The Awakening Hall had never felt this crowded before.
Students from every year had gathered to watch the ceremony. Some were excited. Some were nervous. A few were pretending not to care.
At the center of the hall stood the Crystal Pillar — a tall, transparent structure that glowed faintly from within. It had been there for hundreds of years. Every powerful mage in history had once placed their hand on it.
Today, it was Arin's turn.
"Relax," a boy beside him whispered. "Even earth affinity is fine. Just don't get something useless."
Arin gave a small nod.
He wasn't scared of getting a weak element.
He was scared of getting nothing.
One by one, students stepped forward.
"Fire affinity!"
Bright red flames burst out, controlled but strong. Cheers filled the hall.
"Wind element, high compatibility!"
A girl laughed as air swirled around her, lifting her hair dramatically.
Even lightning appeared once — rare and impressive. The teachers looked satisfied.
Arin watched quietly.
Every time someone succeeded, the pressure in his chest tightened a little more.
Finally—
"Arin Vale."
The whispers started immediately.
"That quiet guy?"
"He barely talks."
"I heard he doesn't even know his father."
Arin ignored them and walked toward the crystal.
The hall suddenly felt colder.
He stood before the pillar and placed his palm against it.
The surface was smooth. Icy.
He waited.
Usually, the crystal reacted instantly. It glowed brighter, sometimes even changed color.
Nothing happened.
A few seconds passed.
Someone coughed.
Ten seconds.
The blue glow inside the crystal faded slightly, as if it was bored.
A teacher adjusted his glasses and stepped closer.
"No reaction," he muttered.
Arin pressed his hand harder.
Still nothing.
The silence became uncomfortable.
Then the instructor spoke loudly enough for everyone to hear.
"No elemental response detected."
It wasn't shouted.
It was worse than that.
It was official.
A small wave of laughter moved through the crowd.
"Powerless."
"Is that even possible?"
"Maybe he's defective."
Arin removed his hand slowly.
His face didn't show anger.
It didn't show sadness either.
But his fingers were trembling.
"Step aside," the instructor said, already calling the next name.
And just like that, he was dismissed.
As if he didn't matter.
The rest of the day passed in a blur.
Students celebrated in the courtyard, testing their new powers. Sparks of fire flew through the air. Wind blades sliced practice targets. Earth users proudly lifted rocks.
Arin walked past them quietly.
He had grown used to being invisible.
But today, it felt heavier.
He reached the dormitory and lay down on his bed, staring at the ceiling.
"Powerless," he repeated under his breath.
Since he was a child, strange things had followed him.
Shadows in his room that didn't match the light.
Cold drafts in sealed spaces.
Once, when he was ten, he woke up to find the walls covered in moving darkness — like smoke trapped under the surface.
His mother had hugged him tightly that night.
"Never tell anyone," she had whispered.
He never forgot her voice.
She had died two years later.
No illness.
No explanation.
Just… gone.
Arin turned to his side.
Outside the window, the sky was darker than usual.
Then he noticed it.
The moon.
It wasn't silver.
It was red.
Not glowing bright red — but deep, dull crimson.
Wrong.
A chill crept up his spine.
The air in the room felt heavier.
Suddenly, laughter echoed from outside the dorm hallway. Then shouting.
"Did you see the moon?!"
"Is this part of the ceremony?"
Arin stood up and walked to the window.
The red light spilled into his room, stretching his shadow across the wall behind him.
He didn't notice it at first.
He was too focused on the moon.
Then—
Something felt off.
His shadow was moving.
But he wasn't.
Slowly… the shadow's head tilted.
Arin froze.
His heart started pounding.
"That's not possible…" he whispered.
He raised his hand.
The shadow didn't copy him.
Instead, it took a step forward.
Away from his feet.
Separate.
Arin stumbled back, hitting the edge of his desk.
The room suddenly felt much colder.
The red moonlight grew stronger, pouring across the floor like liquid.
The shadow stretched taller.
Its shape twisted, becoming sharper, more defined.
Then he heard it.
A voice.
Not from the hallway.
Not from outside.
From inside his mind.
Low. Calm. Ancient.
"You were never powerless."
Arin grabbed his head.
"Who are you?" he whispered harshly.
The shadow's outline sharpened further. Two faint glowing eyes appeared within the darkness.
"They sealed you."
"Sealed… what?"
Memories flashed in his mind — his mother's fearful eyes, the night the walls moved, the warning she gave him.
Never tell anyone.
The voice continued.
"The blood of the Shadow King cannot be erased."
The temperature in the room dropped suddenly.
Frost formed on the window edges.
Arin felt something burn inside his chest — not heat, not fire — something colder, heavier.
Dark energy leaked from his fingertips like smoke.
He stared at his hands in shock.
"This… isn't an element."
Outside, a loud explosion echoed from the academy grounds. Students screamed.
The shadow on the wall straightened.
"They have felt it."
"Felt what?" Arin asked, his voice shaking.
"Your awakening."
The dorm door burst open.
A teacher stood there, eyes wide.
"Arin— what is that behind you—"
Before he could finish, the lights in the room went out.
Complete darkness swallowed everything.
Except the shadow.
It was glowing faintly now.
Alive.
And for the first time in his life—
Arin was afraid.
End Chapter 1.