Double affinities

"Aptitude, Solaris!" The instructor announced. 

The crowd of trainees erupted into a cacophony of whispers and excited discussions- the most popular and talented trainee had proven to have an aptitude for magic, after all.

As Casper walked back to his spot, his peers either congratulated him or seized the opportunity to curry favor, showering him with pats on the back and cheerful praise.

To Seth, the scene felt almost comical, especially considering that most of them wouldn't make it through the trials unscathed- whether physically or emotionally.

"Whoa, that's dark… even for me." He thought, surprised by his own cynicism. 

The instructors decided to take a break after testing the noble-born trainees, leaving the impatient and anxious commoners to wait in restless anticipation.

Seth would be lying if he said he wasn't nervous. This was, after all, his only real chance at surviving the trials. But beyond that, he had realized something long ago- power was everything in this world. It determined status, how one was treated, social standing, and so much more.

In his case, he had been born without any, both literally and figuratively. After all, being born without any power was no sin- lacking the ambition or thirst for it, however, was. And as someone who had been reminded of his powerlessness his entire life, Seth craved power.

Yet, his desire wasn't born from greed or pride- it stemmed from his will to survive. Not just the Blackthorn trial of blood and iron, but the world itself, but most especially to give his family a better life. 

And now, his uncertain fate was to be decided by a simple round crystal sitting on a wooden table.

Glancing at it once more, the excitement in his eyes faded, replaced by quiet trepidation. Letting out a small sigh, he barely noticed- but Emily did.

"Young master," Emily said, placing a hand on his shoulder- a task made easy by the fact that she was much taller than him.

Seth looked up, surprised to see a gentle smile on her face.

"Don't worry," she assured him. "You'll definitely have an aptitude. And in the impossible chance that you don't, I'll protect you no matter what!"

"Her words lifted his spirits, and he remained silent for a moment before speaking.

"Emily… weren't you mad at me?"

"Oh that?" she waved it off casually. "I've gotten over it. I just made it a mental note to break your legs if you try that again. Don't worry, young master, it's for your safety." She said with a smile.

Seth: (-_-;)

'I think she's the one I actually need protection from!' Seth thought nervously.

Not long after, the instructors resumed testing, calling out the first name among the commoner trainees.

"Emily Hawke!"

Caught off guard at being called first, Emily flinched slightly before quickly regaining her composure. She stepped onto the platform and, like those before her, placed her hand on the crystal stone.

The moment her fingers touched its surface, the crystal emitted a soft white glow. It lingered for a few seconds before fading away.

"No aptitude!" the instructor announced once again.

Letting out a quiet sigh, Emily turned and walked back to where Seth stood, while the next name was already being called.

Noticing the somber expression on his face, she crossed her arms and gave him a pointed look.

"Don't give me that look," she said. "It was to be expected. My chances of having magic talent were low- especially considering I'm from common descent."

Emily was right. In fact, it was expected that the number of commoner trainees with a magic affinity would be even lower than that of nobles, despite their greater overall population. Still, it didn't sit right with Seth when his best friend was being labeled as untalented.

"But you're different. You aren't just a simple commoner like us," Emily's voice pulled him from his thoughts. "You have noble blood flowing through you… so I believe you'll have the right talents for sure." She spoke with absolute certainty.

Her words once again quelled the seed of doubt lingering in his mind, and he found himself smiling gently.

"Thank you," he said simply. 

****

After several more rounds of testing, the instructors' expressions had shifted from stoic to outright irritated. They had tested nearly all the commoner trainees- roughly seventy in total- and had only found half a dozen with an affinity for magic.

"Why even bother?" one instructor muttered to the other, making no effort to lower his voice.

"We don't get paid enough for this nonsense. I know they're commoners, but it's almost unbelievable how talentless they are."

The commoners in question heard the remark loud and clear but could only grimace in silence. Speaking out against an instructor would be nothing short of suicide.

"Seth von Blackthorn!"

Strangely, Seth's name was called last, immediately sparking audible murmurs among the trainees as he made his way to the platform. Most of the chatter came from those unaware of his existence- unsurprising, given his tendency to go unnoticed despite his appearance.

"A commoner bearing the clan's name?"

"Who is he?"

"Don't you know? He's some noble's abandoned half-blood bastard."

"I heard he's a cripple."

"L-look at those eyes… creepy…"

As usual, despite hearing most of these remarks, Seth remained indifferent. This wasn't the first time he had been treated this way, and he doubted it would be the last.

As Seth approached the essence stone, the instructor gave him an indifferent glance. With a tired sigh, he spoke.

"Place your hand on the essence stone and wait for your appraisal," he instructed in a monotone voice, having repeated the phrase countless times already.

With a resolute expression, Seth pressed his palm against the rough surface of the transparent crystal.

The moment his hand made contact, the stone immediately emitted a bright white glow- only for the light to begin dimming just seconds later.

Seeing this, the instructor was already preparing to declare Seth as having no aptitude. He had been standing here for hours and wanted nothing more than to go home as soon as possible. 

The glow of the essence stone faded back to its usual state, just as it had with many others before. But this time, it didn't stop there. Instead, the crystal seemed to lose all light entirely, its transparent surface darkening until it became a swirling void of pure blackness.

"No apti-" The instructor choked on his words, his voice catching in his throat as he processed what he was seeing.

A heavy silence fell over the training grounds. Every trainee, noble and commoner alike, wore identical expressions of shock, their eyes locked onto the stone.

After several tense seconds, the instructor finally found his voice.

"Ap-aptitude… Umbra!" he announced with a stutter.

The crowd erupted into a flurry of whispers and murmurs, a chaotic mix of emotions as everyone processed the revelation. Reactions varied, but one thing was certain- Seth's result was anything but expected.

Emily, in particular, was grinning from ear to ear, absolutely thrilled by her young master's newfound affinity.

Still too stunned to move and with no instructions otherwise, Seth's hand remained on the essence stone. After a few moments, the crystal reverted to its usual transparent state- assuming its glow once more.

The instructor nearly jumped out of his chair in shock. Normally, once a person's affinity was revealed, the stone would retain that color as long as their hand remained on it. The only exception was…

'This kid has two affinities!'

The instructors were thrown into turmoil, struggling to make sense of the impossible. Meanwhile, the trainees- unaware of the significance- watched in utter confusion.

The essence stone glowed even brighter, its radiance intensifying until, at the very moment of another color shift- crack!

A deep fracture split across the crystal's surface.

Before anyone could react, the entire stone shattered into countless fragments, scattering across the platform.

A stunned silence fell over the training grounds for the umpteenth time.

The instructors stared in horror, their expressions frozen in dis

belief. But no one look more horrified than Seth himself.

"Crap!"