The doors of the grand hall swung wide and a ripple of whispers ran through the crowd.
"Huh? Isn't that Young Master Mael?" someone called.
"And that other one is most certainly Young Master Rain!" another added.
Saron dropped the twins at the threshold and forced a grin. "Sorry for the state of my brothers, everyone." He plastered on a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.
Heitr, lounging on the throne, barely glanced their way and waved a lazy hand. "It's fine. I'll let it pass this time." His tone was light, but his gaze lingered longer than he let on.
Saron's brow tightened. "Father is here? He didn't come in my first life…what's different?" The question tugged at him even as trumpets signaled the start of the ceremony.
All of Heitr's children awaken two Numa each. when paired, those two tones formed a Resonance. This makes a soul's spark combine to make something new. There were 3 outcomes of this "Resonance".
Dissonant Resonance which happens when two Numa frequencies reject each other, their union causes spiritual decay or mutation.
Symphonic Resonance happens when two Numa frequencies harmonize perfectly, forming a new, stable tone.
Eclipsed Resonance happens when two opposing Numa coexist in shifting equilibrium. Not fighting, not merging, but orbiting one another like sun and moon.
William, the speaker, stood before the Source and announced the ceremony with a booming voice. "Welcome. I am William, this year's speaker. First, a round of applause for the patriarch, Heitr Alexandros!" The crowd cheered, nudged on by William's theatrics.
"My lord," William bowed, "would you like to say a few words before we proceed?"
Heitr rose slowly, a smile softening his usual stern line. "Yes. My sons, you are the last of my bloodline to do this. You will meet trials, as those before you did. Face them with pride, knowing that you are children of the Alexandros household." His voice carried easily, making the hall erupt in applause.
"Is this the same father I knew?" Saron thought. "He never did things like this…he feels different." The thought lingered like a whisper.
"Thank you, my lord." William said. "Now, the main event. First up, the wolf-beastkin twins, Mael and Rain."
The twins stepped forward and each pricked a fingertip, letting a bead of blood fall into the flame of the Source. William's face turned grave as the crystal above flared with color.
"Both young masters have awakened their Numa. Their Resonance is…Symphonic!" William announced, and cheers rolled through the hall.
"And now, our final Alexandros child, Saron!" William called, a mocking edge in his tone.
Saron approached the Source, hands trembling with a mixture of nerves and something else, the memory of dying, the blue voice, the login prompts. He pricked his finger and let a drop fall into the eternal flame.
[DETECTED: LOGIN LOCATION.]
[USE LOGIN BONUS?]
He swallowed and answered under his breath, "Yes."
[USING LOGIN BONUS...]
[CONGRATULATIONS, HOST! YOU'VE AWAKENED YOUR NUMA.]
William's voice rose with practiced drama. "Young Master Saron has awakened his Numa! His Resonance type is… Eclipsed!"
[RESONANCE TYPE: ECLIPSED]
A hush settled, then, confusion. Heitr's face shifted subtly; something behind his eyes had changed.
Heitr stood, the hall quieting under the weight of his movement. "Dismissed," he said simply, his voice carrying an unspoken command. The crowd began to file out, murmurs following them, but they left Saron standing alone near the Source.
Saron swallowed. "Father, why have you kept me behind?" His worry showed, this was not the moment he'd expected.
Saron's mind buzzed with a system warning
[ HOST, RUN. ]
"Because," Heitr said slowly, "you have brought me into the past, Saron." His voice was neither accusation nor fear, just truth. "How did you gain the power to reverse time?"
[ HOST, LISTEN TO ME! RUN! ]
Saron's protests tumbled out. "Father, I-I have no clue..."
Before he could even finish, one word stops him in his tracks.
[ WARNING: DETECTED POWERFUL ENEMY. ]
"Kneel." Heitr said coldly, directing his bloodlust towards Saron. "Before you even think about lying to me, remember this," Heitr said, leaning forward, "I will not hesitate to kill you right here and now."
[ DANGER LEVEL: INFINITE ]
Saron's protests fumbled out, choked and earnest. "Father, I-I don't know! I was betrayed and killed, but before I died I heard a voice. It…brought us back. I have no clue how any of this works."
[ ERROR... ]
"A voice with the power capable of bending time," he murmured, more to himself than to Saron. "How…interesting." The word held the weight of a man who had spent his life cataloguing powers and possibilities.
Heitr's expression smoothed. He did not demand answers yet. Instead, he leaned forward, intrigued. Whatever had happened to Saron had become, suddenly, a very valuable mystery.