It was a frosty winter night. There was no sound and no taste. Even though there shouldn't be any light, he could see his own shadow lurking in the dark.
Nox's breath hitched as he stepped back, the crunch of frost underfoot sounding impossibly loud in the silence.
While looking around, a chill ran down his spine. He didn't seem to be alone.
A human-like creature stood beneath a giant tree. It felt as if it were the embodiment of light itself, but its body seemed completely engulfed by darkness. Its form was dark, yet faint, flickering lights traced the edges like fireflies trapped under a mantle.
Its voice was calm, yet carried weight—an authority he couldn't place, though it felt intimately familiar.
His hands trembled, though he couldn't tell if it was from cold or from something far older staring back at him.
"Who are you?" Nox asked, bewilderment tugging at his words.
The creature chuckled. "You shall not know. Not yet… but let me tell you something else. You create and destroy without even realizing what you're building. You humans act like you're all alone, yet you forget your innate creation."
"The air is only warm, and humans are only strong, because there is something ensuring that. You remain weak because your one remains your one, and your weakness remains your weakness."
As Nox studied the being with a questioning gaze, its blue eyes glared back at him. A familiar, divine-looking mark was engraved on its cheek.
"Sometimes one can be two, and two can be one. When two elements co—when two elements co—? What does that even mean?"
"Shit, I can't remember what that thing said. I really hate these weird dreams," he muttered under his breath, frustration curling through his chest.
Nox tilted his head, trying to parse the words, but they slipped through his mind like smoke.
As he looked down at his hands, an unpleasant feeling ran down his spine. "Is this… a warning or a lesson?" he whispered, more to himself than anyone else.
Just as he sighed deeply, the door to his room swung open and Lydia rushed in.
"Young master, you gotta get ready quickly! The ritual starts in 30 minutes!"
Nox sprang to his feet, knocking the bed slightly as he hastily swapped shirts. Lydia covered her eyes with her hands, letting out a soft giggle.
"Ah, you can't do that, you per— I mean, young master!"
"Why are you peeking through your fingers then?" he asked boldly, one eyebrow raised.
Nox left his room, and Lydia quickly followed, cheeks flushed with embarrassment.
Outside, hundreds of people chatted and ate on long wooden tables. The whole village had come to witness his ritual, and for the first time, he felt truly seen.
Their faces were filled with excitement and anticipation. Everyone was eager to witness the birth of another great mage of the Strier family. Every pair of eyes felt like weight pressing on him, even if they weren't watching directly.
As Nox strolled through the crowd, he overheard a conversation between two old men.
"I heard the two elder sons of House Strier both got strong Stigmas."
His stomach twisted as he realized expectations were already weighing on him before he even stepped forward.
"Yeah, the oldest son got the Earth Stigma, a power granted by one of the twelve main gods. Even though the younger one only got a side stigma, it grants the power of plants, which is considered powerful among those."
"He will probably get a strong Stigma as well."
An unfamiliar feeling overcame Nox. The thought that he wouldn't get a strong Stigma had never crossed his mind—but now this pressure lay on him like a heavy blanket.
During dinner, the people's mood was at its high point. Laughter rang from every corner. Some young men jumped and danced, their joy spilling across the tables.
Suddenly, a sharp voice cut through the noise. Silence fell instantly, and all heads turned toward the speaker. It was the head of the Strier family, Algus van Strier.
At his mere sight, people lowered their heads. He wasn't exceptionally tall, but his muscular stature and commanding aura made him impossible to overlook.
"Thank you all for coming to this special event tonight. As you all know, my youngest son will attend the Stigma Ritual today," he said, pointing at the large water pond beneath the nearby forest.
The pond was bordered by six golden lion statues. "This pond is filled with holy water gifted by the gods. May the grace of these divine beings be with us today!"
As Algus nodded, Nox rose from his seat and began walking slowly toward the pond. Not even a minute had passed, but it felt like an eternity. The gazes of the people who had been chatting moments ago were now all fixed on him.
Each step toward the pond felt heavier than the last, his boots crunching the frost with exaggerated volume in his ears. Hundreds of eyes seemed to bore into him. He could feel icy water splashing against his ankles while he approached the centre of the pond.
At the exact moment he feared he might collapse under the weight of all that attention, a light emanated from the holy water. The people around him held their breath as the water rose to meet his hands, shining so brightly it hurt to look.
When his vision blurred, Nox felt a warm sting on his right shoulder before clarity returned. He looked down to see a small symbol embedded there. The warmth seared through him, a sensation neither pain nor pleasure—but something that screamed significance.
With a thrill of excitement, he studied the new pattern. "What is that?" he whispered. Nox had memorized the symbols of every god so he would know which stigma he had—but this one was entirely unfamiliar.
"A plus with points in each corner, huh," his father said with a blank expression, having approached silently.
"Isn't he furious that I got some random Stigma that no one even knows about?" Nox thought.
Algus observed his son's desperate expression, then addressed the curious onlookers who had stepped forward. "My dear comrades, today we are writing history! My son, Nox van Strier, is the first to obtain this unknown Stigma. There is no reason to be disappointed."
Even though his words were hopeful, the people didn't seem convinced. Nox caught glimpses of smirks barely hidden behind bowed heads, eyebrows twitching in disbelief. Respect and expectation mingled uneasily with doubt and ridicule.
Standing in the empty pond, Nox felt a mixture of despair and fury. He resented the people before him—and even his father. Guilty at his own feelings, he lowered his head and walked away swiftly.
"What should I do now? I was sure that weird dream was a revelation from the gods, but here I am," he muttered, striding toward the training grounds.
"I'll prove them all wrong," he swore, raising his hands to summon water. His palms trembled as he fired a water missile, the air crackling with the echo of his anger.
The sound of shattering wood mocked him even as it confirmed his strength, a bitter paradox in his chest.
Nox's fists clenched at his sides, knuckles whitening.
"What I need now is true strength."