Morning light slowly spread over the small village of Grey Hollow.
The village was quiet, like it always was.
Small wooden houses stood close together.
Thin smoke rose from stone chimneys. Farmers were already walking toward the fields with simple tools in their hands.
Grey Hollow was not an important place.
It was a poor mining village at the edge of the Solmire Empire.
Most people here lived simple lives.
They worked.
They ate.
They slept.
And then they worked again.
But today was different.
Today was the Awakening Ceremony.
Once every year, a group of officials from the capital came to small villages like this one. Their job was to help sixteen-year-olds awaken their Soul Weapons.
In this world, a Soul Weapon decided everything.
It decided your future.
Your status.
Your power.
A child with a strong weapon could rise from poverty to nobility.
A weak weapon meant a life of struggle.
That was simply the way the world worked.
The center of Grey Hollow was crowded.
Villagers gathered around a large stone platform. A tall crystal pillar stood in the middle of it.
This pillar was called a Soul Crystal.
It helped young people awaken their weapons.
Six teenagers stood near the platform. Some looked excited. Some looked nervous.
Among them stood a tall boy with messy black hair.
His name was Kael Ardyn.
Kael wore simple clothes like the other villagers, but his eyes were calm and focused.
He looked at the crystal quietly.
Today would decide his future.
Behind him, two boys were whispering.
"Do you think anyone here will awaken a Silver weapon?"
The other boy laughed.
"In Grey Hollow? Impossible."
Another voice joined them.
"Bronze would already be amazing."
Kael did not join the conversation.
He had heard these talks many times before.
Grey Hollow was a poor village.
Most people awakened Iron rank weapons.
Some unlucky people awakened Broken rank weapons.
Only once in many years did someone awaken a Bronze weapon.
Still, Kael held a small hope in his heart.
He did not want power for fame.
He wanted power for something else.
To protect the people he cared about.
Soon, a group of riders entered the village square.
They wore long dark coats with silver patterns.
Everyone recognized them immediately.
They were Soul Temple officials.
The crowd quickly became quiet.
One man stepped forward. He looked around forty years old and had sharp eyes.
"People of Grey Hollow," he said in a calm voice.
"My name is Examiner Talric. Today we will conduct the Soul Weapon awakening ceremony."
He pointed toward the stone platform.
"Each candidate will step forward and place their hand on the Soul Crystal."
"The crystal will help your soul reveal its weapon."
He paused for a moment.
"Remember… remain calm. Fear can disturb your soul."
The teenagers nodded nervously.
Talric looked down at a small list.
"We will begin now."
"Marin Holt."
A thin boy stepped forward.
He swallowed nervously and placed his hand on the crystal.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then the crystal began to glow with a faint light.
Soul energy gathered around Marin's body.
Slowly, something appeared in his hand.
A simple iron spear.
One of the officials looked at a small measuring device.
"Iron Rank Soul Weapon."
The crowd nodded.
That was normal.
Marin looked slightly disappointed, but it was still a useful weapon.
He stepped down from the platform.
Next came Lena Farrow.
Her weapon was a Bronze rank dagger.
The crowd gasped.
Bronze rank was already considered good in a small village.
Lena looked very proud as she walked away.
Two more awakenings followed.
Both were Iron rank weapons.
Then there was a Broken rank shield.
The boy who awakened it looked like he wanted to cry.
The crowd whispered quietly.
Now only one person remained.
Examiner Talric looked at the list again.
"Kael Ardyn."
Kael stepped forward calmly.
He climbed the stone platform slowly.
As he walked, he felt the eyes of the entire village on him.
But he did not feel nervous.
Instead, he felt something strange.
A faint warmth deep inside his chest.
Like something was waiting.
Talric spoke.
"Place your hand on the crystal."
Kael nodded.
He placed his hand on the smooth surface of the Soul Crystal.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then the crystal suddenly flashed with dark silver light.
The officials looked surprised.
Energy flowed through Kael's body.
It felt like a quiet storm inside his soul.
Then something appeared in his hand.
A sword.
It was simple.
A black blade with thin silver lines running across it.
The weapon did not look impressive.
In fact, it looked plain.
One official quickly checked the measuring device.
His expression became neutral.
"Iron Rank weapon."
Some villagers sighed.
Others shook their heads.
Another ordinary weapon.
But Talric looked a little longer at the sword.
For a brief moment, he felt something strange from it.
But the feeling disappeared quickly.
He spoke again.
"Iron Rank Soul Weapon confirmed."
Kael nodded quietly.
He looked down at the sword in his hand.
For some reason, he felt a deep connection with it.
Like the weapon was alive.
Then something strange happened.
Inside his mind, a soft glow appeared.
A panel made of light slowly formed in front of him.
Only Kael could see it.
A clear screen of light floated in the air.
Words slowly appeared.
______
SOUL PANEL
Name: Kael Ardyn
Age: 16
Soul Weapon: Astraeus
Rank: Iron
Type: Growth-Type
Realm: Soul Spark
Attributes
Strength: 9
Agility: 10
Endurance: 9
Soul Power: 8
Soul Control: 14
Soul Pressure: 6
Abilities
Soul Devour[Unique]
Absorb fragments of soul essence from defeated enemies.
Soul Reinforcement
Use soul energy to strengthen the body.
______
Kael stared at the panel in shock.
Growth-Type?
He had never heard of that before.
But the panel slowly faded away.
The weapon in his hand felt warm.
Almost like it was responding to him.
Kael closed his hand around the sword's handle.
Something deep inside him trembled quietly.
A promise.
A path.
The beginning of something far greater than anyone in this small village could imagine.