breath of battle."
He turned to Shubh. "And yours?"
The hall fell silent as Shubh raised his hand. The air thickened. The ground trembled faintly beneath his feet. The weight of the room grew heavier, pressing against every chest. Benches creaked. Even the registrar's knees bent slightly as though invisible hands forced them down.
Whispers erupted. "What is this…?" "I can't move properly…"
A single word spread through the hall like wildfire.
"Gravity."
The registrar's eyes widened. Gravity was no simple flame or ripple of water—it was an Affinity that stood among the rarest, spoken of only in legends. An Affinity that bent not elements, but the very laws of the world.
In an instant, the pressure vanished. Shubh lowered his hand, calm and steady, as if nothing had happened.
The registrar swallowed hard, stamping his seal on a polished silver badge. His voice trembled slightly as he held it out.
"Identity confirmed. Vayaungan Shubh… Rank: Warrior Class. Affinity: Gravity."
The hall erupted into murmurs and shouts. Some in awe, others in jealousy, many in fear. To be ranked Warrior on one's first test was unheard of. To wield Gravity as Affinity was unthinkable.
But Shubh only took the badge, slipping it into his cloak. His words were quiet, yet carried through the silence.
"I am here to prove myself."
And with that, he stepped out into the City of Fighters, leaving behind whispers that would ripple through Metris by nightfall:
A boy who controls Gravity walks among us.