The sun hung low above the sprawling academy courtyard, spilling long streaks of gold across the marble paths. The Awakening Ceremony had ended, but the true commotion was only beginning.
The wide, open grounds were alive with noise — the clamor of conversation, the gleam of armor and insignias, the rustle of parchment as recruiters held banners for their guilds high in the air. Laughter and awe mixed in the air as newly awakened students—no longer students, but awakeners—traded glances and tried to hide both excitement and fear.
Ael stood quietly amid it all, his badge gleaming faintly in the sunlight. E-Rank. New awakener. The lowest rank, but that meant nothing to him. His eyes lingered on the badge for a moment longer than necessary, the etched letters blurring slightly as thoughts turned inward.
The Vessel.
Ether Paragon.
Words the world did not yet know. Words that even he did not yet understand.
He turned the badge in his hand before clipping it to his belt, exhaling slowly. Every other awakener around him would be adjusting to the sensation of mana coursing through their veins — that steady hum of power newly found. But within him, there was no hum. No mana. Only that infinite, quiet pulse. Something vast, untouchable, unbound.
He began to walk.
The academy courtyard stretched into a circular plaza, where dozens of guild booths had been set up beneath colorful banners. Phoenix Guild's red crest flared bright under the sun, Frozen Heart's silver sigil gleamed in cold blue light, Radiant Dawn's white banners fluttered in the wind, and Titan's Fists's steel-gray emblems caught the light like tempered blades. Beyond them all, a dark indigo banner crackled faintly with residual energy — Stormveil Guild.
Each booth was manned by guild members, some smiling and friendly, others evaluating with hawk-like focus. Recruiters were calling out to the new awakeners, each promising guidance, training, and rewards.
Ael's gaze drifted across the sea of faces until one stood out — a figure moving through the crowd with unhurried grace and commanding presence.
Fiery red hair caught the light like molten gold.
She was walking straight toward him.
Lyra Emberfall.
For a moment, he couldn't move. The last time he had seen her, he had been a child — afraid, and barely conscious. She had been a figure of legend even then, the woman who arrived in a blaze of fire to drive away the creatures that had razed his village. That day, she hadn't just saved him — she had burned the memory of her into his very being.
Now she approached with the same calm intensity that once scorched the battlefield.
Her golden eyes swept over him briefly before softening with faint surprise. "White hair," she murmured, more to herself than to him. "And violet eyes. I thought the stories were exaggerating."
Ael straightened, his expression guarded but respectful. "You're… Lyra Emberfall."
A smirk curved her lips. "And you're the one everyone's whispering about. The strange awakener with no mana signature. I heard rumors before I arrived — thought it couldn't be true. But now…" Her eyes narrowed, studying him. "It seems the world still knows how to surprise me."
He hesitated. "You came here… for me?"
"I came here," she said, her tone light but deliberate, "because the Phoenix Guild doesn't ignore potential. Especially when it glows bright enough to set the world's attention ablaze."
Her words were confident but not arrogant. She wasn't just speaking as a guild leader — she was speaking as someone curious, maybe even invested.
Ael's silence drew her closer.
"You probably don't remember me," she said, her voice softening slightly. "Ten years ago, there was a rift. A city on the verge of destruction. You were just a boy then, clinging to your mother in the ashes. I didn't expect to see those same eyes again."
Her hand brushed her hip where her guild insignia gleamed — a phoenix rising from flame.
He did remember. Not everything, but flashes. Fire in the night. Screams swallowed by light. And then — her, standing between him and death itself.
"I remember," he said quietly.
Lyra nodded once, then folded her arms. "When I heard about an awakener with no elemental affinity, my first thought was that it couldn't be real. But when they described you…" She tilted her head, studying him again. "I had to see for myself."
The courtyard had grown quieter around them. Other recruits had started to notice the woman who stood before Ael — the Lyra Emberfall, leader of Phoenix Guild, ranked second in the world.
"Look," she continued, her tone shifting back to professional. "Whatever your awakening was, it's not something the academy can help you with anymore. You're outside their depth now. My guild can help. We have scholars who specialize in anomalous awakenings that involve new elemental affinities, artifact masters who study energy resonance — we could find out what happened to you."
Ael's jaw tightened. "And what would you want in return?"
Her smile returned — faint, playful. "Nothing you aren't already willing to give. Just your trust. Your time. And your name under Phoenix Guild's banner."
Before he could answer, a sudden chill rippled through the air. The sun dimmed slightly as a figure approached from the opposite side of the plaza — robes trailing faint frost, every step measured and deliberate.
The crowd shifted instinctively, giving way.
"Lyra Emberfall," the man said smoothly, his voice cold as ice. "Still recruiting with fire and sentiment, I see."
Lyra turned, smirking. "Eryndor Vale. I should have guessed Frozen Heart would crawl out of their ice caves for this one."
Eryndor stopped beside her, his gaze turning toward Ael. His eyes — pale, glacial blue — studied him as though dissecting every layer of his existence. "No mana resonance. No elemental echo. And yet…" He tilted his head. "You stand here awakened and with double stats at that. Intriguing."
Ael felt his skin prickle under that gaze.
"How the hell are they already aware of my stats and information, it hasn't even been an hour since I left the ceremony", Ael said softly, more to himself questioning all that was going on.
Eryndor's voice was soft, analytical. "Join me. Frozen Heart Guild does not chase fame or glory. We pursue truth — the kind hidden in the depths of power. Whatever you awakened, we could unravel it by helping you get stronger, no matter the cost."
Before Ael could even process the invitation, a third voice chimed in — serene, warm, commanding.
"That kind of pursuit tends to forget the soul it studies, Eryndor."
All eyes turned as a woman descended the marble stairs from the upper terrace, her silver-white hair glowing in the sunlight.
Seraphine Lysar. Leader of Radiant Dawn Guild.
She walked with quiet authority, her pale golden eyes calm but piercing. "He doesn't need to be dissected," she said gently. "He needs to be guided. Protected. If he truly is an anomaly or this is a new unknown element, then the world will not treat him kindly, we know this from previous experience. My guild offers sanctuary — and wisdom."
Lyra crossed her arms, amused. "And sermons, no doubt."
"Purpose," Seraphine corrected smoothly.
The tension between them was almost tangible, sparks of heat and frost mixing with the gentle weight of light.
Ael could barely keep up. He hadn't spoken a word since Lyra's invitation, and now three of the most powerful figures in the world stood around him.
And then came the fourth.
Kael Dorn — broad-shouldered, calm, and solid as a mountain — approached without fanfare. He didn't announce himself. He didn't need to. His presence alone carved silence through the air.
"Enough," he said, his voice deep and steady. "You're going to scare the kid."
Lyra rolled her eyes. "He's not a kid, Kael. Not anymore."
Kael regarded Ael with a slow nod. "Phoenix Guild's fire burns bright, but too hot. Frozen Heart freezes what it can't control. Radiant Dawn preaches peace until someone breaks it." His lips twitched slightly. "Join Titan Fang instead. We don't theorize or pray. We build strength. Discipline. You'll survive longer that way. I was told you awakened with double the stats a normal awakener, and that includes strength which means you might also be able to use physical enhancements with whatever element you awakened", he said while winking at Ael.
Before Ael could even begin to form a response, a sharp crack of static energy tore through the courtyard. The fifth leader arrived not with calm, but with chaos.
Thalen Rynn.
A flash of blue lightning danced across his shoulders as he landed on the edge of a marble bench, grinning down at the group. "Did someone say recruiting war? Damn, I almost missed it."
Lyra groaned. "You always have to make an entrance, don't you?"
"Of course," Thalen said, leaping down effortlessly. "Can't let you ice blocks and saints have all the fun." His gaze found Ael, flickering with curiosity. "So this is the famously new awakener huh. No mana, no element… fascinating. You're either cursed or blessed, kid. Hard to tell which."
The courtyard had fallen entirely silent now. Every student, recruiter, and instructor stood frozen — watching the five most powerful awakeners in the world standing within a few feet of a single newly awakened boy.
Lyra's voice cut through the stillness, calm but burning. "You all had your say. But he's not a prize to fight over. He's a person — and he'll decide for himself." But in reality she was angry, she wanted to recruit Ael and didn't expect them all to reach out as soon as she did.
Her gaze softened slightly as she looked at Ael again. "Take your time, Ael. But don't let fear decide for you."
Eryndor's icy tone followed. "And don't let emotion cloud you. We are number one for a reason."
Seraphine's gentle light: "Listen to your heart Ael. Do you want peace or be dragged into war with these war mongers?"
Kael's grounded voice: "Don't listen to that preachy and soft crap, listen to reason, strength is all that matters, remember that Ael."
Thalen's grin: "Or just go with whoever has the best snacks. My vote's for that." Like always, trying to lighten up the mood. "All jokes aside, you have a big decision kid, we'll be in touch.
A faint ripple of laughter cut the tension, even from a few guild members nearby.
Ael said nothing. His eyes moved between them — the fire, the frost, the light, the steel, the storm. Five forces that shaped the world stood before him, all waiting for his answer.
But not yet.
He would decide soon enough.
"Thank you all, I will need some time to think about this, it's a big decision after all, and well… You are all experienced and important in your own right, so I really need to sleep on this decision if you don't mind"
They all nodded, and decided to give him some space, leaving to where they came from, or to continue on for recruitment.
For now, he simply exhaled and turned his gaze to the horizon, where the sun burned red against the clouds — its light split into every color, and yet somehow… none of them.