The Awakening Hall smelled faintly of old stone and ozone.
Hundreds of young men and women sat in the long wooden benches facing the circular platform in the center of the chamber. Every year, the Arcane Codex revealed their magical class here. Some would become knights. Others healers. A lucky few awakened rare elemental magic.
Kael Draven sat in the back row, elbows on his knees, staring at the glowing crystal sphere on the stage.
"You look like you're about to throw up," a boy next to him whispered.
Kael didn't look over. "Thanks. That helps."
"Relax," the boy said. "Worst case, you end up a farmer."
Kael snorted softly. "My whole village is farmers. I didn't leave home for that."
Truth was, Kael had no idea what to expect. He'd always felt… different. Not stronger. Not faster. Just like something inside him was waiting for the right moment to wake up.
But that could just be wishful thinking.
The head instructor stepped forward.
"Next. Kael Draven."
A ripple of whispers spread through the hall as Kael stood.
He walked toward the platform, boots echoing against the marble floor. The crystal sphere pulsed softly in the center of a rune circle.
"Place your hand on the Codex Stone," the instructor said.
Kael nodded.
He rested his palm on the crystal.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then the sphere flickered.
The instructor frowned.
"That's strange."
The light inside the crystal pulsed again… and again… like it was struggling to decide something.
Then a symbol appeared above it.
The instructor leaned closer.
His expression slowly changed from confusion… to disbelief.
"That can't be right."
Kael pulled his hand back. "What?"
The instructor cleared his throat.
"Kael Draven. Your class… appears to be… Bond Lord."
The room went silent.
Then someone laughed.
"A Bond Lord?" another student said. "Isn't that a support class?"
The instructor rubbed his temples. "It's… technically a historical class. But none have appeared for over two hundred years."
Kael frowned.
"So… is it good or bad?"
The instructor hesitated.
"That depends on whether you can form bonds with powerful companions."
"So basically," the boy in the audience said, "if nobody wants to team up with him, he's useless."
Laughter spread through the hall.
Kael forced a smile.
"Great," he muttered.
The instructor dismissed him quickly.
"Next student."
Kael walked out of the hall feeling like the world had quietly slammed a door in his face.
A support class that only worked if other people chose you.
Yeah. That wasn't promising.
⸻
Outside, the academy courtyard buzzed with excited conversations.
Students compared classes.
"Fire mage!"
"Silver rank knight!"
"Alchemist!"
Kael kept walking.
He passed through the iron gates and headed toward the city streets beyond the academy walls.
"Bond Lord," he said quietly to himself.
What kind of class was that?
He'd heard stories of legendary party leaders in ancient times, but that felt like mythology.
"Guess I'll figure something out," he muttered.
Then he heard shouting.
Up ahead in the narrow alley between two buildings, metal clashed.
Kael slowed.
Three men in dark armor surrounded two women.
The women looked… identical.
Twin sisters.
Both had long silver hair and pale eyes that almost glowed.
One of the armored men stepped forward.
"Come quietly," he said. "The bounty is higher if you're alive."
The twins didn't move.
The one on the left spoke first.
Her voice was calm.
"We already told you. We're not going anywhere."
Lightning crackled in her palm.
The other twin sighed.
"Why do bounty hunters always think numbers matter?"
Ice formed around her fingers.
Kael blinked.
Oh.
They were mages.
The armored men attacked.
The fight exploded instantly.
Lightning tore through the alley.
Ice spikes erupted from the ground.
But there were too many enemies.
One of the hunters slipped behind the lightning twin and swung his sword.
Kael moved before thinking.
"Hey!"
The hunter turned.
Wrong move.
Kael tackled him.
They crashed into a stack of crates.
The man shoved him off and raised his blade.
"You stupid kid—"
Before he could finish, something warm spread through Kael's chest.
A voice echoed in his mind.
[Bond-compatible targets detected.]
Kael froze.
[Twin resonance detected.]
A glowing interface appeared in his vision.
[Form soul bond?]
"What the hell…" Kael whispered.
Then the lightning twin looked at him.
Their eyes met.
The world went white.