Morning light spilled gently over Lymi, painting the rivers in molten gold and scattering silver beams through the clouds. The city was alive with excitement — today was the Awakening Examination, the day that decided the future of every sixteen-year-old in the kingdom of Lumetha.
Suspended high above the capital, the majestic Astralis Academy shimmered like a crown of crystal and light. Floating runes glowed beneath its foundation, connecting it to the city below through radiant bridges of mana. It was a place said to touch the edge of the Celestial Realm itself — where only the chosen studied.
Inside a quiet house near the riverbank, Keal Ardyn fastened his uniform jacket. His golden-white hair caught the morning sun, and his dark blue eyes reflected calm depth, though a flicker of unease hid behind them. Around his neck hung a strange pendant — half-sun, half-moon — warm to the touch, as if it knew what was coming.
Downstairs, Aunt Mira hummed as she set out breakfast. Across the table sat her children — the twins, Daren and Ariel Christopher.
Ariel was brushing her auburn hair, her movements graceful and steady. Her silver-gray eyes lifted when Keal descended the stairs, and a soft smile touched her lips.
"You're quiet this morning," she said. "Nervous?"
Keal gave a small shrug. "Maybe a little."
"You'll be fine," she assured him. "You always are."
Before he could reply, Daren's voice cut through the calm like a spark.
"Well, if he fails, it's not like anyone expected more."
Keal sighed. Daren leaned lazily against the doorframe, his crimson-trimmed academy coat already buttoned and spotless. His fiery red eyes gleamed with confidence — almost arrogance.
"Try not to embarrass the family, cousin," he said with a smirk. "Some of us have a reputation to maintain."
Ariel frowned. "Daren, stop."
He chuckled. "Just speaking the truth."
Mira turned from the counter, her tone firm. "Daren Christopher, enough."
Her son rolled his eyes but said no more.
Keal finished his breakfast quietly, offering Mira a grateful smile before heading out the door. Ariel caught up beside him, her cloak fluttering in the morning breeze.
"Don't mind him," she said softly. "He just hates not being the best."
Ariel laughed — light and sincere.
---
The Awakening Grounds – Lymi Central Academy
The Awakening Plaza blazed with color and sound. Hundreds of students stood in formation, facing the towering Obelisk of Ascension, an ancient crystal laced with countless glowing runes. The air itself thrummed with power.
Archmage Renwald, a white-haired examiner with eyes like molten silver, raised his staff.
"Students of Lumetha! Today, you stand before destiny. The Obelisk shall reveal your Talent Grade and Elemental Affinity. Remember them well — for they define the limits of your future… if you believe in limits."
He struck the staff upon the ground, and seven radiant symbols appeared in the air:
Common Grade – The ordinary mana flow. Most fade into obscurity.
Rare Grade – Bright sparks of promise, often knights and scholars.
Top Grade – The gifted, heirs of noble blood and power.
Legendary Grade – Those who shake the age.
Unique Grade – One in a century, touched by fate.
Ancient Grade – Extinct in all but legend.
Primordial Grade – A myth. A talent said to predate creation itself.
Whispers filled the air — awe, hope, fear.
The Awakening starts.
---
Daren's Awakening
"Daren Christopher!"
Daren stepped forward, flames flickering faintly around his hands before he even touched the crystal. He placed his palm on the Obelisk, his grin confident.
The crystal flared crimson, erupting in pillars of fire that spiraled into the air.
Renwald nodded approvingly. "Fire Affinity. Top Grade Talent. Excellent control."
Applause burst from the crowd. Daren turned, bowing dramatically. His smirk found Keal in the audience.
"Try to keep up," he mouthed.
---
Ariel's Awakening
"Ariel Christopher!"
The plaza hushed. Ariel stepped forward, her presence calm but radiant. When her hand touched the Obelisk, a wave of light rippled through the crystal — then cascaded into liquid blue brilliance.
Streams of water formed around her, spiraling upward like ribbons of life itself. The Obelisk rang like a bell, resonating with her mana.
Renwald's voice trembled slightly. "Water and Wood Affinity… Unique Grade Talent!"
The plaza erupted. Even the nobles gasped. Unique Grade talents were whispered in royal courts — never witnessed by common eyes.
Daren's triumphant smirk faltered, jealousy flickering behind his eyes.
Ariel turned to him with a gentle smile. "Looks like I'm keeping up just fine, brother."
---
Keal's Awakening
Then came the name that silenced even the wind.
"Keal Ardyn!"
Every gaze followed him as he stepped toward the Obelisk. Some whispered of his strange hair, others of his orphaned past. He ignored them all.
He placed his hand on the crystal.
For a moment — nothing.
Then, a single spark.
Light and shadow collided. The Obelisk shuddered violently, lightning arcing through the plaza. Half the crystal ignited in blinding gold, the other half sank into midnight black.
Renwald stumbled back, shielding his eyes. "Impossible—!"
The runes above the Obelisk spun wildly before locking into a formation no one had seen in living memory.
Talent Grade: Primordial
Affinities: Lightning. Light. Darkness.
Gasps rippled through the crowd. The ground trembled. The sky above dimmed, clouds swirling into a vortex of gold and shadow.
Keal's pendant glowed fiercely, searing his skin. His chest burned as if torn between sunfire and frost. His left eye blazed gold, his right deepened to violet-black.
Voices filled his head — one soft and radiant, the other sharp and cold.
"At last…"
"…our vessel awakens."
For an instant, two ghostly figures appeared above him — Liora, cloaked in light, and Umbra, draped in shadow — glaring at each other with centuries of hatred before vanishing.
The Obelisk cracked down the middle, thunder echoing across the academy. Keal fell to his knees, gasping, then collapsed unconscious.
The crowd was speechless.
Ariel screamed his name.
Daren stood frozen, his flames extinguished.
Archmage Renwald whispered, voice trembling,
"Impossible, the primordial grade talent exists"