I've heard the rumors, but seeing it firsthand it's unbelievable. It feels like all the light inside the temple is reacting to him," Melbuar whispered, eyes wide as he watched the young child glow with light. Even from where they stood, half-kneeling before the grand statue of Luminor it felt as though the Sun God Himself had turned his gaze toward the child.
"Your family is truly blessed. Lucky bastard," Melbuar added with a smirk, nudging the man beside him.
Aelius chuckled softly. Melbuar had been his closest friend since their academy days, and only he could get away with calling him that in the middle of a sacred ceremony.
"He's the pride of Brightwarden," Aelius said, unable to hide the pride swelling in his chest. "The first true Solar Heir in five hundred years. The last one was our ancestor, Solaria. Who would have thought this generation would bring forth another?"
Melbuar nodded in agreement, his gaze drifting back to the radiant child. "Five hundred years, no wonder everyone's acting differently."
A moment passed before Aelius tilted his head. "Where's your kid? I haven't seen him since he was a baby. Why didn't you bring him? It would've been good to introduce him to Aurelian."
"I tried," Melbuar sighed. "But you know Amy. She insisted on bringing Melvin to her family today. Her parents haven't seen their grandson in months, and well, you know how terrifying my in-laws can be. I didn't have the courage to refuse."
Aelius nodded, fully understanding his friend's circumstances. Melbuar's situation had always been a little complicated. Unlike Aelius born into a high noble line, Melbuar came from a lesser branch of nobility. He was the son of a count from the northern territories, a respectable lineage but nowhere near the prestige of a Duke like the Brightwardens.
And yet fate, or perhaps mischief, had taken an interest in him.
Aelius couldn't help but chuckle inwardly as a memory resurfaced. Back in their academy days, Melbuar had spent every scrap of his free time chasing after Amy the ice cold daughter of the Duke of the North. She rejected him every time, treating him like a minor annoyance. Aelius had assumed it was hopeless, a comedic side plot in their youth.
So when Melbuar burst into his room at the end of their fourth year, shouting that he and Amy were now dating, Aelius nearly fell off his chair.
In a way, Melbuar had never been a high noble by birth, but he had carved his own path so fiercely that his status had risen anyway. His achievements spoke for themselves.
Aelius glanced at his friend now, remembering the story one he had heard a hundred times but still couldn't fully comprehend. Years ago, when a Tier 8 void monster had breached the northern border, the entire region had been moments away from annihilation. The creature was so massive its body covered the sky. Yet Melbuar just one man stood against it, and he won.
With flames so intense they scorched the heavens, he burned the colossal void beast until nothing but ash remained. Aelius personally witnessed the scorching monster from a distance. Hearing the danger in the northern borders Aelius rushed to the northern borders to provide assistance. When he arrived he was in shock to see the massive creature burning in the sky, this is the first time he has really known how powerful his best friend is.
For saving the North, the Emperor had personally elevated Melbuar to the rank of Earl. From then on, the empire began calling him, the northern tyrant of fire, a Tier 8 Archwizard whose flames were feared among the void entities.
Aelius looked at him fondly, remembering all the things his friend had done. Under his breath he replied. "Fair enough. There will be more chances in the future for them to meet."
Their conversation paused as movement stirred at the center of the temple. Aelius glanced back toward Aurelian. The clergy of the Solareth were already taking their positions, arranging the sacred implements, adjusting the radiant channels etched into the floor, and preparing to begin the ritual.
A soft hum filled the air as the Solareth clergy raised their golden staffs in unison. Lines of light mana etched into the marble floor ignited one by one, forming a vast circular sigil beneath the towering statue of Luminor. The entire temple dimmed for a single second, and then like the sun rising within the skies light surged outward from the sigil.
Aurelian stood at its center the white-and-gold robes fluttering slightly from the rising currents of power. The light around him reacted instantly, swirling around him as though greeting an old friend.
Grandus stepped forward, his red priestly robes gleaming. His voice boomed with authority.
"Let the First Light Ceremony commence! By the covenant of Luminor, we call upon the sacred light to acknowledge the child of the Brightwarden. May his light be strengthened, purified, and guided by Luminor!"
The clergy echoed the chant, their voices overlapping. Rays of golden light descended from the dome above, converging on the sigil. The symbol beneath Aurelian pulsed, sending ripples of golden light up his legs and into his core.
Aurelian felt it immediately, a warm sensation going inside his chest where his mana core should be located. His golden eyes widened, he feels his mana core getting bigger and faster. With each golden light going inside him he feels the absorbance of mana getting faster and faster.
"So this is what Grandur talked about when he said it's going to strengthen my mana". Aurielian thought, focusing on circulating all the mana towards his core.
The crowd watched in silence. A young boy barely 6 years old absorbing this much light energy is unprecedented. Even in all the Brightwardens in recorded history, this is the first time this much light energy is being absorbed by someone let alone a child.
Melbuar leaned in closer. "By the heavens this is already stronger than any ceremony I've seen." The statue of Luminor glowed faintly, something that had not happened in centuries and a chorus of bright motes filled the air flying around Aurelian.
Then Grandus raised his staff higher. "Aurelian Brightwarden, recite the Oath of the Sun." Aurelian lifted his chin, his golden eyes looking at the statue of Luminor he recited the ancient oath passed through the Brightwarden line.
By the first dawn of the eternal flame,
I walk the path of truth.
In the name of Luminor,
I vow to guard the light,
to bring warmth where there is cold,
and to stand against the shadows that swallow the world.
My light is the empire's shield,
and my will is the sun that will never set!.
The moment the final word left his lips, the reaction was immediate.
The sigil beneath him flared brilliantly far brighter than any ritual light the clergy had ever summoned. The glowing lines shifted from gold to pure white, then burst upward in a column of luminance that swallowed Aurelian whole.
The temple shook.
Gasps and cries scattered through the hall, but none dared move. The clergy stumbled back, their eyes wide, as mana rushed outward in waves strong enough to push the nearest nobles a step back.
"Heavens above!" Melbuar exclaimed, shielding his face with his arm. "The light it's responding to him directly!"
"It shouldn't be this strong," a cleric whispered, voice trembling. "This is impossible."
Aelius could only stare, awe-struck and speechless. Inside the pillar of light, Aurelian felt no fear. The radiance embraced him. It was warm and comforting, similar to the sunlight that woke him up every morning.
Then the light reacted again.
It twisted upward into the shape of a massive sun sigil, painting the entire dome with golden arcs. Threads of brilliance spilled down like falling rays, swirling faster and faster around the boy until they coated him in radiant light similar to a golden robe.
Aurelian felt it deep within, a powerful pulse that resonated through his chest and limbs. He had already broken through the first 3 stages of his mana core. At six years old, possessing a Tier-3 mana core is unprecedented. Most Tier-3 mages reached this level only after decades of disciplined mana absorption and training.
Yet here he was, a child, radiating power that defied all records. Even the clergy, standing at the edges of the sigil, felt the Tier-3 mana core aura emanating from him. A new legendary figure will be born in the empire, the clergy thought in his mind.