The manor had settled into quiet after the last carriage departed. Alex found himself in the family study with Lord Ashford and Marcus, the evening's formality giving way to intimacy. His father poured three glasses of brandy, amber liquid catching firelight from the hearth.
The study spoke of generations...leather...bound tomes, family portraits in gilded frames, and the massive oak desk bearing decades of scars. Tonight it felt conspiratorial rather than impressive.
"Well," Lord Ashford said, settling into his chair with satisfaction, "that went better than expected. The Brennans showing interest is significant."
Marcus accepted his glass but didn't drink, swirling the brandy with practiced ease. "Lyanna's attention could be useful. Or dangerous. House Brennan doesn't make casual social calls."
Alex remained by the tall windows overlooking the grounds, his reflection ghostlike in dark glass. The formal wear made him appear older, more refined, but his posture suggested coiled energy. He hadn't touched his brandy.
"The reevaluation," Lord Ashford repeated carefully, studying his youngest son. "Marcus, tell him about your experience. Given the circumstances, he should know about unusual awakenings in the family."
Marcus was quiet, green eyes...so different from Alex's pale ones...focused on the middle distance. When he spoke, his voice carried old memories.
"My awakening wasn't straightforward either. nineteen , confident, expecting traditional Ashford fire abilities like every generation before." He paused, sipping brandy. "The orbs showed conflicting readings. Confused the Proctor enough to flag immediate reevaluation. The ceremony hall went dead silent."
So I'm not the first anomaly. But his sounds manageable compared to complete failure.
"The Ashford bloodline has always manifested Fire Manipulation," Lord Ashford continued, reciting family history. "Every generation for three centuries. Strong, reliable, predictable. C...rank to A...rank, but always fire. When Marcus's ceremony produced unusual results, it raised questions at the highest levels."
Alex turned from the window, pale eyes reflecting firelight. "What kind of questions?"
"The kind involving the Royal Academy's most senior evaluators. They brought specialists, historians who knew bloodline records better than we did. Even consulted the Royal Archivist...our family's consistency was notable enough for kingdom documentation."
Lord Ashford moved to a bookcase, retrieving a leather portfolio. "They showed us this during Marcus's evaluation. Three hundred years of Ashford awakenings, meticulously recorded."
He opened it, revealing pages of names, dates, and classifications. Every entry showed Fire Manipulation, C...rank to A...rank. The consistency was remarkable.
"And then there was me," Marcus said, joining them at the desk. "A...rank Lightning Manipulation. Not fire. Not even fire...adjacent. Complete deviation from three centuries of tradition."
He glanced toward the door. "Edmund awakened exactly as expected two years later. B...rank Fire Manipulation, textbook perfect. Made my anomaly look even stranger."
Alex scanned the records with calculated interest. The documentation painted a picture of predictable, reliable power built over generations.
"The Academy's conclusion?" Alex asked neutrally.
Lord Ashford closed the portfolio carefully. "Bloodlines evolve. Environmental factors, generational stress, exposure to different energies during development can produce variants. They classified Marcus's lightning as 'beneficial mutation.'"
"After extensive testing," Marcus added dryly. "Six months of evaluation. They tested everything...reflexes, capacity, brought in lightning specialists from the northern territories. They wanted absolute certainty I wasn't some foreign influence or contamination."
They fear outside interference when bloodlines deviate. Worth remembering.
"And the conclusion?"
"Evolution happens," Lord Ashford said simply. "Even stable bloodlines produce surprises. Lightning abilities, while unusual for an Ashford, weren't unprecedented in the broader community."
Marcus moved to the fireplace, staring into flames. "The real question wasn't about the lightning itself. It was why the deviation happened with me when Edmund's awakening followed tradition perfectly."
"Did they find an answer?"
"Several theories. Changes in ambient energy, generational variations finally expressing, suggestions that modern society's complexity influences manifestation."
Alex returned to the window, processing. "But no definitive answer."
"Abilities aren't always definitive," Marcus said. "Sometimes they just are. The Academy concluded I was fundamentally still an Ashford, expressing family abilities in a new way. Lightning and fire share energy principles...both involve rapid release, both can be destructive or constructive."
"The point," Lord Ashford continued, "is that anomalies in our family aren't unprecedented. Your situation might be more extreme, but it's not without context."
Alex remained silent, his reflection showing no reaction.
"You think the reevaluation will show something similar?"
"I think," Lord Ashford said carefully, "the Academy will be very interested in documenting whatever caused your ceremony's reaction. Whether malfunction, new manifestation, or something else. Given our history, they'll approach with curiosity rather than suspicion."
"And if it's something else entirely?"
"Then we adapt," Marcus said, turning from the fireplace. "The Ashford name survived three centuries by being flexible. We don't break under pressure...we evolve. My lightning was initially seen as weakness, deviation. Now it got me into the King's Guard. Sometimes different is advantageous."
Silence fell except for crackling fire and distant servant sounds. Alex felt both men watching, waiting for reaction.
"The Academy starts in six days," Alex said finally.
"Yes." Lord Ashford's tone was measured. "You'll enter as unclassified. Rare, but not unheard of. The instructors will be attentive."
"Attentive," Alex repeated with slight inflection.
"You'll be watched," Marcus clarified. "Every class, exercise, interaction. They'll look for signs of capability. Not malicious...thorough. The Academy takes classification seriously."
Of course. The question is what they'll discover.
"What about practical training for unclassified students?"
The father and son exchanged glances...subtle communication Alex caught.
"General classes," Marcus explained. "Basic theory, combat fundamentals, history, politics. Standard first...year curriculum. Plus individual evaluation sessions...one...on...one work with different instructors testing various aptitudes."
"They'll try everything," Lord Ashford added. "Elemental abilities, enhancement, mental disciplines, even rare specializations. The goal is identifying any missed capabilities."
"What about the other students from the ceremony?" Alex asked casually, attention focused.
Another significant glance passed between them.
"What other students?" Lord Ashford asked carefully.
"Lyanna mentioned several anomalies. She seemed to think the ceremony was unusual beyond my case."
Marcus set down his glass deliberately. "The Brennan girl awakened normally. B...rank Ice Manipulation. Strong but predictable...House Brennan has produced ice specialists for generations. If there were other anomalies, they weren't significant enough for discussion in our reports."
Either they don't know, or they're protecting me from something. Either way, I wasn't the only anomaly.
"Reports?"
"The Academy provides summaries to noble families after ceremonies," Lord Ashford explained. "Basic information about sessions, notable achievements, concerns. Standard procedure."
"And ours mentioned only my case?"
"Your case was comprehensive enough to fill the entire document," Marcus said with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "The Proctor's confusion was quite thorough."
Alex moved to his untouched brandy, lifting but not drinking the glass, studying the amber liquid.
"There's something else," Lord Ashford said seriously. "Political implications of your situation."
"Political implications?"
"An unclassified student from a major house attracts attention," Marcus explained. "Not just from students or instructors, but from political factions. Some will see potential asset...unknown quantity that might prove valuable. Others will see risk...unpredictable abilities disrupting power balances."
Lord Ashford nodded gravely. "The Brennans' interest tonight wasn't purely social. They're positioning for various possibilities depending on your reevaluation."
"What possibilities?"
"If you manifest something powerful, they'll want alliance. If dangerous, they'll want preparation. If nothing at all..." Lord Ashford paused. "That would be its own political statement."
This isn't about personal identity anymore. My awakening affects broader power structures.
"And House Ashford's position?"
"We support you obviously," Marcus said immediately. "But we must be realistic about pressures. The Academy isn't just education...it's where future leaders are trained and evaluated. Your performance affects not just your prospects, but family standing."
Alex set down the untasted brandy, finally settling into the third chair. The gesture seemed to signal deeper engagement.
"What specific pressures?"
"Marriage proposals," Lord Ashford said bluntly. "Strong abilities bring alliance offers. Weak ones bring distancing from 'failed' awakenings."
"Career pressures," Marcus added. "Depending on abilities, you might be recruited for military, civil service, private ventures. Or find paths closed entirely."
"Social pressures. The noble community has expectations about power manifestation and use. Deviation can be challenging to navigate."
Alex absorbed this with calculated calm. "Your advice?"
"Be prepared for anything," Marcus said simply. "Don't commit to alliances until you understand your capabilities. Remember that strength takes many forms...being underestimated is sometimes more valuable than being feared."
"Trust your instincts," Lord Ashford added. "You've always been more observant than people realize. That hasn't changed."
The acknowledgment sent a chill through Alex. Even his father noticed his analytical tendencies.
"I should prepare for the Academy," Alex said, rising fluidly.
"Kael," Lord Ashford's voice stopped him at the door. "Whatever you discover about your abilities, remember you're still an Ashford. That means something."
Alex paused, hand on the ornate handle. "What does it mean?"
"Resources. Allies. Protection when needed." Lord Ashford's eyes were serious but warm. "Also responsibilities. Family reputation affects more than just you. Your Academy performance reflects on all of us."
Warning wrapped in reassurance. They're worried about my capabilities but committed to support regardless.
"Understood."
As he opened the door, Marcus's voice followed: "Kael? Lightning abilities weren't easy to control initially. If your awakening produces something unexpected, don't manage it alone. The Academy has resources. So do we."
Alex paused in the doorway, considering. "I'll remember."
Leaving the study, he heard their conversation continue:
"He's handling this better than I did at his age," Marcus said quietly.
"Perhaps. Or perhaps he's better at hiding concerns. Something's different since the ceremony. Not just the hair...something deeper."
"Different how?"
"More focused. Like he's seeing everything from a new perspective. Could be maturity, or something else entirely."
Alex continued upstairs, their voices fading. In his room, he closed the door and leaned against it, processing what he'd learned.
The family had experience with anomalies, but Marcus's case had been explainable within existing frameworks. The Academy had systems for bloodline variations. There were political implications, but also family support.
But Alex wasn't a variation. He was something else entirely.
[STATUS WINDOW]
[Manual Activation Available at Level 2]
[Current Level: 1 (200/500 XP)]
[Warning: Activation will be permanent and irreversible]
[Current Status: Unawakened ... All abilities locked]
[Estimated Power Level: Unknown]
[Requirements: Reach 500/500 XP to unlock Manual Activation]
The system window pulsed differently. Alex focused with sharp attention.
Manual activation wasn't available before...now it's gated behind XP requirements.
He studied the numbers. 200 out of 500 XP needed. Daily quest giving 50 XP consistently, completed four times since awakening.
Six more days needed at 50 XP per day. That puts me at exactly 500 XP on reevaluation day.
The timing felt deliberate. Eight days until reevaluation, six days of quests needed for activation. He'd unlock his abilities barely in time for the Academy's evaluation.
Assuming daily quests remain consistent. Assuming I can complete them. Assuming there aren't other XP sources I haven't discovered.
Alex moved to his desk where Academy preparation documents waited. The mundane details of beginning school suddenly seemed less important than whether he'd have access to his true abilities when it mattered.
Six days until Academy. Eight until reevaluation. Exactly six more quests needed for unlock. The timing can't be coincidental...which means I can't afford to miss a single day.
Time for careful decisions. With full knowledge of consequences.