[Status Window]
Name: Lyra Blessborne
Age: 17
Rank: E (Apprentice)(0%)
Bloodline: Locked
Affinity: Time, Space
Attributes
Strength: 100
Agility: 100
Endurance: 99
Perception: 97
Willpower: 73
Luck: unpredictable
Titles:
The Twin Blessed by Space
The One Who Defies the Clock
---
I barely had time to process the glowing words hovering in front of me: Time and Space? That couldn't be right. Both of those were… rare. Stupidly rare. There was only one awaken with the time affinity. My fingers twitched, tempted to reach out for the shimmering text as if touching it would make it more real.
Before I could even get my thoughts in order, a man's voice cut through my haze.
"Miss Blessborne, please step forward to the crystal for potential measurement."
My eyes darted toward the center of the room, where a massive sphere sat on a pedestal, pulsing faintly with mana. Everyone else waiting had their attention fixed on it, and now, on me. My mouth went dry.
Great. No pressure.
I forced my legs to move, each step toward the crystal feeling heavier than it should've. The crystal seemed taller up close, the mana pulsing from the sphere brushing against my skin like static.
The attendant gave me a polite nod. "Place your hands on the crystal and channel your mana. Don't hold back."
Easier said than done.
I pressed my palms to the cool surface. A faint hum thrummed beneath my skin, and the crystal flared to life, swallowing the faint light in the room. The glow deepened, shifting from pale blue to gold, then white, and it kept going, climbing into a brilliant purple.
Gasps rippled through the hall. Someone actually whispered, "That's impossible…"
When the light finally faded, three bold letters burned themselves across the display above the pedestal:
SSS
The highest rank. The kind reserved for legends.
---
Zane Blessborne
I blinked against the fading light, still seeing spots in my vision. When the letters finally burned themselves into clarity, I couldn't help but grin.
SSS.
Of course, she'd pull something like this.
Lyra turned toward me, eyes wide, clearly still trying to wrap her head around it. But all I saw was my little sister, the girl who'd worked herself half to death for years, who'd held our family together when I couldn't, finally getting the recognition she deserved.
I stepped forward, giving her a light smack on the shoulder. "Guess I'm going to have to start introducing myself as 'Lyra Blessborne's brother' now."
She rolled her eyes, but I caught the faint smile tugging at her lips.
Yeah, I was proud. Proud enough to forget for a second that my own turn was coming up next.
---
NamelessExtra
I was just here to get my own potential checked. Nothing special, nothing flashy, maybe a solid C if I was lucky. The line was moving slowly, people muttering about nerves, when the girl with the long black hair and violet eyes stepped up to the crystal.
She touched it, and for a moment, nothing happened. Then boom.
Light exploded out of the crystal, blinding enough that I had to shield my eyes. Murmurs erupted around me. The glow wasn't stopping. It just kept getting brighter and brighter until the color shifted into a blinding purple.
I heard someone whisper, "That's… that's SSS rank."
When my eyes adjusted, I saw the reading confirmed. SSS. Highest possible. The girl looked stunned, like she wasn't sure if she should believe it herself.
But the boy beside her, same black hair same violet eyes, just grinned at her like it was the most natural thing in the world. "Guess I'm gonna have to start introducing myself as 'Lyra Blessborne's brother,'" he said, clapping her on the shoulder.
And I swear, in that moment, the guy looked prouder than if he'd just gotten SSS himself.
---
Zane Blessborne
The potential examiner was a middle-aged woman with sharp eyes and the kind of posture that said she'd seen hundreds of these readings before. She barely reacted to the nervous applicants before Lyra, just the usual polite nod, the bored "place your hand on the crystal" routine.
But when Lyra's hand touched the surface, her expression changed instantly.
First came the widening of her eyes as the crystal flared. Then her jaw tightened, lips parting slightly as the light refused to fade. By the time it hit that blinding purple, the woman was leaning forward, one hand gripping the edge of her desk.
"Impossible…" she muttered, so softly I almost didn't hear it.
When the reading stabilized, she straightened her back, visibly forcing herself into professionalism. "SSS-rank potential," she announced, her voice carrying over the shocked murmurs in the room.
Her gaze flicked to mine, lingering there for just a second as if silently asking, Are you aware of what your sister is? I only smirked back.
The woman quickly jotted notes on her clipboard, but her fingers were trembling just enough for me to notice.
The woman cleared her throat, still trying to smooth over the shock in her voice. "Next, Zane Blessborne."
I stepped forward, and her eyes tracked me in a way that wasn't quite casual anymore. She gestured toward the crystal, but this time, instead of the bored tone she'd given everyone else, her voice carried weight.
"Place your palm on the crystal. It will read the resonance of your awakened mana and project your potential rank. You may feel some discomfort, heat or pressure depending on how your mana responds to the scan. The process will last about ten seconds."
She hesitated, lowering her voice. "If you resist or pull away early, the reading will be inaccurate. I don't recommend that. Understood?"
"Got it," I replied, rolling my shoulders.
Her gaze flicked between me and Lyra again, and I could tell she was bracing for something unusual. The room had quieted, all eyes shifting to me now partly because of the way I walked up without a hint of nerves, mostly because of my sister's display.
I pressed my palm against the smooth, cold surface.
---
The crystal pulsed under my hand, starting with a faint blue glow before flaring brighter, gold, then white, then a bright purple that made the room collectively gasp.
Letters formed above it in clean, bold script:
[Potential: SSS Rank]
The silence was shattered instantly.
It started with whispers, quick, sharp, almost disbelieving. Then the room erupted. Reporters swarmed forward like vultures that had been circling for hours, shoving recording crystals and microphones toward my face.
"Zane Blessborne! How long have you been training?"
"Were you born in the capital?"
"Is it true you're related to Lyra Blessborne, the other SSS rank we just saw?"
"What are your future plans? Guild work? Imperial Service?"
Behind them, people in sleek guild uniforms and sharp suits approached with predatory smiles, each carrying embossed folders or glittering insignias.
"Join the Azure Fang Guild, and we'll triple your starting stipend."
"The Imperial Mage Corps will grant you immediate officer rank."
"Our Academy's elite division has an opening for a full scholarship."
Lyra didn't escape either. Half the crowd peeled away to bombard her with their own offers and questions, shouting over each other.
"Lyra Blessborne, SSS rank, how does it feel?"
"Would you consider a contract with the Nightveil Assassins?"
"Our House will sponsor you personally if you pledge your first ten years of service."
It was like being caught in the middle of a storm, loud, fast, and suffocating. People were pushing, waving contracts, practically begging for signatures.
I glanced over at Lyra through the chaos. She was holding her own, lips pressed together in a polite smile, but I caught the faintest flicker of amusement in her eyes.
We'd walked in here as nobodies. Now we were the most famous people in the building.