The old walked to the edge of the mountain and sat beside his grandson as they both watched the son go down.
"When the sun was yellow, painting the world in its golden rays….my father and I would both watch as the sun went to sleep while he told me endless stories about the 100 year war vividly as though he was there"
"For ten years, I never got bored of his stories because he had a different one every day and even more interesting" he said with a soft laugh as if remembering a fond memory.
"And then one day we sat together and watched as the sun set. Quietly and peacefully. I waited and waited but no story came. Darkness had almost engulfed the world. He looked down on me and told me to sit face to him and for the first time, I saw pain his eyes. Pain of loss. Without uttering any word, I knew the time had come. The time for him to let go of his only son into a dangerous world, alone "
"I knew deep down he wished I wouldn't receive any profession or talent" He said with a soft laugh.
"But I had goals. I had a dream. One that would make the world a better place and I had to achieve them"
"That night, when the words 'Ice Mage' appeared in front of me, I knew I had more than dreams to achieve. I had taken on responsibilities as well"
"Do you know why i always told you stories about the hundred year war?" he had asked and I shook my head.
"Do you remember the first thing that triggered the war?" He asked again and this time around I hurried to answer.
"Betrayal by the Gods"
"And do you know why some of the Gods chose to betray men in their desperate times of need"
"Because of selfishness" i answered.
"And do you know the how many sins that selfishness breed?" He continued.
"Seven"
"From tomorrow, you'll be exposed to a world where all these seven sins lurk at every corner ready to prey on you through men and even Gods as predators"
"A cruel world that is guarded by no laws, where anybody can fall a victim at anytime"
"Where trust is a thin line between loyalty and betrayal and even Gods can turn their backs on you any moment"
"In that world,"
"Pay cruelty with cruelty"
"Pay Kindness for kindness"
"But never expect your kindness to be paid by kindness and always expect your cruelty to be repaid with cruelty"
"You'll go in as a prey, but learn to become a predator or you shall always be hunted"
"Those were my father's words. And I'm passing them to you today." Aaron said as he sat beside the younger boy.
"In the outside world, learn to lead or you shall always be led into wrong places"
Lucian took in a deep breath as his grandfather's words sank in. What would come the next day was inevitable and he hoped he would make his family proud.
——————
The day of awakening has arrived and many people brimmed with anticipation towards the longest night in the world.
The town of Frosgate was more lively than usual as so many people from nearby villages had traveled to test their affinity and receive their professio
Affinity is the ability of a person to wield magic. The higher a person's affinity, the better the magic they received.
Those who did not have any affinity at all would receive skills that was soul bound to them. It was more of a backup of all Ferunians.
Those who didn't receive anything at all would either give up and settle for a normal life without being hunter or pursue skills or professions that could be learned. But these type of people were rare. It could be measured as one in a million, as many people either received affinity professions and soul bound skills.
Lucian stood at the edge of the mountain that overlooked the entire Frostgate town. It was his favorite place in the world. He watched as the sun slowly made way as night took over the world.
As he watched, his grandfather's words from the previous day played over and over again in his mind.
Although he was young, he understood every bit of the information the old man gave him. He was known to be smart but in reality, he was more smarter than his age.
He understood the world more better than peers of his age. He knew after the night of Soltice, no matter the outcome, his life would never be the same.
And for some unknown reasons, he felt anxious.
As he stood there, he prayed silent to the Gods to give him a good outcome.
As the last light of the sun disappeared from the horizon, he made his way slowly to the town centerwhere many people had gathered waiting for the awakening ceremony.
Though he was the first one to finish dressing and left home without anyone's notice, he knew his family would be waiting for him there.
Many people gathered at the event center, waiting for the official announcement to begin the ceremony.
Lucian pushed his way through the crowd trying to find any familiar person. He saw a wave at the corner of his eyes and turned around to see his sister together with the other family members.
He moved to their side and stood beside his grandfather who patted his shoulder with an encouraging smile. Nobody uttered a word as they all waited for the start of the event. They had all gone through this ceremony at one point in their life and knew how anxious the younger boy must be.
A few minutes later, a slim man with long black hair walked onto the erected stage and made a hand gesture signaling the crowd to quiet down.
He held up a small device that projected a middle aged man in a dark-green military attire.
He was the General commander of the western alliance academy and oversaw the recruitment of all soldiers into the Western Alliance.
He could be said as the highest ranking soldier in the entire western continent and nobody, not even the kings questioned him.