Chapter 4: Awakening Day
The sky was still cloaked in the quiet of night, stars twinkling above as dawn had yet to break.
Antiarena City, a modest settlement nestled along the border of the Empire of Turks, hardly lived up to its name. Despite being called a city, it lacked even the most basic of defenses—no walls, no gates. It was more of a glorified outpost than a true urban centre as there was no proper streets or roads.
Ravi's grey robe had automatically stitched and cleaned itself to new. After that, he took out a glass bottle filled with vermilion liquid. As he spread the liquid over his injuries, it instantly healed.
From the water bottle, he performed ablution. After spreading a clean piece of cloth in a particular direction, he performed the Fajr prayer. As he offered dua at the end, he put back the water bottle, the white cap on his head, and the clean piece of cloth under his grey robe. Ravi looked at the sky. The dawn was about to approach.
Today, however, there was an unusual buzz in the air. Candles flickered in doorways and alley corners, casting warm light across the dirt paths. The townspeople, most with auburn hair and azure eyes, wore primitive garb that reflected a time before the invention of electricity. The people of this town relied more on essence aspect and essence techniques rather than technology.
Ravi walked along the main dirt trail while silently reciting Durood Ibrahim, lined with tents on both sides. Merchants and salesmen hawked their wares—everything from daily necessities to weapons, armour, and shimmering stones known as Essence Crystals.
The town pulsed with a subtle magic. Ravi noticed a woman in a flowing gown and veil healing a small boy's scraped knee. A soft, radiant light glowed from her left hand, accompanied by a gentle hum, as the child's injury vanished. Beside her stood a tall man, around 180cm, grinning foolishly and carrying a massive greatsword slung across his back. Nearby, others browsed stalls or chatted in Curiu, one of the common tongues of the Inmitten Continent. Ravi sighed as it was the second language, he most struggled with.
A breeze drifted through, carrying pink petals on its back. Trees with delicate pink leaves lined the trail, their fallen foliage dancing in the air rather than cluttering the ground, adding to the serene beauty of the morning.
In the far away distance, Ravi spotted a blurry towering, spear-like structure piercing the sky and disappearing into the clouds.
"That must be the palace of the ruler of these lands," he mused before shifting his gaze back to the street, his thoughts drifting to the man who had attacked him the night before.
He had a good idea of who was responsible. 'When I escaped the pursuit from Azure Village, I was ambushed by a member of the Order of Cards … He's likely watching, waiting for me to lower my guard. If I'm right, he can even change his face and form at will.'
Ravi wasn't too worried about another ambush. What concerned him more was the possibility of encountering the ruler of these lands—who, unlike figureheads in other lands, was said to be the strongest scholarly warrior here.
After ascending a stone staircase lined with candles, Ravi quietly merged with a group gathered in front of a grand masjid. They offered silent prayers before proceeding toward another grand structure behind it. At its peak was a golden emblem: a dragon pierced by a sword, enclosed within a diamond-shaped frame. Below it, golden script read: Red Arena Academy.
Today was the Annual Awakening Day.
The world had changed drastically after the great wars and the devastation they left behind. On the Inmitten Continent, every living being—human, animal, and even plant—possessed an energy known as Essence. It flowed through their nervous and circulatory systems, as vital as blood. If it was entirely drained, death would soon follow.
Around the age of seven, many individuals awakened their Essence Aspect, a unique manifestation of their inner essence. This awakening could be triggered through specific techniques. A person's bloodline often influenced the form their aspect took, though mutations could cause unpredictable, sometimes dangerous variations. In time, one's aspect came to define their identity and future.
Talent was measured by how much essence one could store—and how well they could control it. Those capable of wielding essence became known as Essence Wielders.
As dawn approached, the entrance to Red Arena Academy swelled with people. Parents and their children crowded the gates, eager and nervous for the awakening ceremony. Ravi, keeping to the edge of the gathering, scanned the crowd cautiously, as if searching for someone. Despite his calm exterior, he remained on high alert.
There was a strong chance the ruler of these lands would attend the ceremony in person, and he didn't want to create a commotion.