As the trio waited on a worn wooden bench, a priest in modest silk robes embroidered with silver patterns approached, led by the nun from the front desk. His movements were calm, deliberate, and as he drew closer, he offered them a courteous nod.
"We're ready to begin the awakening ceremony if you are. I trust the kids have been fed—this ritual can sometimes cause a few… headaches," he remarked, his voice even and cautious.
"That's no problem at all," Vasir responded, rising to his feet with a grin, smoothing his trousers as if readying for a grand adventure. Beside him, Raveer hopped down, his expression a mirror of eager determination.
The priest noted their enthusiasm with a flicker of surprise. "Brave young men—such spirits are rare these days," he said approvingly, guiding them down a dim corridor to the awakening chamber.
At the end of the hallway, a heavy wooden door awaited them. It was adorned with a strange engraving—a celestial figure that looked more like it floated aimlessly rather than soaring with purpose. The angel's form seemed hazy, as though suspended in a trance, not fixed in flight. Vasir stared at the symbol, sensing something unusual, but he shook the feeling away, brushing it off as trivial. The ceremony awaited, and that was all that mattered now.
Crossing the threshold, they stepped into a dim, stone chamber. At the center rested a large crystal sphere upon a velvet cushion, radiating a faint glow. The priest took his place behind it, motioning for Vasir and Raveer to stand before him, leaving a careful distance between them.
"Brace yourselves," the priest instructed solemnly. "The ceremony is about to begin."
The boys clenched their fists, anticipation flashing in their eyes.
"Ceremony initiation… mana resonance, step one," the priest intoned. His hands pressed firmly against the crystal as he began channeling mana, his energy surging into it in steady waves. The crystal began to hum, sending pulsating waves that washed over Vasir and Raveer. The energy, gentle at first, soon grew stronger, and the boys felt their consciousness slipping as their bodies rose inches off the ground.
"Hmm… seems we have some prodigies here," the priest murmured, a hint of excitement in his voice. "Increasing frequency—step two."
He poured more mana into the crystal, yet it failed to match the boys' extraordinary energy. He gritted his teeth, sweat beading on his brow as he advanced the process.
"Step three… step four…" Each new wave of energy stretched his mana reserves, yet still, the crystal showed no sign of fully resonating with them. The priest's heart pounded, disbelief settling over him.
"Step five." His mana output surged to the limit, yet the crystal stubbornly resisted. Breathless, he stumbled back. "Who *are* these kids?" he muttered, glancing between the boys and the unresponsive crystal.
He made a swift decision. "I need to report this anomaly immediately." But as he prepared to stop the ceremony, the cold bite of a blade pressed against his neck.
"Don't stop," a low voice commanded from behind him.
The priest froze, feeling the edge of the blade, his breath catching in his throat. He could sense the quiet malice in that voice, chilling him to the core.
"B-but… I can't keep this going much longer," he stammered, his teeth chattering in fear.
"I'll provide the mana," the stranger replied, a hand gripping the priest's shoulder, the other holding the knife steady. "You just control it. Understood?"
The priest swallowed hard, nodding. "Y-yes…"
The stranger placed his hand on the crystal, releasing a flood of mana. The priest, trembling, steadied himself, channeling the stranger's intense energy into the crystal. Under their combined force, the crystal's hum intensified, its glow shifting to a brilliant green, signaling a breakthrough in the resonance.
Within moments, the crystal shone with a blinding emerald light, and rings of energy began to appear around it, spinning faster and faster until they locked in place with a decisive click. The boys' bodies vibrated, aligning with the crystal's fierce frequency.
"The frequency has locked," the priest whispered, daring to glance over his shoulder at his captor. The stranger merely smirked.
"Not bad for a dog following orders. Now, begin the awakening," the stranger demanded.
The priest scrambled to activate the chamber's mechanism. Hidden panels slid open in the walls, and beams of colored mana poured out, filling the room with swirling, otherworldly light. The energy didn't move in straight lines; instead, it drifted like mist, dispersing until it enveloped Vasir and Raveer.
Almost immediately, strange things began to happen. Around Vasir, a dark purple fog condensed, thickening as it warded off other mana. His aura grew denser, a murky, ominous presence that pulled in more purple mana from the surrounding beams. Raveer, meanwhile, was encased in a radiant red aura that crackled and flared like an open flame, the heat of it palpable even across the chamber. Their energies intensified, filling the room with an awe-inspiring, almost oppressive power.
The priest stared in awe, dread creeping into his veins. "Who… are these boys?"
As the energy grew, the fog around Vasir took shape, forming a fierce, looming figure with golden, diamond-shaped eyes and slitted black pupils, a narrow head tapering to a point, covered in dark purple scales that gleamed in the shifting light. Raveer's aura solidified as well, transforming into a creature whose eyes blazed like burning embers, pupils like diamonds set in flames. Its long snout flared, emitting wisps of smoke, and embers danced around it, fiery scales glowing red-hot.
The priest felt his knees weaken, his mind reeling. The very air in the chamber pulsed with the power of these ancient, elemental forces.