"All hail the Beyonders, for once again their great power shall reside on our young ones." A vibrant young man chanted throughout the streets.
Every 4 years, humans between the ages of 18-24, were given the chance to awaken a system that linked them to the great Beyonders, allowing them to awaken special abilities.
Everyone within this age bracket was excited whenever their turn to awaken rolled around, all except one.
"Master Ryan, today is your awakening ceremony, should I prepare the carriage for your transport?" A soft feminine voice said, trying to get the attention of a distant young man.
"No Catherine, there's no point in awakening with this useless body of mine." A black-haired boy with sparkling green eyes said; his voice was soft and gentle, carrying a tinge of mysticism.
He was a real head-turner, but after taking a second look at him, any girl would lose interest. He looked severely malnourished, and his skin was as pale as that of a ghost.
This was all due to his medical condition, one that prevented his body from absorbing nutrients properly; being the son of the king, his father had spent a fortune on healers, diviners, and all other sorts of alternatives, but Ryan showed no signs of healing.
"It doesn't matter, Master Ryan; if you manage to awaken a powerful enough talent, you should be able to destroy a legion of Gryphons without lifting a finger." Catherine, Ryan's maid, said, trying to cheer up her young master. She had been taking care of him for the past 18 years, and she had formed a somewhat special bond with him.
"That does sound good, but I'd prefer to continue reading my books," Ryan said with a soft chuckle; he didn't want to get his hopes up because he knew he would fail.
"No, Master Ryan, if you don't go to that awakening ceremony, I will stop taking care of you," Catherine said with a serious look on her face; she didn't like Ryan's extremely low self-esteem, and she wasn't willing to let him waste his life.
"If you say so, prepare the carriage. We'll be heading to the Awakening Tower for the ceremony," Ryan said. He knew Catherine wasn't joking about leaving.
'What's the point? Maxwell would just outshine me like he always does.' Ryan thought, remembering his brother, the King's first son from a legitimate wife, and the crowned prince.
'Well, let's just get it over with.' Ryan thought he just wanted to fail and get back to reading his fantasy novels, he was no fighter, and he knew that.
"The carriage awaits Master," Catherine said. Ryan heaved a sigh; he knew Catherine wouldn't let him be a slacker in peace.
The ride to the Awakening Tower was quiet; the only sounds were those coming from those inside the carriage, thanks to the magical sound crystals that soundproofed wherever they were placed.
"We are here." The carriage driver said, and Catherine dragged Ryan out of the carriage, she knew if she didn't force him, he would just waste this opportunity.
The Awakening Tower was a magical masterpiece, it was made out of so many complex materials, and every inch of it was covered in intricate rune patterns, giving it a beautiful and mystical appearance.
It was as tall as two modern-day skyscrapers, which further praised the ingenuity and advancement of the Beyonders, who built the marvelous structures.
"Come on, the ceremony is about to start," Catherine said; there were hundreds of people all around the Awakening Tower, and each one of them was trying their best to make it into the tower.
"You know, as a royal, you can choose to go first, right?" Catherine asked; she knew being outside was uncomfortable for Ryan and was a danger to his health; all she wanted was for him to awaken; she didn't want him to suffer.
"No, I'm already here, so I might as well make the most of it," Ryan said. Thankfully he wasn't popular, allowing him to blend in with the rest of the people present.
Inside the tower, there was a wide hall, that seemed to span endlessly, allowing everyone to be fitted into the tower.
"Good Evening, everyone. I am High Prophet Vakodan, and I shall be handling your awakening today." A white-bearded old man said, his eyes held a look of wisdom, and his hands her a pulsing blue staff; he was dressed in religious-looking white robes, which further added to his wise old man persona.
"Today, you shall all decide your fates, the Beyonders shall bless you all with a gift, giving you the power to fight against the beasts that now threaten our world." The High Prophet said with a stern voice that portrayed the seriousness of the situation.
"One by one, you shall step forward and place your hand on the Crystal before you." The High Prophet said while pointing at the glowing blue crystal beside him.
"The crystal shall display your results for everyone to see, may the Beyonders be with you." The high priest said, and with that, he began calling names.
"Silas Griswold." The High Prophet said, and a red-haired boy stepped forward. There was a certain nervousness in his eyes, and with the way his body was shaking, it was clear he was scared.
Silas approached the crystal. He took in a deep breath to calm his nerves, but it was of no use. He slowly raised his shaky hands to touch the crystal, and as soon as he did, a dim blue light appeared at the center of the crystal.
[Name: Silas Grisworld.]
[Talent: Ice.]
[Talent: E .]
Silas' results were boldly displayed to everyone, and as soon as he set his eyes on them, he couldn't hold back the waterworks.
"NO!!" Silas screamed with tears in his eyes; he had awakened an E-ranked talent; his life had been reduced to nothing, and no amount of training would change his fate.
There were grades to talents; a talent was applied to a superpower or a special ability that everyone had, and each talent came with its grade, which determined how powerful that talent would be.
There were several talent grades (F, E, D, C, B, A, A+, S, SS.) The stronger the grade, the more potential the person had to grow.
No one dared make fun of Silas, because they were scared that they were unsure if they would do better than him.
While Silas was still shedding tears, he felt a strong hand push him aside, giving way for a blue-haired boy with a crown on his head and an arrogant look on his face; this was Maxwell RoyalHeart, Ryan's half-brother.
"Make way for the crowned prince you weaklings." Maxwell declared proudly, he placed his hands on the Crystal, and a blinding blue light shot out of it, revealing his results.
[Name: Maxwell RoyalHeart.]
[Talent: Lightning Manipulation.]
[Grade: S.]
Everyone's jaws dropped as soon as they stared at Maxwell's grade, finding an S ranked was 1 in a billion.
"Lucky bastard, the crowned prince and also an S ranked Talent holder." Somebody in the crowd said, and soon similar statements followed.
"Now, where is that son of a whore?" Maxwell said as his eyes scanned through the hall, searching for Ryan who was hiding in the crowd.
"How many times have I warned you not to call my mother a whore?" Ryan asked, his previously gentle aura had been replaced with one of pure anger.
"Come prove it, if your mother is no whore, you should at least get an A ranked Talent." Maxwell said, taunting Ryan.
Ryan arrived before the crystal and he placed his hands on it, as soon as his hand came in contact with the crystal, a blinding light shone, forcing everyone to block their eyes.
[Name: Ryan RoyalHeart.]
[Talent: Summoner.]
[Class: SSS RANKED.]
"No." Ryan said, as soon as he set his eyes on the talent, he was a summoner, one of the worst talents out there.