The 13th birthday of a citizen was a long awaited event that would be the big reveal on whether a child received any power from the Mystics.
On the other hand, the 13th birthday of an abandoned orphan was a much dreaded event that decided the fate of that child.
On the 13th birthday of a citizen, regardless of the result, the child would be given shelter, food, a job, and a family. But on the 13th birthday of an abandoned orphan, the results of the test would determine the rest of their life.
Based on the results of their Ceremony of Awakening, the child would either be accepted into an Academy or be sent to the city borders to a life filled with peril at every turn, destined for physical labor and sickness
If an orphan has talents beyond the mundane level, they would be accepted into at least one of the lower ranked academies within the city to learn to harness their powers in order to contribute to the city.
However, if the orphan's talents are in the mundane level or nonexistent, they will be transported to the villages surrounding the city.
The villages have close to no protection against the infected with their only defense being the meager strength of the surviving Blessed and sparse Redeemed along with abandoned orphans sent out due to their weak talent levels.
My brother and I are both abandoned orphans, and we grew up with no other blood-ties or family to speak of, so this test is going to decide our fates for the rest of our lives.
As long as one of us receives a blessing from the Mystics, we can live a safe life within an academy and later move into the capital region upon passing the graduation test. Before passing the test, permanently leaving the academy is prohibited, so my brother and I must work hard to graduate before we turn 21.
If not, we will be abandoned to the gutters of the city border, forced to labor for every day's meal, eventually succumbing to the infected that plagued the country outside of the walls, leaving only the strong alive.
The sickness was known as The Thirsting and it fell upon humanity 13 years ago on the Day of Reckoning.
Religious zealots believed it was a sign of anger from the Deity, while scientists believed it was a new pathogen which awakened from an untraceable source.
While there have been many theories, the survivors understood that it symbolized the change in all life as they knew it.
It was called The Thirsting because all who contracted it succumbed to an insatiable thirst and lost their minds while desperately trying to quench it. It was well known that blood was the only known 'cure' that could temporarily satisfy and soothe the burning throats of the Fallen.
After finding this out, the fallen turned against the general populations all over the world leaving only frighteningly low populations surviving all over the 5 continents.
The few who managed to survive were known as the Redeemed, for they had been brought back from the gates of death to awaken with strange powers.
The Redeemed were forever marked by the unique shade of blood-red found in their eyes and their strange powers allowing them to control blood which they all shared.
Besides just the Redeemed, those with powers are collectively know as Paranormals.
The Paranormals are separated into 3 main groups: The Redeemed, The Blessed, and The Royals.
The Redeemed were those who were infected by the Thirst and overcame the sickness with their immune systems and pure determination before consuming any blood.
The Blessed were those lucky enough to be born after the Day of Reckoning with an immunity to the Thirsting. Those born without immunities ended up being infected by the Thirsting and causing outbreaks within the city or silently disappearing from their homes.
The Royals were a special class of Paranormals characterized by the shifting colors of their eyes after their Ceremony of Awakening. They held tremendous power with varying ages regardless of their background. Their group has been in charge of the Capital and the surrounding habitable lands since the rise of the Holy Guard after the Day of Reckoning.
The Royals were gifted with talents exceeding those of the Blessed. Although their numbers are scarce among Paranormals, their uninhibited strength allows them to rule of the numerous Blessed and few Redeemed.
No one knows how the Royals came about, but they are deeply respected for keeping the remaining cities safe from the Infected.
Our carriage clambered to a stop as it arrived to its destination in front of a huge building decorated with a clean and modest style.
We exited the carriage and went up the polished steps of the Cathedral, hesitating only to be gently pushed forward by the madam in through the huge ornate doors of the Assembly Hall.