The bells of Elarion rang at dawn.
Their deep, echoing sound spread across the capital, announcing a day that every child feared and desired at the same time.
The Awakening Day.
Arin stood among the crowd, his thin cloak fluttering in the cold morning wind. Around him were boys and girls of his age—sixteen—each one trying to look brave, though fear hid behind their eyes.
Today, they would discover what kind of magic lived inside them.
Or whether they had any at all.
Arin swallowed hard.
"Don't mess this up," he muttered to himself.
He had heard the whispers all his life.
Weak.
Useless.
Born without talent.
In Elarion, magic was everything. Those with strong magic became knights, scholars, nobles—even kings. Those without it lived in shadows, forgotten by the world.
Arin had no noble blood. No powerful family. Only a sick mother waiting at home and a future that depended entirely on what would happen today.
At the center of the grand square stood the Awakening Crystal—a massive floating stone, glowing with shifting colors. Red for Fire. Blue for Water. Green for Wind. Brown for Earth. And—
Arin quickly looked away.
Black.
Shadow.
Forbidden magic.
The Royal Knights stood nearby, their silver armor shining under the sun. Their hands rested on their swords, eyes sharp and cold. Everyone knew why they were here.
Shadow magic was a curse.
A century ago, Shadow Mages had nearly destroyed the kingdom. Since then, a single law ruled Elarion:
Any Shadow Mage must be executed immediately.
"Next!" a mage shouted.
One by one, the youths stepped forward.
A boy touched the crystal. It glowed red.
"Fire affinity! Mid-grade!"
Cheers erupted.
A girl followed. Blue shimmered.
"Water affinity!"
More applause.
Arin's heart beat faster with every name called.
Finally—
"Arin Vale."
Silence fell.
He felt hundreds of eyes on him as he stepped forward. His legs trembled, but he didn't stop. Slowly, he raised his hand toward the crystal.
Please, he prayed.
Any element… just not shadow.
The moment his fingers touched the crystal, the world seemed to freeze.
At first, nothing happened.
A few people laughed.
"Figures," someone whispered.
Then—
The crystal pulsed.
Once.
Twice.
The colors vanished.
Darkness spread across its surface like living ink.
Black light exploded into the sky.
The square gasped.
"No…" the mage whispered, stumbling backward.
The Royal Knights moved instantly.
"S–Shadow magic!" someone screamed.
Arin staggered as an overwhelming cold flooded his body. His vision blurred. He felt something ancient awaken deep inside him—silent, vast, and terrifying.
The crystal cracked.
Black energy wrapped around his arm like chains.
"Seize him!" the knight commander roared. "Kill him before it spreads!"
Fear snapped Arin back to reality.
Kill?
He turned and ran.
Shouts echoed behind him. Steel clashed. Magic flared.
As Arin sprinted through the narrow streets, one thought burned in his mind:
If I stop… I die.
Behind him, shadows stretched unnaturally long.
And they followed his command.