Morning came slowly, heavy and golden, spilling through the windows of Ael's modest room. Like always, he struggled to rise from bed, the weight of the new day pressing against him with unusual force. It wasn't just fatigue—he had always been a late riser—but today felt different. His mind replayed the previous day endlessly: the representatives' polite but probing questions, their expectations, and most vividly of all, Lyra's presence. The way she had looked at him, sizing him up without judgment, had left a strange warmth and tension coiling in his chest.
Even the simple act of moving his legs to stand felt like a minor victory. He rolled his shoulders, stretched, and let out a low groan. The muscles in his back protested as if reminding him he wasn't just waking up from sleep but from a chapter of life that had just ended. The Awakening—it was no longer some abstract threat or distant possibility. He had touched it, felt it, even been touched by it. And now, he carried the weight of choice.
When he walked into the kitchen, the morning light highlighted his mother's features. Even with the soft creases that time had etched on her face, she remained beautiful. Blonde hair, like strands of sunlight, framed her face, and emerald green eyes, always keen and alive, lifted toward him. Ael felt his chest tighten. Seeing her was like looking at a lighthouse—strong, unwavering, guiding, and comforting all at once. A part of him longed to stay in this safe harbor forever, yet another part of him had already stepped into a world he could not escape.
"Good morning, Mom," he said softly. "I decided on a guild last night, you know."
She nearly dropped the spatula she was holding, letting out a small gasp. "Morning, son! Oh… which one did you pick?" Her eyes were wide, reflecting curiosity, concern, and the faint trace of excitement. She had known the day would come, yet nothing could quite prepare a parent for the first big choice of a child who had awakened.
"The Phoenix Guild," he said, feeling the words settle in his chest like a spark in dry wood. "Lyra convinced me. After awakening, the last thing I wanted was… well, to be dissected, tested endlessly, or caged until someone understood me. She wants to guide me. She wants to help me understand what I am, what I can do… and all she asks in return is that I represent her guild."
His mother paused, considering. She placed a hand on the counter, the other resting on her hip, gaze sharpening as she searched for hidden motivations. Years of wisdom, instinct, and a mother's intuition weighed in that moment. "I think… she's betting on you," she said finally. "Someone extraordinary, someone who could… change things. She wants the glory to come to the Phoenix Guild if you succeed. It's a gamble—risking time, resources, her own reputation—but I suppose she sees something in you worth the risk. Remarkable or powerful… perhaps both."
Ael leaned against the counter, exhaling. "I thought the same thing, Mom. And it's a win-win for me, at least. Besides… she's not just any Awakened. She's one of the two Level 71 A-rankers in the world. The other is Eryndor." He let the words linger for a moment. "Being trained by someone like her… well, it's an opportunity I can't pass up."
They spoke for an hour, though it felt much longer. They discussed logistics, the reality of joining a guild, the expectations, and the perks. But beneath that, there was a current of emotion neither of them addressed aloud: excitement, fear, hope, and the quiet ache of a parent realizing their child was no longer just a child.
By the time a car arrived to pick him up, Ael felt both anticipation and trepidation coiling in his chest. Half an hour's drive separated him from a new life, one full of challenges he had yet to face, and mysteries he could only imagine.
…
Arriving at the Phoenix Guild headquarters, Ael felt his breath catch. The building was monumental—a breathtaking combination of architecture, magic, and technology. The towers reached into the sky, crystalline spires gleaming with embedded mana stones, catching the morning sun in a hundred fractured glimmers. Arcane sigils glowed faintly along the walls, pulsing in rhythm with the lifeblood of the guild.
He stepped onto the polished marble, each footfall echoing through the hall like a drumbeat announcing his arrival. A sense of smallness swept over him—a mix of awe and humility. It wasn't just a building; it was a statement. A declaration that those who belonged here were not ordinary.
Before he could take in more, a voice rang out clearly across the lobby, cutting through the ambient hum of movement. "Hello, Ael. Good to see you didn't back out."
He looked up to find Lyra standing on the balcony above, hands resting lightly on the railing, her smile easy but knowing. "I would never break my word, Miss Lyra," he said, forcing a small grin. "I wouldn't want to get on your bad side either."
Her eyes softened. "Come. I'll guide you through our facilities. You'll have full access to train. But first, a brief overview of how the guild operates."
The corridors leading to the training halls were grand, lined with intricate mosaics depicting legendary battles and guild achievements. "As a member," she explained, "you may be assigned to a raid team, or you may be invited. Teams usually consist of eight to ten Awakened. Their task: enter rifts, destroy the beasts within, and prevent outbreaks. Closing a rift preserves the balance of the world and yields precious resources for the guild."
Ael nodded. He already knew the structure of raids—his studies at the academy had covered them—but seeing the guild in motion made it tangible.
"The limit on team size is simple… loot. Beasts are finite. Mana stones are finite. Too many Awakened, and everyone gets less. Too few, and the risk grows exponentially." Her eyes twinkled, though there was a seriousness to her tone. "And then, of course, the guild tax."
Ael frowned. "Guild tax? How much?"
She chuckled softly. "Yes. Guild tax. How do you think we afford a place like this? Not the lowest, not the highest—we take 25%. One out of every four mana stones goes to the guild. The rest is yours, either to improve yourself or to sell at our store. You'll survive, I promise."
Her voice softened. Then she looked at him with a spark of curiosity. "Except… scanners say you awakened without a core. That's unusual. I need to see if you can absorb an E-rank mana stone. It will tell me how to help you improve."
He swallowed hard. His heart beat faster, the familiar flutter of nerves and anticipation returning. "Sure… I'd like to see for myself," he said, masking the truth. He didn't need mana stones, nor could he use them, but that was not something he could reveal—not yet.
…
The training hall was a cathedral of strength and magic. Massive and fortified with B-rank monster materials, the room seemed almost alive, humming with latent energy. Light from enchanted orbs bounced off reinforced walls, casting soft shadows that danced across the polished floor. Mana crystals embedded in the ground pulsed gently, feeding the room with energy, stabilizing it against the inevitable destruction of training.
Ael's eyes darted across every corner, absorbing the scale, the design, the sheer weight of history embedded in the guild's foundations. It was almost overwhelming. His chest swelled with excitement, a tension between awe and the raw desire to become stronger.
Lyra noticed and smiled. She reached into her storage ring and tossed a mana stone to him.
"Woah… a storage ring," Ael muttered, marveling at the compact device.
"They're lent before raids. You'll buy your own once you have the means," she said, amused. "Money fixes most problems in this world. But right now, focus."
"Absorb the mana. This is a test—to see if your core can improve by ten percent. Ten stones are needed for a full improvement, but this first one is just diagnostic."
Ael focused, taking a deep breath. Ether—pure, infinite, invisible—flowed around him. He manipulated the stone's mana, drawing it out, feeling the essence thrumming beneath his control. It responded, bending and shifting, but it refused to enter his body. As soon as it neared his core, it dissipated, vanishing like mist under sunlight.
Lyra watched carefully. "No core," she murmured. "How you awakened… I have no idea, but I need to understand this."
She leaned closer. "Intelligence, at level five. The rest, level ten. An E-rank rift is safe based on your stats. Perhaps exposure to a higher concentration of mana will awaken something."
Before Ael could respond, she continued, voice firm. "We train for a week. You will not enter a rift without mastery of at least one attack and one defensive skill using your element. Got it?"
Excitement dimmed briefly. Swordsmanship alone had always been enough, but Ether… Ether could make a difference. After reflection, he nodded.
"I understand. I will follow your guidance, Guild Master."