6: The Awakening of an Heir
In the The Grand Hall of House Ravenshade
The air was thick with expectation.
Noble families, high-ranking knights, and esteemed mages gathered in the grand hall of House Ravenshade. The towering chandeliers cast a golden glow over the polished floors, and whispers filled the vast chamber like an unseen current.
At the center of it all, I lay in my caretaker's arms, wrapped in ceremonial garments. The fabric was soft, expensive—tailored to fit an heir of the North—but none of it mattered to me.
I could feel my mana, still unstable, shifting like an unrestrained tide beneath my skin.
This was it. The Mana Awakening Ceremony—a formal rite where a child's elemental affinities and mana potential would be revealed. It was supposed to be an easy process. A measured, controlled ritual.
But for me? Nothing about my existence had been controlled from the start.
_ _ _
The Ritual Begins
The grand mage overseeing the ceremony, an elderly priest with silver robes, raised his staff. Intricate golden lines traced the floor, forming a massive mana array beneath me.
A steady hum filled the air. The array came to life, glowing faintly as it drew upon the ambient mana.
The priest spoke in a calm, measured tone. "We shall now begin the awakening of the firstborn heir of House Ravenshade."
I felt a pull—a gentle force attempting to extract and examine my mana. It was supposed to be painless, a process even newborns could endure without discomfort.
But the moment the array tried to touch my mana, something shifted.
The golden glow trembled. The delicate formations flickered.
Then—
Crack.
A fissure spread across the array's intricate lines.
The energy surged, as if struggling to contain something far greater than it was designed for.
Murmurs rippled through the hall. Some nobles stiffened. Others leaned forward with keen interest.
"He's reacting too strongly," one of the mages muttered.
"A rare talent?" another guessed.
I grit my teeth, my tiny fingers clenching the fabric of my caretaker's sleeve. Too much mana. Too unstable. Even now, my core pulsed erratically, refusing to settle.
And then—
A flicker of darkness.
Followed by a gust of wind, the sharp bite of frost, the searing heat of fire, and the steady pull of water.
My affinities were responding.
The array attempted to stabilize—but the sheer weight of my mana pressed against its limits.
A sharp, splintering sound rang out. The array collapsed.
The golden light flickered violently before shattering, dissolving into stray mana particles.
Gasps filled the chamber.
---
A Genius, Not a Monster
Silence followed. A heavy, tense silence.
The nobles exchanged glances. Some of the younger ones looked startled, while the more seasoned figures observed with sharp, assessing eyes.
Then—
"A genius…" One of the mages broke the silence, his voice tinged with awe.
Another priest quickly composed himself. "An exceptional talent, indeed. Such a strong resonance with multiple elements at this age…"
"That explains the array breaking," a knight murmured to his companion. "It wasn't designed to handle such raw potential in a newborn."
So that's how they're rationalizing it.
No one called me a monster. No one labeled me an unnatural existence. The nobles simply saw me as a rare prodigy—perhaps even a future powerhouse—but nothing beyond comprehension.
I let out a small breath, relieved. If they had truly feared me, it could have led to whispers of danger… or worse, suspicion from the royal family.
This was manageable.
---
My Parents' Reactions
Father remained silent. He sat on the elevated throne-like seat reserved for the Duke, his gaze locked onto me.
His expression was unreadable. Not pride. Not disappointment. Just calculated observation.
Mother, on the other hand, showed her emotions more freely. A small, satisfied smile played on her lips as she gently cradled me in her arms.
"Our son," she murmured, her voice soft yet confident. "He will be a formidable heir."
Her words carried weight, and the nobles took them as confirmation.
Father finally spoke, his voice even. "The ceremony is complete. The banquet will proceed as planned."
Just like that, the tension dissipated. The nobles returned to their conversations, their wariness fading as the focus shifted from me to the upcoming feast.
But as I was carried away, my thoughts remained elsewhere.
---
The Mystery of My Existence
This wasn't supposed to happen.
In the original novel, Averis Ravenshade was nothing special.
He had average mana, average talent, and though his illness—Mana Overload Syndrome—was briefly mentioned, it had never been severe enough to make him stand out.
But now? My mana had nearly collapsed a high-tier ritual array.
My affinities were far greater than they should have been.
This wasn't normal.
Was it the raven?
Or was it the system?
The frozen raven spirit had interfered with my mana before. It had reshaped my core, stabilized me when I should have been dying. Had it done more than that?
Or…
My eyes flickered to the corner of my vision. The system.
Since my birth, I had seen the system's messages. The original novel's Averis never had one.
Could it be responsible for these changes?
My fingers curled slightly.
If the system had altered my fate—if it had rewritten my very existence—then I needed to know why.
And more importantly…
What else had it changed?
---
A Silent Omen
As the banquet began, laughter and conversation filled the hall. Servants moved gracefully between tables, pouring wine and serving elaborate dishes.
But in the shadows, beyond the reach of candlelight, two piercing blue eyes watched.
The frozen raven perched on the balcony's edge, its gaze fixed solely on me.
It had not spoken since the ceremony.
Yet its presence alone sent a message:
This was only the beginning.
---
End of Chapter 6