⭐ — The High Priestess and the Twelve Pillars
Silence settled over the Awakening Hall like gentle snowfall.
Arcanis stepped toward the floating crystalline orb at the center of the runic circle. The air thickened with anticipation; whispers died; even the flicker of elemental light seemed to pause.
From the front of the hall, a figure stepped forward.
The High Priestess of the Elemental Church.
An elven woman draped in flowing pale-blue robes adorned with shimmering water-crystals. Long white hair fell down her back in intricate braids. Her eyes—silver-blue, calm and deep—carried the stillness of an ancient lake untouched by storms.
She bowed with serene grace.
Arcanis returned the gesture with controlled royal dignity.
"Your Highness," she said, voice melodic and clear, "may the elements guide you today."
"And may the Church continue to illuminate their truths," Arcanis replied calmly.
Her eyes glimmered with approval.
"You speak like one touched by balance. A good omen."
Soft murmurs rippled among the nobles at the compliment.
Arcanis's expression remained steady as his gaze shifted beyond her—toward the twelve colossal pillars surrounding the hall. Each pulsed with its own faint glow:
Crimson for Fire
Deep azure for Water
Pale cyan for Ice
Gold for Light
Obsidian for Shadow
Jade for Nature
Silver for Wind
Dark brown for Earth
Violet for Lightning
Steel-grey for Metal
Ethereal white for Spirit
Faint indigo for Gravity
He studied each one in calm silence.
The High Priestess noticed.
"You are curious, Your Highness?"
"No," Arcanis replied. "Simply observing."
"Ah." Her gentle smile deepened. "Observation is the beginning of wisdom."
She stepped beside him, her robes gliding like mist on water.
"Allow me to explain," she said softly. "These twelve pillars represent the major elements known to the world."
"Major?" Arcanis repeated.
She nodded.
"Yes. Only the major. Not all."
The nobles shifted—some surprised, some enlightened, some leaning forward to hear more.
"There exist many elements beyond these twelve. Rare ones… forgotten ones… some too powerful or too unstable to categorize. Some appear once in a century, others once in a millennium."
Her spiritual aura washed through the hall like a calming breeze.
"But only twelve have been consistently observed, mastered, and recorded through history."
She rested her hand lightly on one of the glowing runes.
"Fire. Ice. Gravity. Blood. Time… legends speak of countless hidden elements. But legends do not offer mastery."
She turned her serene gaze to Arcanis.
"Knowledge is nothing without understanding. And understanding is nothing without control."
Arcanis nodded, his attention sharp.
Many more than twelve…
He quietly absorbed every word.
If the known pillars were only a fraction, then the world's depth was far beyond what he had seen so far.
"And your affinity, Your Highness," the High Priestess continued, "will determine which elements answer you."
Whispers skimmed the air:
"What will react?"
"Light, perhaps—like His Majesty?"
"Maybe Spirit, like the queen."
"No… today feels strange."
"Rare, maybe…?"
The priestess raised her hand, restoring silence.
"Your Highness, please step forward," she said, voice soft but steady.
She gestured toward the crystalline orb—its surface swirling faintly with trapped mana veins.
"Place your hand upon the Awakening Orb. Let it reveal the truth within your soul."
Arcanis inhaled once.
Not deeply.
Not dramatically.
Just enough.
Calm.
Steady.
Majestic.
He stepped forward.
---
⭐ — The First Touch
The hall fell into profound silence.
The kind of silence where even breaths dared not echo.
Nobles leaned forward.
Priests stared with reverent focus.
Captains steadied their stances.
The royal family watched without blinking.
Even the elements themselves seemed to wait.
Arcanis extended his hand—
And touched the orb.
FWOOM—!
The orb vibrated violently.
Light surged within it, veins brightening like lightning trapped under frozen glass.
A low hum rolled through the hall—deep, resonant, ancient. Runic patterns flared beneath Arcanis's feet.
Priests gasped.
Several nobles stepped back instinctively.
Captains stiffened, their instincts sharpening.
Then—
POV: Captain Serion
This pressure… It feels like my spirit is facing a blade sharper than reality itself.
POV: Captain Vareth
Unstable? No… this is too controlled. Too heavy. As though the world is shifting its weight.
POV: High Priestess
No… impossible…! The orb has never reacted like this, not even for plateau-breakers…
POV: King Alistair
My son… what have you awakened within yourself?
POV: Queen Elara
The spirit resonance… it's harmonizing beyond natural limits…
POV: Princess Aria
(eyes sparkling, overflowing excitement)
Brother is so cool!
The floor vibrated subtly.
Mana spiraled upward.
The first pillar ignited.
---
WATER.
A deep azure beam shot skyward like an ocean rising.
Gasps filled the hall.
"A Water affinity!"
"As expected of the royal bloodline—"
"No… look—!"
The second pillar flared—
ICE.
Pale cyan light burst forth, sharp and elegant like frost spreading across steel.
Shock rippled through the hall.
Water and Ice together…
Rare.
Extremely rare.
Almost impossible.
But the orb trembled again.
And the hall froze.
"No…" the High Priestess whispered.
The third pillar rumbled.
A deep, vibrating force emanated through the hall.
GRAVITY.
Indigo light surged upward, dense and powerful—pulling the air with it.
Several nobles stumbled.
Even knights braced their stances.
Captains exchanged stunned glances.
Three pillars.
Three elements.
A tri-elemental awakening.
Something unheard of in Aravell's recorded history.
But fate wasn't finished.
The orb pulsed—
Once.
Twice.
Deeper.
Older.
The runes across the hall lit with blinding brilliance.
Mana swirled violently around Arcanis—yet none of it touched him. It flowed around his form like he was the center of a calm storm.
His hair lifted slightly.
His robe fluttered.
His expression remained composed.
And then—
Behind his hand—
etched in mana—
a new symbol appeared.
Not belonging to any pillar.
Not belonging to any known element.
A symbol of potential.
A symbol that glowed like a divine verdict.
[Potential: SSS★ — Limitless]
The hall broke.
Gasps erupted.
A staff clattered to the floor.
A noble collapsed to his knees.
Priests murmured frantic prayers.
Captains felt their hearts pound in disbelief.
The Vael Royal Family—
King Alistair's eyes widened, breath caught.
Queen Elara's hand flew to her chest.
Princess Aria nearly jumped in place.
The entire hall trembled with shock.
And then silence returned.
Not gentle silence.
Crushing silence.
Reverent silence.
Arcanis slowly withdrew his hand.
The orb dimmed, exhausted… yet the symbols remained floating in the air:
Water. Ice. Gravity.
Affinity: Universal Resonance
Potential: SSS★ (Limitless)
People stared.
Unable to speak.
Unable to breathe.
Unable to fully understand what they were witnessing.
A trembling whisper finally escaped someone's lips:
"…a monster…"
Another voice:
"…a miracle…"
A deeper whisper:
"…a future sovereign…"
The High Priestess stepped forward, voice soft, trembling, reverent:
"Your Highness…
This is not merely rare.
This is destiny."