End of Spring.
Valtheim Kingdom.
Grand Arcanum Academy.
Today was the day everyone had been counting down to since their enrollment — the long-awaited Awakening Day.
In the center of the grand hall, hundreds of graduates stood in perfectly straight lines, their faces a mixture of nerves, excitement, and sheer terror.
Surrounding them like a swarm of buzzing insects, the juniors crowded the side galleries and balconies, leaning over railings to get a better view of the spectacle that was about to unfold.
At the very front, standing beneath the towering crest of the academy, was Principal Orlan.
He adjusted the voice amplifying crystal, his gaze sweeping over the sea of young faces.
"Today marks the end of your preparation," Principal Orlan's voice boomed across the hall, silencing the whispers instantly. "And the beginning of your true lives. The potential sleeping within you will finally be drawn out. Do not fear it. Embrace it..."
