The golden pillar of light was thin, like a pipe and it stopped just after crossing the Priest's height.
Herring's face fell and after some time, he removed his hand from the slab.
The Priest then spread his arms and looked at everyone present in the Citadel:
"This child awakened one Ember Tier Skill!"
"…"
Nothing happened after the announcement.
No one said anything and the Priest looked at Herring.
"Don't be sad, child. You said you wanted to be admitted here. Well, you can still help us even with an Ember tier."
Herring's eyes lit up.
Zane could hear this too.
"Yes. I will help. I will do anything. I don't want to go back to Cinder Row."
"Oh. So you live in Cinder Row. The workers slum. I heard it is really bad there." The Priest said.
Herring nodded too many times in one second. "Yes. But it's not as bad as the Ashen. Still, I don't want the slums. My mother is growing old. I won't let her die in that sewer, Father."
I live in Ashen too. It's not that bad.
Zane thought and then remembered the black alkaline water Ashen offers.
Nevermind. It's bad.
The Priest nodded. "Alright. You shall get what you want, child."
Herring beamed and the Priest clapped two times.
Before the echo of the claps could die…
THUD!
A gate opened from the right side of the Citadel.
TUN!
TUN!
TUN!
Heavy metallic footsteps rang on the floor and it was the first time Zane saw something like this.
Five silver armored knights walked towards the slab and stopped near it.
Zane saw a black sigil plastered on the breastplate of their silver armor.
They kneeled in front of the Priest.
The Priest blessed them with his palm stretched towards them.
Then the knights stood up and the Priest pointed towards Herring.
"Brave men, take this child. He wants to become something in his life. Help him and take his help as well."
The five knights nodded and one of them reached out his hand towards Herring.
The faces of the knights were covered but each one of them could kill Zane with a whisk of their stride.
Herring took the hand of the knight and climbed down the stairs of the stage.
The Priest nodded at the knight and they started walking towards the gate where they came from.
Herring joined them but before going, he turned around.
He looked at Zane with a smile and Zane, for the first time, smiled back.
Herring grinned at that.
"I hope you also get what you want. We will meet again."
Zane nodded and Herring left the Citadel with the five knights.
Scratching his chest for the rest of the time, Zane again waited for his turn.
Five Holocrats touched the slab.
Everyone clapped for each one of them.
One Commoner then touched the slab.
Only some Commoners and the Priest showed reaction.
Then finally…
Zane's turn came.
He walked towards the Slab, he felt all eyes on him, piercing like spears.
I'll take my spoils and be on my way.
Zane climbed the stairs towards the slab as he went closer, his chest itched violently.
He didn't know what was the case but he held back from clawing his chest like a rabid dog. The people hated Gutterborns as it was, he wouldn't want to give them a reason to throw him out before touching the golden brick. Also, he didn't want to show vulnerability.
He stopped in front of the slab and like everyone else, kneeled in front of the priest.
The priest placed his hand above Zane's head.
"May you be blessed by the First Flame, son."
Hmph. So he won't touch me. Some priest.
Zane scoffed but he swallowed his scoff instantly when he felt the hand on his head.
His brows shot up as he looked at Priest.
A smile vibrant enough to calm the seas, Zane couldn't believe his eyes.
Someone could not only touch but also smile like that while looking at a Gutterborn. He wasn't able to see this from standing in the line.
A dream?
Zane stared at the Priest with amazed eyes and the Priest sighed.
"Get up, son. You are safe here."
It wasn't a dream. The voice was real.
Zane slowly got up, he felt like he wanted to do anything for the Priest.
The Priest removed his hand and spoke with the same smile:
"I am one of the senior Priests of the Glory Order Church. Everyone calls me Father Coin. What's your name?"
Zane cleared his throat and answered right away.
"Zane… Zane Atlas, Father."
It still hurt to speak due to the whip's grace and also his chest wanted a desperate rub. He tried his best to stay present.
"So Zane, have you decided what to do after touching the Haloheart?"
Zane frowned. "Go… home and get more jobs?"
Coin laughed. "I assume you haven't read the pamphlet?"
Zane scratched his head. "I.. um.. lost it."
Threw it, actually.
Coin's eyes twitched.
But he smiled again.
"You are an impulsive one, I see. Fine. Let me brief you. Do you know about Skill Tiers?"
"No, father."
I was too busy surviving.
Coin showed no discomfort. "Listen to me then."
Zane nodded.
"There are seven tiers of skills you will get from Haloheart. Ember, Gleam, Radiant, Aurora, Zenith, Eclipse and Paragon. Ember is the weakest and Paragon is the strongest."
So that's why Herring was sad after touching the slab.
Zane didn't speak.
"If you awaken one Ember tier or one Gleam tier skill, then you shall join the child before you. If you awaken two Gleam tier skills, then you shall be admitted to this Citadel but in the batch of the Commoners. And if, by the First Flame's grace, you awakened three Gleam tier or at least two Radiant tier skills, then you will be admitted in the Halocrats batch. Anything after the Radiant tier, you will be part of the Halocrats batch right away. Of course, you can also refuse any of this and go back to your home after your awakening."
Zane's face betrayed a scowl and the Priest laughed.
"I too, don't like this division of classes between people, son. But I am too small to make a change."
Zane's eyes widened.
Coin, the Priest, badmouthed the class system in the heart of the Halocrats. And was still breathing.
Seeing Zane's face, Coin let out a laugh.
"Don't worry, son. No one could hear us without my permission."
Zane jerked his head around and indeed, no one showed any kind of reaction. Even the Halocrats sitting on the left side of the Slab.
"So, what do you hope for?" Coin asked.
Zane didn't even need to think. His answer was clear.
"With all due respect, father. I don't want to be admitted here. I will take whatever I get and go back to my Slum. This place is not for me."
Just standing outside the Citadel almost brought his death, admitting inside it would be like signing a warrant.
Coin smiled. He eyed the boy from head to toe.
"When was the last time you ate proper food, son?"
Last life.
"Never."
Coin smiled.
"If you accept the Citadel, you will get three times food daily. You will learn how to control your skills. You will learn how to fight. You might also become a Riftguard. You will get your own room to stay. A bed to sleep on. You will be paid Lumens after passing certain Exams. Even if you don't become a Riftguard, just by graduating from the Citadel, new shining doors will be opened for you. And that's only for the Commoners batch. I haven't even told you about the Halocrats batch."
The Priest bent his knees, raised his hands and held Zane's shoulders.
He looked deep inside Zane's eyes.
"Your family will be grateful to you, son. You can end their misery with us. You can give them another life."
The blue eyes of the Priest sucked Zane in.
"What if… I get an Ember? A weakest tier skill?"
"Then you shall still be far better off than those slums, child. You will stay with your friend who just went away."
"How will my family benefit if I get admitted here?"
Coin smiled. "You will earn Lumens here, Zane. You can send some of them to your family. And you can even bring one member of your family to stay with you in the room allotted to you in the Citadel. They'll be very lucky to stay here."
Zane went silent.
The deep blue eyes and hopeful words of the Priest in front of him…
The sting of the whip around his throat…
The skin ripping itch on his chest…
His frail body couldn't handle all this and then a little smiling face flashed inside his mind, which, as a result…
"I accept."