In the modest study room of Chief Emor's house, a quiet haven within Dawnbell Village, a boy named Ethan sat absorbed in the brittle pages of a well-worn book. Sunlight, filtered through a small, dust-moted window, illuminated the aged parchment, lending a sacred glow to the intricate diagrams and faded script within. The book, titled "ELARION", was more than just a collection of facts; it was a window into a world far grander and more fantastical than anything he had known in his fragmented memories of a previous life.
The tome meticulously detailed Elarion, a realm composed of eight colossal continents, each separated by vast, churning oceans that held countless small islands. But what truly captured Ethan's imagination, what drew his gaze time and again, were the myriad of colossal floating islands that drifted majestically across the sky. He traced their ethereal forms on the printed map, his young mind grappling with the impossible notion of landmasses suspended effortlessly above the world. How did they defy gravity?
The book listed the names of these continental giants: Solvaris, Valcarum, Chronodyne, Verdelion, Ivoria, Ashspire, Threadspire, and Palevale. Each, he learned, was a sovereign empire, exercising dominion over its own collection of smaller islands and even its portion of the floating islands that dotted its skies. Yet, the true marvel, the book revealed with an almost reverent tone, was that the grandest of these celestial landforms, the largest and most ancient of the floating islands, remained beyond the grasp of any single earthly empire. These immense airborne bastions were instead under the stewardship of the most revered and prestigious institution in all of Elarion:
The Order of the Third Sun. A place of unparalleled knowledge and power, it welcomed students from every corner of Elarion, from all races and origins, provided they could pass its legendary entrance examination. The thought of such a place, where learning transcended political boundaries, filled Ethan with a quiet sense of wonder.
He gently closed the book, the soft thud echoing in the quiet room. A profound sense of awe, mixed with a lingering shock, settled over him. This world, Elarion, was staggeringly complex and vibrantly alive. His old world, in comparison, felt dull, almost monochrome. Here, it wasn't just humans who walked in Elarion; countless other sentient beings, fantastical and diverse, coexisted, each with their own unique cultures, histories, and even forms of power. Magic, Aura, and Ki – these were not mere constructs of fiction, but tangible forces that could be learned and mastered. He had only ever encountered such abilities within the fantastical narratives and games of his forgotten past, making their reality here all the more astonishing.
But among these incredible abilities, one captivated him more than any other, sparking a strange, deep resonance within his nascent soul: the Soul Mark. The book described it as a truly unique phenomenon, something unlike anything he had ever heard of. It wasn't a skill that could be taught or honed through practice. Instead, it was a special, innate mark, manifesting on one's body only after a profound and harrowing experience – the overcoming of one's deepest fear in the crucible of a life-or-death moment. Its rarity made it almost mythical; while Magic, Aura, and Ki could be learned by anyone with sufficient talent and dedication, the Soul Mark belonged to a select, fated few. A quiet, almost involuntary surge of curiosity pulsed within him. Could he, a boy with memories of another world, ever acquire such a mark?
As the last echoes of his thoughts faded, a familiar voice broke the silence, jolting him from his reverie. "Ethan, are you going to read books again the whole day? Come out!"
He turned, a faint smile touching his lips, to see two figures framed in the doorway: a boy and a girl, both radiating youthful energy. Ronan and Liora, the village twins, their vibrant orange hair a stark contrast to the rustic interior and their blue eyes sparkling with irrepressible excitement. They practically vibrated with anticipation.
Ethan rose from his chair, laying the book carefully on the table. "Let's go," he agreed, his voice light. Today was not a day for quiet contemplation. Today was a day of revelation. For him, for Ronan, for Liora, and for every other child of Dawnbell reaching a certain age, today was the day they would journey to Grothis to discover their innate potential, to learn which of the world's wondrous powers their bodies were destined to wield.
The book, with its vast knowledge, had also explained the fundamental truth about power in Elarion. It wasn't a choice; it was an alignment. Not everyone possessed the inherent "suitability" to learn Magic, Aura, or Ki. Most individuals, the text stated, were naturally attuned to only one form of energy. To find someone capable of mastering two was rare indeed, a subject of hushed whispers and admiration. And then there were the truly anomalous, those born with a body capable of learning all three. This was the rarest potential of all, a gift almost always accompanied by a curse. History showed that such individuals rarely survived to adulthood, their bodies often succumbing to the immense, chaotic energies they tried to harness. Only ten individuals in all of Elarion's recorded history had successfully learned all three and lived a long, fulfilling life. The sheer improbability of it was staggering.
Dawnbell Village itself was small and unassuming, an isolated speck on the vast tapestry of the Verdelion continent. It existed solely as a cluster of humble homes surrounded by sprawling, fertile fields – the lifeblood of its inhabitants. Beyond these agricultural grounds, there was little else within its rustic confines. To trade their harvested goods or to acquire anything beyond their basic needs, the villagers were compelled to make the journey to the nearest bustling town. This stark reality was precisely why, on this significant day, he, Ronan, Liora, and seven other eager children from their village were embarking on the trek to the town called Grothis, where their destinies would begin to unfold through the aptitude testing. With them, the steadfast Village Chief Emor was also going.