Grand Altar of Endless Stars

A couple of hours passed in the blink of an eye, and before the students realized it, the time for the Rite had finally arrived.

Mr. Gonzales stood at the front of his classroom, his voice steady yet tinged with anticipation.

"Everyone, head outside to the field now. Remember to behave well and line up properly!" he announced, with a hint of urgency.

The moment the students of Anthurium, Morning Glory, Carnation, Sunflower, and Edelweiss stepped out of their rooms, they were greeted by a grand spectacle.

Applause echoed through the hallways as senior students, faculty members, and proud parents lined the way, their expressions ranging from excitement to hopeful curiosity.

Some clapped, others waved, and a few called out, "Good luck!" in encouragement.

Whispers of speculation rippled through the crowd.

How many would awaken? How many would be chosen?

The more students who awakened, the more resources the NAMP and the government would allocate.

Hope gleamed in their eyes as they watched their juniors march toward destiny.

Party poppers burst in the air, showering the students with streamers, and some awakened individuals used their abilities to conjure glowing, multi-colored lights that cascaded like falling snowflakes.

It was a moment of celebration, a prelude to the life-changing event about to unfold.

As Ariase, Kevin, and Alex made their way to the field, they chatted excitedly about the elements they wished to awaken and the artifacts they hoped to invoke.

Their voices were filled with the kind of hopeful naivety that only those yet to taste failure could have.

Then, at exactly 1 PM, the air shifted as they finally arrived at the barren field.

A ripple distorted the sky above, the fabric of space bending as a sudden gust of wind swept across the field, making the grass dance wildly.

Then, without warning, an enormous gate materialized, descending from the heavens like a celestial decree.

Its surface shimmered with an otherworldly glow, adorned with countless symbols of the elements—water, fire, wind, ice, and more—all coalescing in a breathtaking display of power.

As it touched the ground, the sheer force of its arrival sent a shockwave through the field.

Students stumbled back, some falling, their grunts of surprise and struggle filling the air.

The wind howled, pressing down on them with suffocating weight.

But amidst the chaos, Ariase stood completely still, unmoved and unaffected.

His calm, unshaken stance did not go unnoticed.

From the sidelines, the five homeroom teachers exchanged murmurs, their hushed voices filled with bewilderment.

Ariase heard every word and murmur.

He could have cared and acknowledged their praises.

But instead, his focus remained on the towering 5-meter gate before him, his mind razor-sharp, dissecting every detail.

Then, the doors slowly creaked open.

A tidal wave of tangible energy surged outward, crashing over the students like an unseen force.

The sheer pressure of it forced many to their knees, their breaths stolen by its overwhelming presence.

Yet, as Ariase scanned the field, he noticed only a handful remained standing.

Out of the five sections, only 21 students managed to keep their composure. But among them, only three stood completely unaffected.

A girl with an impassive, unreadable expression.

A burly, broad-shouldered boy who exuded raw strength.

And Ariase himself.

The teachers stared, their shock deepening as they realized just how unfazed the three was.

Mr. Gonzales, in particular, struggled to reconcile what he was seeing.

'Did Professor Ruiz lie to me? How is he even standing there with such a calm demeanor when even those with perfectly intact souls are struggling?'

'If this goes on, then I guess what he said earlier wasn't just empty words, he will surely awaken,' he thought with a slight smile.

Then, the true test began.

As the gate fully opened, it unleashed a dazzling white light, so blinding that every student instinctively shielded their eyes.

When they finally dared to look again, the filtering process had begun.

The Light of Selection.

The homeroom teachers had explained it earlier, only those who radiated this divine glow had the right to step through the gate and enter the [Grand Altar of Endless Stars].

Among the 186 students gathered on the field, only 91 of them radiated the [Light of Selection].

The rest… were left in the dark.

For them, this was the end.

Destined to be Mundanes—ordinary, unawakened individuals.

A moment of silence followed. Then, it began.

Some trembled in disbelief.

Some collapsed to the ground, sobbing.

Some clung to each other, whispering desperate prayers for a miracle that would never come.

Others turned their grief into anger, cursing fate, their parents, the heavens, and anything they could blame for this cruel rejection.

Ariase took it all in, watching with quiet understanding.

A part of him felt slight pity, but another part was simply relieved.

Kevin and Alex were both glowing.

They had been chosen.

Before he could say anything, Kevin let out an ecstatic shout and lunged at them, wrapping them both in a tight group hug.

Alex joined in, the two of them laughing in pure joy.

Ariase allowed himself a small smile at their excitement.

It was a rare sight, genuine happiness, untainted by the weight of past lives.

But then—

A whisper, sharp and bitter, reached his ears.

"Why did he pass…?" A trembling voice, thick with resentment. "Didn't the teacher say his soul was damaged?"

Another sneered, voice dripping with venom. "Ha! The heavens must be blind to let him through."

"..."

Others, having overheard, turned to look at Ariase.

Their gazes had changed.

No longer admiration for his looks.

No longer curiosity about his presence.

Now, they stared with anger. With jealousy. With disbelief.

As if he had stolen something from them. As if he had taken a place he didn't deserve.

Hearing all of this, Ariase could only scoff, shaking his head.

'These kids, really… They would do anything to find someone to blame for their destiny instead of accepting it.'

His reaction didn't go unnoticed.

A student gritted his teeth, seething with anger.It was Eric, the same boy who had thrown a water bottle at Ariase earlier.

Rage burned in his eyes as he stepped forward, fists clenched.

"You bastard! You think you're so great just because you got selected, huh? Just wait until you awaken some weak-ass element—"

Before he could finish, Ariase cut him off with a cold, disdainful glare.

"At least I was selected. And you?" he clicked his tongue, shaking his head mockingly.

"Ahh~ I guess you deserve some pity. But... after that childish stunt you pulled earlier, do you really think you're worthy of it? Tsk, karma's a bitch, really."

His words sliced through the air like a blade, making Eric flinch.

Ariase then turned to the rest of the murmuring students, his voice sharp yet indifferent.

"And didn't you all listen to our teacher earlier? Your soul isn't the only thing this test measures, it's also about your destiny. So don't take your anger out on just anyone. You have no one to blame but yourselves. It's not like I was the one who decided your destiny."

Silence fell over the group.

Eric clenched his jaw, his hands trembling as he turned away, doing everything he could to stop himself from crying.

His classmates, who had been whispering insults moments ago, now kept their mouths shut.

Some still harbored resentment, but none dared to speak.

Ariase didn't care.

Maybe his words had been harsh and rather arrogant, but they deserved it.

They were just kids throwing tantrums, refusing to accept reality.

As he turned back to his friends, Alex and Kevin grinned at him, both giving him a thumbs-up.

Ariase scoffed, shaking his head with a faint smile.

His gaze then flickered toward the other two who had remained standing and composed earlier, the girl and the burly guy.

He suddenly remembered her.

She had been crowned Ms. Intramurals in 10th grade in her past life.

As for the guy, he was unfamiliar.

Before he could think further, the selected students began to rise into the air.

The Light of Selection surrounding them intensified, and in the next moment, they were pulled toward the gate, sucked into its luminous depths.

...

When Ariase opened his eyes, the scene before him took his breath away.

They had arrived at the Grand Altar of Endless Stars.

The place radiated an ancient yet divine presence.

Above them, the sky shimmered with countless stars, each glowing in a different hue.

The ground was inscribed with intricate symbols, shifting and intertwining as if alive.

Their teachers were gone.

Only the students remained, thousands of them standing within the vast, celestial space, their figures silhouetted against the infinite expanse.

Suddenly, a symbol burned itself onto their right hand—a number.

Ariase glanced at his: [2004]

Before he could process it, an immense pressure crashed down on everyone like an invisible weight.

Gasps and grunts filled the air as students were forced to their knees.

No one could move. It was as if they were glued in place.

And then—

A single student, the one with the number [0001], was lifted into the air.

He was pulled toward the center of the altar, where a large stone platform awaited him, a rectangular block, smooth yet ominous.

The moment he reached it, his body was forcibly laid down.

Ariase frowned.

His uncle and teacher had never told them what would happen during the Rite.

They had only mentioned that it was a ceremony to awaken their element and artifact.

He scanned the faces of the other students.

Some looked envious, wishing they had been first.

Even the boy on the altar was smiling, eager and proud to be the first to receive the blessing.

But then—

A crimson light flickered above him.

And in the next instant, a massive blood-red machete materialized in the air.

The boy's smile vanished.

A sickening squelch rang out as the blade impaled him, piercing through his chest.

The boy's body arched in agony, a blood-curdling scream ripping through the air as crimson liquid gushed from the wound, spilling onto the altar.

The blood slithered along the engraved lines, igniting the ancient symbols with a red glow.

The symbols pulsed, absorbing the life essence, forming an intricate ancient circle.

Ariase's mind reeled, a single realization hitting him like a freight train.

Sacrificial Altar?