The evening sun bled crimson across the skies of Westreach, dyeing the world in shades of sorrow and gold. Max walked alone through the quiet streets, his shadow stretching long behind him. The torn edges of Rose's wedding invitation brushed against his fingers as the cold breeze toyed with it, almost mocking him for holding on to something already lost.
He stopped on a small bridge overlooking a narrow river. Beneath him, ripples distorted his reflection — the golden-haired boy with sharp features and eyes too weary for his age. The wind carried faint echoes of laughter from the academy gates, where students celebrated their futures. Futures that, unlike his, still had hope.
"An F-rank," he muttered bitterly. "That's all I am to them."
His words dissolved into the rustling of leaves. No answer came — not from the wind, not from the water, not from the world that had already decided his worth.
He closed his eyes, and memories surged like a tide — the awakening ceremony, the blinding white circle carved into marble, the sacred chant of the priest, and then… silence. Where others summoned radiant beasts wrapped in light and fire, Max's glow had dimmed before it even bloomed.
A small silver serpent had emerged, coiling nervously at his feet. The crystal orb above his head flickered once before cold words appeared for all to see:
> [Talent: Monster Breeder — Rank F]
> [Pact Rating: F]
> [Summoned Beast: Spirit Fang Serpent]
The laughter that followed had cut deeper than any blade.
He remembered his father's face — LordDuskgrave, one of the most powerful summoners in the western continent. His gaze had been cold, filled with disappointment and disgust. "You carry the blood of ancient conquerors, yet you awaken as trash? You're no son of mine."
That was the day Max lost his home, his name, and the last fragments of a family he thought he had.
---
Now, standing on that bridge, he whispered to himself, "And yet… Mother always believed in me."
Emilia Aetheria.The memory of her name alone brought a strange warmth to his chest. She wasn't from a noble bloodline. She was a commoner, but her awakened talent — S-rank Beast Empathy — had once stunned the realm. Even the royals had envied her power to form perfect bonds with any creature. But her gift had become her curse. The Duskgraves had forced her into marriage, using her talent to strengthen their bloodline.
His father had stolen her power through a forbidden ritual — a secret known only to ancient families. And when she weakened, when her light began to fade, he discarded her as easily as he had discarded Max.
Three years ago, she vanished without a trace. The family called it desertion. Max called it murder.
He gripped the bridge railing, his knuckles white. "I'll find you, Mother," he vowed quietly. "Even if the whole world stands against me."
---
The city of Westreach belonged to the WesternContinent, one of five in the vast Skydawn Realm — North, South, East, West, and Central. Together, they covered forty-five percent of the land, the rest swallowed by endless seas said to hide divine beasts of ancient eras.
Every person in this realm underwent Awakening at the age of eighteen. The ceremony revealed two things: their TalentRank — determining the potential of their cultivation — and their Pact Rating, deciding what rank of beasts they could bond with. The higher both were, the greater their destiny.
The hierarchy was merciless:
> F → E → D → C → B → A → S → SS → SSS.
Only one in a hundred thousand awakened with an S-rank talent. Those who reached SS or SSS were rarer than starlight. And above even that — whispered only in myths — were Divine and God Ranks, said to belong to gods themselves.
Each summoner bonded with their first beast at Awakening and could contract no other unless their Pact Rank allowed it. For someone like Max, whose rating was F, that meant a lifetime chained to the weakest creatures of the world.
But Monster Breeders — a rare subclass of talent — had one hope. They could design Evolution Lines, helping beasts ascend to higher forms. In theory, even an F-rank beast could grow to rival an A-rank under the right breeder. But F-rank breeders like Max rarely had the power or resources to make that happen.
He sighed, stepping off the bridge and continuing down the lonely road to his small rented room. His hand brushed against the soft scales of LS — the Spirit Fang Serpent coiled around his wrist. The creature flicked its tongue affectionately, emitting a faint, comforting hiss.
"At least you're still with me," he murmured. "Everyone else left."
LS tilted her head as if to say she understood. Her bright silver eyes reflected his own pain.
---
When Max reached his room — a dim little space with cracked walls and a single window — he collapsed onto the bed. The mattress groaned beneath his weight. Moonlight filtered through the curtain, falling on his face.
He lay there, staring at the ceiling, his mind racing.
SkydawnAcademy.
It was more than an institution — it was a dream. The academy was built atop the ruins of an ancient divine city, where knowledge of summoning, evolution, and god-beasts was said to be preserved. Every top family fought for its favor.
And more importantly… the Old Headmaster of Skydawn Academy had once known his mother personally. Emilia had spoken of him often — a man who understood the true meaning of "evolution" beyond talent and birth.
That was where Max had to go. That was where his answers lay.
But entry was near impossible. Only two paths existed:
1. Quota from one's high school, achieved by ranking among the top five in summoning strength.
2. Direct recommendation from a certified master or academy examiner.
Max had neither. The quota demanded one to at least reach LowRank Level 5, a feat that even E-rank summoners struggled to achieve. For an F-rank? It was a mountain beyond sight.
Still, he whispered to the quiet room, "I'll find a way. Even if I have to tear fate apart with my bare hands."
LS curled beside him, her tiny body radiating warmth. Her eyes glowed faintly in the darkness, as if she too shared his determination.
Outside, thunder rumbled distantly across the horizon — an omen of change.
And somewhere, high above the clouds of Skydawn Realm, an unseen power stirred.
The world had forgotten the name Max Duskgrave.
But soon, it would learn to remember MaxAetheria — the boy destined to shatter the very concept of limits.