The crystal had never remained dark.
At least, that was what the instructors liked to say.
The Hall of Evaluation stood at the heart of the academy grounds, a structure built to remind every student where they stood in the order of the world. White stone pillars rose like a forest of carved spears, etched with glowing sigils that represented the founding noble houses of the Arcadian Empire. Sunlight streamed through tall arched windows, scattering across polished marble floors that reflected the crowd gathered within.
Today was not a lesson.
It was judgment.
Students stood in rows according to status, noble heirs in the front, commoners behind them. Silk, fine thread, polished crests — the difference in upbringing could be seen at a glance. Floating light crystals drifted above, bathing the chamber in a cold, unwavering glow.
At the center of it all stood the Apparatus of Resonance.
A towering column of flawless crystal, taller than three men, encircled by rings of silver metal engraved with mana-conducting runes. Faint pulses of light flowed inside it like veins beneath translucent skin. When touched, it responded to the magic within a person's body, revealing mana capacity and bloodline affinity.
A person's future could change with a single touch.
One by one, names were called.
Students stepped forward, hands trembling or steady, and pressed their palms to the crystal.
Light bloomed in different colors.
Blue. Green. Red. Gold.
Gasps and murmurs followed each reaction.
"Strong wind alignment."
"Dual-element affinity."
"High mana density for a commoner."
Some students returned smiling, pride barely contained. Others swallowed disappointment but still carried something — a direction, a place.
The system of the world was simple.
Power meant status.
Status meant protection.
Protection meant survival.
Then a name rang out that caused a shift in the air.
"Kael Valeris."
The murmurs started immediately.
The Valeris name still held echoes of prestige, but only echoes. Once a house of renowned elemental mages, their bloodline had weakened over generations. Political influence had faded. Respect had become polite tolerance.
And now, there was him.
Kael stepped forward.
His academy coat was pristine, dark fabric trimmed in silver, the Valeris crest sewn over his chest. The uniform marked him as a noble heir, but the looks directed at him held none of the admiration nobles usually received.
Long dirty-blonde hair brushed against his shoulders as he moved. His grey eyes were calm, almost distant, but his fingers were tight at his sides.
He did not look toward the viewing gallery above.
He didn't need to.
He could feel his father's presence like a weight pressing down from behind.
Lord Valeris stood among the gathered families, tall, dignified, hands clasped behind his back. His expression was carved from discipline, but his gaze never left his son.
Expectation.
Fear.
Resignation.
Kael reached the crystal.
For a moment, everything was silent except the faint hum of mana circulating through the apparatus.
He placed his hand against the surface.
The crystal did not react.
A second passed.
Two.
Nothing.
The silence deepened, heavy and uncomfortable.
An instructor leaned forward, frowning. He adjusted a control ring on the apparatus, sending a calibrated surge of mana through the crystal.
It flashed briefly as it recalibrated.
"Again," the instructor said.
Kael pressed his palm more firmly against the smooth surface.
Still nothing.
No glow.
No color.
No response.
It was like he wasn't there.
The instructor's voice echoed across the chamber, official and final.
"Mana output: zero."
The words felt louder than any shout.
Whispers spread immediately, no longer hushed.
"A noble without mana?"
"Valeris truly has fallen…"
"So the rumors were true…"
Kael lowered his hand slowly. His fingers felt numb, though the crystal wasn't cold.
Above, his father did not speak. But the faint tightening of his jaw was enough.
Not anger.
Disappointment confirmed.
Kael turned and walked back to his place.
His steps were steady. His posture straight.
Inside, something felt hollow.
He had known this might happen. For years, tests at home had shown nothing. Tutors had tried. He had trained his body, memorized theory, endured ridicule.
But a small part of him had still hoped.
The ceremony continued as if nothing significant had happened.
More lights. More praise. More futures decided.
When it ended, the hall dissolved into movement and noise. Students clustered in excited groups, already discussing specializations and expectations.
Kael walked away alone.
He took the path behind the dormitory wing, where tall hedges blocked the main courtyard from view. The sounds of conversation faded, replaced by wind rustling through leaves.
He stopped when he was sure no one could see him.
For a moment, he simply stared at his hand.
The hand that had touched the crystal.
The hand the world had judged empty.
He clenched it slowly.
He had worked harder than most of them.
He had tried.
And still, he had been measured as nothing.
A quiet ache spread through his chest, heavier than anger, sharper than sadness. It was the feeling of standing outside a door that everyone else had already walked through.
The air shifted.
It was subtle at first, like the world had taken a breath and forgotten to release it.
The wind died.
The leaves stopped moving.
The space in front of him shimmered.
Thin lines of pale light flickered into existence, geometric and precise. Shapes formed and dissolved, reassembling into patterns too complex to follow. Symbols he had never seen hovered in the air — and yet, some part of him understood them instinctively.
Kael did not move.
The light grew brighter, more defined.
Meaning pressed into his mind without sound.
Compatibility confirmed.
His breath caught.
More lines appeared, arranging themselves into a stable formation.
Initializing.
The symbols sharpened, hovering at eye level.
One final line formed, clear and undeniable.
Origin System boot sequence started.
The hollow feeling in his chest vanished, replaced by something unfamiliar.
Not hope.
Not yet.
But for the first time in his life…
He did not feel empty.