The much-anticipated Mana Awakening Rite was scheduled for the same day the Empire celebrated its founding.
All the children of Koldrak Town were gathered by the Town Hall, where Magisters from the Capital had made a special visit for this tradition, held across the Empire every four years.
Everyone wore a curious expression as they gazed at the three caped individuals who exuded authority and power while standing on the elevated platform in front of the Town Hall.
The tallest man had a scruffy look, with a bristly beard and messy light brown hair. His robust build seemed more fitting for a barbarian or a sword knight than a mage.
The younger man had the appearance of a typical scholar, embodying what most people imagined magisters should look like.
Meanwhile, the woman standing at the forefront appeared to be the leader of the trio.
Her bespectacled look and imposing demeanor suggested she held a high-ranking position.
The parents stood at the far end of the plaza, while the children, ranging in age, lined up neatly and orderly, forming a total of eight lines separated by gender.
The Town's Mayor, frail in both appearance and demeanor, stood beside the female Magister.
His role was merely to oversee the process and let the magisters handle the proceedings.
"You've been the Mayor of this town for 32 years now. I remember you were already in office when I first visited for the Rites," Robert, the brawny magister, remarked, casting a sidelong glance at the elderly Mayor.
"You were still scrawny back then, but look at you now—all brawn. Who would've thought such a weak-looking man would become a Captain of his own sigil?" the old man chuckled, omitting any honorifics one might expect when addressing a high-ranking magister.
"And who would've thought Cyrus, 'The Madman,' would retire to such a faraway place, now looking so weak," Robert replied, grinning broadly.
"Why not? This town isn't so bad. The people here are nice and kindhearted," Cyrus reasoned.
"We'll begin the Mana Awakening Rites. Please refrain from making unnecessary noise," announced the youngest magister, his tone stern and authoritative.
"Tch," Robert clicked his tongue, clearly displeased by the younger man's demeanor.
Cyrus shook his head at Robert, signaling for him to let it go.
Both understood how a new graduate like the young man might act; they, too, had once been in his position—full of pride, vigor, and a strict adherence to protocol.
"As I call your name, please step forward and take a lumenstone," Tyra, the female magister, announced, formally commencing the Magic Awakening Rites.
Beside her floated a translucent scroll with names written in magical ink. It listed all the children who were to take the exam, and it was her responsibility to call them forward.
"Mitchel Ereclon," she called first.
A boy slowly stepped forward, the youngest participant of the day, having just turned ten the day before.
"Take one lumenstone," she instructed.
The lumenstone, a tool for awakening, had been used for this purpose ever since its discovery hundreds of years ago.
Its surprising ability to reveal one's affinity for magic had cemented its place in this tradition.
The stone glowed ethereally, swirling with various colors inside.
The boy nervously reached for the stone, closing his eyes tightly even before touching it, unwilling to witness its reaction.
"Ruby," Tyra announced, prompting the boy to open his eyes in shock.
"I did it!" he exclaimed, unable to contain his excitement at discovering his talent for mana.
Cyrus smiled at the boy's genuine joy, though his smile was bittersweet.
A Ruby-grade affinity was the lowest level of talent, just above having no affinity at all.
The lumenstone reacted to touch only if the individual possessed a talent for mana.
Those without such a gift would see no reaction.
Ruby was the lowest grade, followed by Ember and Amber—these first three classifications were considered Low-grade.
Mid-grade included Emerald and Sapphire, while High-grade consisted of Dusk and Amethyst.
In rare cases, the legendary Aether-grade manifested, displaying all seven colors simultaneously, but not much was really known about it because of how extremely rare it was
These colors determined the children's fates. Starting with Ruby-grade was underwhelming but expected, as only one in every 500 individuals had any mana affinity, and the odds diminished for higher grades.
Aether-grade was exceedingly rare—just one in a million. Across the entire Empire, only three individuals were known to possess it.
The test proceeded smoothly, names being called one after another. Some children left with smiles, but most looked dejected.
"Ezrael D'Argent," Tyra announced.
A boy with amber hair and eyes stepped forward.
While he appeared ordinary to most, the magisters immediately noticed something unusual about his aura. To them, it felt pure, gentle, yet grand.
"Let's see," Cyrus murmured, raising an eyebrow as he watched the boy approach.
"Take a lumenstone," Tyra instructed, her tone now robotic after repeating the phrase dozens of times.
Ezrael carefully picked up a lumenstone, his steady demeanor betraying no nervousness. He gazed intently at it.
Moments later, the stone began to react. Colors swirled inside, shifting aggressively.
It first glowed Ruby but quickly transitioned to Ember. Then, just as abruptly, it changed to Amber.
Tyra narrowed her eyes. The reaction was oddly familiar—it was how the stone behaved when someone of High-grade affinity emerged.
"Ohoho," Cyrus chuckled, his gaze fixed on the boy's hand.
The stone's color continued to shift: from Ruby to Ember, to Amber, then to Emerald.
It paused briefly before transitioning to Sapphire and then gradually deepening into Dusk.
The crowd gasped as the glow intensified. Emerald was already rare, but when it shifted to Sapphire, shock turned to awe and fear.
The town's only Sapphire-grade mage was the Mayor, Cyrus. Seeing someone else attain this level was unheard of.
But then, the stone's glow didn't stop at Sapphire. It deepened further into Dusk, leaving even the magisters stunned.
"A Dusk-grader," Robert muttered, his voice shaking with amusement and disbelief.
Tyra furrowed her brows, visibly shocked.
"A Dus—" she began, but Cyrus interrupted. "Wait!"
He pointed to the stone. Just when they thought it had settled, the glow changed again. It shifted into Amethyst, with faint hints of other colors swirling within.
Could this be the rumored Aether-grade they had only heard about?