Kings ruled not because of crowns or armies, but because of their Eclipt—the force that manifested one's existence. To live in this world meant to awaken your Eclipt.
To control it meant to rise above all.
And to master it… meant to rewrite the laws of life itself.
In such a world, a boy with a broken Eclipt was nothing.
Renji Kael stood at the edge of the massive marble courtyard of Aurelius Academy, staring at the rows of armored knights, nobles, and robed scholars. The morning air was crisp, filled with the hum of thousands of Eclipts resonating. Each mark on their wrists glowed like polished gemstones—circles, wings, spears, flames.
Renji's, in contrast, was a fractured ring that flickered weakly.
It looked more like a burn scar than a gift from the gods.
"Hey, move aside," a tall blond student sneered, bumping Renji with his shoulder. "Trash shouldn't stand with nobles."
Renji blinked at him, unbothered. "Sorry. Didn't realize arrogance counted as a bloodline trait."
The boy's smile vanished. "You dare—"
"Not really," Renji interrupted lazily, scratching his head. "I just don't care."
The surrounding students snickered. The noble scowled and turned away, muttering something about filthy commoners.
Renji exhaled, brushing the dust off his shirt. His clothes were simple, patched more times than he could count, and his boots were uneven. His dark hair stuck out in every direction, and his eyes—sharp, amber, and a little tired—carried the look of someone who'd seen too many mornings without breakfast.
"Why am I even here…" he muttered. "Oh right. Because giving up is boring."
The arena bell chimed.
Thousands of spectators filled the stands—parents, nobles, merchants—all waiting to see which youths would be chosen to enter Aurelius Academy, the most elite institution of Eclipt mastery in all Eirath.
At the center stood Instructor Valen, tall, silver-haired, with a gaze sharp enough to slice through steel. He raised his hand and spoke in a deep, calm voice that carried across the arena.
"Those who desire to climb toward the Absolute… step forward."
Renji's heart thudded.
This was it—the Trial of Endurance. The one test that decided everything.
He could still turn back.
But he didn't come this far to kneel.
One by one, students stepped forward. The moment Valen unleashed his Eclipt Pressure, the air distorted—an invisible weight pressing down on them.
The first boy fell instantly.
The second screamed.
The third tried to fight back but collapsed, his Eclipt mark flickering out.
Each failure drew laughter from the audience.
Renji clenched his fists. "So this is what it means to be crushed by existence itself…"
His turn came.
He took a step into the circle. The instant his foot touched the stone, an invisible wall slammed into him. His spine locked, his knees trembled, and it felt as though his lungs were filled with molten iron.
His Broken Eclipt flickered painfully. His heart screamed kneel.
Valen's calm voice echoed. "Fall, if you must. Weakness is not shameful. Pretending otherwise is."
Renji laughed under his breath. "Good. Then I won't pretend."
And he pushed forward.
The weight doubled.
Cracks formed beneath his feet.
His ears rang. Every breath was agony.
But every time he thought he'd collapse, something deep inside him snapped and rebuilt itself.
That was his curse—no, his strength.
The Broken Eclipt didn't store energy properly; instead, it adapted through pain. The more he endured, the more it adjusted, reforging itself bit by bit.
"Stand down!" someone in the crowd shouted.
"He's going to die!"
"His Eclipt's unstable!"
Renji's vision blurred. The world tilted.
If I can't be born strong… then I'll carve strength into my bones.
Blood dripped from his mouth. His legs trembled. He could feel the stone giving way under him. But he refused to kneel.
Then—
A spark.
The broken ring on his wrist ignited, glowing with wild, erratic light. The pressure bent around him, like a storm crashing into an immovable cliff.
For the first time, Valen's eyes widened. "He's—resisting?"
Renji gritted his teeth. "That's… all I do."
He took another step. And another.
The audience fell silent.
He was trembling, bleeding, barely standing—but still walking toward the instructor with a half-dead grin.
Valen lowered his hand slowly, ending the pressure.
Silence stretched.
Then Renji exhaled and dropped face-first into the dirt.
"…So… I passed, right?" he mumbled, voice muffled.
The entire arena burst into laughter. Even Valen cracked a rare smile.
"Welcome to Aurelius Academy, Renji Kael," he said. "The boy who wouldn't kneel."
That day, while others were praised for their talent, one boy earned a place through nothing but stubborn will.
He didn't know it yet—but his defiance would one day shake the heavens themselves.