Chapter 7: The Starborn's Awakening
The dawn broke with a cascade of silver-gold light spilling across the eastern skies of Arcania. Not the natural radiance of a rising sun, but a shimmer of celestial fire, pouring from the heavens like divine stardust. In the highest tower of the Obsidian Flame Palace, Phoenix Bennith Nightshade stirred in his sleep.
The Child of Stars had turned one week old.
Within the heart of the palace, his nine sisters—Empresses in their own right, daughters of the Dragon Emperor and the Vampire Empress—stood in a sacred circle. Their gazes were locked on the sleeping child cradled within a crystal cradle forged from stardust and dragonbone.
Each of the sisters had begun to notice it—an aura, a pulse, a humming resonance that grew stronger each day. His existence was beginning to affect the mana threads of the world itself. The sky above the palace shimmered unnaturally, filled with dancing auroras even in the daytime. The World Tree in the Elven Continent had begun glowing at night. Tides shifted erratically in the oceans.
And so, the oldest sister, Princess Seraphina, stepped forward, crimson silk robes billowing behind her. Her golden eyes, slitted like her father's, held the weight of ancient wisdom and inherited power. Her voice was solemn.
> "It is time. He must receive the Nine Vows."
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The Ritual of Vows
The Ritual of Vows was older than Arcania's written language. First gifted by the Astral Beasts, it was performed only once in a millennium—upon the birth of a being whose soul resonated with all nine planes of mana. It was a rite not just of power, but of identity.
The sacred chamber within the palace opened only once per epoch, sealed by the Breath of Origin, the Flame of Calamity, and the Blood of the Unbound. Today, all three were present.
The nine sisters formed a perfect circle, their combined mana opening a star-shaped seal beneath the cradle. Light poured upwards, and slowly, Phoenix was lifted into the air, cradled by threads of starlight.
One by one, they stepped forward.
Princess Seraphina (Firstborn – Flame Aspect)
"I vow to teach you the fire that creates and the fire that consumes. Let your soul burn with purpose, never with rage."
She pressed her palm to his forehead. A flame sigil glowed and vanished.
Princess Elowen (Second – Wind Aspect)
"I vow to show you how to dance with storms, how to fly above fear, and how to hear the whispers of fate."
Her kiss left a breeze upon his cheeks.
Princess Thalassa (Third – Water Aspect)
"I vow to help you master serenity and depth. May you flow past obstacles and shape the world as rivers shape stone."
A single drop of water touched his chest and melted into light.
Princess Nyxaria (Fourth – Shadow Aspect)
"I vow to teach you secrecy without shame, mystery without malice. Know that shadows protect, not only hide."
Dark mist curled around his form and faded.
Princess Celestielle (Fifth – Light Aspect)
"I vow to guide you to truth, but also teach you mercy. Shine not to blind, but to illuminate."
A ray of sun pierced the ceiling and bathed his tiny form.
Princess Valeriana (Sixth – Earth Aspect)
"I vow to be your anchor. When the heavens shift, I will keep you grounded."
A glyph of stone appeared briefly beneath him.
Princess Aislynn (Seventh – Ice Aspect)
"I vow to show you the stillness between moments, the beauty of silence, the calm before the storm."
The air grew cold for a heartbeat and then warmed.
Princess Lysithea (Eighth – Spirit Aspect)
"I vow to connect you with the souls of the past, present, and those yet unborn. You are never alone."
Ethereal figures appeared and bowed before him before fading.
Princess Caelina (Ninth – Astral Aspect)
"I vow to teach you how to dream without boundaries, and reach stars no one else dares touch."
As she spoke, the heavens rippled.
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With the final vow, the seal beneath Phoenix erupted in radiant flame, lifting him higher into the air. His body glowed with the resonance of all nine vows.
Then... it happened.
A tenth aura ignited.
One not from his sisters. Not from Arcania.
But from within Phoenix himself.
His eyes opened—blood-red with swirling violet irises. Mana screamed in every direction. A ripple of golden-white energy exploded outward, halting time for one second across the continent.
Every ruler, every beast, every spirit felt it.
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Across the Continents
Empress Lara Stardust of the Fairies collapsed mid-flight, tears in her eyes. "He has inherited the Tenth Path... the Primordial Pulse."
Empress Riya Fennir of the Werewolves threw her head back and howled toward the sky. "The Omega Heir... he breathes!"
Emperor Dew Smith, the Dwarf Blacksmith, dropped his hammer. The Forge of Infinity—dormant for nine thousand years—lit itself ablaze.
Empress Elsa Morality of the Witches snapped her wand in half in shock. "He's not a mortal. He's a convergence."
Empress Claire Skyfall of the Birdkin trembled as the floating continent dipped momentarily in altitude. "We must prepare the skies. He'll fly higher than we can follow."
The Seven Demon Lords, who ruled the demonic states, gathered for the first time in a thousand years, their eyes burning with recognition. "We have seen this aura once before... during the Fall of the Outer Gods."
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Back at the palace, Phoenix descended gently into Rose's arms. His divine aura quieted, and the glyphs etched into the walls now glowed with a soft golden hue.
The ritual was done.
But the consequences were just beginning.
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The Prophecy Reborn
At the heart of the Dragon Continent, within the Library of Absolute Truth—a place that cataloged all prophecies, fulfilled or broken—a dormant page turned.
A scroll, long believed to be dead text, flared to life with fresh ink, burning its message into the walls.
> "He who bears the Nine Vows and awakens the Tenth shall either remake the stars… or silence them forever."
The Head Librarian collapsed to her knees. "It's begun... The Epoch of Fire and Song."
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That evening, the Dragon Palace erupted in celebration, though it was tempered with awe. The skies glittered with constellation-shaped fireworks, and dragons of every class—winged, wingless, eastern, western—circled the airspace around the palace in reverence.
Phoenix, still barely a week old, had become the center of a celestial prophecy.
Within the High Archive of Eternity, the ancient Sentient Codex awoke. It had not recorded new prophecy since the Age of Forgotten Stars. Now, its golden pages flipped open of their own will.
In glowing runes, a new prophecy inscribed itself:
> "When the soul of stardust awakens in blood unbroken, the threads of fate shall braid anew. From cradle to cosmos, his name shall be writ in fire."
The archivists wept.
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Celestial Harmony
A week later, Phoenix was brought into the Grand Harmonium—a sanctuary where mana and music interwove. His sisters gathered again, not for ritual, but to soothe.
Cassiel played a harp laced with mythril and memory stones. Thalassa sang in the tongue of the Tidelords. Elowen danced, her steps leaving glowing glyphs in the air.
Each sister gave part of their soul to create harmony, hoping to give Phoenix peace.
And for the first time, Phoenix laughed.
Through the Celestial Marks and resonance bonds, he felt everything. Their worry. Their joy. Their fierce love for him. And he responded not with words, but with mana.
In a burst of silver-gold light, a new glyph formed in the air—an infinity symbol flanked by wings and flame.
Solari gasped. "That's… the Sigil of Convergence. He's not just marked—he's begun to create."
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Whispers in the Deep
Far across Arcania, in the Vault of Echoes—where ancient dragons dreamt in slumbering stone—one opened its eyes for the first time in aeons.
It whispered in a tongue older than time itself:
> "The Starborn has awakened. The wheels turn once more."
Thus, the world of Arcania held its breath—for what had begun as the birth of a child was fast becoming the forging of a legend.
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From the next chapters I will start a slice of life and comedy chapters until our mc is ready for the academy