[MC's POV]
< The Arclight Mansion>
The air was fresh, carrying a whiff of mana from mana veins, filled with the faint yet ever-present smell of leaves and forest behind the mansion. I was lying in one of the good things in my life, the reclined chair I got as a gift from my 2nd elder brother, Caelan Arclight.
My eyes were on the stars, but after appreciating the grandness of the sky and stars for a few moments, my thoughts drifted to tomorrow's event, the Origin Awakening ceremony.
I grew up in one of the best conditions possible in the whole of the Revonia Continent. My family is one of the wealthiest families, if not the wealthiest family, on the continent and maybe even on the whole planet.
The Arclight Clan was famous for owning SS-rank mana veins and multiple veins of lower rank. My childhood was something that many would do whatever was needed for, so there was no complaint from me.
However, after I was 5 years old, my personality didn't sit right with my family's cold, power-obsessed, elitist, and talent-supremacist mindset.
I valued people, not power; the family's first reaction was, 'I am naïve.' Now, looking back, maybe I was a little naïve. But in my view, that is ambitious.
I grew up believing strength is to protect the weak, not gain dominion over them.
My personality tilted towards being compassionate, resolute in thinking, humble in attitude, and unyielding in will, which widened the rift between me and my family over time.
Soon, I became the neglected heir, the useless heir, or many such quips were circulating about me.
The thing that hurt me was my mother's abandonment, father was very cold and distant from the start so there was nothing new.
My 1st elder brother, Valerian Arclight, always held a special disdain for the weak, so he was the one who disliked me the most and was always creating troubles for me.
My only elder sister, Lyra Arclight, treated me like I didn't even exist. She also frowned at weak people; only status and power are everything.
The only one with whom I had somewhat okay relations was Caelan. He didn't particularly stand up for me or anything, but he didn't detest me either.
After 2-3 years, I also stopped complaining and went about my daily life. However, since that age of 8 years old, an ambition has taken place in my heart.
I wanted to show my family, especially my mother, whose abandonment hurts me still today, that I can be successful walking on my belief and thoughts.
However, as I grew and saw the world around me, I wanted to prove to myself that what I envisioned was not just the naiveté of a boy but a firm belief and strong will to follow through with it.
All these thoughts are running amok in my mind because of tomorrow's awakening ceremony. Will I be successful in establishing my dream, or will it forever remain a thought in my head, for which I will always be mocked?
The awakening ceremony is the rite of passage for every individual who turns 16 in this world, Aetherionis.
Those who are able to awaken their Origin heart gain a unique ability and get access to the Aetheris Record, traveling the path of cultivation to further improve their lives and gain unimaginable power.
The rank of the Origin heart determines how high a person could go in cultivation, and thinking about all this was causing me last-night jitters and keeping me awake while my brain fried itself on overthinking mode.
I wanted to have decent talent so that I could fulfill my goals because even I wasn't that naïve to think that, in a world where a person can change landscapes with a wave of his hands or the fate of thousands and millions may depend on the whim of a single person.
I sighed and muttered, "Just something good that allows me to be independent of my family. I will be okay with that."
While overthinking and reminiscing about all the memories of family members, I suddenly turned slightly backwards and saw the mana clock on the wall and immediately stood up.
"Shit…it's almost 4'o clock, I don't want to be late and give a chance for everyone to take a jibe at me." I muttered and went towards my bed and fell on the bed with face first.
I shut my eyes, clearing my mind to sleep, but still a single thought lingered in my mind as I fell asleep, i.e., what changes will tomorrow's ceremony bring in my life? Will it change for better or worse?
Next morning….
"Aiden…Young Sir, it's time to wake up. You have to attend the Origin Ceremony."
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
"Master Aiden…wake up. It's over 8 o'clock. Hurry up." Back to back, the voice of the maid reached my ears.
I sat up slowly, rubbing my face, and I responded, "I am awake—thank you"
I sighed, then looked at the clock, and like lightning had fallen upon my body, there were only 30 minutes before the start of the schedule. I jerked immediately and stood upright.
"Oh…no. I am already behind schedule." I murmured as I went hurriedly into the bathroom to freshen up and change into ceremonial dress.
I returned in a hurry and got dressed in white and gold, the ceremonial attire—the signature of the Arclight Clan. While getting dressed, the memories of last night's worries were still coiled somewhere deep in my chest.
However, the clock was ticking, so I ignored these feelings for now. This outfit was little different from my daily attire, but thus the demand, so I donned it unquestionably.
I left my room and made my way through empty corridors towards the eastern side of the mansion, the Awakening Hall.
Most of the people were probably at the ceremony; I picked up my pace towards the hall. Few maids were moving quietly, doing their chores; few bowed their heads as a sign of respect, but I was in a hurry, so I just nodded back and strode forward.
My footsteps echoed softly on the polished tiles of the floor with cleaning runes glowing faintly. I crossed the last corner and came face-to-face with towering double doors, slightly ajar.
I stood in front of the doors; my heartbeats quickened with the anticipation and expectations. Two guards didn't react to my presence and just stood there with their heads on a swivel.
I stopped for a second, exhaled, and then pushed the door open slightly to enter.
< The Awakening Hall >
It was one of the oldest buildings in the mansion, said to have been built over one of the mana veinlets of SS-ranked mana veins under Arclights. The flow of energy in the hall, which caused a tingling sensation all over my body, can certainly attest to that.
Two guards stood with ceremonial armor; they looked at me and simply nodded. No respectful gesture, which I am used to.
I walked forward, crossing the short corridor, and entered the hall.
The hall was a circular-shaped chamber, supported by a pillar that has carvings of an Aurelia Crown Serpent, a snake devouring its own tail with a crown on its head.
This symbol represented the Arclight's power gained through wealth and knowledge.
The hall had multiple crystals placed so that natural daylight could enter and illuminate the chamber. I could feel that warmth and freshness from the light of the morning sun.
Across the hall, the family members were scattered, including elders, main family members, branch family members, and a few famous prodigies of the clan. Each one of them was in resplendent attire, faces lit up with confidence and expectations.
I noticed my family on a higher pedestal opposite the entrance corridor. Everybody except Father was here; even today no one came to meet me or say anything.
Nobody even noticed me, except Valerian, whose eyes were that of disdain but with a smirk on his face after seeing me.
My sister, Lyra, was busy chatting up one of the prodigies, like giving him a sermon. Caelan was lost in his thoughts, probably thinking of new innovations.
At last my mother, who should be looking for her youngest child on this auspicious day, but instead, all I saw was disappointment on her face.
Am I that much of an embarrassment to you, Mother? I clenched my fists, barely stopping myself from giving any visual reaction.
My heartbeat thumped, steady but heavy. Mana flowing in the hall, brushing against my senses, giving an ethereal feel.
Everyone around had confident faces and was acting like they belonged here, but my thoughts were opposite. Why was I here? I just wanted to complete the ceremony and be left alone with my thoughts.
Suddenly, everyone went quiet. Everyone turned toward the entrance; I followed. A figure came into view as he walked with confident steps towards a higher pedestal.
He has black hair and ceremonial attire of white and gold but with a touch of red, showing his unique position.
The attire hugged his lean and muscled physique; there was a strange calmness on his face as he reached the pedestal, turned around, and took his seat as Patriarch of Arclight Clan, Raglan Arclight.
He spoke in a calm but authoritative tone: "Let the Origin Ceremony begin."