A newborn's first cries resounded within the walls of the private chamber of Viscount Glacies and his wife. "Oh Dear, look!", the man exclaimed loudly, showing the child he was holding in his arms to his tired wife, as if presenting it to her. "His hair, it's violet!"
Gasps could be heard at the words the Viscount, Lord Arnold Glacies, uttered proudly, indicating that even the medical staff present felt more than simply surprised over what they had just heard.
The reason for that was simple: Not just in this Kingdom of Kheljera, but in the whole world of Tirania, children often exhibit a portion of the blessings they are born with through diverse physical characteristics, thus a different hair color was no rarity by any means - in fact, in such cases, it was the color itself they were born with that could indicate what kind of blessings they were gifted by the Gods of the World before their birth.
Blessings, so to speak, are gifts given to each soul upon the moment their self manifests for the first time in the physical world. According to some researchers, one theory that has gained much popularity nowadays, is that one's blessings are a direct manifestation of the hardships a soul may have faced, and overcome, in previous lifetimes.
While no born child had yet told of memories beyond the life they were experiencing right now, through the magic researchers conducting experiments in various ways for centuries in the world of Tirania, it is by no means a surprise to anyone anymore that souls do, in fact, exist and leave the body once the vessel experiences definite death.
Every being is born with two blessings and these are categorized in two major types, as well as various sub-types within these categories: "High Class" & "Low Class". High Class Blessings manifest always as an elementary expression aligned with an additional characteristic. Thus, someone could be born with the ability to control fire, yet their flames had mainly the attribute to bring healing instead of destruction - "The Green Flame; The Healer's Fire", someone born with this was almost certain to go down a humanitarian path, especially when the second blessing they possessed, would align well in any way with the first one.
Those born with this blessing often showed a gradient green streak within their hair or eye colors - and as one would expect: Nearly all of the medical staff present had the aforementioned characteristic present in one way or another. For instance: A woman with gradient green eyes and white hair in a doctor's uniform, a man with blue eyes and brown hair with green tips, were, with their respective assistants, present for the birth of the Viscount's child.
According to some parts of said theories, someone born with the Blessing of the Blacksmith likely experienced a lifetime, if not multiple ones, dedicated towards smithing. At times it was as simple as that, yet when someone was born with two High Class Blessings, or very unique ones of the likes the country only sees every few decades, if not centuries, they still remain clad in many mysteries the various researchers around the globe do not yet fully understand, nor can any existing theories truly explain them either.
On this day, the 22th day of the Healer's Month, the 13th month of Tirania's calender, inside the Glacies Viscounty, such a rare and unique being ... was not born. Yet the reason the people present gasped, was still cause for joy: Violet hair, and not just streaks, but thoroughly violet without any other color present, was an indication of someone being gifted the High Class Blessing of Alchemist; what elementary expression it would take remained yet to be found out, same as what secondary blessing was given to the child, but nonetheless, Alchemists were rare and highly valued by the Kingdom of Kheljera.
Alchemists did not simply specialize in mixing potions, they were able to temper with the laws of existence in limited, but still impressive ways, through the abilities called "Transformation", "Transfiguration" and "Transmutation". One could change silver into platinum, or copper into iron; another could make undrinkable water drinkable again and transmute a poisoned lake back into its original state; many such examples exist and while they all possessed limits and were mostly reliant on their own unique affinities, influenced from their second blessing, they all were valued existences, not just as researchers, but also in all other fields they were able to step into.
What alchemist would this child, born into the high standing household of the Glacies Viscounty, become? What color would its eyes reflect? The newborn had yet to open them and everyone present could not help but focus their gazes upon it.
"Darling", the Viscount's wife, Almalia Glacies, huffed tiredly; she was clearly exhausted from spending a lot of energy on birthing a new life into this world. Her left hand slowly, shakingly, stretched out towards the cheeks of her beloved baby.
"It does not matter", she said, forcing a weak smile, "what he becomes." Almalia clearly loved her son and everyone present could see a pink aura enveloping her hand, which, in turn, extended towards her child and then to her husband, Arnold. The Blessing of Love, a gift specializing in sharing ones feelings with others and strengthening their inner ability to feel and give unconditional love.
"Madame, you must stop, your body is too tired." The woman with gradient green eyes and white hair, a doctor serving the Glacies Viscounty for years, exclaimed whilst walking up to Almalia. Placing her hands on Lady Glacies' left shoulder, a short murmur could be heard, followed by a dazzling green light spreading across the body of Almalia Glacies.
"Even if I'm able to heal your body, I cannot replenish your magic essence. You must rest, now!" The woman, Arduo Leister, said these words with a mixture of worry and strength behind them, making sure everyone present, not just Lord Glacies' wife, would understand their importance.
"You're right, Arduo", replied Almalia faintly before the light enveloping both her son and husband subsided, until nothing could be seen anymore. "I just love them so much, that I couldn't hold back!" A bright grin appeared on her lips, almost making it look like no exhaustion existed within her.
"It's okay, Arduo. We will heed your words." Arnold Glacies said these words while looking with utmost kindness in his eyes towards first Arduo, and then to his own wife. He was clearly still resonating with the energy of love his wife extended towards him a moment ago, granting him a magnanimous attitude to the point that if anyone were to insult him right now, right here, he would merely wave his hand and dismiss it with a smile, never bringing it up again hereafter.
The Glacies family - a branch family of the Glaciano Dukedom, one of the Four Great Dukedoms of the Kheljera Kingdom and renown for producing generations of exceptional Ice Blessing Bearers - had been a family with the responsibility to guard a part of the eastern border of the Kheljera Kingdom.
Famous as a family that, just like the Dukedom they were connected to, could show off many well-known Ice wielders in their ranks, the Glacies Viscounty's current head, Arnold Glacies, was widely called an eccentric. Whilst previous heads of the family ensured a fitting genetic alignment by solely marrying humans with the Blessing of Ice or similarly related blessings, Arnold decided to marry out of love, not logic nor power, - something that is very rare for a noble in general, even more so for someone connected to one of the Four Great Dukedoms, as they all valued their own specific blessings beyond compare.
"What shall we call him, Dear?" Arnold asked his wife, his eyes looking at Almalia as if the mere sight of her was enough to make him capable of overcoming all the world's suffering and struggles. "Shall we go with the name you mentioned before?"
"Yes", replied Almalia, still smiling at her beloved husband. "Armalius", she said, stroking the cheek of her beloved child with such care, that it was almost like the air itself was bowing to her splendid presentation of tenderness and motherly love.
"Armalius", whispered her husband after hearing his wife's words. "Armalius Glacies! What a beautiful name, my- no, our son!" The man exclaimed with pride and joy while raising his kid up into the air with his hands. "I am so thankful you were born!"
Every person present wore a smile upon their lips seeing this display of true parental love. And as if in response to his father's joy, the young boy- Armalius Glacies, slowly opened his eyes for the first time since he was born, and it was at that moment that the joyous atmosphere froze abruptly. His irises were a radiant violet, reflecting just how much of a blessed Alchemist this young boy could become... if it wasn't for a tiny detail present within the pupils.
"The Mark of Nothingness!" No one remembers anymore who said these words in that exact moment, but they were said with such a deep level of shock, that every single person present could feel within themselves the severity of their meaning slowly sink into them, as if they were penetrating the very core of their souls.
The joy, the happiness, it all vanished in an instant. All that was left now, was the realization that his child was born with a mark so thoroughly despised that in some countries, children like that had to be killed on the spot. Whilst this may not be true for the Kheljera Kingdom, it still remained a source of significant suffering for any of its bearers. As if driving home the very truth of this moment, a truth Viscount Arnold Glacies tried to deny with all his heart, his child looked him in the eyes, showing to him said despicable mark once more: An icy blue X present in one and a rose-colored X present in his other pupil, driving home once again that both his wife's Blessing of Love as well as his own Blessing of Blue Ice, each had been utterly denied.
Armalius Glacies, born as an Alchemist and thus, a potential asset to the country, was born with one of the worst Blessings mankind knows: The Blessing of Nothingness. When it is present, no ability a person may possess from any blessing they were gifted with, could ever be used.
According to one of the theories present, it is a sign that a soul must have done something so horrendous that the Gods decided to punish them in their next life, which is why so many countries do not feel the slightest bit of regret over openly discriminating and, in some cases, disposing of the Bearers of the Mark of Nothingness.
The boy that was meant to become an extraordinary Alchemist, as the richness of the violet in both his irises and his hair indicated, was instead born as something almost all of mankind would hate and potentially try to murder. This realization hit Arnold so deeply, a tear had formed in the corner of his right eye and was slowly flowing down his cheek.
"Why?" That was the only word he was able to utter with his shaking voice. Falling to his knees, Arnold embraced his child, sorrow and pain spreading through his mind where love and joy had been just moments ago. "Why our child?"