The Awakening Ceremony Starts 2
Viscount Thorne settled on his throne-like chair, his black eyes scanning the colosseum with a calm but indifferent expression. His white and gold robe shone under the sunlight, emphasizing his majestic figure. No sooner was he seated than his heavy, authoritative voice boomed through the VIP room.
"Sit," he commanded, gesturing toward the two empty seats beside him.
Lady Aria and Lady Liren seated themselves elegantly, their flowing robes in motion as they sat with composed faces. Behind them, Orion and Lyra remained standing, their posture straight as they waited for the ceremony to commence.
A servant appeared on the balcony; his voice amplified by magic. "Greetings, people of Valeria City!"
The whispers in the massive colosseum were silenced, and everyone looked towards the VIP room. The audience then rose to their feet in respect.
"Our Lord and Ladies have arrived!" the servant went on. "Let us greet Viscount Thorne and his family!"
A synchronized greeting chant echoed throughout the colosseum. Orion saw the formal nod his father offered, acknowledge the respect of crowed without any genuine interest. His face was as unreadable as ever, just as it had always been. His father never had much use for such formalities—only for power and outcomes.
As the greetings died down, another servant approached and officially declared, "The Magic Awakening Ceremony shall now begin!"
An air of excitement moved through the colosseum as cheers resounded. Orion heard the sounds of young competitors murmuring amongst themselves, some with eagerness, others with apprehension.
The servant went on, "This holy ceremony of magic affinity, which occurs only once every year, signifies the beginning of the path each young magic practitioner must take. Today, at Lady Amaya's guidance, we will bear witness to new talents being discovered!"
The mention of the name Lady Amaya was enough to encourage a storm of applause from the crowd. Then, A stunning woman, dressed in a plain but beautiful Black robe, entered the arena. Her hair was long and black, her skin was unblemished and fair, and her eyes were deep and black and possessed a look of wisdom that went far beyond her youth. Although she seemed to be a woman in her twenties, there was something about her that commanded respect.
Lady Amaya moved with poise, her figure demanding notice as she headed towards the rising pillar in the centre of the arena. She turned towards the VIP area and bowed.
"Greetings, Lords and Ladies," her voice was clear, possessing a natural melodious rhythm. She then turned to face the crowd.
"And greetings, citizens of Valeria City!"
Lady Aria and Lady Liren nodded back, with Viscount Thorne offering a slight nod of recognition.
A servant came forward again, his voice amplified by magic. "From this point on, Lady Amaya will lead this ceremony!"
Lady Amaya nodded in gratitude before speaking to the crowd again. "Thank you," she said. " I am privileged to supervise over this sacred ritual again."
She then turned to the colossal black pillar established at the heart of the arena. stretching out her hand, she spoke spell in a soft, ancient language whispering an incantation. The pillar sprang to light with a gold radiance, its previously dull form now shrouded with a divine presence.
Gasps of awe echoed through the stands.
"This is the Pillar of Awakening," Lady Amaya stated. "Since you all understand, magic here in this world is in six main affinities—Fire, Water, Earth, Air, Thunder, and the unique anomalies: White Magic and Dark Magic. Placed on sixth ranked together"
She pointed to the pillar. "When one who participant places their hand on this holy relic, their magical affinity will be shown in the shape of a scroll. Red scroll means Fire, blue scroll means Water, brown means Earth, green means Air, and purple means Thunder. For those rare exceptions, Dark Magic will show as a black scroll, and White Magic as a white scroll."
There was a silence for a moment as the contestants reflected on what she had said.
Lady Amaya beamed with a warm smile. "Now then, let us start!"
The crowd cheered as the first contestant, a young commoner, came forward. He was a well-built boy with unruly hair and a resolute look.
Lady Amaya invited him to the pillar. "Put your hand on the Awakening Pillar."
The boy didn't even blink before he pressed his hand against the radiant surface. Golden energy wrapped around his body at that instant. A few anxious seconds passed before the pillar shook and a brown scroll appeared. The golden light dissipated, and Lady Amaya's voice echoed.
"Congratulations! You have awakened Earth Affinity!"
The face of the boy radiated joy as the scroll dissolved into his chest, his body shining briefly with a brown colour. He quickly bowed in gratitude before leaving the arena.
Individual after individual, continued came forward one by one. Some were awakening Fire affinity, some Water affinity, some Air affinity, and some Thunder affinity. And some earth affinity but no one awaken white magic or dark magic. Yet, there were also individuals who did not receive any affinity and departed the arena with disappointed faces while cursing own luck.
As time went on, the ceremony proceeded with regularity. Hours later, a servant approached a lavish waiting room where Orion and Lyra sat cross-legged, meditating. The servant bowed with respect.
"Young Master, Young Mistress, your turn is arrived."
Orion and Lyra both opened their eyes, giving a nod of silent recognition to each other. They stood and went with the servant out of the room. When they reached the entrance of the arena, Orion put a comforting hand on Lyra's head.
"You go first," he said softly.
Lyra hesitated, her blue eyes flashing with nervousness as she looked at the huge crowd. Orion saw how uncomfortable she was and he softly creased her hair. "Don't worry about the people eyes," he told her. "Just focus on your awakening."
Lyra bit her lip before she nodded. "Alright, Brother Orion. Look at me properly when I awaken my affinity!"
Orion smiled. "Of course."
Taking a deep breath, Lyra moved into the arena. The crowd's murmurs grew louder.
"Look! That's Lord Thorne's only daughter!"
"She's even prettier up close!"
"I wonder what affinity she'll awaken?"
Lyra's grip tightened at her sides of her dress in nervousness, but she soon covered her nervousness with a calm face as she approached Lady Amaya. She bowed respectfully.
"Greetings, Lady Amaya."
Lady Amaya smiled gently. "Theres's no need to be nervous, dear. Now, Put your hand on the pillar."
Lyra nodded her head on her words then she softly raised her hand and touched the pillar's cool surface. The instant she did, the golden light enveloped her, and the pillar pulsed fiercely. The energy that surrounded her glowed brighter than those before her.
A vibration sounded through the colosseum. Then a blue scroll popped out of the pillar.
Gasp resounded through the stands.
"A blue scroll!"
"She awakened Water Affinity!"
"Strong affinity she has!"
Lady Amaya's keen eyes spotted the stronger-than-usual glow of Lyra's body, but she did not react and kept her expression neutral.
"Congratulations," she said with a smile. "You have awakened Water Affinity!"
Then blue scroll dissolved into Lyra's chest, and her body glowed briefly with a powerful blue colour. She smiled radiantly, bowing in appreciation before she departed the arena.
The instant she arrived at Orion, she smiled. "Brother Orion! You witnessed that, didn't you? I awakened Water Affinity!"
Orion smiled and stroked her head. "Well done, Lyra."
She laughed. "Now it's your turn! Good luck, Brother Orion!"
Orion smiled back and faced the arena. But as he started walking forward with his first step, a hint of nervousness glimmered in his blue eyes. After a deep breath, he clenched his determination and walked into his destiny.
To be continued.