Germaine stood silently on the balcony of the family estate, her gaze drifting over the vast courtyard below. The morning sun glinted off the polished marble, reflecting in the water fountains that danced with graceful precision. Children laughed and shouted, their mana flaring brightly in the air as they practiced under the watchful eyes of tutors and family elders.
Some soared above the ground, flames trailing behind their hands; others molded water into intricate shapes, bending it like clay. A few younger students manipulated air currents to perform loops and flips, leaving shimmering trails that lingered in the morning sky. Every child seemed alive with power, their mana cores active and vibrant, their abilities clearly defined and admired.
And then there was Germaine.
She clutched the balcony railing, feeling its cold marble press against her palms, grounding her in a reality she could not change. At sixteen, she still had no sign of an awakened mana core. No swirling fire, no control over water, no magical beast at her side not to talk mkre if a soulpet. Just… nothing.
Her parents, as proud and loving as they could be, always carried that subtle weight of expectation when they looked at her. "You'll awaken soon," they said, voice gentle, meant to reassure. But every utterance felt like a reminder of how far behind she was. Her siblings had all shown signs of their powers before they turned nine. And yet here she was, sixteen, still an outcast in her own family, still the girl without a spark.
A sharp laugh below made her flinch. A younger cousin had just performed a particularly dazzling feat of fire manipulation, sending a small dragon-shaped flame twisting into the air. The family elders clapped, praising the child's technique and precision. Germaine sighed, turning away from the balcony.
She wandered the halls of the estate, her footsteps echoing across polished floors. The house was magnificent, filled with priceless artifacts, towering bookshelves, and murals depicting the family's long line of powerful magicians. Every corner reminded her of what she lacked, of the potential she should have had but never did.
Eventually, her wandering brought her to the family library, a place she rarely visited. Most children avoided it; the dust-laden air and towering shelves of old tomes were intimidating, even to those with awakened mana cores. But Germaine liked it. The quiet, the solitude—it was a rare refuge from the judgment and whispers of the outside world.
Her fingers traced the spines of ancient books, their leather covers worn with age. Some titles were in languages long forgotten, while others hinted at magic so powerful it was considered forbidden by the family. Her eyes fell on a small section of the shelf, carved subtly differently from the rest. Curiosity pulled her forward.
With a careful press, she discovered a hidden compartment. Inside lay a single, leather-bound book. It was unassuming, but faintly… alive. The cover shimmered as if it contained light within itself, and runes etched into the leather seemed to pulse faintly under her fingertips.
Germaine hesitated, a shiver running down her spine. She had never seen anything like this before. As her fingers brushed the cover, warmth surged through her hand. The runes glowed brighter, almost as if recognizing her touch. A voice, faint and ethereal, whispered at the edges of her mind—not words, but feelings. Power, potential, destiny.
Her heartbeat quickened. She opened the book. Pages turned themselves, revealing lines of script that seemed to crawl and shift on their own. Symbols danced like liquid fire, forming patterns that were almost hypnotic. And then, something deep within her stirred—a sensation she had never known before.
A flicker of energy shot through her chest. Her body tingled, her mind hummed, and for the first time, she felt a connection to something beyond herself. It was not the familiar abilities she had envied in others. This was different. Raw. Strange. Unfamiliar. But undeniably hers.
"Could this… be it?" she whispered, though the words barely left her lips. Her hands shook as the warmth spread from her core outward, curling along her arms and through her veins. For the first time in her life, she felt… alive.
The world around her seemed sharper, more vibrant. She could feel the subtle currents of mana in the room, the faint traces left by centuries of family magic. The air itself seemed to hum in response, as if acknowledging her presence.
Her mind raced. "If this is truly my mana core awakening… why now? Why like this?" She had spent years as an outcast, ignored, underestimated, mocked in whispers by the very people who were supposed to protect and guide her. And now, at sixteen, something ancient and powerful had chosen her.
A sudden flash of light filled the room. The book hovered slightly above her hands, pages flipping rapidly, showing visions she barely understood—floating continents suspended in the sky, massive fragments of glowing crystal, armies clashing across vast expanses of land, and a single artifact, broken into pieces, radiating immense power. One shard, glowing brighter than the rest, seemed to call out to her directly.
Her heart raced.' The Eternity Shard…' The word formed in her mind without sound, a concept she somehow knew even if she had never been taught. These shards, remnants of a cataclysm that had shattered the world, each contained power capable of reshaping reality itself. And now, somehow, she was linked to them.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a noise behind her. She spun around, only to see her older brother leaning against the doorway, arms crossed, a smirk tugging at his lips.
"You finally found something to do with your hands," he teased. "I thought you'd be out there sulking again, staring at everyone else showing off their powers."
Germaine's cheeks flushed. "I… I wasn't—" she began, but then stopped. She realized she could feel the book, feel the power in a way she could never have imagined. It wasn't just an object. It was alive, responding to her, waiting for her to understand it.
Her brother's eyes narrowed. "What is that?" he asked, curiosity edging into caution.
"I… I don't know... yet," she admitted, her voice trembling with a mixture of fear and exhilaration. "But… it's mine."
For a long moment, the room was silent, except for the faint hum of energy that seemed to vibrate from the book. Her brother tilted his head, clearly unsure whether to be impressed or alarmed.
"I've… never felt anything like this before," Germaine whispered. Her gaze returned to the pages of the book, the runes swirling like fire, the faint glow reflecting in her eyes. "But I think… I'm finally getting an awakening. Not like the others… something different… something… powerful" "....it should be" she added in a barely audible whisper.
As the words left her lips, a subtle pulse of light emanated from the book, wrapping around her body. For the first time in her life, she felt… whole. Not less than, not behind, not invisible. For the first time, she felt like she could be more than anyone had expected.
Outside, the sun continued to rise over the floating continents, unaware of the events unfolding in the quiet library of the prestigious Blade family estate. But for Germaine, the world had already shifted. She had awakened—not to flames or storms, or creatures that could be summoned, but to something far greater.
******
And somewhere, in the currents of the ancient magic that bound her family, a faint voice whispered:
"At last… she has come. The one who will shape the shards… and the fate of all."
******
Germaine tightened her grip on the book. Her heart pounded in her chest, a mixture of fear, anticipation, and something else she hadn't felt before: determination. She didn't yet know the dangers that awaited her, the factions vying for the shards, or the full extent of the power she now held. But one thing was clear—her life, and the world itself, would never be the same again.
With a final glance around the library, she whispered to herself:
"I'll find out what this is… and I'll master it. No one—no one—will underestimate me again. And that's a vow"