When ones essence core grade reached such an unprecedented level, they would trigger a natural phenomenon when they first awaken and become an Awakened. These natural phenomenons depended on the person.
Sylvie triggered a minor phenomenon due to her dark gold wind essence awakening, but the one that is currently taking place makes hers pale in comparison.
'It's even stronger than mine.'
That was Duke Ashthorne's first thought.
When he first became Awakened, the entire earth within a 3 mile radius was enveloped in complete darkness and all the surrounding floral became engulfed, disappearing into nothingness. From afar it looked like the surface of the sun except it was extremely cold and eerie.
A man hailed as one of the strongest in Dawnflame Kingdom, one of the 8 Inner Skies, standing at the peak of the essence of Darkness.
"Darkness Veil."
From outside the Ashthorne estate, a pitch black blanket manifested, incomparably darker than the fog of darkness released by Maxwell. It effortlessly covered the skies and the fog of darkness as if it was snuffing out a flame. From afar, it looked like a giant black cube.
Normally when a Darkness Awakened used this ability it would cover a thousand metres at most whereas Duke Ashthorne can manifest one covering over a hundred of miles at will.
Unbeknownst to anyone, not even the Awakened experts gathered here, Duke Ashthorne placed another darkness veil on top of the one surrounding Maxwell's phenomenon that encapsulated the entire Triplume City, which spanned over 30 miles in diameter.
This was the power of a Tier 6 Awakened. They could freely wield essences however they pleased.
He couldn't interfere with Maxwell's Essence Awakening as it could negatively affect him, even hindering his potential, but he could prevent others from viewing it. He didn't want anyone else to see what was happening, especially enemies of himself and the Ashthorne family.
You could not see through the veil nor could you pass through it.
He wanted to protect Maxwell at all costs and did not want to take any risks.
The hundreds of citizens in Triplume City noticed the changes surrounding the Ashthorne estate and could not help but become curious. They knew the main family of the most influential family was situated here and they protected Triplume City just by existing but such disturbances were rare.
Even during the Essence Awakening Ceremony nothing like this had happened here.
Many of the citizens thought they were being attacked for the first time in history since the estate was built here and they rushed indoors.
"Triplume City is being attacked! Everyone hurry inside!" Some brave Awakened stood outside with their Essence Treasures in hand waiting for any new developments to occur, willing to defend the city with their lives.
"Duke Ashthorne must be protecting us!"
...
...
Unbeknownst to Maxwell, who was the cause of all the disturbances outside of the estate, he was currently shrouded in a coat of darkness, covering every inch of his body. The darkness that engulfed him looked like a smoky black flame dancing within the turbulent winds.
All the onlookers in the estate stared with mouths so wide you could fit an ostrich egg and widen eyes that displayed constant disbelief.
The Awakened experts had beads of sweat drip off their foreheads.
They would have never have guessed the young boy, who they thought was a shackle for the Ashthorne family, would display such terrifying magnificence.
Some old monsters couldn't help but glance at the Duke. There was a strange glint within their eyes, they knew what this phenomenon signified.
10 minutes passed before the phenomenon gradually calmed down.
No one knew what Maxwell went through within these 10 minutes, but the moment his body was unraveled from the darkness, he opened his eyes and his entire being, his aura and his mannerisms underwent a dramatic shift.
Although his body looked the same, he no longer felt like the sickly, frail boy from before.
His pitch black eyes gazed downwards towards the children as if he were gazing at mortals as a god, he glanced towards the various Awakened in the crowd and then he finally looked towards his father, Duke Ashthorne.
"Violet gold." Duke Ashthorne slowly replied.
A grade of essence core that was not even guaranteed to appear once every few decades, had once again appeared within the Ashthorne estate in Triplume City.
....
No one knew how to describe what they were feeling currently.
Awe, fear, reverence, bewilderment, respect.
Maxwell did not interact any further with his father and only spoke, "I need some rest" before he headed back down and back into the estate as if nothing had happened.
He did not spare another glance towards the children, including Elias.
Fred, who once ignored Maxwell's very existence and focused solely on Elias, yet insulting both of them, felt his entire world turn upside down. The blood drained from his face resulting in a funny pale complexion. He did not know how to feel. He wished he could crawl into a hole and never come out.
Sylvie gulped at Maxwell's frightening transformation, who even she, praised for her intellect, did not expect. She was proud of her phenomenon but compared to this, it felt like nothing. She chuckled at her foolishness.
A violet gold grade of the Darkness essence has once again resurfaced into the world, one not even guaranteed to be seen once few decades within Dawnflame Kingdom.
The only other person specialized in the Darkness essence with a violet gold grade in Dawnflame Kingdom was none other than Duke Ashthorne.
Ashthorne family now had two peak grade Awakened. This has never occurred within a family in Dawnflame Kingdom within the past 50 years. The only exception being the Dawnflame's, the rulers of Dawnflame Kingdom, which had unimaginable resources and had no lack of talents.
The trajectory of Maxwell's life and the Ashthorne's had instantly been redirected after his Essence Awakening.
News of his potential will spread far and wide, even reaching the ears of Dawnhaven City.
The future of the Ashthorne family propelled into a new direction.
...
...
It was a weird feeling. One moment I felt sadness towards my brother because I felt powerless and couldn't help his situation but the next moment I felt relief. I was relieved that my brother was no longer looked as if he were deadweight, he could finally held his head high within this family where only strength mattered.
I wasn't angry he couldn't watch my Essence Awakening, 'He must be tired and overcome with emotions.'
I will look for him after I become an Awakened.
"Elias Ashthorne."
The last person was in fact, me.
Maxwell's brilliance still lingered in the air so my Essence Awakening became less exciting for all the spectators.
"He should be able to awaken at least a gold grade. But I don't know how he'll compare to his brother."
"I think he'll also cause a natural phenomenon. The bloodline of the main family is no joke."
I stepped towards the towering essence stone much larger than me with unwavering determination. All spectators' eyes locked on to my every move. It would be a lie to say I didn't feel any pressure, especially after the performance demonstrated of my brother.
Fred looked on nervously and Sylvie looked on with her mind drifted elsewhere.
I let out a final breath of turbulent air and placed my hand onto the large slab of rock. I felt the coolness of the essence stone from my palm and it felt like the multicoloured essence was being pulled into my essence core all the way from my arm travelling through flesh and down towards my abdomen.
Slowly, I opened my eyes into a field transformed from the view of Ashthorne estate, the courtyard and gardens to a plain white expanse which stretched infinitely towards all four cardinal directions, devoid of any features or landmarks.
There was no end in sight. One could walk for hundreds of years in one direction and not reach the edge.
I knew this was the space within my essence core.
Being able to enter the essence core meant that one had officially become an Awakened.
Elias inspected the condition of his body, it was covered in an ethereal white glow matching in colour to his surroundings. He became similar to that of a spiritual, non-physical entity.
Elias could freely move around within this space as if he were a ghost.
Currently his inner space was empty as he just awakened, it was currently just a barren land filled with nothingness.
After awakening a small sub space would form within the essence core.
A link was created between this space and the physical form similar to a pipe between the two. An Awakened can enter this space in their spiritual form whenever they pleased. The physical form was separate and would remain in the outside world. You cannot bring the physical form into the inner space and vice versa.
The inner space could create its own ecosystem that is capable of sustaining life.
An Awakened within their own inner space were practically gods able to create life or destroy it. The only requirement is that they must have sufficient essence to do so.
Their inner space would grow besides a person resulting in their own unique dimension personal to them. They could contain lifeforms such as trees, plants and animals, including people.
An inner space had the potential to even be transformed into an entire world!
Some legendary existences could form their own planetary system within their inner space filled with numerous planets, stars and suns each having their own inner workings similar to that of Lumeria. Who knew if that was where the limit lies.
I turned my head upwards where translucent wisps of eight different colours started gathering. They danced together in a random order and casted an ethereal glow on the plain white surroundings.
Not even a single breath of time passed before an unexpected situation occurred.
All the translucent wisps of multicoloured lights fizzled out.
The lands around me slowly returned to the look of a blank paper sheet.
There were not a single wisp left. It was as if the inner space inside my essence core rejected all of external essence and could not accept the existence of these wisps.
"What..?!" Elias did not know how to process this development.
Normally after the eight coloured essences from the essence stone was injected into the inner space only the essence which an Awakened was attune to would stay, the rest would disappear.
The eight coloured wisps represented the eight coloured essences.
They were - Lightning, Earth, Wind, Fire, Ice, Water, Light and Darkness.
But what if there were no coloured wisps left remaining?
Elias desperately searched for clues but there was nothing in this blank world. He could not sense anything.
Reality slowly dawned on him.
He was Awakened.
But he did not have an essence.