Shina
As the Goddess of Dusk descended, she turned her attention to Li Wei. Her voice echoed through the air, a soft whisper that somehow carried the weight of a thunderous roar. "Li Wei, Sage of Garnet, I bestow upon you the power of dark flames." As she spoke, a dark flame flickered to life in her hand, dancing and twisting before it leapt towards Li Wei, sinking into his chest. His eyes widened in surprise, then narrowed in concentration as he absorbed the power.
Next, the God of Dawn stepped forward, his gaze falling on Xun Yi. "Xun Yi, Sage of Amethyst, I grant you the power of telekinesis." He raised his hand, and a purple light gathered in his palm. With a swift motion, he sent the light towards Xun Yi. It hit her square in the chest, causing her to gasp. Her eyes, already a beautiful shade of purple, deepened in color, becoming as rich and mysterious as the night sky.
The rest of us watched in awe, anticipation building within us as we awaited their turn. The ritual was only just beginning, and we knew that our lives would never be the same again. We were becoming something else, even by the standards of our clans. We held the power to shape the future of this world. And though the path ahead was fraught with uncertainty and danger, we had to face it with courage, ready to fulfill our destinies.
The God of Dawn then turned his golden eyes toward Cerulean. "Cerulean, Sage of light-blue Beryl, I bestow upon you the power of frigid water." He raised his hand, and a light as blue as the ocean gathered in his palm. With a swift motion, he sent the light towards Cerulean. It hit him square in the chest, causing him to gasp. His eyes, already a beautiful shade of blue turned lighter, like ice.
He stared at his hands as cold water flowed out of his palms. "What can this power do? I could also use water before."
The male god nodded. "You can now use water in its three basic forms. The waters can also heal pain and heal wounds."
He furrowed his brow. "I see."
"A healing power? For the blood knight? That's unexpected," Chieko said, laughing.
Cerulean's cousin nodded.
Even the Sage of Aquamarine chuckled. "I know, huh? I'm not much of a healer."
The God of Dawn smiled slightly. "Indeed, but remember, your power are what you make it to be. But are battle really all there is in your life."
He gasped a little and looked back at his hands, pensively.
"And my flames?" Li Wei asked, tilting his head at the Goddess of Dusk.
The Goddess of Dusk turned her gaze back to Li Wei, her expression serene. "Your flames, Li Wei, are not ordinary flames. They are the flames of the underworld, capable of burning anything they touch to ashes. But they can also provide warmth and light in the darkest of times. They are a reflection of your spirit - fierce, unyielding, yet capable of great kindness."
Li Wei nodded, his expression thoughtful. "I see. I will do my best to use this power wisely."
The Goddess of Dusk smiled, her eyes softening. "I have no doubt that you will, Li Wei."
With that, she turned her attention to the rest of us, her gaze sweeping over each of us in turn. "You have all been chosen for a reason. You are the sages of this era, the guardians of our world. Remember, the power you hold is not just for your own benefit. It is a responsibility, a duty to protect those who cannot protect themselves."
Her words resonated with us, a reminder of the heavy burden we carried. But it was a burden we had chosen to bear, a path we had chosen to walk.
The God of Dawn nodded before glancing at Xun Yi. "Do you have any questions about your powers, young princess of Quartz?"
She nodded weakly. "A little."
"You have the whole array of psychic powers, from teleportation to mind reading."
I gulped. Yikes. I would have to be careful around her.
He eyed David and smiled. "You already carry the power of your ancestors, the timekeepers. My gift to you will probably not amount to much, but I hope it helps." He held out his hand, causing David's eyes to become shinier than before. "A crystallization of your time powers. Now you truly will become like a diamond."
What did that mean? Were the Diamond not like us?
As the God of Dawn finished speaking, he turned his attention to the rest of us. "Now, for the rest of you," he said, his voice echoing in the silence that had fallen over us.
He turned to Cemal, a soft smile on his face. "Cemal, Sage of Green Beryl, I grant you the power of the sky and wind." He raised his hand, and a green light gathered in his palm. With a swift motion, he sent the light towards Chieko. It hit him square in the forehead, causing him to gasp. His eyes, already a beautiful shade of green became brighter, like actual emeralds.
"Is his power only that of wind?" Cerulean asked as he glanced at his cousin.
"No, he can also speak hear the whispers of spirits and nature as well," the Goddess of Dusk said with a slight smile on her face.
Next, he turned to Luminara. "Luminara, Sage of Pearl, I bestow upon you the power of creation." He raised his hand, and a pink light gathered in his fingers.
Luminara blinked as a wave of energy struck her forehead.
"Woah, hold up, creation?" Cerulean asked.
He laughed. "Well, it's a limited version. She can bend space, rend it, and create it."
"How is that limited?"
He rubbed his chin. "Well, it's not like she can create a whole planet."
"Can't one of her descendants eventually be able to?" Han Yu asked.
The God of Dawn chuckled at Han Yu's question. "Perhaps, but that would require a level of power and control that is beyond most beings. But who knows? Maybe one day, a descendant of Luminara will indeed be able to create a planet."
The Goddess of Dusk turned to Emperador. "Emperador, Sage of Red Corundum, I grant you the power of the earth to compliment your control of fire." She raised her hand, and a red energy gathered in her palm. With a swift motion, she sent the chakra towards Emperador. It hit him square in the forehead. His eyes, already a beautiful shade of red, deepened in color, becoming as rich and fiery as a ruby.
"Thank you," Emperador whispered, keeping his head down.
"Now, Chieko, Sage of Olivine," she said, smiling at our tomboy sage. "To you, I will grant the power to control bugs and insects."
Chieko blinked, her eyes wide with surprise. "Bugs and insects?" she repeated, sounding a bit skeptical. But before she could say anything else, the Goddess of Dusk raised her hand, and a green light gathered in her palm. With a swift motion, she sent the light towards Chieko. It hit her square in the forehead, causing her to gasp. Her eyes, already a pretty light green, became like high quality peridot.
"Yes, bugs and insects," the Goddess of Dusk confirmed, her voice gentle. "They may seem small and insignificant, but they are powerful in their own way. They can adapt to any environment, survive against all odds. They are resilient, just like you, Chieko."
Chieko was silent for a moment, her expression thoughtful. Then, she nodded, a determined look in her eyes. "Alright. I'll do my best."
The Goddess of Dusk smiled, her eyes softening. "I know you will, Chieko."
The God of Dawn nodded before glancing at Querubin. "Querubin, Sage of Blue Corundum. I grant you the power of the ocean and light." He raised his hand, and a blue light gathered in his palm. With a swift motion, he sent the light towards Querubin.
"Thank you," Querubin whispered, her voice filled with gratitude.
I gulped as the Goddess of Dusk turned toward me. It was my turn now.
She gave me a reassuring smile. "To you, Shina, Sage of Opal, we grant the power of the four forces that maintain our universe."
I gasped as the God of Dawn shot a blast of rainbow light at my forehead.
The four forces that maintain the universe?
The God of Dawn then turned to Kizu. "Kizu, Sage of yellow quartz, we bestow upon you the power of void."
Kizu gasped as the two gods shot a blast of gray light at his forehead.
"You can now cancel out various forms of energy, although there is a limit to how long you can maintain this power. Be sure to train it and it will grow. That goes for all of you too, not just Kizu here."
We all nodded. Although, I wasn't quite sure what he meant by the four forces. We Opal members could already use gravity. Was it an extension of that?
The God of Dawn turned to look at Kaiyo, a black-haired girl with beautiful blue eyes. She was a member of the Topaz clan if memory served right. Why hadn't I seen her earlier in the ballroom? Had she gone ahead of us to the roof? I knew she was as shy as Luminara and Han Yu, but...
"Kaiyo."
She looked down.
The God of Dawn gave her a small smile. "It's alright. I know you have you worries."
Kaiyo looked up and opened her mouth but nothing came out.
Come to think of it, I don't think I'd ever heard her speak. She only ever made motions with her hands. Wait, could be that Kaiyo wasn't only shy but mute?
The God of Dawn noticed Kaiyo's silence and gave her a gentle smile. "Kaiyo, Sage of Topaz, I bestow upon you the power of ice and sound." He raised his hand, and a golden light gathered in his palm. With a swift motion, he sent the light towards Kaiyo. It hit her square in the forehead.
"Sound?" Cerulean asked, raising an eyebrow. "With ice?"
The God of Dawn nodded. "Yes, sound. Kaiyo will be able to manipulate sound waves, lift stuff with them, disorient opponents, and even use them as a form of attack. And perhaps…" He glanced at Kaiyo, his gaze soft. "Perhaps she will find her voice."
Did that mean she could talk? I mean, he was the head god. Wouldn't he know such things.
Kaiyo looked at him, her eyes wide with surprise. Then, slowly, she nodded, a determined look in her eyes.
The gods, their angel attendants, and all of us present shifted our eyes toward Han Yu, the thirteenth and final sage.
"And to you, Sage of Jade" the Goddess of Dawn said. "We grant a special pair of powers. We leave for you to figure them out on your own. You certainly are capable of such."
Han Yu smiled proudly as the goddess tapped her forehead, casting a bright glow on her forehead.
With that, the ritual was complete. We were no longer just members of our respective clans. We were the Sages, the guardians of our world. And though the path ahead was fraught with uncertainty and danger, we were ready to face it, together. For we were not alone. We had each other, and we had the powers bestowed upon us by the gods. And with these powers, we would protect our world, no matter what.
The God of Dawn and the Goddess of Dusk looked at us, their expressions filled with pride. "Go forth, Sages," the Goddess of Dusk said, her voice echoing through the air. "Fulfill your destinies."
And with that, they disappeared, leaving us alone on the rooftop, the sun shining brightly above us. We looked at each other, smiling awkwardly at one another.
Clapping made me realized the members of the other clans had gathered around us. At the forefront of them was Alfonso who gave me a tired smile.
I ran over to him and gave him a tight hug. It didn't feel like my life was shortened, but it was too soon to say. We had yet to discover our powers. Perhaps I was wrong to think the ritual was the hardest part yet.