The cathedral hall was a grand structure. Towering stone pillars, adorned with gold and silver filigree, supported a massive domed ceiling painted with murals depicting the divine grace of the goddess Lumina.
Stained glass windows lined the walls, casting radiant patterns of light onto the polished marble floor.
Rows of wooden pews filled the hall, occupied by city officials, church officials, commoners, and the like, all gathered to witness the awakening ceremony.
At the front, elevated on a dais, stood the altar–a pristine marble pedestal upon which rested the Awakening Orb.
It pulsed with a gentle glow, it's surface swirling with ethereal energy.
Behind it, an enormous golden statue of the goddess Lumina loomed over the gathering, her arms outstretched as if blessing the participants.
Chandeliers with electric bulbs hung from the ceiling, their artificial light blending with the warm glow of candles placed along the walls.
Richard and the others stepped into the cathedral through the side entrance, their group of ten immediately drawing the attention of the audience.
From the backroom, they had heard the cheers, the applause, and sometimes quiet murmuring and disappointed sighs.
Each of those reactions, likely dictated from the results of each awakening. And now, it was their turn.
Sister Evelyn was seated in the front row adjusting the hem of her nun's uniform, her blonde hair neatly styled in a bun.
Her sharp blue eyes remained fixed on the orb, an unreadable expression on her face.
One by one, the first four individuals before Richard and the others approached the altar.
Each placed a trembling hand on the orb, and each result was met with a varying degrees of response.
–A dim yellow glow. Low-grade talent, with an earth affinity. This elicited claps from the audience.
–A faint orange shimmer. Low-grade talent with fire affinity. This elicited more claps.
–A dull blue hue. Low-grade talent with water affinity. More claps as some even stood on their feet to cheer them on.
–And then no reaction at all. A null. A tense silence before a few disappointed sighs broke out.
The Bishop overseeing the ceremony, a middle-aged man with silver hair clad in white and gold vestments, gave a solemn nod to the candidate who just touched the orb before beckoning for the next one.
With a confident stride, Elena approached the altar and placed hand on the orb. The cathedral fell silent for a moment before the orb flared up with a mid-bright orange light.
"Mid-grade talent with a fire affinity!" The bishop announced.
Cheers erupted, particularly from a man in the front row. He was dressed in a finely tailored black suit and hat, his portly figure barely contained within clothes.
His round face broke into a wide grin as he clapped enthusiastically.
"The Mayor..." Richard muttered, recognizing Chad Brais Began, the man who essentially ruled Began Hills.
He had heard a bit about him from Beatrice that night he was told about the serpents.
And so with all the descriptions and this man fitting them so perfectly, it wasn't hard to figure out he was the Mayor.
And well, it was no surprise he was overjoyed. Afterall, Elena was his daughter, and even a mid-grade talent was more than respectable for an outskirts town like this.
As the cheers and applauses died down, the bishop beckoned the next person.
It was Reid's turn this time. He stepped up, his expression composed, tho slightly nervous.
He then placed his hand forward. As soon as his palm made contact with the orb, a brilliant yellow light erupted from it, illuminating the entire cathedral.
GASP
Gasps rang out.
"High-grade talent, earth affinity!"
The bishop's brows shot up in surprise. The murmurs quickly turned into an excited buzz, and some of the officials in attendance exchanged interested glances.
Reid's parents, seated a few rows behind the Mayor, smirked in satisfaction. His father, a lean man with sharp features, crossed his arms, while his mother, a blue haired woman in an elegant blue dress, nodded approvingly.
The Mayor, however, barely reacted. His lack of concern wasn't arrogance. Reid was already betrothed to Elena.
So even if he surpassed his daughter in talent, it didn't change anything.
The bishop then beckoned for the next person.
Alice.
She stepped forward gracefully. As she touched the orb, a radiant white glow emerged, brighter than Elena's. The hall fell into a hushed silence.
"High grade talent, light affinity!"
The shock was understandable. Light affinity was rare, and the fact that it reached a high-grade was even more shocking.
"Is she... blessed by the goddess?" One of the attendees muttered in awe.
Even the bishop took a moment before nodding in approval.
It was Beatrice's turn. She hesitated briefly before placing her hand on the orb.
Immediately, it flared up with a brilliant orange hue, even brighter than Reid's.
"High-grade talent, fire affinity!"
This time, the reactions were more pronounced. Elena's father visibly stiffened, his smile faltering as he glanced at his daughter.
He had thought his daughter would.be the special one for awakening with a mid-grade talent.
But no. No. She wasn't special. Infact compared to the other people here, in this group, she was quite ordinary.
And for a town like this, that was saying a lot. Infact the very fact a high-grade talent was discovered in this town alone was already a surprise.
But not one, not two, but three. Three high-grade talents were discovered in this backwater town.
And admittedly the cathedral was shook. Some of the priests had even begun going to Alice and Beatrice's side, especially Alice's to try and pull her into the church's side.
As for Reid, well they didn't bother. They knew his parents. They would never agree. Not without a high price involved.
While this was going on, with the cathedral trying to recover from the shock from Beatrice's talent, Ben approached the altar.
He exhaled deeply, then placed his hand on the orb.
For a second, nothing happened.
Then–
FWOOOSH!
A blinding golden brilliance burst forth, engulfing the entire hall in its brilliance.
The light was so intense that many had to shield their eyes. But that wasn't all–a streak of silver intertwined within the golden glow, and at that moment–
CLANK!
The bishop's scepter slipped from his grasp, hitting the marble floor with an echoing clang.
The air itself seemed to shift. The Awakening Orb trembled, as if struggling to contain the energy flowing through it.
A strange force pressed down on the altar–gravity magic.
The silence was deafening.
Even Richard found himself stunned. He had seen some impressive talents awakened today, especially for a backwater town like this one, but this–this was beyond expectations.
"A Hero Candidate..." someone whispered.
That word sent a ripple through the crowd. A Hero Candidate–an individual chosen by fate and the Goddess Lumina.
Blessed with overwhelming talent and potential to become the next hero.
The mayor's expression darkened. He had been excited when his daughter, Elena, showed mid-grade talent.
He had accepted Reid's high-grade talents without issue because he was his daughter's fiancé.
Even Alice and Beatrice, despite their remarkable talents, didn't shake him too much.
But this?
Ben. An ordinary boy from Began Hills. From his town. A riff-raff who's mother and sister were enslaved by local gangs, had just awakened as a Hero Candidate.
He was someone who was now destined for greatness.
The bishop, regaining his composure, took a deep breath before stepping forward.
"With Divine Magic and Gravity Magic, a potential Hero Candidate stands before us." His voice rang through the hall. "This is a rare and momentous occasion."
He was right too. The last time a Hero Candidate was born was about a decade ago in the Vellion Kingdom.
And the last time a Hero Candidate was born in the Empire was more than three decades ago.
So obviously the audience was still stunned. Some of the richer families in the town exchanged excited whispers, while others simply stared in disbelief.
Elena frowned, folding her arms. "Well, that was unexpected."
Reid remained impassive, though his parents narrowed their eyes slightly.
Alice, always composed, gave Ben a thoughtful glance.
The Mayor, meanwhile, clenched his fists. His expression was neutral, but the subtle twitch of his jaw gave away his displeasure.
The Awakening Ceremony had just taken an unprecedented turn of events.