The aftermath of the Initial Trial left a heavy silence in the air. The crowd had long since dispersed, and the once-bustling arena now felt like a hollow shell. The brilliant energy that had once thrummed throughout the day seemed to fade, leaving Ethan with nothing but the quiet hum of his own thoughts.
It wasn't supposed to be this way. The Trial was a rite of passage—an event that should have marked the beginning of something grand, something that would define the future. Instead, it felt as though he had been swallowed up by the crowd, invisible beneath the weight of his own trait. No explosions of power, no dazzling light shows like the others. Just… a quiet, lingering hum deep inside him.
Ethan glanced toward the edge of the arena, where the rest of the children gathered. Leonard, his younger brother, was surrounded by a small group of admirers. His trait, Titan's Might, had awakened as expected—his raw strength radiating from him, a force to be reckoned with. Leonard was the talk of the Trial, the one who had everyone's attention, the one who had exceeded all expectations.
For a brief moment, MC caught his brother's eye. Leonard's gaze flickered briefly toward him, and for a second, MC thought he saw something like… curiosity. It was gone in an instant, replaced by the usual aloofness that Leonard wore so well. He was the prodigy, and MC… wasn't.
"Ethan," came a voice, breaking through his thoughts. He turned and saw Lord Aldric, his father, standing near the exit of the arena. His face was as impassive as ever, but there was a subtle sharpness to his gaze, as if sizing MC up with new eyes. "Come here."
MC swallowed and made his way toward his father. Every step felt heavier than the last, each one a reminder of how insignificant he must seem in this moment. The weight of his father's silence pressed down on him like a storm cloud, threatening to suffocate him.
When he reached Lord Aldric, his father gave him a single, appraising look, before nodding his head slightly.
"That wasn't what I expected, Ethan," Lord Aldric said, his voice as cold and distant as the mountain peaks in the distance. "But you've awakened. And that's what matters."
MC flinched. Was that approval? Or was it another way of dismissing him?
"Your trait is... unorthodox," Lord Aldric continued, his gaze now narrowing slightly. "But I've seen power in the strangest forms. It will take time for you to understand it. And in time, perhaps it will show its true worth."
It wasn't a promise. It wasn't encouragement. It was the closest thing to acceptance that MC had ever gotten from his father.
Lord Aldric turned away before Ethan could say anything in response, his silhouette fading into the crowd. Leonard, still basking in the glory of his own awakening, didn't spare Ethan another glance.
As Ethan stood there, alone in the fading light of the arena, he felt something shift within him. His trait was indeed unorthodox—unlike anything the world had ever seen before. But there was power in the quiet hum, in the subtle resonance that no one else could perceive. If it had not manifested in the way the world expected, then it was up to him to find a way to make it his own.
For the first time in years, Ethan felt a spark of something—hope. Maybe his awakening was not something that could be measured by the standards of others. Perhaps, it was something that could only be truly understood by him. The road ahead would not be easy, but it was his road to walk.
And he would walk it.
Later that night, as he lay in his bed, Ethan thought of his father's words. It will take time. Time. That was something he had plenty of, wasn't it? His power was young, like him—still dormant in many ways, still growing.
The hum within him remained constant, a reminder of what lay ahead. He couldn't yet see the full scope of his potential, but that was okay. The trial had only just begun. There were still many steps to take, and he had to learn to trust the resonance, to let it guide him.
Tomorrow would come with its own challenges, and the path would not always be clear. But Ethan was no longer afraid of what he didn't understand. In fact, it was the uncertainty that fueled him now.
He closed his eyes, the hum of his trait soothing him to sleep, knowing that no one could define his journey but him.
---
The next morning, as the first rays of sunlight crept over the horizon, Ethan awoke with a new sense of determination. The Initial Trial had shown him where he stood, but it had not defined him. That was up to him to do.
With a deep breath, Ethan rose from his bed, ready to begin his true path.
The world had seen a glimpse of his power. But what they didn't know was that it was only the beginning.