"Good morning, everyone. I am Floyd Enteura, a faculty member of Polaris Arcane Academy. Thank you for coming to the Arcane Essence Awakening ceremony," a man standing before a crystal ball placed on a stand said as he observed the children, all around the age of ten, in front of him.
"I'll be giving you a brief summary on Arcane Essence. Arcane Essence is the mystical core of a person's magical identity—an innate, soul-bound manifestation of their connection to the arcane.
Arcane Essence awakens at a certain age or through a special rite, revealing a unique magical form or affinity that defines their path as a mage.
Each Arcane Essence is unique and may take the shape of:
A weapon (e.g., Sword, Spear)
A tool (e.g., Needles, Hammer)
A beast (e.g., Lion, Wolf)
A construct (e.g., Mirrors, Runes)
An elemental force (e.g., Frost, Lightning)
The strength, rarity, and versatility of one's Arcane Essence determine their magical potential.
So, are you children ready to learn about your essence?"
"Yes!!" the twenty or so children cheered in delight.
There were about twenty children inside the building, and observing them, the man thought to himself, Tch, the academy should have sent someone else to this rural village, Ironhollow, for the awakening ceremony?Inwardly he was grumbling, but outwardly he presented a warm expression.
Clapping his hands to get the children's attention, he said, "We will now begin the Awakening ceremony. When I call your name, come forward and place your dominant arm on the orb. The orb will show your Arcane Essence."
The children buzzed with excitement, and one by one, Floyd started calling their names.
"Anna." A girl came forward and placed her hand on the orb. A few seconds later, it projected a needle.
Seeing that, Anna looked toward Floyd, and with a warm smile, he told her, "Your Arcane Essence is tool type—a sewing needle. Congratulations."
"Thank you, Mr. Enteura." Anna thanked him and bounced off toward a woman standing at the back of the children.
"Ben." A boy came forward in a hurry and placed his hand on the orb.
A candle light appeared inside the orb. Seeing that, Floyd nodded his head and said, "Your Arcane Essence is tool type—a candle light. Congratulations."
"Thanks!" The boy ran toward his mother after thanking Floyd.
Like that, many children awakened their Arcane Essence. When nearly half of the children had awakened, Floyd called another name: "Nick."
A boy came forward and placed his right hand over the orb. A few seconds later, a linked chain appeared inside it. Seeing that, Floyd noted down the boy's name and told him, "Congratulations, you have awakened your Arcane Essence. It is construct type—linked chain."
"Thanks." Nick nodded his head and went toward a woman with a smile on his face.
The ceremony continued, and near the end, a boy with dark hair and blue eyes stepped forward with a confident smile and placed his hand on the orb.
A few seconds later, a cloud of fire appeared inside, and seeing that, Floyd said, "Congratulations, Theodore Silverthorn. You have awakened your Arcane Essence. It is elemental type—fire element."
"Yes!!" Theodore jumped up and down in delight. Then turning to Floyd, he said, "Thank you, Mr. Enteura."
"You're welcome." Floyd replied and hurriedly noted down Theodore's name as Theodore ran toward an elegant woman wearing only a necklace, surrounded by two knights in armor.
Seeing the mother and son, Floyd rubbed his chin and thought, Since every village has two slots that waive the fee for the entrance exam to the Polaris Arcane Academy, this village will have to part with Nick and Theodore. Since Theodore is a noble, he will be able to attend Polaris even without the entrance exam. Why they came all the way down to the village to get one of the slots is a mystery to me. But who cares? Fewer commoners in the Academy, the better.
Keeping his thoughts to himself, he called for the final child who was to be awakened: "Silas."
A white-haired boy with red eyes stepped forward. His skin was pale, and he looked handsome. As per Floyd's instructions, Silas placed his hand on the orb, and a few seconds later, a book appeared inside the orb.
Floyd's eyes went wide at the sight of the book, and after blinking a couple of times, he said, "Congratulations on awakening a tool-type Arcane Essence—a grimoire."
As soon as he said that, he crossed out Nick's name and wrote Silas over it, thinking to himself, If I bring this kid into the Academy, then I'll get more incentive. And if I make a connection with him from this moment onwards, then I'll have a strong backing in the future.
Silas only nodded with a smile and walked toward a younger boy and girl, who were younger than the others who had awakened their Arcane Essence.
Shaking his head, Floyd told those present, "Polaris always gives two children from each village the opportunity to attend the entrance exam without any fees. Polaris wants the best from each village. So, from Ironhollow Village, the two examinees will be Theodore Silverthorn and Silas. Give them a round of applause."
Everyone started applauding, even the children who weren't selected.
As people began to disperse from the building, Floyd asked Theodore and Silas to stay behind with their companions.
When everyone else had left the building, Floyd handed them two papers and said, "If you show this during the entrance exam, you'll be exempt from the fees. And if you have any questions, please ask them now."
Theodore shook his head and said confidently, "Mr. Enteura, I'll see you at the Academy. I know everything from my elder brother. So, bye."
"Goodbye then." Floyd bid him farewell and turned to Silas. "Do you have any questions?"
"Yes. Can I bring my siblings with me when I attend the Academy?" Silas asked as he looked at the eight- and five-year-old boy and girl respectively.
"Hmm. Bringing family members into the Academy for lodging is not allowed. But tell you what—if you achieve first place in the entrance exam, then I'll find a place for your siblings to stay. And if you become first in your year-end exam, you will be given private quarters outside the Academy. You can live with your siblings there."
"Thank you, Mr. Enteura," Silas said with a bow, followed by his siblings.
"It's alright. If you have other questions, ask away," Floyd said with a warm smile. Inwardly, he was jumping for joy. A future powerhouse is already indebted to me! I could live a luxurious life in the future if I play my cards right!
After that, Silas asked a lot of questions about the Academy—what they teach there, how many students there are, and where students stay during the academic year—the general things.
When it was almost noon, Silas and his siblings left the building with smiles on their faces, thinking about the new life they would have in the capital of their Kingdom.
On their way, they saw children who had awakened their Arcane Essence playing around with them.
As they passed by a dark alley, one of the older boys hiding there said to another, "Dean. That's him. The one who got the slot."
"The red-eyed freak got it?" Dean asked, and continued, "I thought it would be that bitch Nick who would have gotten it."
"Well, he awakened linked chains. What can he do against someone with a magic grimoire?"
"True." Dean nodded and, with a smile, said, "Say, why don't we beat up Silas right now and tell him Nick sent us?"
"I got a better one," one of the boys chimed in.
"Spill it, Frank," Dean told him.
"How about we kidnap those kids and blame it on Nick?" Frank said with a wicked smile.
Dean scrunched up his face, thought for a moment, then nodded. "Alright, let's do that. We'll kidnap the kids tonight and leave a note saying that Nick did it."
"Say that again," a new voice said. Without thinking, Dean repeated, "I said let's kidnap Silas's siblings and blame it on Nick."
"So, you want to kidnap my siblings?" Now, the new voice carried a dangerous undertone.
Dean gulped and slowly turned around to see a pair of red orbs looking straight at him. Before he could say anything, his face was met with a fist, and he crumpled to the ground like a puppet whose strings were cut.
His group didn't stay to fight—they fled, screaming, "It's the freak!!"
Silas watched them run away in mild amusement. Then, slapping Dean a couple of times, he whispered, "Touch my siblings, and you won't be able to use your hands to plough the land anymore."
When he saw Dean nod weakly, Silas kicked him in the chin, knocking him out.
Shaking his head, he muttered to himself, "No one will harm my siblings. Not this time."