One of the brothers, his face twisted with determination, began to head in Raman's direction. But before he could take another step, an overwhelming force descended on the entire room. The pressure was so intense, so suffocating, that several of the participants collapsed onto the cold marble floor, unable to resist its weight. Raman, however, stood firm, his posture unaffected as the suffocating power bore down upon them. His gaze swept across the room, assessing the other competitors, and he noticed that the Uslan twins, along with four others, also remained impassive, unaffected by the immense force surrounding them.
"Seven people able to withstand a king's level pressure, even though they haven't awakened yet? This has to be a record in the clan's history," an older woman's voice rang out across the hall. Her words cut through the silence, and her figure seemed to manifest from the air itself, as if she had materialized out of nothing. She stood tall, her presence commanding immediate attention.
"Too bad we only need three," the woman added, her tone final, a hint of disappointment seeping through her words.
With that, the pressure intensified once again. The air seemed to crackle with raw power as the invisible weight increased exponentially. Several more people collapsed to the ground, their bodies unable to withstand the crushing force. The remaining participants fell to their knees, gasping for air, struggling to remain upright. Only five individuals, including the Uslan twins, Elder Marama's daughter, a child from a branch clan, and Raman, were still standing—unmoved by the devastating pressure.
An unsettling silence settled over the hall. Raman's mind raced. An increase from the king's level pressure to that of an emperor-ranked existence. She's unleashing her power on us... does she want to kill us? The thought lingered, his eyes scanning the room for signs of further danger.
But the woman, seemingly pleased with the outcome, mentally assessed the situation. Five survivors... The twins, as expected. Elder Marama's daughter too. A child from the branch clan, and of course, Topang's son— Her gaze lingered on Raman for a moment longer, her expression unreadable. Interesting. These five are holding up, but I can't push any further. They've proven their resilience.
The pressure finally began to ebb away, the invisible weight lifting as if it had never existed. The room was filled with the sound of heavy breaths, as those who had collapsed slowly began to stir, rising to their feet, albeit shakily.
"The compatibility will decide," the woman declared, her voice slicing through the air. It was an order—final and undeniable.
Raman could feel the tension in the room shift. Those who had failed the test were slowly waking up, murmuring to one another in confusion. The sound of disgruntled voices filled the air as people questioned what had just transpired.
"What's going on? Did we fail?" one person asked, looking around in bewilderment, still reeling from the residual pressure.
"I didn't expect the king's level pressure to be this intense," another muttered, rubbing their aching chest.
"Impossible! I had our branch elders test me with their pressure. There's no way I should have failed!" someone else argued, their voice rising in disbelief.
"Fool! Don't compare the branch elders to the central branch. That was Elder Renata," a third voice corrected, shaking their head in disbelief. "She's one of the most powerful in the entire clan."
As the failed candidates bickered among themselves, one of the Uslan twins made his way toward Raman. The twin, Jay Uslan, flashed a confident grin as he approached. "Hello, I'm Jay Uslan. Your cousin, right? That was something, wasn't it? You were the only one who didn't kneel under that pressure. That's... impressive."
Raman glanced at him but said nothing, his focus still on the Stone of Ages that had just fallen into place at the center of the hall. Before he could reply, the next phase of the test began.
A loud crash echoed through the hall as a massive stone plummeted from above, landing squarely in the center of the room. The force of its impact reverberated through the entire space, making the floor tremble slightly.
"The Stone of Ages!" someone in the crowd exclaimed, their voice filled with awe and reverence. Murmurs rippled through the room as everyone turned their attention to the enormous pitch-black stone that now sat in the middle of the hall. It was long, rectangular, and polished to an almost glass-like sheen. Despite its dark appearance, the stone radiated a powerful energy, an ancient aura that seemed to resonate with the very air around it. The Stone of Ages was a legendary artifact, said to be able to assess the compatibility of bloodline clan members with their ancestral magic.
For bloodline clans, magic wasn't simply an ability—it was a legacy passed down through generations, a gift from their ancestors. The power was embedded within them, woven into the very fabric of their being. For the M'Clora clan, their magic was tied to the Dao of Fire, a force that had been discovered by one of their elders during the Null Era. Since then, the clan had been blessed with fire as their dominant elemental affinity. While some individuals from branch families might develop different elemental affinities, the main branch was almost exclusively attuned to fire.
"Who shall go first?" Elder Renata's voice broke the murmurs of the crowd, her tone firm and commanding.
Before she could finish her sentence, someone stepped forward. The figure walked with a sense of purpose, their presence commanding attention as they approached the Stone of Ages. The crowd watched in hushed silence, eyes glued to the person who would be the first to test their compatibility.
"Isn't that Elder Topang's son?" someone in the crowd whispered, their voice filled with awe.
Raman's gaze shifted to the figure who had stepped forward—the one who would test his fate first. It was him. Without hesitation, Raman walked toward the Stone of Ages, his heart steady and unshaken. His movements were fluid, his steps deliberate as he approached the stone. There was no uncertainty, no hesitation. With quiet resolve, Raman placed his right hand upon the surface of the dark stone.
The room fell into complete silence as the Stone of Ages began to glow, faint traces of energy swirling around Raman's hand. The glow intensified, pulsing with an ancient power. The crowd held its breath, their eyes wide with anticipation, waiting for the results.
Raman's connection with the stone was immediate, almost instinctual. He could feel the pulse of the stone's energy as it examined him, evaluating his compatibility with his clan's magic, his bloodline. The air around him seemed to shimmer, and for a moment, he felt like he was standing at the edge of a vast, endless expanse, connected to something far greater than himself.
His pulse quickened as he concentrated on the energy flowing through him, the power of his ancestors, the legacy of the M'Clora clan. He could feel the fire within his blood, the heat of his lineage, and the connection to the Dao of Fire that flowed through his veins. It was a moment of realization, a recognition of his place in the clan, of the potential that lay within him.
The stone pulsed once more, brighter this time, and the crowd gasped as the results began to appear. The stone was assessing him, determining his potential, his connection to the magic that defined his people.
Raman remained calm, his focus unwavering. This was the moment that would decide his future. Would he be able to carry the weight of his family's legacy? Would he prove himself worthy of the title his father had set before him? Only the Stone of Ages could reveal the truth.