"Why aren't you grovelling at my feet, rat?"
Atlas was forced to kneel from the insane level of pressure he was feeling. He felt like he was holding the sky on his very back. He hadn't panicked yet though, which was due to a multitude of reasons.
First of all, of course, he knew he was the only one not part of the Imperial or noble families to awaken such a high talent! How could he not, for he had been following the greatest talents of each year since he was in elementary school? He knew that Celestial Radon would not attack him precisely for this reason: he was a commoner too!
Furthermore, being the greatest hope of the common people, Radon was likely trying to test his mental aptitude, seeing if his mind broke easily under stress. From what he knew of Radon, the man was the greatest embodiment of a man of the people there was in Grahan, aside from perhaps the Emperor. He was the hero of the masses, and he had gone out of his way a plethora of times to assist the common man. He was too honorable to seriously hurt an innocent child.
And if that weren't enough, if Radon truly wanted to harm him, he would have ordered Escobar to do so, far away in the jungles, where no one would have noticed his absence. He couldn't afford to harm Atlas, a future pillar of the Empire.
So, for these reasons, Atlas concluded this was a test of his mettle, and he resolved that he would not disappoint!
Grunting and panting, Atlas slowly rose to his feet, yet still with a hunched back. He barely lifted his arm, and when he did, he pointed it towards Radon and flipped him off.
"Fuck you."
Then he lost consciousness.
~~
Radon Hemisphere's POV
"Hehe-Ha-HAHAHAHA," Radon burst out laughing after Atlas fell over.
"This kid's funny! I haven't laughed that much in years!" He imitated Atlas raising his middle finger and then said in a high-pitched voice, "Fuck you!"
He burst out laughing again.
"Well, Escobar, our plan failed, didn't it? At least he isn't completely brain dead and figured out what I was trying to do," he said while suppressing chuckles.
Then, his eyes narrowed. "Was he one of them?"
Escobar shook his head while sighing. "No, sir. At least, I didn't notice anything strange from him while we were together."
Radon leaned back in his chair, exhaling while he did so. "Damnit. We really need an entry point, and I thought for sure he would be one."
He sat back up while slamming his fist on the desk. "But we can't let the Emperor down. Double down on the list of leads I gave you. Make sure the other nineteen are doing the same. You are dismissed. I'll handle the kid."
Escobar saluted once more, "Yes, sir!" And then he left, leaving only Radon and the unconscious Atlas.
Radon sighed again. Then again, he had been doing a lot of that nowadays.
He shook his head, looking at Atlas, who was sprawled on the floor.
"If you only knew the chaos you caused, kid."
~~
Atlas Vesper POV
Opening his eyes, Atlas was immediately assaulted by light. After coming to his senses, he realized that he was still in Radon's office.
The man to whom it belonged was sitting in his chair, and he looked deadly serious.
'Oh no,' Atlas thought with rising horror. 'Did I misjudge the situation?' He was panicking internally now; he truly didn't want to die, which he might after the stunt he just pulled.
"Celestial Radon, I am so-so-so sorry," he said, damn near tears by now. "Please don't kill me," Atlas said, putting on the cutest face he could.
Radon's killing face vanished instantaneously, and he burst out laughing.
"You got tricked, idiot," he said while smiling. "Stop making that face," he then said in disgust, "you look like a damn hyena."
"Yes, sir," Atlas said while straightening his back and saluting.
"Also, don't call me sir. I only let those under my command call me that," said Radon.
"Anyhow," Radon stated while gesturing to the seat across from him, "let's get to business."
Atlas immediately sat down, not wanting to anger this monumental figure any longer.
"Do you know the danger you are in right now, Atlas?" he asked, his tone grim.
"No, sir." Atlas immediately responded.
"Do you know who the four noble families and their subsidiaries are?"
"Only what we've learned in school, sir," Atlas said.
"So, I guess I'll have to give you a history lesson. Listen closely, I'm only going to say all of this once, understood?" Radon asked.
"I am, sir," he said affirmatively.
Radon began speaking:
Long before the Descent, there existed four conglomerates that controlled different regions of this Empire. They all focused on different sectors, and thus, there weren't many conflicts between the four. So when the Descent occurred, these four, aside from the Imperial Family, held the most natural resources in their fields.
This was important because, to break into the Preceptor rank and above, a multitude of resources was required. Furthermore, somehow, the four noble families were able to reduce the probabilities of their offspring from inheriting affinities too far from the base affinity.
For example, members of the Leo family may awaken Phoenix Flames or Death Flames, but they will awaken an affinity related to fire, which is their base affinity. Same for the Taurus family and earth, the Pisces and water, and the Gemini and wind.
Hence, when their members evolved, they were able to provide them with materials related to their affinity, enabling them to progress more quickly. There also exist minor families such as: the Anubis family, which deals with souls; the Aether family, which deals with space; and the Chronos family, which deals with time.
"Now, do you understand why your awakening has caused so much turmoil?" said Radon.
"No?" replied Atlas hesitantly, for he really did not understand what Radon was trying to say.
"Let me ask you this, Atlas. How many people at the Arcane rank reside in this Empire?"
Atlas contemplated his question for a moment before answering confidently, "There should be seven, three in the Imperial Family and the four heads of the major noble families."
"Correct," said Radon, nodding. "Now tell me, how many prospective Arcanes are there right now?"
"Eight, including me," he said before realization dawned on his face. "They want to get rid of me because I'm a possible Arcane that is outside their control?"
"Yes, but they will try to tie you down to their families, through marriage or contracts, before they take drastic action. But know this," Radon said gravely, "if they ever think you are a variable that will found a family of his own, they will hunt you down. Your only option is to join sides with the Imperial Family. While they might not be completely fair, I can vouch that they are infinitely better than the noble families."
Atlas sat in silence, not knowing what to say to the revelation he received. While he was not egotistical, he maintained self-respect in himself, and discovering the scope of players that toyed with his life like a game humbled him.
"Anyway, let's move to lighter topics," Radon said. "Mainly, the beginning of your journey in magic," he said with a smile.
"You know the basics of cultivation from school, yes?" he asked.
"Yeah, but I don't have a technique," replied Atlas.
"That's fine. The Emperor ordered me to prepare you for the Imperial Academy, so we'll be heading back out into the wild. I'll teach you everything you need to know and help you figure out your affinity. After all, I was also an unregistered." Radon stood from his seat.
"Thanks a lot, sir," Atlas said before getting up as well.
"Let's go," he said before wind started to whip around them. Atlas blinked, and upon opening his eyes, he found himself floating in midair, with the imposing frame of Celestial Radon next to him.
He found himself out of his high school uniform, dressed in loose black pants and a shirt.
"Do you want to see the true extent of a Celestial's power?" asked Radon. "Do you want to know why they call me Heavenly Tempest?"
"Yes!" Atlas replied. Seeing a Celestial, especially one of Radon's caliber, would expand his worldview greatly.
"Don't blink. You might miss it," said Radon before he raised his arm in front of him, palm open.
Gigantic and dark blue magic circles began forming in the air in front of his palm, spinning concentrically. They were filled with bizarre symbols, and rapidly, they began to glow in bursts.
Atlas barely heard Radon's next words, for they were said in a whisper.
"Cyclonic Maelstrom."
And then the world went dark.