Morning light slid across the ancient walls of Aurelius Academy, but even sunlight seemed hesitant to touch the place today. A strange tension floated in the air—quiet, waiting.
Arin stepped through the academy gate, feeling utterly out of place.
No family crest on his clothes.
No clan behind him.
No history to claim.
Just… emptiness.
Students filled the courtyard, buzzing with excitement for the Awakening Ceremony. Many stood in organized groups behind banners representing prestigious families.
Arin stood alone.
A group of girls walked past him, chatting loudly.
"Did you see the Valen group? They're unreal…"
"Lyra Valen looks like she stepped out of a painting."
"Her talent is insane—she has pre-awakening Aether control!"
"Of course. The Valen family trains their heirs from the womb."
Arin didn't look their way.
But he heard everything.
The Valen Consortium stood near the fountain, dressed in silver and white. Their hair, their eyes, even their posture screamed refinement. Students naturally gathered around them like moths to a glowing lantern.
At the center stood Lyra Valen, perfectly calm and terrifyingly composed.
A group of boys whispered as they stared at her:
"Do you think she'll look at us?"
"Not a chance. She's on another level."
"They say she's the future head of her family."
"She's not allowed to date until Ascension Stage. Valen rules are strict."
A few noble girls also whispered:
"She's too perfect…"
"I heard she mastered advanced mana scripts before even joining the academy."
"She's the youngest talent in the continent."
Arin felt like a pebble in a mountain of diamonds.
Across the courtyard, the Drakonheir Dominion made their presence impossible to ignore.
They were loud.
Confident.
Radiating raw strength.
Their heir, Cairon Drakonheir, stood proudly with a group of male followers flanking him.
"Cairon awakened Terra early—strongest youth in the Dominion."
"He already has scales on his back… real dragon skin."
"No wonder the teachers keep an eye on him."
Girls were whispering more boldly:
"He's handsome… in a violent way."
"Strongest guy here, no doubt."
"He looks scary, but impressive."
Cairon caught Arin looking once and smirked, amused.
Not far away, an eerie silence surrounded the Shadowcrest Circle. Everything about them was sharp, controlled, and shadow-like.
At the center was Selene Shadowcrest, cold as moonlit ice. Her presence alone made people lower their voices.
"She's rumored to detect lies."
"She once made a bully pass out just by glaring."
"Her Umbra affinity is terrifying."
Even noble boys whispered fearfully:
"She's beautiful, but deadly."
"I'd rather fight a beast than talk to her."
"That family gives me nightmares."
Selene's eyes drifted to Arin again.
Not fear.
Not interest.
Just analyzing him—as if trying to place a piece that didn't fit the puzzle.
The bright contrast of the courtyard was the Phoenixborne Alliance, surrounded by warmth and lively voices. Their robes glowed faintly like embers.
At their heart was Rhea Solflare, smiling as she listened to her friends. She radiated kindness so naturally that people gravitated toward her.
"She healed someone during her entrance exam!"
"She's way too kind to be here…"
"She'll shine brighter than anyone in healing arts."
"Also… she's adorable."
Arin quietly admired her warmth from afar.
It was the kind of warmth he'd never had.
Teachers gathered on the raised platform, preparing for the ceremony. Each one carried a different energy.
Teacher Miralei, the youngest instructor, stood tall and composed. Her white coat swayed with a gentle authority. Students whispered:
"She mastered dual-path cultivation by age sixteen."
"She was recruited directly by the academy."
"She's rumored to have royal ties."
Instructor Kael, the strict combat mentor, stood beside her, arms folded.
"He fought in the Frontier War."
"He's terrifying but fair."
High Scholar Lumin, with his silver beard, watched the students with an amused smile.
"He's the one who can read destinies through mana patterns."
But when their eyes fell on Arin, each expression faltered—just slightly.
They couldn't read him.
At all.
Miralei raised her hand. Silence fell instantly.
"Students… today, your true path awakens."
Her gaze passed over every student… until she reached Arin.
Her calm eyes narrowed just a fraction.
She had tried sensing his aura before.
She felt nothing.
A void.
A silence that shouldn't exist.
The awakening began.
One by one, students touched the Soul Pillar, and lights erupted:
Blazing Aether.
Swirling Umbra.
Solid Terra.
Flowing Chronos.
The courtyard roared with cheers.
Cairon's awakening split the stone beneath him.
Selene's shadows swallowed the light.
Rhea healed a broken branch instantly.
Lyra's Aether storm made everyone step back.
Then—
"Arin."
Every group turned.
"Who is he…?"
"No crest? No family?"
"He looks confused."
"Probably a nobody."
"He's cute… in a lost puppy way."
"A puppy? He looks like he's about to faint."
Arin walked to the pillar, heart thundering.
He touched it—
—and the world paused.
No color.
No light.
No element.
Instead…
The rune lines faded to black.
Whispers floated through the air, not from anyone present, but from somewhere else.
Ancient.
Cold.
Watching.
Shadows twisted unnaturally, and a pale mist swirled around his hand—slow, deliberate, alive.
A girl from the Valen group whispered, trembling:
"…That's not Aether."
"…That's not anything we know."
One of Selene's followers muttered, "The shadows… they're afraid."
Even the teachers stepped back.
The mist curled deeper, almost touching Arin's wrist—
—and then vanished.
Instantly. Without sound.
Silence swallowed the courtyard.
The Soul Pillar looked drained.
Like something ancient had taken a bite out of its power.
Arin stepped back, breath shaking.
What am I?
Why did it react like that?
Why do I feel… wrong inside?
Students stared at him as if he had awakened a curse.
The noble girls whispered:
"That was… terrifying."
"No, fascinating!"
"What was that power!?"
"He looks scared himself…"
Selene murmured softly, "Impossible…"
Lyra's eyes narrowed with dangerous interest.
Rhea bit her lip, worried.
When the ceremony ended, one thing became clear:
Arin's awakening wasn't a path.
It was a warning.
Something ancient had woken with him.
And the world wasn't ready.
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