The sun slowly rose over the quiet village of Aetherion, painting the rooftops in soft shades of orange and pink. A thin mist drifted through the narrow streets, glowing faintly in the morning light.
Birds crossed the sky in silent arcs while the town slowly began to wake. Shop doors creaked open, and distant voices echoed through the streets.
It was the beginning of another ordinary day.
Aster walked along the cobblestone road, his small hand wrapped tightly around his mother's.
He was only ten years old, yet his eyes wandered across the village as if searching for something he couldn't quite name.
A strange feeling sat quietly in his chest.
He looked up at his mother.
"Mom…" Aster said softly. "Why… why do I feel like I forgot something?"
His mother glanced down at him, her gentle smile warm against the cool morning air.
"Maybe it's not that important, dear," she said. "Just focus on today."
Aster nodded slowly, but the feeling didn't leave.
At that moment, someone passed by them on the street.
A girl around his age walked past, carrying a small stack of books in her arms. Her soft brown hair swayed gently as she moved.
For a brief moment, Aster's eyes followed her.
Something about her felt… familiar.
His fingers tightened slightly around his mother's hand.
A faint image flickered in his mind—
But before he could grasp it, the feeling vanished like smoke carried away by the wind.
Aster frowned.
Above the quiet village, the sky shimmered for the briefest moment. A faint ripple passed through the air—so subtle that no one seemed to notice.
Then the moment passed.
The village continued its peaceful morning beneath the soft dawn sky.
Some memories are not forgotten because they disappear.
Sometimes…
they are simply buried beneath newer ones.
The image slipped away before Aster could reach it.
Like trying to grasp smoke with his bare hands.
Then—
A deep resonance echoed across the sky.
Far beyond the mountains, a pillar of pale light suddenly burst upward into the heavens.
It spread across the horizon like a second dawn.
For a single moment, the entire world seemed to glow.
Aster's eyes shot open.
The room was filled with faint silver light spilling through the window.
He sat up quickly, his heart racing.
Outside, distant voices rose in excitement.
The Gate of Ascension had awakened.
Once every ten years, the light called those who sought to become Solvaris Knights.
"Ugh… already morning?"
He rubbed his eyes and slowly sat up, his mind still hazy.
The memory faded quickly.
But the strange feeling remained.
Today wasn't just another day.
Today was the first day of the Aetherion Sanctum Entrance Examination.
The most prestigious academy in the entire world.
It stood far from the mainland, built upon a secluded island reserved only for those who passed its brutal entrance examination.
Those who succeeded were given a special entry card—proof that they had earned the right to step onto the island.
Without it, entry was impossible.
No one else was allowed to set foot there.
His gaze drifted toward the envelope resting on his desk.
The crest of Aetherion Sanctum Academy was sealed across the front.
Only those who survived the academy's brutal examination would earn the right to carry its entry card.
Today…
he would take the first step toward that future.
He swung his legs off the bed and quickly stood up.
The morning sunlight spilled across the wooden floor as he grabbed the neatly folded clothes from the chair beside his desk.
Today wasn't a day to move slowly.
His heart was already racing.
He dressed quickly, wearing the best clothes he owned—a dark coat with silver lining. Simple, but sharp.
It was the standard attire required for those attempting the Aetherion Sanctum entrance examination.
As he fastened the final button, his eyes drifted once more toward the envelope on his desk.
The academy's crest shimmered faintly in the morning light.
Aster exhaled slowly.
"This is it…"
Without wasting another second, he grabbed his bag and rushed outside.
The village streets were far more crowded than usual.
Candidates from across the region filled the roads, many wearing the same formal attire as Aster.
Some walked confidently.
Others whispered nervously to their companions.
Everyone was heading in the same direction.
Before leaving the village, Aster stopped in front of a small house at the edge of the street.
The wooden door was closed.
Locked from the inside.
He knocked gently.
A moment later, the door creaked open.
A woman in a simple white uniform stood there. She looked tired, as if she had not slept well.
It was Elisa, the home nurse who took care of the girl living inside the house.
She looked at him in surprise.
"Aster?" she said. "Why are you in such a hurry this early in the morning?"
He shifted his bag slightly on his shoulder.
"Today is the entrance exam," he replied quietly.
Elisa's expression changed.
"The academy exam…" she murmured.
For a moment, she simply looked at him.
Then she sighed softly.
"Are you really going to try?"
His gaze drifted toward the small room down the hallway.
He stayed silent for a moment.
Then he spoke softly.
"Then how else am I supposed to make her smile again… after everything that happened?"
He stepped past her and walked slowly toward the small room at the end of the hallway.
The door was slightly open.
Inside, a girl about his age sat on the edge of the bed.
Her movements were slow and uneven. Her fingers twisted gently in the air as if she were reaching for something that wasn't there.
Her eyes were fixed on the window.
She was staring at the dawn sky outside.
Quiet.
Still.
Like someone waiting for something that never came.
Her body looked fragile.
And her mind… broken.
A small silver star pendant rested against her chest, hanging from a thin chain around her neck. The faint light of the dawn reflected softly off its surface as it swayed with her slow movements.
Her name was Lyra.
When she noticed him standing at the doorway, her eyes slowly shifted toward him.
For a brief moment, something bright flickered in them.
She suddenly stood up and hurried toward him.
Before he could say anything, Lyra grabbed his hands tightly.
Her grip trembled.
He looked down at her gently.
"Don't worry," he said softly.
He tightened his hold on her hands.
"Soon… I'll come back for you."
His voice was quiet but firm.
"I'll take you somewhere better."
"To the place you always hoped to see."
Lyra said nothing.
But she didn't let go of his hands.
For a moment, he stayed there with her in silence.
Then slowly… he loosened his grip.
Her fingers hesitated as his hands slipped gently from hers.
He turned toward the door.
He took a few steps into the hallway, then stopped.
Without turning around, he spoke quietly.
"Please take care of her."
Elisa looked at him from the doorway.
For a moment, she said nothing.
Then she nodded softly.
"I will."
He stepped outside.
Behind him, the door closed gently.
Outside, the first light of dawn slowly filled the sky.
The Port of Aetherion
Aster weaved through the crowd, his footsteps quick against the cobblestone streets.
The salty scent of the sea reached him before the harbor even came into view.
Then suddenly—
The massive port opened before him.
Dozens of enormous ships lined the docks, their towering sails fluttering in the ocean wind.
Royal banners bearing the symbol of Aetherion Sanctum waved high above the harbor.
Hundreds—
No… thousands of candidates had already gathered at the port.
Voices overlapped with excitement, fear, and determination.
"Look at that ship…"
"They're sending this many people?"
"I heard over a hundred thousand candidates are taking the exam this year."
Aster stopped near the edge of the dock, staring at the massive vessel waiting to depart.
His chest tightened.
One hundred thousand…
And only twenty would pass.
A deep horn suddenly echoed across the harbor.
BWOOOOOOOOM.
The sound vibrated through the air like thunder.
Every candidate turned toward the largest ship at the center of the port.
A group of armored figures stood along the boarding bridge.
Their armor gleamed like polished silver beneath the sun.
The Solvaris Knights.
One of them stepped forward, his voice carrying across the harbor.
"All candidates for the Aetherion Sanctum Entrance Examination…"
He paused.
The entire harbor fell silent.
"Board the ships."
"The journey to Solvaris Isle begins now."
A wave of movement surged through the crowd as candidates began stepping onto the boarding bridges.
Aster tightened his grip on his bag.
This was it.
No turning back now.
Hours Later
The ship sailed deep into the open sea.
Aster stood near the railing as the mainland slowly disappeared behind them.
Only the endless ocean stretched ahead.
Then—
A shadow appeared on the horizon.
At first, it looked like distant mountains rising from the sea.
But as the ships moved closer…
Gasps spread across the deck.
Something far more unbelievable stood before them.
A colossal island.
Three enormous circular rings of land floated above a vast abyss at the island's center.
From every edge of the island, massive rivers of water flowed inward, plunging into the gigantic hole like endless waterfalls.
Bridges stretched between the rings like the spokes of a wheel.
At the highest ring stood a radiant tower that pierced the sky.
Solvaris Sanctum.
Below it lay the vast grounds of Aetherion Sanctum Academy and the fortress of the Solvaris Knights.
The island itself felt like the heart of power within the entire royal system.
The ship slowly approached a gigantic stone bridge extending from the island's edge.
At the end of the bridge stood something even more imposing.
A colossal white gate carved with ancient runes.
The air around it felt heavy.
The glowing symbols along its surface pulsed slowly…
Like a heartbeat.
This was the legendary gate that judged all who sought entry.
The Gate of Ascension.
At its center was a massive circular eye made of ancient crystal.
It opened slowly.
Thousands of candidates stepped onto the bridge.
Some trembling.
Some excited.
Some whispering prayers.
The eye began to glow.
Invisible waves of energy swept across the crowd.
The gate was scanning their souls.
Those with potential would be allowed to take the entrance exam.
Those without it…
would be rejected instantly.
Several candidates froze as the light passed over them.
The runes on the gate dimmed.
A voice echoed across the bridge.
"Disqualified."
The rejected candidates were escorted away.
The scanning continued.
Thousands passed.
Thousands failed.
Then—
For a brief moment…
The eye trembled.
The runes across the gate flickered violently.
Something had appeared within the sea of souls.
Something ancient.
Something far beyond the gate's understanding.
Deep within the scanning light…
The gate sensed it.
A presence.
A strange and unfamiliar aura buried deep within the crowd.
But it was faint.
Incomplete.
Dormant.
The eye scanned the candidates again.
Searching.
Calculating.
Trying to locate the source.
Yet the presence slipped through its perception like a shadow beneath the surface of water.
Hidden.
Sealed deep within one of the candidates.
Not awakened.
Not yet revealed.
The Gate of Ascension could feel it…
But it could not determine who carried it.
For a moment, the ancient runes hesitated—almost as if the gate itself was uncertain.
Then the light stabilized.
The scanning continued.
And among the hundred thousand candidates…
Aster walked forward silently.
Unaware..