The awakening ceremony ended not long after Kael stepped down from the platform.
Most villagers slowly returned to their homes. Some people were happy. Some looked disappointed.
For many of the teenagers, today had already decided their future.
But Kael still stood near the edge of the square.
He was looking at the sword in his hand.
The blade was dark black. Thin silver lines moved across the metal like quiet streams.
It did not shine like the bronze dagger Lena had awakened.
It did not look powerful like the iron spear Marin held.
It looked… simple.
Too simple.
Kael slowly turned the weapon in his hand.
A strange warmth moved through his palm.
It was a calm feeling.
Like the sword recognized him or something inside him.
Behind him, voices began to rise.
"So it's just iron rank."
"I thought it would be something special."
"Still better than broken rank."
Kael did not react.
He had already expected something like this.
Grey Hollow was not a place where miracles happened.
Still…
He remembered the Soul Panel he had seen earlier.
The words inside it repeated quietly in his mind.
Growth-Type
He had never heard of such a thing before.
"Kael Ardyn."
The calm voice came from behind him.
Kael turned around.
Examiner Talric was walking toward him.
The man stopped a few steps away and looked at the sword carefully.
"May I see your weapon?" Talric asked.
Kael nodded and handed the sword over.
Talric held the blade and examined it closely.
For several seconds, he said nothing.
Then he spoke slowly.
"An iron rank weapon… yet something about it feels unusual."
Kael stayed silent.
Talric returned the sword.
"What is the name of your weapon?"
Kael hesitated.
Then he answered honestly.
"Astraeus."
Talric raised one eyebrow slightly.
"A strange name."
He paused.
"Most awakened weapons carry simple names connected to their form."
"Spear. Blade. Bow."
He looked at Kael again.
"But Astraeus sounds… older."
Kael did not know how to answer that.
The name had simply appeared in his mind when the sword formed.
Talric crossed his arms.
"Tell me something, Kael."
"When you awakened the weapon… did anything unusual happen?"
Kael thought for a moment.
He decided not to mention the Soul Panel yet.
"I felt… warmth in my chest."
Talric nodded slowly.
"That is normal during awakening."
The examiner seemed thoughtful for a moment.
Then he said something surprising.
"You should consider applying to the Aetherion Grand Soul Academy."
Kael blinked.
The academy was famous across the empire.
Only talented people could enter.
"But my weapon is only iron rank," Kael said.
Talric nodded.
"Yes."
"Normally that would not be enough."
He looked at Astraeus again.
"But my instinct tells me there may be more to your weapon than what the measurement device showed."
The examiner turned to leave.
Before walking away, he spoke again.
"The academy will hold entrance trials in two months."
"If you wish to change your fate… you should go"
The sun was already starting to set when Kael walked back to his small home.
Grey Hollow became quiet again.
Most villagers had finished their work and were preparing dinner.
Kael's house stood near the edge of the village.
It was a small wooden building.
The door opened before he could knock.
A middle-aged woman stepped outside.
Her name was Mara.
She had taken care of Kael since he was a child.
"You're back," she said with a gentle smile.
Her eyes quickly moved to the sword in his hand.
"So… you awakened your weapon."
Kael nodded.
"Iron rank."
Mara did not look disappointed.
Instead, she placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Rank is not everything."
Kael gave a small smile.
"You sound like you expected this."
Mara laughed softly.
"Grey Hollow does not produce many heroes."
They walked inside the house.
A small fire burned in the corner of the room.
Mara placed two bowls of warm stew on the table.
Kael sat down and leaned Astraeus against the wall beside him.
But something strange happened.
The moment the sword touched the wall, Kael felt a faint pull in his mind.
He looked at the weapon.
For a moment, it almost felt like the sword did not want to leave his hand.
After dinner, Kael went outside.
The night air was cool.
The sky above the village was full of stars.
Kael walked toward a quiet hill behind his house.
This was the place he often came to think.
He sat down on a flat stone.
Astraeus rested across his knees.
Slowly, he closed his eyes.
He remembered the strange panel from earlier.
'Panel?' he thought quietly.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then the air in front of him shimmered.
Light slowly formed in the darkness.
The Soul Panel appeared again.
____________
SOUL PANEL
Name: Kael Ardyn
Age: 16
Soul Weapon: Astraeus
Rank: Iron
Type: Growth-Type
Realm: Soul Spark
Attributes
Strength: 9
Agility: 10
Endurance: 9
Soul Power: 8
Soul Control: 14
Soul Pressure: 6
Abilities
Soul Devour[Unique]
Absorb fragments of soul essence from defeated enemies.
Soul Reinforcement
Strengthen the body using soul energy.
_________
Kael studied the panel carefully.
Every word felt real.
But one line caught his attention again.
Growth-Type.
"What does that mean?" he murmured.
He gently lifted Astraeus.
The silver lines on the blade faintly glowed under the moonlight.
Kael stood up.
Maybe he could try using the ability.
Kael focused on the panel again.
Soul Reinforcement
The moment he thought about it, something inside his body moved.
A warm energy spread from his chest into his arms and legs.
His muscles suddenly felt lighter.
Stronger.
Kael took a slow step forward.
Then another.
He swung the sword once.
The blade cut through the air smoothly.
The movement felt faster than usual.
Kael's eyes widened slightly.
"So this is soul power."
The energy slowly faded after a few seconds.
His body returned to normal.
But excitement filled his chest.
Even an iron rank weapon could do something like this.
Then another thought appeared in his mind.
The second ability.
Soul Devour
But the panel clearly said something.
Absorb fragments of soul essence from defeated enemies.
That meant he needed to defeat something first.
Kael looked toward the dark forest beyond the village.
Small wild animals often lived there.
He was not sure if they possessed soul essence.
Still…
He felt a quiet curiosity.
Maybe tomorrow he could try.
The wind moved softly across the hill.
Kael looked up at the stars.
Two months.
That was how long he had before the academy trials.
For most people, that would not be enough time to grow stronger.
But Astraeus was different.
At least, that was what the panel suggested.
Kael looked at the sword again.
"Astraeus," he said quietly.
The name felt natural.
The blade gave off a faint silver glow again.
Kael smiled slightly.
"Let's see how far we can go together."