Kael stepped onto the white stone platform. The moment both his feet were on it, the entire chamber seemed to hold its breath. The air grew still and heavy. He looked at his grandfather, who stood by the entrance with Thorne, his expression calm and encouraging. It gave Kael a bit of courage.
He took a deep breath, trying to calm his pounding heart, and closed his eyes.
"The Awakening begins now, Kael," Valerius's voice echoed in the quiet room. "Do not be afraid. What you are about to feel is your own true power. Welcome it."
As his grandfather finished speaking, Kael felt a deep hum start beneath his feet. It vibrated up from the platform, through his legs, and into his chest. It wasn't a scary feeling; it was like the low note of a beautiful song.
Then, the symbols on the walls of the chamber began to glow. One by one, they lit up with a soft, blue light, the same light from the beacon in his parents' chest. The light grew brighter and brighter, until the whole room was bathed in a gentle blue glow. The humming grew louder, and Kael felt the energy in the air begin to swirl around him.
A new message appeared in his mind, sharp and clear.
[System Message] [Awakening Process Initiated...] [High-energy environment detected. Drawing ambient Aether into Host.]
He felt a pull from all around him. It was like the air itself was turning into a warm liquid and flowing into him. It filled him up, not with strength, but with something else. Something that felt like knowledge, like magic, like the energy of the stars.
Then, the power that had been building inside him for days, the wild, untamed strength, finally broke free.
It was like a dam bursting. A huge wave of pure force exploded out of him. Kael grunted as the power rushed out, a feeling of immense pressure leaving his body. A visible, shimmering aura of white energy surrounded him, pushing outward like a shockwave.
The blue symbols on the walls flared brightly, and a dome of blue light formed over the platform, containing the blast of power. The silver doors of the chamber rattled in their frame, and a deep booming sound echoed through the room.
Thorne took an involuntary step back, his eyes wide with shock. "My Lord... that much raw power from an initial release... it's unheard of!"
Valerius did not move. He stared at his grandson, a storm of emotions on his ancient face. He saw not just power, but the shape of the Kaelen family's future. "He is my son's child, Thorne. I expected nothing less."
Inside Kael's mind, things were changing fast. The System was working, analyzing the massive rush of new energy.
[System Message] [Host's Latent Potential Unlocked.] [The Sextant Protocol is evolving...] [Analyzing Host's Core Affinity...]
Kael felt his mind expand. He was no longer just in the chamber. He was floating in a space filled with swirling colors. There were rivers of blue, red, green, and yellow light all around him. He understood, without knowing how, that this was magic. These were the elements.
But there were two colors that were much stronger than the others. One was a brilliant, pure white light. It felt familiar, like the energy the chamber was feeding him. The other was a deep, silent darkness, a patch of black that didn't reflect any light at all. It felt like the black cube he had touched in the Sump. He felt drawn to both of them.
[System Message] [Analysis Complete.] [Unique Dual Affinity Detected: Aether and Void.] [Searching for Host's unique Talent...] [Talent Found: Conceptual Comprehension.]
The words flowed through his mind, and with them came understanding. He knew what they meant. Aether was the energy of creation, of life, of magic itself. Void was the energy of nothingness, of silence, of the space between stars. To have both was incredibly rare.
And his talent, Conceptual Comprehension, meant that he didn't just learn things; he understood the ideas behind them. He could learn a sword fighting style, or he could understand the concept of sword fighting itself. The difference was huge.
The wave of power coming from him began to calm down. The wild energy was being pulled back inside him, but this time, it was different. It was not a wild river anymore. It was a calm, deep lake. It was organized. It was his to control.
A final, new message from the System appeared, clearer and more detailed than ever before. It was his new status.
[Name: Kael]
[Level: 1]
[Rank: F]
[STATS]
[Strength: 216]
[Agility: 1.0]
[Stamina: 1.0]
[Intelligence: 1.0]
[Mana: 100/100]
[TALENT]
[Conceptual Comprehension (Unique)]
[AFFINITIES]
[Aether (Divine)] [Void (Abyssal)]
[System Note]
[Awakening Complete. The Sextant Protocol has been fully integrated. Daily Escalation Protocol has been updated. All core stats (Strength, Agility, Stamina, Intelligence) and Mana will now be multiplied by a factor of 6 at every sunrise.]
Kael's eyes shot open. The bright aura around him faded away, sinking back into his skin. The blue lights on the walls dimmed, and the humming in the room stopped. Everything was quiet.
But inside him, everything was different. He could feel his strength, not as a heavy weight, but as a part of him he could use whenever he wanted. He could feel his Agility, his Stamina, his Intelligence, all low for now, but waiting. And he could feel a new power, a pool of warm energy in his chest. His Mana.
He lifted his hand and looked at it. It was the same hand, scarred and calloused from his life in the Sump. But now, it felt truly his. He clenched it into a fist, feeling the power contained within it, a power he could finally control.
Slowly, he stepped off the platform. His foot landed on the polished stone floor with a soft, quiet tap. It did not crack. It did not break. He took another step, perfectly balanced, perfectly controlled.
He looked up and met his grandfather's gaze. Valerius's eyes were filled with pride, but also a deep, profound confusion.
"Aether..." Valerius said, his voice full of awe. "A Divine affinity, as is the birthright of our family. But... what is that other one? The System calls it 'Void'?" He looked at Kael, his eyes searching. "I have studied the arcane arts for two centuries. I have read every book in the Union's archives. I have never heard of a 'Void' affinity. It is an element completely unknown to us."
Kael didn't fully understand what it all meant. But he understood one thing. The scared boy who ran from the Sump was gone. His life of hiding was over.
"Grandfather," Kael said, his voice steady and clear. "What happens now?"
Valerius's serious expression broke into a wide, genuine smile. "Now, Kael," he said, walking forward and placing a heavy, reassuring hand on his grandson's shoulder. "Now, your training begins."