"Sunny Godless, Elemental Affinity, Shadow! Grade D-Level!"
The voice rang out through the Awakening Ground, a large hall with a grand altar-like center.
At the farther end of it sat older-looking men and women, and before it, a group of about a dozen children sat.
An applause rang out through the hall from the announcement made, mostly from the students, and one of those clapping was a young man with glistening dark hair.
A small smile, both of awe and genuine happiness, could be seen across his lips.
This...was Noctis Sinclaw.
"For one named Sunny, being attuned to Shadow is quite the anomaly. Light would have made more sense..."
A melodic female voice, quietly shaky, echoed beside Noctis, who turned to look.
The next seat from his sat a lady with long golden hair, looking at the boy as he walked down the stairs, face pursed in quiet interest.
Noctis smiled at her words, but then equally noticed her hands gripping quietly hard at the hem of her purple skirt, with quiet sweat glistening around her neck.
This was his girlfriend, Alyssa, and he could almost smell her nervousness from his seat.
Seeing her in such a state unconsciously made him quietly reach his hand out and lay it upon hers.
It drew her attention, and she turned to him.
"You'll be Fine, Alyssa."
Noctis quietly whispered, and for a second, a hint of relief crossed through her eyes before her brows quickly furrowed.
She turned back to the altar, where another young man had been called up.
"Darian Tringale. Elemental Affinity, Wind, Grade F-Level!"
The words were followed by a thick silence, with not the slightest clap being heard.
Everyone knew it; F was the lowest grade of awakening, a failure but with an awakening title, so to speak.
Not much of a future awaited such a person.
"What if I never awakened?"
Alyssa quietly whispered, but Noctis caught it, replying.
"That can't happen. Your Father is an Elder of the Clan with a D-Grade Fire Gene, same for your mother."
"If your parents are awakeners, then..."
"You should awaken too..." Alyssa completed.
The impact of genes was common knowledge amongst them.
"But what if I awaken a low-level Gene...What if I'm an F-Grade?"
"It wouldn't matter..."
"Noctis, Grade Awakening is everything, not just in the Clan, but in the world. This...decides my future. It does matter."
She argued quietly, her eyes steeling but only reinforcing the fear, but she paused when his grip tightened.
"Fate can't decide to fuck us both over, can it?"
Noctis asked with a quiet grin that left her both amused and confused.
"You're not alone in this, Alyssa. It's our future..."
"So, if you awaken a low-grade gene, I will awaken a high-grade one, and since it's both our future... I will be by your side, protecting you from any danger that may come upon you."
"And... I trust you would do the same for me, won't you?"
He asked, to which she nodded.
"So, what have we to be afraid of, really?"
His innocent grin left her dumbly perplexed, but then she quietly exhaled.
Alyssa could not understand how, but in a way, she could feel a weight lifting off her chest.
She sneaked a glance at him, and not one fear could she sense from him.
He watched with her, clapping for those who had succeeded in awakening powerful Genes, while clear pity shone in his eyes against those who hadn't.
These were the things about him that made him endearing to her.
His weird ability to easily soothe her fears with just a few words, and his selfless, impartial compassion towards each soul.
"Alyssa Fireheart!"
The call awakened her, and she turned to the stage.
With her confidence rekindled by his soothing words, she rose confidently towards the stage, the gaze of every student following her.
Reaching the center of the altar, the colorless football-sized orb could be seen hovering quietly in the air, and Allysa reached both her hands towards it, her eyes shutting.
Barely a second after she shut her eyes,
FLICCCKKKKEEEERRR
A powerful golden illumination burst forth from the orb, sending Alyssa's hair lighting up with an incredibly brilliant golden color.
Her clothes flapped wildly, golden runes shifting out from the air all around her, giving rise to a divine celestial aura.
"Allysa FireHeart, Elemental Affinity, Light! Grade C-Level!"
An uproar burst through the entire hall, with some Elders rising to their feet in surprise while claps echoed out from the students, the loudest of which belonged to none other than Noctis.
A Grade C Light Affinity!
Light Affinity was one of the five rarest affinities in the world, and there were fewer than five people in the entire clan with a C-grade elemental affinity.
Her potential was out of this place, and no doubt, will lead to an incredibly bright future.
A relieved smile was on Alyssa's face as she gave a bow to the Elders before returning to her seat.
"I told you..."
The whisper rang beside her ears by Noctis, but before she could reply, the call echoed out.
"Noctis SinClaw!
"Wish me Luck!"
Noctis said before immediately rising to his feet, walking towards the Alter.
He could hear the silence, from which his own heartbeat pounded louder than anything.
Still, he allowed none of it to impede him from reaching the Awakening stone.
It was still gleaming quietly from Alyssa's golden light, but it was rapidly dimming, and when it did fully, the Elder before the stone called out to him.
"Place Your Hand on the Awakening Orb."
Noctis followed the order, placing both hands and closing his eyes.
The ball felt a little bit cold to his palms, and he waited quietly, but even after he felt enough seconds had passed, he opened his eyes and turned to the ball.
Nothing.
It was still the same colorless glow.
"Remove your hands..."
The Elder ordered, and he raised his hands.
"Now place it back."
Noctis repeated the same action, but even after that, silence was all that covered the room.
Even after 20 seconds, the ball remained blank, and in the next moment, the announcement echoed.
"Noctis Sinclaw, Elemental Affinity, Zero! Awakening Failed! "