Thump—thump, thump—thump.
The sound of my heartbeat grew louder and faster. A wide smile formed on my face as my eyes stayed fixed on the altar.
The altar bathed in a pure white light, its surface glowing with intricate runes and a perfect circle of radiance. They called it the Circle of Soul Unification.
At the very center of that luminous circle stood two figures, facing one another. Their hands intertwined as they recited the Mantra of Union, and together they drank from the Chalice of Purity. That sacred act marked the bonding of a human and a guardian.
To me, the altar was nothing short of magnificent. It was the only one of its kind in the entire Southern Nation—a sacred place where ceremonies such as coronations, marriages, and divine rites were held. But once a year, during the second week of the month of Okta, this altar transformed into the Altar of Unification.
For that single day, the altar would glow like this, alive with the power of ancient magic. When the day passed, the light faded, and the altar returned to its ordinary form until the next year.
My name is Rene Elleyandra, and at sixteen, I've finally witnessed it—the union between a human and their guardian.
Someday, I'll be the one standing in that circle of light…
joining hands with my guardian, and performing the ritual myself.
That dream alone is enough to make my heart race.