Kael arrived home just in time to help Irene and Yorin, his father prepare dinner.
Today they were having a soup made from boiling beast bones and meat with vegetables.
As they all sat down at the dinner table there was silence.
They all knew what day tomorrow was.
It was the day Kael acquired his aspect.
It was also the day Kael joined the Dreadforge army.
Eventually the silence was broken by Irene.
"This broth is so good" she said licking her lips.
"Tell me about it" Kael said chewing on a piece of meat.
Yorin had a smile on his face watching his kids enjoy their meal.
On the inside he felt completely different.
Kael was a smart kid and also a strong kid.
But Yorin wasn't sure if Kael was ready for the struggles and difficulties he would face once he joined the Dreadforge army.
But alas all he could do was hope he prepared his son well enough for the journey.
Soon the night loosened its grip on the world and the rays of the sun slowly caressed the earth.
Even though the sun was just rising Kael was outside practicing his swordsmanship.
He couldn't sleep during the night so he came outside to practice.
Holding a sword in his palm made Kael feel at ease almost like just gripping one gave him clarity.
Soon it was time for the ceremony and the kids of the town made their way to the town square.
Kael was no different wearing a set of pure white clothes like all the other kids.
This was the only time Kael wore these clothes as they were bought just for this occasion.
As Kael approached the town square he recognized it was just like all the other times he had watched the ceremony.
The Banner of the Empire was draped from the top of the ceremonial square.
There was a magic circle engraved into the floor with the Priestess in the middle.
Here one would gain the blessing of the Emperor along with one's aspect being awakened.
When a person unlocked their aspect they had to slowly discover what it was and how it functioned.
This would end up taking a lot of time and self discovery.
With the Emperors blessing, one could see all the information about their aspect reading it easily like the stats menu in a game.
This was made possible with the strength of Emperor Kaedrus Dreadforge.
The first Emperor of the Empire, the one who ascended Aetherium.
With his blessing every human gained the ability to see information about their aspect.
This gave humans a slight advantage over the other races as humans knew exactly what their aspect was instead of finding out through trial and error.
When all of the youths gathered up which was around 60 the Priestess spoke.
"Children of the Empire today you stand before me to awaken the hidden piece of your souls"
"Show your worth to the Empire which has given you all you know"
"Born from the Empire, die for the Empire!"
The crowd of teenagers yelled in pride and absolute reverence and so did their families.
As the last standing bastion of humanity the Dreadforge Empire was the pride of humanity.
It was the only standing protection between humanity and its enemies.
After all the cheers quieted down the priestess called the teenagers up one by one.
The magic circle in the ground was powered up by several greater crystals.
Crystals of this size and purity could only be found in apex beasts and higher.
Apex beasts are the third realm for beasts, being feral, awakened, then apex beasts.
Above that are a higher ranks but Kael wouldn't be seeing them anytime soon.
Soon the first youth stepped into the circle and got on one knee.
The Priestess put her staff which had a large red crystal at its end on the head of the crouching teen.
"The veil parts. The spirit stirs. Show us the power you were born to bear, let your Aspect rise."
A golden light shined from the tip of her staff and entered the body of the youth.
Then like a lock being broken a sound of glass being shattered spread through the area.
The youth stared blankly into space like his soul was absent from his body.
But his eyes quickly gained clarity.
In the air above the youth words were written which only the priestess and the youth could see.
The youth could see these words because this was the Emperors blessing, the priestess because this was her aspect.
Still she acted like she couldn't see a thing and asked the youth gently with the same serene smile on her face.
"What ability did you acquire?"
The youth still on one knee quickly answered.
"I have gained the ability of celestial step Lady Lunaria."
"I am able to become celestial light momentarily to dodge and move quickly"
Lady Lunaria with the same expression on her face patted the youths shoulder and congratulated him on awakening.
The youth stepped off the altar and another came on.
This went on for quite sometime and after 50 teens awakened their aspect it was Kael's turn.
Kael went onto the altar and just like the others went onto one knee.
Lady Lunaria put the staff to his head and recited the saying causing a golden light to shine from her staff and Kael's body.
Kael who was staring at the floor felt his vision shift.
One second he was kneeling beneath the priestess and the next he stood in a vast, lightless void. No ground. No sky. Just a colorless expanse spreading outward forever, thick like ink.
His soul-space.
Kael took a step forward.
As if the endless darkness had never experienced motion that one step spread outward endlessly reaching far into the horizon.
Suddenly, his soul space started shaking violently.
High in the air of his soul-space there was a little dot of light.
Kael didn't notice it before because of how far it must've been but this dot was quickly moving closer.
Within seconds the little dot of little appeared before Kael and, shot into his body.
With a sound of glass being shattered Kael lost focus for a moment before coming back to his senses.
As if a piece of his soul that had been missing his whole life had been returned.
As if the most vital part of him had finally become complete Kael felt whole.
Words with no apparent voice or gender whispered into his head.
"Eidolon Fracture"
With those words Kael felt himself standing before the priestess Lunaria.
'Eidolon fracture?' Kael thought.