Auréel
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I would never have thought that being James's adopted son would have such profound consequences.
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Several years had passed.
We had entered the month of November. The weather had worsened. The trees were taking on orange hues and, although the desert of the Empire remained as golden as ever as far as the eye could see, the heat itself had finally calmed down.
The Empire is strange.
One might believe that it is nothing more than a vast desert, like the ancient civilizations James used to talk about. Yet it is not that simple. The Empire of the Sun is an unexpected blend: shapes inspired by Egypt, architecture closer to Europe, and a culture born of centuries of evolution.
Humanity itself had changed.
Perhaps by the grace of the Gods. Perhaps not.
Every citizen bore on the back of their hand the emblem of the Empire in which they were born.
I lowered my eyes to mine. A crowned sun rested there, engraved into my flesh. The symbol of the Empire of the Sun.
Scientists had long studied the first mark to appear in history. It had become nothing more than a simple subject of research, until the discovery that humans were evolving genetically.
For me, it was far more than that.
Seated in the living room, I was thinking about my future. About my awakening.
Today was the day I would become an awakened. Or maybe not.
— Father, how much longer are you going to take?! I said, unable to hide my impatience.
Since this morning, he had been getting ready. Solga had even had time to sleep several times.
But what can you say… it's James. The one who takes his time with everything he does.
James finally arrived, dressed in his training outfit: a black long-sleeved T-shirt, tight against his body and highlighting his athletic build, paired with white joggers.
— Good. Are you ready to take a step into real life, Auréel? he asked.
— I'm more than ready. But let's not forget that it's possible I won't awaken any power, I replied skeptically.
Father stared at me for a long time, murmured something I didn't understand, then looked away, as if to make me understand that my worries were unfounded.
Why was he so sure that I would awaken a power? Did he know something about me? About my past? About my family?
Several times over the years, I had asked him if he knew anything. He was inconsistent in his answers: vague one day, affirmative the next, but never clear.
It's not that I care about my family or anything… No. Just knowing my identity and having answers. I had clearly understood that I had been abandoned with Solga. No need to be a genius to figure that out. When father told us how he had found us in the desert, I had understood everything immediately.
James, Solga, and I walked for a long time through several cities. I didn't know where he wanted to hold my awakening ceremony, but he seemed to be avoiding the usual places. He wanted it to take place in a private setting.
I had wanted to ask him why, but instinctively, I knew he would only answer vaguely.
— How long are we going to walk? I said, frustrated. We end up… I don't know where in the desert, and I'm tired of walking.
I didn't have Solga's or James's endurance to walk all day. We had ended up crossing the desert like true nomads.
— We've arrived. This is where you will do your awakening, he replied, ignoring my remarks and pointing toward a pyramid at the top of a mountain.
This mountain was strange: surrounded by chains of sand, the pyramid seemed to want to avoid them, but the chains held it to the ground. It looked ancient, with a pupil-less eye engraved at its summit. Gloomy and sacred at the same time, like an ancient temple or royal palace.
— What is this? I stammered.
— It is said that this was once the training ground of the first sultan, Salomon, James replied.
Damn it… does he want to get us killed or what? How does he think I don't see the looks of the people we passed, their disgust, the way they called James a traitor? And now he's taking us to a royal site, without permission?
— Are you crazy? Do you want to get us killed? Why are you bringing me here? We can do it somewhere else! Solga, let's go! I exclaimed, turning around.
Honestly, I didn't know how he knew about this place. But I wanted nothing to do with the royalty of the Empire. With all the rumors I had heard… madmen, bloodthirsty. If you touch a single hair on one of them, the entire population turns against you. It feels like you've committed the worst sin imaginable.
James, labeled a traitor… had he killed someone from their families? And why did he bring me here?
— Ahahahah! Don't worry, no one will know we're here. Three people know Hethnar… now four, since you're aware of it, he said with a radiant smile, unfazed.
— Who are the four? I asked, already thinking I knew the answer.
— The current sultan, his wife, me, and you, then.
— Why do you know about it?
— That will be a story for later, he replied seriously, motioning for me to move forward. But first of all, you must not miss this opportunity. I assure you, trust me. I chose this place especially for you and Solga. I know that beasts can also awaken, and if you want a secret, I have the impression that Solga has a connection… or rather that his lineage has a connection with one of the animals the First Sultan owned. It could be beneficial for him.
I turned my head toward my golden lion. I had never questioned his origins. As far back as I could remember, he had always been with me. His golden mane and his golden eyes mixed with midnight blue were fascinating. I remembered that he had protected me, fed me, during our times alone. If this can awaken him, then I will not back down. And to hell with royalty: the Golds never abandon. As James taught us.
Solga looked at me with disdain, snorted, and set off toward Hethnar. Sometimes, I forget how proud and arrogant he is.
Running my hand through my hair, I set off to catch up on my delay with James and Solga, who were already moving forward while ignoring me.
The pyramid had an entrance at the lower left. The closer we got to the pyramid, the heavier the air became; it felt hotter and hotter. As if we were entering an oven, the temperature rose—it was overwhelming, almost suffocating. I found myself wiping sweat from my forehead more times than when I trained in the desert with father.
The entrance door was massive. Right in the middle, a crowned orange sun was visible, as if to show its affiliation. All around the door, golden patterns were inscribed in a language I could not understand.
Father placed his hand on the large door without a lock. How did he plan to open it? As if to answer my question, he looked at Solga and me, motioning for us to do the same. Without arguing, I placed my hand on the door, in the middle of the sun motif. I don't know why I placed it in the center of the sun; it was instinctive. Solga placed his large paw on one of the sun's rays.
I looked at my hand, then at James's, where our symbols were identical to the motif on the door. James began to close his eyes and to murmur something. Without asking any questions, I imitated him.
"Dear Cora, on this day grant us this sacred place so that we may perform the awakening ceremony of Auréel and Solga under your protection and the protection of Salomon. Grant us entry so as to avoid all curious eyes upon the latent power of these two beings."
Why was he asking her for access? Couldn't we just push and enter? With all the inhabitants of the world, "she" shouldn't care in the slightest whether we enter or leave this temple.
While I was lost in my thoughts, Father and Solga had already stepped back from the door. A rumble pulled me from my thoughts. The door opened majestically before me, enough to make me lose my balance. Proud as I am, I didn't want to show such embarrassment. As I fell, I performed a forward flip just to land on my feet. Proud of my action, I shot a glance at father as if to ask whether they were impressed, but both of them looked at me with disdain and began to move forward without me.
The corridor was wide and refined, with enough space to lead an army of two hundred men through it. The air was pleasant and comforting. The walls displayed several murals retracing the adventures of Salomon, our first Sultan. I felt embarrassed to be here. This place seemed too sacred for us, people of the common folk. Too sacred, too clean. I clearly didn't feel at home here, but I showed none of my discomfort. I walked as if I owned the place.
I caught sight of father looking at me with a slight smile and beginning to explain each mural to us like a guide in a museum. How did he know so much about the ancient era? I understood that James was truly not just anyone. If, as he said, he was the former friend of the Sultan, how did he end up hated like this? As the years passed, I noticed more and more wanted posters of him displayed on the walls of certain cities we passed through, but James's only reaction was that they should have used a better photo on the poster, laughing.
He never hid, yet no one ever came for him. Why?
We arrived in the ceremony hall. According to James, the first Sultan sometimes trained in this hall. It was immense. Banners of the Empire were displayed at the four corners of the walls. Weapons that looked ancient yet majestic—weapons I could only dream of. Magnificent runic patterns were displayed on the walls. The floor was made of atrium, a material said to be unbreakable and capable of absorbing any attack.
James placed Solga and me at the edge of the training area. Two suns were drawn on the ground where James positioned us.
"Now, everything will be decided in your minds. I am going to circulate energy through your bodies. Your bodies will resist, but accept the pain. This process is a call to the world to know whether you will become awakened or not," James said in a serious tone.
Solga let out a small roar as if to say he understood, and I simply nodded.
Satisfied, James ordered us to close our eyes and focus on the energy that was coming.
My world is black, but James's energy comes to color my world. A white energy illuminates my mind. I grit my teeth as my breathing accelerates. I feel like something is trying to force my brain open.
"Welcome the energy, don't resist!" James shouted wildly.
Accept this pain? How can I accept it? Instinctively, my body tries to flee this pain. Solga… how is he doing? I worry about my lion brother. I hope he isn't feeling this pain and that I'm the only one bearing it. Those were my last thoughts before my consciousness faded.
— Interesting, very interesting. Wake up, my boy. This is only the beginning of your birth.