"Kardin, get down here now!"
I groaned as I pushed myself out of bed. I knew what day it was and from the tone in my mothers voice, I was already running late. "I'm coming!" I shouted, yanking on the crisp uniform she'd ironed last night.
In the bathroom mirror, my black hair stuck out like a bird's nest. I wrestled it into a tail, catching my emerald-green eyes—too pretty for my own good. That face had started more fights than I could count.
I quickly finished freshening up and making sure the uniform was on correctly before heading downstairs where my mother was waiting with a simple breakfast.
"Sit and eat, then get going. You do not want to be late for your attunement" she said, though I could tell from the slight nod she gave me she approved of my morning handiwork. Even if her eyes were looking more worried than usual.
The Attunement ceremony was something every person went through at the age of 16, after their final year in whatever school or junior academy they went to. It was the moment that would define your entire future, get a strong attunement in aura and after you graduated from an Attuned academy you would be recognized as a full fledged Knight.
A strong attunement in mana would lead you to being a Mage, either of these could lead you to high places. Knights may become Generals or Honor Guards, Mages might become Court Mages that worked directly with Kings or Nobility. Potentially even famous researchers of new innovative magics.
I nodded to my mother and quickly sat down, stuffing my face with the fresh eggs and toast. "Will you be there?" I asked
"Of course. Someone has to keep you from punching the first idiot who looks at you sideways." She smirked.
"Mom, I already told you they started it!" I groaned back through the food, earning myself a signature disapproving look from my mother.
"Yes, yes. Hurry up and finish your food, I'll clean up then head to the ceremony after."
I nodded and finished up before rushing out the door, hearing yells about 'being careful' behind me. Looking around I could see the familiar gridded streets of Bythos City, I still hated the layout. The city planner must have been either very busy, or very uncreative.
Luckily the beauty of the city itself made up for it somewhat, the stonemasons and carpenters who built the place had an obvious love for the craft. The buildings were made in the signature basalt rock of the region and cut in ways that gathered tourists from around the Vaelen Kingdom to see. With the ceremony taking place in the crown jewel of the city, a massive cathedral dedicated to Mirathil, the goddess of freedom who the majority in Vaelen pray to.
Today the city thrummed with a restless edge. Not all eight hundred thousand souls could abandon their posts—fishmongers still gutted cod at the docks, bakers sweated over ovens, guards kept their rounds—but enough had slipped away to choke the avenues. A river of bodies funneled toward Mirathil's cathedral, neighbors shouting wagers on which kid would soar and which would sink. Strangers clapped my shoulder as I passed, spotting the uniform. "Luck, lad!"
Arriving at the cathedral I found the side entrance after weaving through the massive crowd where two knights had been stationed. Already expecting the question I presented my ID to the one who extended his hand first.
"Kardin Dremskir, sixteen years old and a recent graduate of Bythos's Itrinilum Junior Academy." He nods while reading it aloud to his partner. I see his partner flip through a ledger which seemed to list every sixteen year old in the city who should be at the ceremony. I watch as my own name is crossed off while retrieving my ID from the first Knight and getting gestured inside the large oak door behind them that now stands open.
I thank the Knights and walk through the doorway, feeling a wave of uneasiness wash over me. I was nervous but definitely not to the point of getting a cold shiver upon walking into a cathedral that was surrounded by Knights and filled with Mages. I quickly turn around and bring my hands up, ready to block whatever attack may be coming but…nothing.
I lower my guard and look at the Knights who are smirking at me through the doorway, "You are the 4th to sense that so far kid, seems we might have another strong Mage soon. That was a magical device automatically hitting you with a spell, that particular one being 'dispel'. It's just used to make sure no one is trying to sneak into the ceremony and cause trouble by disguising themselves through magic. Go on now, you have places to be." The first Knight waved me off again, though with what looked like amusement in his eyes that made my cheeks heat up.
Not wanting them to see me getting embarrassed I quickly thank him for the explanation and continue on. The side entrance directly leads into a long hallway, lined with magically powered lanterns to light the way through the dark stone. I can hear the familiar jumbled mess of words and laughter further in and after reading a few plaques along the wall I noticed we were getting divided by schools and academies.
'Bigwigs want us marching out in trial order', I realized, and instantly wished I hadn't.
The junior trials had pitted all twelve major academies against each other. Sparring for the would-be Knights, theory gauntlets for the future Mages. Itrinilum took third. Not bad—until you learned one lost bout had cost us second. My bout. My loss to Ranfren.
That single defeat still burned in half my classmates' eyes. The lower your academy ranked, the slimmer your shot at the elite Attuned schools. Some took only five students total; others wouldn't touch anyone outside first place. A strong attunement wouldn't save you if they decided your fundamentals were trash—and I was the reason we sat in third.
So when I spotted the Itrinilum door, I sighed, squared my shoulders, and pushed inside.