After much thought, after analyzing implications and consequences and the impossible promise of power that stood above the pinnacle, after weighing freedom against potential servitude and transcendence against normalcy, Riven made his choice.
He selected Yes.
The response was felt immediately, not just by him but by everyone in the chamber. The shift in atmosphere was instantaneous and profound, like reality itself adjusted to acknowledge what had just occurred.
Riven felt the same jarring pain from before except magnified exponentially. The sensation that had traveled up his arm now exploded through his entire body, racing along pathways he did not know existed, lighting up networks of channels that had been dormant his whole life. His Aster Meridians were opening, forcing themselves into an active state with violence that made him want to scream except his throat had locked, his voice trapped behind teeth clenched against agony.
Then golden light erupted from his form.
Not gradual, not building slowly, just sudden explosive radiance that saturated his whole body, pouring from his skin like he had become a living sun. The light was warm but not burning, intense but not painful. It felt like power was made visible, like energy that had been compressed and contained suddenly finding release.
The golden radiance filled the chamber, reflecting off stone walls and painted ceilings, casting everything in amber glow that made the space feel otherworldly. Riven could feel his Meridians drinking in the light, channels that had been sealed his entire life now open and hungry, absorbing energy with desperate intensity.
He could feel it, actually feel Aster flowing through him for the first time. Cosmic energy that had been ambient and external suddenly becoming internal and personal, part of his biology rather than just environmental condition. The sensation was indescribable, like discovering a sixth sense, like gaining awareness of dimension that had always existed but been imperceptible until now.
The golden energy continued pouring from the shard through his palm, through his arm, spreading throughout his body in waves that left tingling awareness in their wake. He felt strong, felt capable, felt like something fundamental had shifted in how he related to reality itself.
Then the golden light began to be absorbed inward, pulled back toward his core, concentrating rather than dissipating, and his body began to glow with different radiance entirely.
White light replaced the golden, emerging from deep within him, from his center outward, spreading across his skin until he blazed with illumination so bright it transcended normal visual spectrum. This was not just light. This was luminance that carried weight, presence, significance beyond mere photons.
The white shone so intensely that everyone in the chamber raised hands to shield their eyes. The Elders on both platforms turning away or covering their faces. Even the Grand Elders with their advanced cultivation recoiling from intensity they had not expected, squinting against glare that threatened to overwhelm even enhanced senses.
Some of the hopeful Elders stood despite the blinding light, joy evident in their postures even as they shielded their eyes. This was vindication, proof that the Seventh Star could awaken, that the Patriarch's name would not be put to shame by having a son who failed at the most basic threshold. The family's legacy remained intact, the bloodline proven pure.
But those Elders whose own children had not shown such dramatic awakening remained seated, their postures rigid with something that might have been concern or might have been resentment. If the Seventh Star who had failed twice could produce awakening this intense, what did that say about their own offspring?
The white light continued to intensify, reaching peak luminance that made the chamber feel like the interior of a star, then slowly, gradually, it began to stabilize. The blinding glare dimming by increments, becoming manageable, tolerable, finally subsiding entirely as all that radiance was absorbed inward, pulled back into Riven's body, internalized rather than dissipated.
For a moment the chamber held its breath, absolute silence reigning as everyone processed what they had witnessed. Light that intense suggested awakening far beyond normal parameters, indicated something exceptional had occurred though none of them could articulate exactly what.
Then Tesha spoke, her voice cutting through the silence with professional composure that suggested she had seen impressive awakenings before, though perhaps not quite like this.
"Congratulations, Seventh Star, on your awakening."
The words were formal, ceremonial, marking official recognition of what had just occurred. Riven was no longer powerless, no longer the disgrace who could not access his bloodline. He had awakened, had opened his Meridians, had taken the first step that every other Astravar managed but he had struggled with.
Riven smiled and nodded his appreciation, the gesture feeling automatic while his mind overran with sensations and implications that demanded processing.
'Is this Aster? Is this the energy I read about? Is this how it makes them all feel? Like they could become stars on their own?'
The power flowing through his veins was magnanimous, overwhelming in its intensity and presence. This was what set the standard in this world. This was why only those who had awakened were worth anything at all. He could feel strength beyond what his body should possess, could sense potential for capabilities that transcended normal human limits, could practically taste the possibilities that came with accessing cosmic energy.
To the others watching he just stood there flexing his fist, testing the sensation of newly awakened power, familiarizing himself with channels that had opened and energy that now flowed where before there had been only emptiness. Simple movements, basic exploration, nothing remarkable to external observers.
Tesha cleared her throat, the sound cutting through the hall's residual silence, breaking whatever spell had settled over the assembled witnesses. She called Riven's attention with practiced efficiency, pulling his focus from internal exploration back to external ceremony.
"Seventh Star," she said, gesturing toward the other platform, the one bearing the crystal orb. "There is still one thing you must do before this occasion finally closes for good."
The talent crystal. Of course. Awakening was only half the equation. Now came the measurement that would determine not just whether he could access Aster but how well he could cultivate it. What color would appear. What destiny the crystal would reveal.
'This isn't just a measurement tool,' Riven thought, remembering everything he had read. 'But a destiny navigator. This determines training allocation and resource distribution. Determines my entire trajectory from this moment forward.'
He stepped down from the awakening platform and walked toward the talent measurement dais. His movements felt different now, stronger, more controlled, like his body responded with precision it had not possessed before.
He stopped directly before the talent crystal. The orb was larger up close than it had seemed from distance, perfectly spherical, made of material that looked like glass but probably was not. It sat inert on its dais, waiting for contact that would trigger whatever measurement process it contained.
Tesha moved to stand beside him, her golden eyes assessing, professional mask firmly in place. She gave him a small nod. Signal to proceed.
Riven raised both hands, steadied himself, and placed his palms against the crystal's smooth surface.
For a heartbeat nothing happened, just cool material against his skin.
Then another heartbeat passed. And another.
The crystal remained completely inert. No pulse, no glow, no swirling colors. Just a smooth, lifeless surface beneath his palms that showed absolutely no response to his touch.
Riven's stomach dropped.
'No. No, this can't be happening. The shard promised power above the pinnacle. I awakened. I felt it. The energy is flowing through me right now. Why isn't the crystal responding?'
He pressed harder against the surface, as if more contact would trigger the measurement. Nothing. The orb sat dead and dormant, refusing to acknowledge his presence.
Ten seconds passed. Twenty. Thirty.
The silence in the chamber grew oppressive, pregnant with meaning that everyone could sense but no one wanted to voice. The Elders began shifting in their seats, exchanging glances, whispering behind raised hands.
One minute passed. Then two.
Still nothing. The crystal remained completely unresponsive.
"Is it broken?" someone finally asked, their voice cutting through the uncomfortable silence.
"The crystal has never failed to respond before," another Elder said, louder now, emboldened by the first speaker. "Every awakened person who touches it receives a measurement. Every single one."
"Perhaps," a third voice chimed in, this one carrying barely concealed satisfaction, "perhaps his standards are just too low for the system to pick up. Maybe there's a threshold, and he falls below it."
That sparked an immediate reaction. The hostile Elders who had been hoping for failure now found vindication in the crystal's silence.
"That would explain the delay in awakening," one of them said, standing now with growing confidence. "If his talent is so minimal that the measurement system cannot even register it, no wonder he struggled for so long."
"An awakened disgrace," another added with cruel precision. "He managed to access his Meridians, yes, but clearly possesses capability so negligible that it does not qualify for measurement. He is technically awakened but practically worthless."
The insults began flowing more freely now, each Elder emboldened by the others.
"All that dramatic light show during awakening, and for what? To reveal someone who cannot even be measured properly?"
"The First Star has gold talent matching the Patriarch himself," someone recounted, as if Riven needed reminding. "Kieran's measurement was instant, brilliant gold that filled this entire chamber."
"The Second, Third, and Fourth Stars," another Elder continued the litany, "Seth, Thane, and Rein. All showed silver talent. Rare, exceptional silver that confirmed their worth immediately upon contact."
"Even the Fifth and Sixth Stars," yet another voice added, "Kameron and Ariel, both displayed respectable violet talent. The crystal responded to them within seconds. Violet that matched the family colors perfectly."
"Six brothers," the first hostile Elder summarized with vicious satisfaction, "six talented sons who proved their worth immediately. And then the seventh, who fails even at being measured. Who awakens with such fanfare only to demonstrate he possesses capability too low for the system to register."
"Perhaps he should not have awakened at all," someone suggested cruelly. "Perhaps it would have been better to remain powerless than to awaken and reveal such profound inadequacy. At least then he would have had the excuse of being unable to access his bloodline. Now he has no excuse. He is simply worthless despite awakening."
The chamber filled with increasingly harsh commentary, Elders who had been disappointed by the dramatic awakening now finding outlet for their frustration, some genuinely confused by the crystal's failure, others clearly delighted by this unexpected humiliation.
"Good for nothing," one Elder declared, the words carrying across the chamber with finality. "An awakened cultivator so weak that measurement systems cannot even detect his existence. That is what the Seventh Star amounts to."
Riven stood frozen at the crystal, his hands still pressed against its unresponsive surface, his mind reeling.
'How is this possible? The shard said I would stand above the pinnacle. Said it would give me power beyond cosmic heights. But the crystal won't even acknowledge me? Am I truly that worthless? Did the shard lie? Or did something go wrong with the bargain?'
The insults continued to rain down, each one more creative and cutting than the last, the Elders warming to their task now that they had a target who could not defend himself with measurement results.
Then Tesha's voice cut through the chaos like blade through silk.
"Enough."
The single word carried such authority, such absolute command, that every voice in the chamber cut off instantly. The golden eyed steward stood with a posture that radiated Lord Hugo's power despite his physical absence, her expression had shifted from professional neutrality to something far more dangerous.
"You forget yourselves," she continued, her voice pitched to carry to every corner of the chamber, "and you forget where you are. This is the Awakening Chamber. This is sacred ground where the Patriarch's children prove their worth. What occurs here is not subject to your commentary or judgment. Your role is to witness, not to insult."
She swept the assembled Elders with gaze that made several of them shrink back in their seats.
"The Seventh Star has awakened," Tesha stated with finality. "That alone places him above ninety nine percent of Desolara's population. The crystal's response or lack thereof changes nothing about that fundamental fact. He has opened his Meridians. He can cultivate Aster. He is awakened."
She paused, letting that sink in.
"As for the measurement," Tesha continued, her tone brooking no argument, "there are precedents for unusual readings. Rare circumstances that produce unexpected results. The crystal's silence may indicate many things. None of which require your speculation or insult."
Another pause, heavier this time.
"Lord Hugo Von Astravar will be informed of what has occurred here today. All of it. Including the shameful display of discourtesy shown by certain Elders toward his son. I am certain the Patriarch will have thoughts about those who chose to insult the Seventh Star in his moment of vulnerability."
That threat landed like a physical blow. Several of the hostile Elders went pale, clearly realizing they had overstepped. Speaking against the Patriarch's son, even one who seemed to have failed, was not something done lightly when the consequences involved Lord Hugo's direct attention.
"This ceremony is concluded," Tesha declared with absolute authority. "Return to your duties. Speak carefully about what you have witnessed here. Remember that you serve the Astravar family, and that includes every Star regardless of measurement results."
The dismissal was unambiguous. The Elders began filing out immediately, some with expressions of satisfaction barely concealed, others looking disappointed that the dramatic awakening had ended in such anticlimactic fashion, still others appearing genuinely unconcerned, having been present only because protocol demanded it.
Within moments the platforms emptied, fourteen Elders fleeing to process what they had witnessed and spread word of the Seventh Star's humiliation, or his unusual result, or his continued worthlessness, depending on their individual interpretations.
Soon only Riven and Tesha remained in the vast chamber.
Riven finally removed his hands from the crystal's unresponsive surface, his movements mechanical, his mind still struggling to process what had just happened. He had awakened. He felt the power flowing through him. But the crystal had rejected him even more completely than the shard had during his first two attempts.
'The shard lied,' he thought with growing bitterness. 'Or I misunderstood. Or something went wrong. Power above the pinnacle. What a joke. I can't even register on a measurement crystal.'
Tesha approached him, her golden eyes softer now that they were alone, the fierce authority she had displayed moments ago mellowing into something closer to sympathy.
"Seventh Star," she said quietly, "I know this is not the result you hoped for. I know it seems like failure after such a dramatic awakening. But I need you to understand something."
She gestured for him to listen carefully.
"The crystal's lack of response is unprecedented. In all my decades of service, in all the ceremonies I have witnessed, I have never seen a measurement crystal fail to react to an awakened cultivator. Never. Not once."
Riven looked at her, trying to read her expression, to understand if this was consolation or further condemnation.
"That means," Tesha continued, "that what occurred here falls outside normal parameters. The Elders may speculate that your talent is too low to register. They may insult and demean. But they are wrong. If your talent were simply low, the crystal would show red. That is what red talent means. Minimal capability. The crystal always shows red for the weakest awakened."
She stepped closer, her voice taking on intensity that commanded attention.
"The crystal showed nothing. Not red, not any color, nothing at all. That does not indicate low talent. That indicates something the system cannot process. Something that falls outside its measurement parameters entirely."
'Outside its parameters,' Riven thought, grasping at the interpretation like a lifeline. 'Not too low to measure but too different to categorize?'
"I cannot speculate on what that means," Tesha admitted. "I do not have the expertise or knowledge to interpret this result. But I can tell you that Lord Hugo will be informed, and that he will seek answers from those who might understand what has occurred."
She paused, then shifted into the practical matters she had intended to discuss.
"Regardless of the measurement, the process following awakening must still be completed. There are several important steps that must be taken now that you have accessed your bloodline."
Tesha explained about Esme's decision, about the lifetime commitment between steward and Star, about the dangers that came with being awakened and how Esme would need to choose whether to continue in his service or resign.
She explained about the Shadow selection, about the mandatory requirement that every awakened Star choose someone for that critical position, about how he would be summoned tomorrow to fulfill that obligation.
Through it all, Riven listened with half his attention, the rest of his mind still churning on the crystal's silence, on the promise the shard had made, on what it meant to possess power that could not be measured.
'The shard said I would stand above the pinnacle,' he thought, turning the words over in his mind. 'Not equal to the pinnacle. Above it. Maybe that's what this means. Maybe I'm so far above the measurement system's parameters that it cannot register my existence. Or maybe I'm just worthless and grasping at interpretations that make me feel better about humiliation.'
When Tesha finished her explanations, she stepped back.
"Once again, congratulations on your awakening, Seventh Star. Whatever the measurement crystal indicated or failed to indicate, you have achieved what you struggled with for so long. You are awakened. You can cultivate. That is worth acknowledging."
She bowed with practiced grace, though the gesture carried more pity than respect now, then turned and walked toward the exit, leaving Riven alone in the Awakening Chamber.
He stood there for a long moment, staring at the crystal that had refused to acknowledge him. The oval shell still floated above the awakening platform, pulsing with faint light. The chamber with its elaborate platforms and empty throne bore silent witness to his humiliation.
'This moment deserves to be remembered,' Riven thought with bitter irony. 'Not as triumph but as failure. The day I awakened and proved myself worthless. The day I revealed that despite the shard's promises, despite the dramatic display, I am somehow even more of a disgrace than before.'
But beneath the bitterness, beneath the humiliation and confusion, something else stirred. The shard's promise echoed in his mind. The sensation of power flowing through his Meridians felt real, undeniable. And Tesha's words about falling outside measurement parameters suggested possibilities he had not considered.
'Maybe this isn't failure,' he thought, trying to convince himself. 'Maybe this is exactly what standing above the pinnacle looks like. Too far beyond normal parameters for systems designed to measure common cultivators. Or maybe I'm just delusional and worthless. Time will tell which interpretation is correct.'
Slowly, carefully, without any of the satisfaction he had expected to feel, Riven walked toward the exit. His steps echoed in the empty chamber, lonely sound that emphasized how thoroughly everyone had abandoned him.
He pushed open the massive doors and stepped into the hallway beyond.
Esme waited exactly where she had promised, her lemon green hair catching torchlight, her posture anxious. When she saw him emerge her entire body language shifted, became a question that needed answer.
Tesha had explained the choice she faced. Esme needed to know if she was welcome to stay, if he wanted her continued service despite what had just happened, if the bond between them would formalize into lifetime commitment even though he had proven worthless.
Riven stopped before her, met her hidden face directly, and said simply, "Yes."
The effect was immediate and profound. Joy exploded from Esme's posture despite everything. "Thank you, Young Master! Thank you! I was so worried! But I promise I'll serve you faithfully! I'll support whatever you need! I'll follow wherever your path leads!"
Tears started streaming down from behind her hair. She was crying with relief and happiness, commitment that transcended measurement results or talent colors or whether crystals acknowledged his existence.
Riven found himself smiling despite everything. Despite the humiliation and confusion and bitter disappointment. Here was someone who chose to bind her fate to his regardless of how worthless the Elders thought him.
"Esme," he said gently, "you don't need to cry. It's just saying yes."
"But it's for life, Young Master! For life!"
They stood there in the hallway, Esme crying dramatically while Riven tried to console her, the absurdity of the situation somehow making the earlier humiliation feel less crushing. He pulled out a handkerchief and handed it to her, watched her clutch it like treasure, accepted her promise to treasure it practically.
When she finally composed herself enough to speak clearly, Esme insisted they return to his chambers. "You've had an extremely difficult day, Young Master. You need rest."
They began walking down the corridors together. The halls that should have celebrated his triumph instead bore witness to his humiliation. The day the Seventh Star awakened and proved himself immeasurable, worthless despite dramatic display, good for nothing even with Aster flowing through his Meridians.
Or perhaps, if the shard's promise held any truth, the day he revealed capability so far beyond normal parameters that measurement systems could not process his existence.
They reached his chambers. Esme disappeared inside to prepare a meal and a bath. Riven stood in the doorway, looking back down the corridor they had traversed.
'History will remember this day,' he thought. 'But not as I expected. Not as triumph but as mystery. The Seventh Star who awakened dramatically but could not be measured. Who possessed power the crystal refused to acknowledge. Who proved either utterly worthless or impossibly transcendent, with no way yet to determine which.'
Somewhere behind him was the Awakening Chamber where he had been humiliated. Somewhere ahead was whatever future awaited someone who could cultivate but apparently possessed no measurable talent. Somewhere the shard's promise of standing above the pinnacle waited to be proven true or false.
But right now, at this moment, he was just Riven. Exhausted and humiliated and somehow still alive despite drowning in a river and waking in an impossible world. The Seventh Star who had awakened only to reveal himself immeasurable. The anomaly who had made a bargain with a stellar shard and received power that systems could not recognize.
The day everything changed. Just not in the way anyone had expected.
History would remember. Whether as failure or as something far more significant remained to be seen.