The sun was just beginning to pierce through the dense canopy of the ancient forest surrounding Elarion Academy, casting golden streaks of light onto the sprawling stone walls of the school. It was the day of the Awakening Ceremony — a day when students from all corners of the realm gathered to reveal what their hidden powers and classes would be. It was the day they became true adventurers, mages, warriors, or scholars.
Cain Lockhart, standing at the edge of the training grounds, felt a strange mixture of anticipation and dread. Sixteen years old, with unruly black hair that fell into his eyes and a scar across his left cheek from a childhood accident, Cain was no stranger to hardship. Yet, despite his quiet confidence and sharp mind, he had always wondered what made him different from the others.
Today was supposed to be special. Every year, the academy's greatest mages, warriors, and scholars would gather to see the awakening of new classes. It was a celebration of potential, a rite of passage. But Cain's heart pounded with an unspoken fear — what if he didn't awaken at all?
The ceremony was held in the grand hall, a towering chamber filled with flickering torches and the scent of ancient parchment. Students lined up in rows, each clutching an ornate crystal orb that shimmered with latent magic. One by one, they stepped forward, releasing their innermost power into the orb. The glow would reveal their fate: mage, knight, rogue, healer, or something else entirely.
Cain watched as his friends and classmates took their turns. Some glowing brightly with fiery reds, others shimmering with icy blues, and some flickering softly with gentle greens. Yet when it was Cain's turn, he felt a strange calm settle over him. He stepped into the center, raised his hand, and placed his palm on the orb.
A ripple of cold wind swept through the hall. The orb's glow flickered, then dimmed. Silence. The room held its breath.
Nothing.
A heavy silence fell. Cain's stomach twisted. Had he failed? Was he destined to be nothing? A whisper of disbelief echoed in his mind.
Then, unexpectedly, the orb shattered into a thousand tiny shards, scattering across the marble floor. The room erupted into murmurs, whispers of confusion and disappointment. Cain's face burned with shame.
But before anyone could react further, the ground beneath their feet trembled violently. The walls shuddered, and a dark, foreboding shadow seeped into the chamber, coalescing into a massive, serpentine figure with glowing red eyes — an ancient dragon, long thought to be a myth.
"Fools," the creature hissed, its voice like a thousand knives. "You think the ceremony is the end? The false promises of power? No. I am the true ruler of this realm — the primordial king!"
Panic erupted. Students screamed and fled, but the doors slammed shut with a thunderous boom. Cain, frozen in place, watched as the dragon's gaze swept over the crowd. The creature's twisted smile revealed razor-sharp teeth.
"Now, you shall witness true power," it declared. "And I will claim what is mine — the world itself!"
Without warning, the dragon's massive claw struck out, and a blinding light engulfed the hall. Cain's senses were overwhelmed, and he felt himself falling into darkness.
When Cain opened his eyes, he was no longer in the grand hall. Instead, he found himself in a dark, damp dungeon, chained to a cold stone wall. His head throbbed, and a strange sensation coursed through his veins — a kind of awakening, but unlike anything he had ever experienced.
As the haze cleared, Cain realized something extraordinary: he was no longer an ordinary boy. His mind was flooded with visions of ancient languages, shimmering energies, and a deep, ancient power that seemed to resonate with his very soul.
He remembered the dragon's words — the primordial king — and understood that he was somehow linked to that creature. But what did it mean? Why was he alive? And what was his true purpose?
Suddenly, a voice echoed in the darkness. A voice both familiar and strange, echoing from the shadows.
"Cain… you are no ordinary child. You are the key to a forgotten prophecy. And your true awakening has only just begun."