The Result

The much-anticipated day of the Awakening Ceremony had finally arrived, bringing with it a festive atmosphere that enveloped the small town. Streets were alive with activity as merchants set up colorful stalls, hawking everything from aromatic spices to gleaming trinkets. Streamers and banners fluttered in the gentle breeze, while townsfolk chatted excitedly, their voices blending into a cheerful symphony. Parents, filled with a mixture of hope and anxiety, visited the local church to offer prayers for their children's success in the ceremony.

Arthur stood by the window of his modest home, adjusting the collar of his freshly washed shirt. He could hear the distant hum of the bustling streets and feel the weight of the day's significance pressing on his chest. His mother, calm but visibly anxious, handed him a packed lunch. "Remember, Arthur, just do your best. That's all that matters," she said with a reassuring smile.

They walked together toward the town hall, where the ceremony would take place. The building stood proudly in the center of the town, its high stone arches and intricate carvings exuding an air of the town's pride. Inside, the polished wooden floors gleamed under the sunlight streaming through stained glass windows, each depicting scenes of elemental mastery.

As they approached the entrance, Arthur's mother stopped and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'll wait for you here," she said softly. Arthur nodded, swallowing the lump in his throat, and stepped through the tall archway into the ceremonial hall. The moment he entered, he felt the air change—charged with an energy that was both intimidating and exhilarating.

On the central dais lay a long bench. On the long bench, there were four stones of different colours - brown, blue, grey, and red. Each stone represented one of the elemental forces: brown for the solid and unyielding Earth, blue for the calm and flowing Water, grey for the free and ever-changing Air, and red for the fierce and powerful Fire.

Behind the bench, sat an old man with a long white beard on a comfortable chair, savoring a cup of tea as he observed the batch of students standing in the hall. The headmaster, Teacher Larry, and an assistant of the old man stood on either side of him. Teacher Larry held a paper scroll and a quill, ready to record the results.

The students recognized the stones from the introduction that Teacher Larry had given earlier. These were the Awakening stones he had spoken of, and the mysterious old man was a delegate from the prestigious Skywind Academy.

"Kian, please step forward," the old man announced.

Kian, the only noble student in the town, strode forward confidently. As expected, he received preferential treatment to go first. The stones were arranged in a specific order: grey, blue, brown, and red. Kian bypassed the first three stones, heading straight to the red Fire stone.

"So overbearing!" a student muttered.

"Of course, if it's young master Kian, he is sure to awaken the mighty Fire element," one of his ardent followers declared, eager to gain favor by openly praising him.

Kian smiled at the praise, savoring the recognition. Inside, he relished the moment, thoughts of surpassing even his father's achievements filling his mind. Convinced of his destined greatness, he approached the Fire stone, took a deep breath, and extended his palms above it. Slowly, the stone began to glow. A fiery red hue appeared at its edges and spread across its surface, illuminating the room.

In his perception, Kian saw countless fiery dots. He began attracting them to his palm. Within moments, a dozen dots entered his hand, their energy coursing through him. Thin red veins appeared on his palms, extending to his forearms before disappearing under his sleeves. The brilliance of the Fire stone now covered nearly half its surface—a display of talent unheard of in the town of Alvaro.

The expert nodded in approval. The first awakening of the day was the rare and coveted Fire element, setting the bar impossibly high.

The students' excitement was palpable. But as more students stepped forward, hope began to fade.

"Failure."

"Failure."

"Failure."

Three consecutive failures brought a hush over the room. Dozens more attempts followed, with most students unable to awaken. Finally, the grey Air stone glimmered faintly, signaling an awakening. The girl named Gina who succeeded danced with joy, though her talent barely met the minimum standard.

"Hmph! It's a waste to bring the elemental stones for these losers. She just scraped by and thinks it's worth celebrating," Kian sneered from the sidelines.

As the ceremony continued, anticipation turned to dread among the remaining students. Each failure weighed heavily on them, while the occasional success rekindled fleeting hope. None, however, matched Kian's spectacular display.

Finally, it was Arthur's turn. He approached the dais slowly, his heart pounding. He began with the brown Earth stone, closing his eyes and attempting to perceive its energy. Minutes passed, but he felt nothing. Moving to the blue Water stone, he tried again, but the result was the same.

"Calm down, son. With an agitated mind, you won't perceive the elemental energies," the expert advised.

Arthur nodded and steadied his breathing. At the grey Air stone, he focused deeply, but once more, nothing happened. The weight of failure bore down on him as he turned to the red Fire stone—the most challenging to awaken.

With each step, Arthur felt the weight of a thousand eyes on him. His heart raced, his palms clammy. He closed his eyes and focused, regulating his breath. Slowly, he began to see something—a single red dot in his perception. Excitement flickered within him, but he quickly steadied his emotions.

"There's just one dot?" he thought, recalling Teacher Larry's explanation that the number of dots reflected one's affinity for the element. 

Suppressing his disappointment, he tried to attract it. The dot resisted, fading further with each attempt. Desperation surged as he pulled harder, but the dot vanished completely.

"Son. You have failed the awakening," the expert's voice echoed, each word a crushing blow. Arthur's knees weakened, a hollow ache spreading through his chest. His mind reeled with questions and doubts, drowning in the weight of failure. Clenching his fists, he tried to steady himself, but the sting of defeat was overwhelming.

The ceremony continued without him, but for Arthur, the world had gone silent.