Morning arrived with the toll of bronze bells.
They were mounted along the inner walls of the city, heavy discs struck by rotating hammers powered by formations. Each sound rolled outward like a slow heartbeat, announcing the Awakening Day to every street and alley. For the youths who had reached the proper age, it marked a threshold that could never be crossed twice.
Willow Rest woke earlier than usual.
Aunt Lan had been moving through the halls since before dawn, her cane tapping against the stone floors as she inspected everything with her sharp eyes. Clothes were checked, shoes mended as best as possible, hair tied neatly. Even the children who usually dragged their feet moved quickly today. No one joked. No one complained.
Li Shui washed his face at the courtyard basin. The water was icy, drawn straight from an underground vein. He cupped it in his hands and let it run down his neck, steadying his breath as he always did. His reflection in the basin wavered briefly, then returned to stillness—dark hair, calm eyes, a face that revealed nothing.
Da Niu stood nearby, rolling his shoulders as if warming up for a fight. He laughed too loudly, the sound forced.
"You'll go before me," he said, trying to sound casual. "You're older. Means you'll steal all the luck."
Li Shui glanced at him. "Luck doesn't steal," he replied. "It chooses."
Da Niu blinked, then scratched his head and laughed again, this time softer.
Ah Lan appeared carrying a stack of thin wooden slips marked with names and origins. She handed them out carefully, her fingers lingering for just a moment when she passed Li Shui his.
"Don't rush," she said under her breath. "The array responds better to steady hearts."
"I know," Li Shui answered.
Xiao He tugged at his sleeve, eyes shining with nervous excitement. "Big Brother Shui, will it hurt?"
"Only if you're afraid," Li Shui said.
Xiao He straightened immediately, puffing out his chest.
They left Willow Rest together, joining the flow of people heading inward toward the city's core. The further they walked, the smoother the streets became. Cracked stone gave way to polished slabs. Tattered banners were replaced by silk standards bearing sigils of clans and academies.
Guards lined the avenues, their armor engraved with faintly glowing runes. Their eyes swept over the crowd, indifferent and sharp.
At the end of the avenue stood the Awakening Pavilion.
It was a circular structure of pale blue stone, veined with silver lines that pulsed faintly like breathing veins. The air around it felt heavier, charged with invisible currents. Even before entering, Li Shui could sense the dense concentration of Worldly Natural Energy gathered there.
Officials checked names at the entrance with mechanical efficiency.
"Orphanage, eastern district," one clerk repeated, stamping their slips without lifting his gaze.
Inside, the temperature dropped slightly.
The pavilion's interior was vast, its domed ceiling inscribed with massive rotating formations that drew energy from the surrounding land. The light within was soft and cold, reflecting off a central platform made of translucent crystal.
The Awakening Array.
Runes traced its surface in slow, deliberate patterns. Shallow channels filled with luminous liquid circled it, responding faintly to the presence of each youth who approached.
Tiered seating surrounded the platform. Noble families occupied the lower rows, servants standing behind them. Independent cultivators clustered in groups, their expressions guarded. Orphans and commoners were directed to the upper tiers, where the air felt thinner.
Li Shui sat with the others from Willow Rest and observed.
One by one, names were called.
A boy in embroidered robes stepped onto the array. Wind surged, forming a spiral of green energy behind him.
"Wind Resonance, sixth grade."
Applause followed.
Another youth awakened a fire resonance. Another produced dull earth light barely strong enough to register. Some faces shone with pride; others left the platform pale and silent.
One boy screamed as energy rebounded violently through his body. The array dimmed for a long moment afterward, and healers rushed forward without expression.
Xiao He's grip tightened on Ah Lan's sleeve.
Li Shui did not look away.
He watched how the array reacted differently to each person—how confidence stabilized the energy, how fear caused turbulence, how some bodies resisted the flow while others seemed to invite it. He memorized every detail.
Time stretched.
The list shortened.
As the noble youths finished, the atmosphere subtly changed. The formations overhead rotated faster, as if growing impatient. The pressure within the pavilion increased, pressing faintly against the chest.
Li Shui felt something stir deep inside him.
Not pain.
Not warmth.
Awareness.
Like a vast body of water sensing an approaching storm.
He remained still.
The clerk glanced at the remaining names and raised his voice.
"Next group."
Li Shui rose with the others.
As he stepped toward the platform, the crystal beneath the array gave off a faint hum—soft enough that no one else seemed to notice. He stopped at the edge, waiting for his name to be called.
Calm.
Steady.
Above him, the runes continued their slow rotation, measuring something unseen.
Outside, the bells rang again—deeper, heavier.
And within Li Shui's chest, something ancient and patient continued to wait.