"This ends the testing for the A-C rank students," the teacher said, looking at the students seated with pride.
"Congratulations on awakening your HEARTS. May the Goddess help you climb even greater heights."
Cheers erupted outside the classroom walls, vibrating through the floorboards.
A pale-skinned boy with disheveled copper brown hair and lidded eyes sat in the row at the back.
Killian's eyes followed the students celebrating and flexing their elements. He looked outside to his family. They were celebrating him.
Keith Dominic. His younger twin, who had awakened a pure lightning element a few minutes ago.
Inside, Killian Dominic sat in the back row. Invisible.
What was worse than living under the shadow of an older sibling who was a celebrated prodigy?
Living under the shadow of your twin brother who just became another celebrated prodigy.
D-Ranks like him were made to wait. They couldn't 'spoil the season' with their pathetic affinities until the A-C rank students were done.
His red eyes shifted to the screen where the results had been shown.
[Keith Dominic: 30% affinity to
In his family's century-old existence, there had only been three great mages who awakened more than the usual 10% HEART of pure lightning.
His twin brother had joined the greats.
The teacher's gaze lingered on the back row. "After ten minutes, we would finish the rest."
'The rest' being the four D-Ranked students in the last row. The other three lowered their heads, but Killian held the teacher's gaze.
The man clicked his tongue at the sheer audacity before walking away. "Disgraceful brat."
A young lady walked into the class as the teacher walked out, brushing his shoulders.
"Watch where you are—" The words died in his throat when he met her darkened gaze. "Miss Quara. My apologies. I should've watched where I was going—"
She leaned towards him, her eyes glowing with a subtle red. "Yes. Watch yourself."
An ember bloomed in her eyes and the teacher glanced quickly at Killian. He nodded humbly before walking away.
Killian turned to his older sister who fell into an empty seat besides him. "Our parents are going to a hotel later. Do you want to come?"
He frowned at her.
"I guess not." She leaned back on the seat, reaching for his neck and placing a necklace on him.
Killian stared at the necklace. His WLog (Warden's Log) that should track his mana and affinities.
Yet it never glowed.
They sat in silence. Somewhere in Killian, her presence comforted him. Someone cared enough to stay for his testing.
Since he turned six and showed no affinity to either element — his paternal fire or his maternal lightning —his parents had dropped him like an afterthought.
His school fees were only paid after the school demanded them publicly, even openly embarrassing him and the family.
At some point, his sister had to handle it because his parents saw no need to pay when he had no affinity.
He had been living like a ghost amongst them.
As a Null.
Nulls existed when one parent was powerless or both parents were low-ranked mages who couldn't secure blessings from the goddess.
But never had a Null come from a family of exceptional mages.
Except him.
Yet the blatant disregard of his existence still hurts. He was still their son.
If it was by his power, he wanted to impress them.
Ten minutes passed by quickly and the teacher walked into the class with a hard note. "I will call the names. Let's hurry this up." He said, barely audible.
He stood in front of a large testing crystal.
"Killian Dominic."
He was first.
Killian took a deep breath and unconsciously looked around the room for his older sister.
She had left earlier, likely to celebrate with the talented younger brother.
The lump in his throat grew bigger, as did the heaviness in his steps as he took to the front.
Three pairs of eyes followed him.
The other D-rank students were waiting too. If he found a miracle, maybe, somehow, they could as well.
"You know the drill." The teacher said without looking up from his book. He had placed his pen on the hook, waiting to mark an 'X' on his name.
The room fell silent. He placed his hand on the crystal, hearing nothing but the beating of his own chest.
Something. As long as he got the HEART of either a fire or lightning mage, he could exist with pride.
Even if it was the ability to sense heat, or to withstand lightning strikes. Even if he was a sidekick all his life and never get to be a Warden. It would be meaningful.
But nothing. Not even a glow.
The crystal ignored him too. His hand remained there, still waiting.
From the corner of Killian's eyes, he saw the teacher's hand move.
An 'X'. That mark defined his very existence.
Null. Worthless to their progressive magic state.
A cold presence crept into his chest from his contact with the crystal. The temperature around him dropped. Was this the end?
"Evelyn Constantine."
The next person was called. Killian clenched his fists until his nails dug into his palms.
With heavy shoulders and heavier steps, he walked out the testing room. There were no words, no jeers, no mockery.
Just the expected outcome of a Null trying a crystal.
As he walked to the exit, along the lonely hallway, he stared at the shadows following him.
A part of him hoped the shadows would become a portal to take him to another world where he could hide away. Away from his parent's look of disgust.
Everyone expected it, yet the fact he held onto a sliver of hope broke him more.
His fifteen years of existence were summarised to nothingness. Away from prying eyes, the tears fell before he could hold back. He let them.
At least something should be allowed to exist. His disappointment and anger at himself and everyone else should be allowed to exist.
"Killian."
He stopped. She was behind him.
"Let's go to my place."
He blinked the tears away and quickly wiped his face. "Sure, sis." He sniffed. "Thank you."
She placed a hand around his shoulders and walked him out of the building. "Don't sweat it."
On stepping out to the sun, flames consumed him.
The sensation had happened too quickly for him to process. A scream left him as he fell back into the building. The flames vanished.
Quara turned to him, shocked. "What?"
Killian heard his heart-beat accelerate as he looked at every part of his body for any burn.
There was nothing. His eyes shifted to his sister.
He trusted that she wouldn't burn him alive to protect the family's image, but he couldn't help but ask. "Did you do something… to me?"
"No." She touched his forehead.
He flinched when she did, but relaxed when nothing happened. He had felt the intensity of the flames, but there was no pain.
If anything, it felt like it nourished him.
"You are burning up, Kill." She said, touching his chest. "But your chest is frozen. Are you okay?"
"Look," there was a tinge of excitement in his tone as he stretched a hand outside the roof.
This time the process was slow. When the sunrays hit his arm, smoke rose from his skin.
The smoke turned to dark flames that burned like they were starved. The flames didn't burn, and he reacted to the sun.
There was only one conclusion.
"Is this… the fire element?"
"It is not."
Quara pulled his hand back away from the sun, inspecting it. "You burn under the sun. That is not the fire element."
Realization slowly dawned on Killian. His sister held his arm carefully, staring at it. "This is—"
Suddenly, the red crystal necklace around his neck grew hot. Mana charging through it.
The Wlog screen flickered to life. A red holographic screen projected from the pendant, floating in front of Killian's vision.
[WLog Interface Active.]
Killian Dominic Registered.]
[Warning: Anomaly Detected.]
[Warning: Anom….]
Killian held onto Quara as the interface began to glitch.
"Devoured."
[Covenant Established.]
[Objective: Survive the Sun.]
[Reward: Void Ascension.]
[Failure: Death.]
His breath hitched. The shadows around his feet began to writhe.