Chapter 4: The First Resonance
The next morning came too quickly.
I woke to the soft hum of machinery and the faint scent of antiseptic lingering in the air. Chaldea never truly slept—shifts swapped quietly, alarms echoed in distant wings, and the steady tap of footsteps occasionally passed the door. The world moved on without pause.
Mash was already by my side when my eyes opened. This time, the exhaustion shadows under her eyes were gone, replaced by a fierce determination. Yet, I caught the slight stiffness in her posture, a quiet testament to nights spent pushing her limits without rest.
"Senpai," she said softly, voice threaded with nervous excitement, "Director Olga has scheduled your calibration test for today. It's… important. It will measure how your connection to the FATE system adapts to Servant summoning."
Calibration—a clinical word masking intense weight. The air bore tension like electricity.
Before I could reply, the door slid open with a gentle hiss. Roman stepped in, tablet in hand, with an easy but tired smile. "Good morning, Aion. Mash. Ready for the first real step into your Master duties?"
"I think so," I answered, though my pulse quickened at the thought. Somewhere deep inside, that faint heartbeat of power stirred again, resonating like it knew what was coming.
The Calibration Chamber
They guided me through broad, gleaming white corridors to a sealed chamber the size of a gymnasium. The walls shimmered faintly, inscribed with glowing runes like circuitry infused with magic. At the center was a summoning circle etched into the floor, glowing a soft, ethereal blue, layered with geometric patterns I immediately recognized from the stories.
It looked as I'd imagined from manga and webnovels, yet seeing it in reality was humbling—the lines almost breathed, subtly shifting as if alive, waiting.
Olga Marie stood by a control console, regal in her flowing golden-tinged robe. Her gaze was sharp but tempered with calm authority.
"This is calibration, not summoning," she explained. "We measure your mana output, compatibility, and any anomalous readings. Expect discomfort, but nothing dangerous."
I stepped onto the circle. The instant my boot touched the sigil, a powerful pulse rippled through me—a bass thrum moving from my heart down to trembling fingertips.
Roman's voice crackled over speakers. "Focus on channeling your mana. Think of filling the circle beneath you with light."
I closed my eyes, pushing deeper than before, drawing from the infinite heartbeat inside me.
What happened next shattered my expectations.
The Surge
The air thickened; pressure seemed to drop. Threads of pure white-gold light spiraled from my hands, pouring into the circle below. Soft gasps echoed from the observation deck.
Mash's wide eyes locked onto the glowing sigils. "Senpai, your mana… it's rewriting the circle!"
I opened my eyes to see that the blue lines were replaced by ever-shifting, intricate patterns of light—strange runes forming and dissolving as if the floor itself breathed lifeblood.
The glow crept up my legs, gentle but electric, thrilling and terrifying.
Olga barked sharp commands. "Shut down output before the system destabilizes!"
"I can't," I whispered. The Omnific Creation Force wasn't responding to me—it was flowing through me, willed by something deeper. Runes I'd never seen carved themselves into the chamber like living script.
Then, the burst slowed, withdrawing into my chest with a soft exhalation.
I staggered, gripping the edge for balance. Roman was speechless. "That wasn't normal mana output… that was… creation. The circle adapted to you."
Olga's eyes were steel, but her voice steady. "You are more problematic than anticipated. If this had been a live summoning, I doubt the Servant would be bound by conventional rules."
Mash stepped closer, awe shimmering in her gaze. "Senpai, I've never seen mana like that."
The Assignment
Olga folded her arms, contemplative. "More tests are necessary. Your power may let you bypass normal compatibility restrictions."
I finished her thought, "Then I can choose who I summon?"
She said nothing, but her sharp look said everything.
Roman cleared his throat uneasily. "Well, that's… encouraging." His grin was shaky. "Your first official summoning will be tomorrow, with the chamber reinforced."
Mash gripped her shield strap tightly. "Your first Servant… I feel they'll connect to you as deeply as I do."
Her words stirred something fierce inside me—not jealousy, but a promise. My bond with Mash was the foundation, but this fate had space for others. Heroes whose stories I'd rewrite.
As Olga's voice faded behind us, she said, "Be ready, Master Aion. Tomorrow, you begin rewriting history's roster."
Deep within, the Omnific Creation Force pulsed once more—stronger, keener, eager.