The game begins

The ceremony had ended, but the storm it stirred had just begun.

Ray stood beneath the high arches of the Awakening Hall, the cheers and whispers still echoing in his ears. The brilliant runes on the marble floor had dimmed, and the scent of incense still lingered in the air. Yet the atmosphere now crackled with a different kind of energy—one far more dangerous than magic.

Interest.

"Prince Ray Illustrious… A-grade, quad affinity. Wind, Thunder, Frost, and Void."

Those words had been repeated so many times in the past few minutes that they seemed carved into the very stone of the Empire.

He walked back to the waiting area, dozens of eyes glued to him—some in awe, others in suspicion. His every step seemed to weigh ten times heavier. Yet he walked tall, calm.

The boy who had been shamed and cursed in a past life… had returned as a storm.

He scanned the hall from his peripheral vision.

Councilmen whispered behind their gloves. Nobles exchanged glances, already calculating political moves. Offers would come. Promises would be made. But he knew their kind too well.

Everyone wanted a piece of him now.

---

At the Royal Viewing Stand

Crown Prince Aldren narrowed his eyes, lips pressing into a thin line.

"He really did it," he muttered under his breath.

His fingers tapped the armrest of his seat. He had not anticipated this. Not from Ray. Not from the brother who had been nothing but an embarrassment to the royal bloodline years ago.

Emperor Luke Illustrious remained impassive.

As always.

"Quad affinity…" one of the councilmen beside him muttered. "And Void no less. This changes the political balance."

"House Velorne and House Calden may push harder for control. Or worse… try to rope him in," another whispered.

But the Emperor said nothing. He sat there, silver eyes cold and unreadable, the very embodiment of imperial neutrality.

The Empress, ever composed, leaned toward her husband. "Shall we prepare for the influx of offers?"

Luke's lips curved slightly. "Let the nobles play their games. It's time the boy learned what they're like."

---

Meanwhile, on the ceremonial floor, Sylvia Velorne and Leo Calden both watched Ray closely.

Leo's jaw clenched.

"That bastard… he beat me," he said under his breath.

"Careful," Sylvia said quietly, brushing her long green hair behind her ear. "Quad affinity. Including Void. You saw the storm. He didn't just walk into the Spirit World. He dominated it."

Leo scoffed. "We'll see how long that lasts."

---

Backstage

Ray stood before a velvet curtain that divided the ceremonial hall from the noble delegation lounge. George, his ever-loyal butler and bodyguard, awaited him with a fresh set of gloves and a new vest.

"You were magnificent, young master," George said, bowing slightly. "Just as you foresaw."

Ray nodded, slipping the gloves on slowly. "The trap worked. Now let's see who bites."

There was no time to rest.

Now came the real battle.

---

The Lounge – Post-Ceremony Invitations

Ray entered the grand lounge behind the hall—a lavish room where marble met velvet, where gold filigree wrapped around crystal chandeliers. The air was heavy with perfume, expensive cigars, and ambition.

And like vultures, they swarmed.

"Prince Ray! What a performance!" A councilman bowed, flashing a jeweled ring. "House Velmire would be honored to sponsor your growth."

"Have you considered joining the Spirit Research Division?" asked a scholar in purple robes. "Your affinity with Void could help us revolutionize dimensional theory."

"Prince Ray," said a rotund noble with a ruby pin, "My daughter studies Spirit Magic as well. Perhaps you'd consider… a political alliance?"

More nobles. More offers.

George stepped in quickly, intercepting those who got too close. "The young master appreciates your interest, but he requires rest."

Ray smiled politely, but inside, his thoughts were sharper than blades.

Each house was betting. Placing wagers on who would rise, who would fall. This wasn't praise. It was the opening move in a power game.

"Careful, my prince," George said as he handed him a goblet of water. "Their smiles are sharp enough to slit throats."

Ray chuckled. "I know. That's why I'm smiling back."

---

As the crowd slowly dispersed and he was led into a private balcony, Ray stared out over the garden below the palace.

A-grade.

Four affinities.

The curse had hidden everything from him before. In his past life, he had walked away from this ceremony in shame. He'd been forced to attend the Institute for Spirit Officials—learning how to serve rather than lead.

He'd buried himself in reports and numbers, watching his siblings rise and scheme. He remembered years of quiet humiliation. How the Empire's gazes slipped past him. How even George had died mysteriously during a routine escort.

That life had ended with betrayal.

Not again.

He clenched the railing until his knuckles whitened.

Now, with these affinities, he could choose his path.

Spirit Knight? His thunder and wind affinities would make him a terrifying force on the battlefield—fast, agile, devastating.

Spirit Mage? His frost and void affinities opened rare magical doors. Few ever mastered Void. Fewer still survived it.

Or both.

There were only seven stages of advancement in the spirit path:

1. Spirit Initiate – where awakening began.

2. Spirit Disciple – where techniques were chosen.

3. Spirit Adept

4. Spirit Knight / Mage

5. High Spirit

6. Arch Spirit

7. Ascended – beings said to exist only in myths, those who merged fully with their spirit beast.

In his previous life, Ray had barely become a Disciple before his political usefulness expired.

Now?

He would go further.

---

Ray returned to his room under heavy escort. George ensured the halls were cleared of intruders. Security had been tripled since the ceremony.

But Ray couldn't sleep.

He sat by the window, the empire stretching before him—rooftops lit by gaslights, towers belching steam, airships floating gently past the moons.

He sipped black tea.

They called him a genius now.

But genius alone didn't survive in the palace.

He would have to choose his alliances wisely.

Leo Calden would definitely press to dominate the military branch of Spirit Knights. He had the bloodline, the funding, and Duke Calden's backing.

Sylvia Velorne would no doubt be funneled into the Church's prestigious healing and command division. With Light and Metal affinities, she was a natural leader.

Ray?

They wouldn't know where to place him. And that was his weapon.

Unpredictability.

Let them guess. Let them worry.

He reached into a small wooden box on his desk and pulled out a sealed letter—marked with the emblem of the Black Tower.

It was time to repay some old debts.

And collect new ones.