The rain had been falling since dawn, a fine silver drizzle that hung in the air like a veil. Graywick Village was quiet, save for the distant tolling of the town bell and the muffled sound of boots on wet cobblestones.
Every year on this day, the streets were nearly empty, as if the entire village held its breath and gathered in one place.
The Testing Hall stood at the heart of the square, an ancient structure of dark oak beams and blackstone walls. Its doors, massive slabs of ironwood carved with faded runes, were open to welcome the candidates and their families. Inside, the air was warmer but thick with tension.
Kael Draven sat on a worn bench near the far wall, shoulders hunched, his hands buried deep in the folds of his coat. His stomach churned, though whether from nerves or from the bread he'd eaten in haste that morning, he couldn't tell.
He told himself he wasn't afraid. But the truth was, every sound of the examiner's voice calling a name made his heart pound harder.
At the front of the hall, raised slightly on a dais, stood the Awakening Crystal, a towering shard of translucent stone as tall as two men, its core alive with a faint, shifting glow. It was said to be older than Aetherion itself, a relic from the First Era, gifted by the gods to measure mortal potential.
The examiner, a tall man in deep green robes, consulted a list. "Rion Valen."
A boy with neatly combed hair stepped forward. His father, a merchant, stood proudly in the crowd. Rion placed both hands on the crystal. Instantly, golden light flared, bright and pure, spilling across the hall. The examiner smiled faintly.
"Talent Rank: A. Elemental Affinity: Wind."
The crowd murmured approval. Rion's father clapped him on the shoulder. "That's my boy," he said, his voice carrying.
One by one, the names were called.
Second: "Marla Vey." A girl with a defiant chin approached. The crystal lit with a steady silver glow.
"Talent Rank: B. Affinity: Ice." Her mother's eyes filled with tears.
Third: "Derek Thorne." A broad-shouldered boy swaggered up. The crystal flashed gold, then dimmed to bronze.
"Talent Rank: C. Affinity: Earth." He grunted, trying to hide his disappointment.
Fourth: "Elrin Dane." A nervous boy barely older than twelve. The crystal gave only a faint shimmer before going dark.
"Talent Rank: F. No affinity." His shoulders sagged as he walked away.
Fifth: "Sera Luthen." She stepped lightly, her hair braided with silver thread. The crystal bloomed in pale blue.
"Talent Rank: B+. Affinity: Water." The crowd whispered about her likely placement in the city academies.
Sixth: "Jorren Kade." A farmer's son with dirt still under his nails. The crystal glowed warmly in amber.
"Talent Rank: C+. Affinity: Fire." Jorren's father whooped in delight from the back.
Seventh: "Lina Morwen." The crystal gave a weak flicker, then went out entirely.
"Talent Rank: F." A man in the corner muttered, "Shame," as she left quickly, head bowed.
Eighth: "Varric Holt." A hulking youth with a scar across his jaw. The crystal lit with a rich, deep green.
"Talent Rank: A-. Affinity: Nature."
Ninth: "Perrin Lusk." The crystal responded with only a grayish light before fading.
"Talent Rank: D. No affinity."
Tenth: "Alyra Fen." The crystal flared brilliantly, a swirl of violet and silver light dancing inside it. Gasps rippled through the hall.
"Talent Rank: S. Dual Affinity: Light and Shadow." Even the examiner raised his brows at that.
Each success brought cheers, each failure drew sighs or murmurs of pity. Kael watched them all, his pulse thudding in his ears. The hall seemed smaller with every step he took toward the moment his name would be called.
Finally, the examiner looked up from the parchment. "Kael Draven."
The sound of it seemed louder than it should have been. Kael rose slowly, aware of the sideways glances, some sympathetic, others faintly mocking. Everyone in Graywick knew his story: the orphan taken in by the village smith, scraping by with odd jobs, never showing any promise in swordplay or spellwork.
The examiner's eyes were flat and unreadable. "Place your hands."
Kael stepped to the dais. The crystal's surface was smooth and cool beneath his palms. For a heartbeat, nothing happened. Then, just for a moment, the glow within stirred, faint and pale, like a candle in the wind.
He thought he saw it swirl.
And then it was gone.
"Talent Rank: F. No affinity." The words fell into the silence like stones into a well.
Someone in the crowd snorted softly. Another voice whispered, "Knew it."
Kael's fingers curled against the crystal, but he pulled them away. He kept his face still, though inside, something twisted. Without a word, he turned and walked from the hall, the sound of rain growing louder with every step until it swallowed the voices entirely.
Outside, the square was slick with water, the sky a flat, unbroken gray. Kael stood in the rain, letting it soak into his coat, his boots, his bones. Behind him, the testing continued.