Two years passed and soon, it was Vastarael's sixth birthday.
The day when the young boy would finally receive his abilities.
And this is the first birthday that would be celebrated. In Spheraphase, birthdays are celebrated three times in one's lifetime.
The first is when the child is six years old. This is when the child would receive his abilities. This is considered the most important birthday in a child's life.
The second birthday is when the child reaches seventeen years old, the maturity age of all Mortals and Immortals. It is held to welcome the child to adulthood.
And the third birthday is at the age of twenty. This one focuses on the achievements of what the child has done for the past two decades of their lives. If they have none, then living for twenty years is an achievement on itself.
And after that, no massive birthday parties are conducted. Of course, one can still send birthday gifts year after year.
That was how he received a holographic device on his third birthday, seventy million Enousi on his fourth birthday and an extremely precious tome on his fifth.
And now, he was about to receive a lot more and abilities.
Unlike all birthdays, the sixth birthday is celebrated by family and friends alone. This is because of the child's ascension.
At exactly midnight on a six year old child, whether mortal or immortal, they undergo an ascension. Depending on the being, there might be weather changes.
If a child is born with the power to control storms, then the sky will slightly turn dark. If the child gets the power of telekinesis, then things would float around the child.
But one thing is inevitable.
Whatever the case, no matter how many relievers the child has, unimaginable pain will affect the child. They would not pass out but the pain would be unlike anything they have ever experienced.
And for Vastarael, it was something that was not new to him.
He experienced all sorts of pain while being experimented on that he was used to it already. He didn't know if his resistance to pain would be different in a different body but he didn't care.
Vastarael stood quietly, his sight enveloped in darkness by the soft blindfold his stepmother, Caresse, had tied around his eyes.
Her touch was gentle as she held his hand, her voice soothing yet teasing as she guided him forward.
"Just a little farther, Vastarael," she said softly, her steps unhurried to match his smaller strides.
"I know it's a surprise, Mother Caresse. Do you have to blindfold me?"
"Yes," she replied with no hesitation. "Come along now."
He heard the faint echo of their footsteps as they walked, the air shifting around them. There was a distinct quietness that felt both comforting and strange.
He knew that they were holding a surprise party. It was so obvious since the servants were all busy during this time.
Even though he knew that it was supposed to be celebrated by family and friends alone, he knew that it still wouldn't be a simple party.
Finally, they stopped. The sound of a door creaking open broke the silence and the faintest whispers of light began to seep through the blindfold's edges. Then, with deliberate care, Caresse untied the fabric and let it fall away.
The room before him came alive with breathtaking brilliance. Vastarael blinked rapidly, his golden eyes widening as he took in the scene.
The grand hall of Dynasty Richinaria was transformed into an ethereal haven.
His father, Dilasyus, stood tall at the far end of the hall, flanked by his other two wives, Lysameria and Opera. His siblings and extended family were scattered among the crowd, all eyes turning toward him.
The Viaca family, the esteemed Dukes of the dynasty, were positioned near the grand table. They raised their glasses in unison, smiles touching their lips as they looked at him.
Behind them, both direct and indirect members of Dynasty Richinaria filled the hall, their opulent attire a reflection of the dynasty's wealth and power.
At the center of it all was a grand table laden with delicacies: sugared fruits, spiced cakes and crystal decanters brimming with vibrant nectars. Surrounding it were gifts wrapped in gift papers, their gleaming ribbons almost outshone by the warmth of the smiles around him.
Caresse leaned down, her voice a gentle murmur in his ear.
"Happy Birthday, Vastarael. Today, you step into a destiny only you can fulfill."
For a moment, Vastarael stood in awe. The weight of the moment, the love and expectations, mingled with the sheer wonder of the sight before him.
And as his lips curved into a small, hesitant smile, the hall erupted in cheers and applause, the first step of his journey celebrated by those who would forever shape his life.
He was dressed in a suit and if anyone looked at the six year old, they were utterly smitten.
"Come on, give a speech," Caresse, a beautiful dark haired woman with radiant blue eyes, gently led him in front of the party. It was Opera.
The others were all silent as they saw him exhaling. He cleared his throat and began to speak, even though he had no idea what to say.
"I... didn't expect a birthday surprise. But that doesn't mean I don't like it! It's just... I didn't think that you'd do this much for me..."
He was speaking about his honest desires.
When he was on Earth, birthdays were a thing for the rich. And as for poor people affected by the Dystopian society like him, they found birthday celebrations to be a waste of time.
So instead, they celebrated them in form of gatherings. The days would be normal as usual but it would focus on the birthday boy or girl.
But even though they were fun times, there were some moments where he wished that he would at least have a birthday party. Ever so often they sound see birthdays of rich children on the holographic screen on their hall and admire how grand they were.
Never did he expect a grand party like this to be carried out for him. He thought it was going to be a simple birthday celebration since it wasn't known to the public but...
It was still something.
Vastarael's words hung in the air, trembling, his chest tightening with every breath.
"And I want to say... thank you for this. Sorry, I'm not good with words—"
He paused, trying to steady himself, but a sudden wave of pain surged through his body, cutting off the rest of his sentence.
The sharp sensation in his chest felt like an iron spike. His body tensed and he gasped, struggling to catch his breath.
The room spun around him, the voices of his family now muffled. He staggered, his legs buckling under the pressure. A cold sweat broke out across his forehead as the pain intensified.
'What's happening...'
Then, just as suddenly as it had started, he saw his mother before him. She was kneeling in front of him, her hands gripping his shoulders tightly, her face etched with panic.
Her lips moved but her words didn't reach him. Her eyes widened in horror as she looked beyond him, her gaze reflecting the shock of everyone else in the room.
'Wait. What's happening? Why are they all looking at me like that?' He thought, confusion clouding his mind.
The pain was overwhelming, as though every nerve in his body was on fire. His heart raced and his chest felt like it was being crushed, the pressure unbearable. His vision blurred and he could barely hear the others around him as his mind was consumed with the growing agony.
Without warning, he collapsed to his knees, gasping for air. His hands pressed against the cold stone floor, his body trembling.
"Darling, it's happening!" Lysameria's voice cut through the fog of pain. He barely registered her words. She was holding him now, pulling him into her arms, trying to soothe him but... nothing helped. The pain was only growing worse.
"He's having a Reversal Ascension!"
His mother's words barely made sense to him. His mind was consumed by the pain and it was all he could do to focus on staying conscious.
"Vastarael, stay with us!" Lysameria's voice was frantic now. She hugged him close, her hands warm against his skin, but her touch could do nothing to calm the chaos inside him. Every breath he took felt like a battle, each one more painful than the last.
And then, it happened.
A wave of raw, uncontained energy surged from him. The force of it was so powerful that it seemed to shake the very foundation of the room. The walls trembled, the chandeliers above rattling as if they might fall at any moment. The floor beneath him cracked with a deep, resonating sound as though the entire building were about to crumble.
He screamed.
The sound ripped from his throat as the energy surged from him in a violent torrent. But still, his mother held him, her embrace the only thing that kept him tethered to reality.
Despite the power radiating from him, Lysameria was unaffected. She held him tightly, one arm around his waist, the other cradling his head as his body trembled in her arms.
Dilasyus, was there too, rushing to his side. His presence was as unshaken as his wife's. He knelt beside them, his hand on Vastarael's shoulder.
"What is happening to him?" Dilasyus asked urgently, his eyes scanning his son's form. "What is causing this?"
Lysameria looked to her husband, her voice filled with a mixture of fear and disbelief.
"It's the Reversal Ascension, but... it's not always like this. The energy... it's too intense, too wild. What could be triggering this?!"
Vastarael barely heard them. He could barely hear anything.
And then, as though responding to his agony, something else began to form. Frost-like crystals began to form around him, growing rapidly like a creeping winter, spiraling outward in every direction.
The crystal spread across the floor, up the walls, even on the chandeliers above. It was as if the very atmosphere around him was reacting to the power pouring out of his body.
Vastarael's body trembled uncontrollably, his breaths ragged and shallow. Every exhale sent more energy spiraling from him. The crystal frost continued to grow.
His head felt like it was about to explode from the pressure and yet it seemed like there was no end to it. Every scream he made only worsened the pain, but it felt as though he couldn't stop.
It was all too much. The pain, the power, the cold. He couldn't stand it anymore. He just wanted it to stop.
But still, the energy poured out of him, and the blue crystals kept spreading, their light dimming the room's warmth.
And then, it suddenly ended.
But... he passed out the second it stopped.