The sun was already setting when Kael and Rion returned home.
The training yard was quiet.
Xilo stood at the center of it, silver-white hair reflecting the fading light. Yildes stood a few steps behind him, arms folded, presence heavy as ever.
"You were seen in the market," Yildes said calmly.
Kael scratched his cheek. "They started it."
"I know," Yildes replied.
Silence settled for a moment.
Then Xilo stepped forward.
"Tomorrow," he said, voice steady, "you both turn sixteen."
Kael's expression sharpened slightly.
Rion's posture straightened.
"It will be time," Xilo continued, "for your attributes to awaken."
The air felt different.
Kael exhaled slowly. "So it's finally happening…"
The Attribute System
In this world, every person is born with a dormant core.
At the age of sixteen, that core awakens — revealing a single attribute aligned with the soul.
Fire. Water. Wind. Earth. Light. Shadow. Metal. Storm. And countless rare variants.
An attribute is not chosen.
It reflects who you are.
Strength alone does not determine power. Control, discipline, and mental clarity shape how far an attribute can evolve.
Some attributes are common.
Some are rare.
And some… reshape battlefields.
Rion looked at his father. "Attributes cannot be changed once awakened."
"Correct," Yildes replied. "Your core reveals your truth. Nothing more. Nothing less."
Kael looked between them. "And if someone's weak?"
Yildes' eyes narrowed slightly.
"Then they either train… or they are crushed."
Xilo spoke more gently. "Power is not about dominance. It is about responsibility."
Kael smiled faintly. "That sounds like you."
"It should," Xilo replied.
Without warning—
The air behind Yildes darkened.
Shadows stretched unnaturally across the ground, twisting and rising like living extensions of his will. The temperature seemed to drop.
Rion watched calmly. Kael stared in fascination.
"This," Yildes said, his voice steady, "is Shadow."
The darkness moved silently, controlled, precise.
Then it vanished.
A crack of thunder split the air.
Electricity sparked around Xilo's arm — not wild, but controlled, flowing like liquid light. The ground beneath him vibrated slightly as faint arcs of lightning danced across the yard.
"This," Xilo said softly, "is Lightning."
The air hummed with restrained power.
Then it faded.
Silence returned.
Kael blinked. "You two really are showing off, huh?"
Yildes did not react.
Xilo smiled faintly.
Rion looked at his hands. "So tomorrow… ours begin."
"Yes," Yildes said.
Kael clenched his fist.
"Whatever I get," he said, grinning lightly, "I'll make it strong."
Rion smirked slightly. "Let's see whose is superior."
Kael laughed. "Still competing, huh?"
"Always."
The wind moved softly through the training yard.
Tomorrow, their childhood would end.
And their true paths would begin.