The Sanctuary of Awakening was a place designed to impress. The high, vaulted ceilings disappeared into the gloom, and the cold marble walls echoed every whisper. In the center of the great hall stood the Awakening Stone, a smooth, ageless obsidian monolith that vibrated with latent power. The air was heavy, saturated with the district's youth's anxiety and feverish hope. Kael stood silently and motionless in the line of aspirants. He watched the scene with a detached eye, like a general studying a map.
One by one, the teenagers stepped forward, placed a trembling hand on the stone, and their destiny was sealed in a flash of light. A sturdy boy was enveloped in a blood-red aura, signifying the Fury Class. His family gave a polite ovation. A shy girl brought forth a gentle emerald glow, signifying the Siphon Class with an affinity for healing. Approving murmurs followed.
Then it was Marcus's turn. He stepped forward with the confidence of a conqueror, his chest puffed out. He practically struck the stone with his palm, and the response was instantaneous and spectacular. An explosion of crimson light, so intense it made the front rows recoil, illuminated the hall. The examining mage, an old man with a gray beard, announced in a loud voice tinged with respect, "Marcus Valerius! Class: Fury! Unique ability: [Blazing Fists]! A first-rate talent!".
Loud applause erupted. Marcus turned, savoring his triumph. His gaze swept over the crowd, stopping on Kael, and he gave him a mocking smile that said, "Top that".
"Kael Valerius!" the examiner called out.
A relative silence fell. The name Valerius carried a certain weight, and expectations were high. Kael stepped forward. His gait wasn't that of a nervous teenager but of a man walking toward a scaffold he had chosen himself. Every step was measured and calm. He arrived in front of the black monolith. He could feel the immense power sleeping inside, a chaotic energy waiting for a spark to take shape. He raised his hand and placed it on the cold stone.
Nothing. For a long second, absolutely nothing happened. No light, no aura. Then, the stone seemed to... darken. Instead of emitting light, it seemed to absorb it. A faint, sickly gray glow, like the flame of a dying candle, pulsed once inside the obsidian, then went out.
The silence in the room became heavy. The examining mage frowned, tapping a diagnostic crystal on his wrist that remained desperately dark. He cleared his throat, his embarrassment palpable.
"Kael Valerius," he began with a hesitant voice, lowering his tone as if to apologize. "Class... Sage. Unique ability... [Wisdom]".
The word "Sage" hung in the air, charged with incomprehension. A perplexed murmur ran through the crowd. A Sage? This class was forgotten in the history books. Was it a system failure? The murmur turned into contemptuous whispers and some stifled laughter. Kael saw his father's confident smile freeze, turning into a mask of shock and incomprehension. He saw his mother bring a hand to her mouth, with tears in her eyes. And he heard Marcus's loud, unrestrained laugh, a laugh that sealed his public humiliation.
As the world judged and condemned him, Kael was elsewhere. In his mind, the Codex of Echoes interface shone with an intense light.
[Host Awakening detected. Synchronizing with the Energy Core...]
[Class: Sage. Potential analysis in progress... ERROR. Potential: Incalculable.]
[Unique ability: [Wisdom] recognized as Fundamental Protocol Key.]
[Codex of Echoes recalibration initiated... 1 %]
He lowered his eyes to his hand, still on the cold stone. Amidst the tumult of his own disgrace, for the first time since his return, a genuine expression appeared on his face. A smile. Cold, sharp, and absolutely predatory. The game had just begun.