It has been a rainy day in Elyune City.
Well, most days here are rainy, but today the rain seemed especially heavy.
To Nikolas, however, it might as well have been the sunniest day of the year. The excitement and anticipation in his heart blocked out the gloomy weather; all his thoughts were now completely focused on today.
Today was the day of his Beast Summoning Ceremony, a ritual where every 18-year-old in the city would have a chance to make a contract with a magical being.
Nikolas had waited years for this day.
His mother's medical expenses, his sister's tuition fees, their shabby house on the city's outskirts—today was the day it could all change.
If he could only get an Epic, or Rare, or even an Uncommon beast, he would surely make enough credits to support his family.
A smile crept onto his lips as he neared the academy gates. Towering beams of metal encircled the academy grounds, with a single pair of gates remaining open. Students were flooding in from every direction, rushing toward the summoning hall.
Nikolas had passed by the academy only once before; he barely left the city's outskirts. But now, seeing it for longer than a mere moment, he couldn't help but feel astonished by the size of a place he soon hoped to call home.
Without lingering any longer, he stepped inside and followed the rows of students into the summoning hall.
After a short walk through the academy corridors, he finally entered the hall.
There were around thirty students inside. Everyone except him was already wearing the academy's uniform.
Most people who aspired to become tamers enrolled in the academy at a young age, learning about different beasts, their weaknesses, and how to properly evolve and master them.
Nikolas, however, could not afford such luxuries. The tuition fee was far too expensive for him, so he had only registered for the summoning ritual once he met the legal requirement of age 18.
The atmosphere in the room shifted instantly as they saw him.
"Look, an outskirt rat," one of the students hissed. Another two laughed.
Nikolas ignored it, he was used to the rich looking down on people from the outskirts like him. He moved toward a faculty member holding some form of file.
"I'm here for the half-yearly Beast Summoning Ceremony," Nikolas said to the elderly man.
"Name?" the faculty member asked, a hint of disdain flashing across his face as he saw Nikolas up close.
"Nikolas."
The elderly man scanned the list of names and finally nodded slowly as he landed on the last name on the page.
"Take a seat. I will call out your name when it's your turn," the faculty member said and turned around without any further delay.
"Quiet down, everyone!" he called out, and all the chatter in the hall died down. "The Beast Summoning Ceremony will begin now. Sit down and await your name."
Nikolas watched in silence as students' names were called out, and one by one, they all began to walk toward the summoning altar.
"Epic! It's an Epic!"
"This can't be right! How can I only get a Common Beast?!"
Mixed emotions flashed across each of the students' faces—some full of excitement and joy, others filled with disappointment, sadness, and even rage.
There were no prerequisites for what grade of beast a person would summon. There was no training, no knowledge, nothing that could change the outcome—just pure luck.
On average, the chance of getting an Epic Grade Beast was around one percent.
That is perhaps why everyone in the room kept staring in the direction of the single student who had just summoned one.
"Next, Nikolas!"
A voice suddenly called out.
Nikolas' attention snapped back to reality; the teacher in control of the ritual had called his name.
He got up without delay, the faintest hint of a smile crossing his face.
He had been waiting for this day for years.
Today was the day his life could finally change for the better… or so he thought.
The moment he placed his hand on the summoning array, things did not go as expected.
A sudden, translucent window appeared before his eyes.
[Summoning…]
[...]
[Failed!]
The bright light shining from the summoning array dimmed.
Gasps, whispers, and even laughter filled the room.
"Quiet!" the teacher called out. "Try again," he added.
Nikolas didn't waste a second, putting his hand firmly back on the summoning array.
[Summoning…]
[...]
[...]
[Failed!]
"No… This can't be right!" Nikolas muttered under his breath.
"I'm sorry, kid," the teacher replied with a sorry expression.
Nikolas tried to put his hand on the summoning array once more, but two other faculty members had already stepped forward, dragging him away from the altar and out of the hall.
"One more time! Give me one more—"
The door shut loudly the moment they threw him over the threshold, cutting his plea short.
Around him, countless students who had been walking through the corridor came to a halt, all staring at him, but he did not care—or rather, he did not even see them.
His knuckles turned white from the force of his clenched fists. His gaze lingered on the shut door, his thoughts spiraling as he replayed what had just happened.
He had awaited the day of the summoning ritual for years, telling himself that it was the day everything would get better, but now…
Nikolas sat on the ground, surrounded by the countless whispers of passersby, having just been kicked out of the only place that could change his current situation.