章 2: Awakening Ceremony
Aziel was the Signed Elite of Avalon.
Elites were rare people born with their Prana awakened. From birth, they had a strong affinity for Prana and an exceptional Signature Prana. Additionally, Elites had the power to activate the latent Prana within others. Because of this ability, countries signed these individuals to lead in their Awakening Ceremonies. Thus, Elites signed under these contracts were assigned the title of Signed Elite.
Aziel was a tall, middle-aged man with pearly skin, dressed in extravagant clothing. He wore a white hakama made up of the finest silk in the country, and he styled his long dark hair in a neat bun.
Trailing behind him was a girl who looked around Raijah's age. Apart from the triskele on the back of her hakama, she wore the same clothing and hairstyle as Aziel. She was also shorter than Aziel and had a slightly darker but fair skin tone.
Just as Aziel began, Raijah found a seat in the fifth row of the Coliseum.
"Greetings, everyone," he spoke in a calm and confident, yet loud tone that quieted the roaring arena.
"As you know, today marks the date of our annual Awakening Ceremony. I am Aziel, the Signed Elite of Avalon, and this is my assistant, Val. Unfortunately, Lord Helios is attending a royal summit and will not be with us today. Therefore, I will have to proceed without him."
Aziel waited a moment as everyone in the crowd sighed in sync. The Awakening Ceremony was the only time of year commoners like Raijah got to see His Majesty, so their disappointment was expected.
Once they quieted down, Aziel continued:
"I assume everyone here understands the basics of Prana. However, I will explain it to those who are unknowing. Prana is an energy that exists in multiple forms, and Saints are capable of harnessing it for various purposes, such as performing techniques. This energy lies dormant within everyone, but Elites like myself have the power to activate one's raw Prana and make it flow.
"When your Prana activates, you will immediately manifest the type called Signature Prana, which can later evolve into a second stage known as Ririsu Prana. While Signature Pranas themselves are unique from person to person, some abilities granted by them are more widespread than others, such as fire or wind manipulation.
"Furthermore, those who have unlocked their Prana are known as Saints. After ascending to Sainthood, our people will call upon you in times of need. Whether it be protecting commoners during a Rogue attack or just assisting a merchant in stopping a thief, regardless of the calling, you are expected to help."
Aziel looked toward the top of the Coliseum, prompting Raijah and the other spectators to do the same. There, Raijah noticed the two most prestigious noble families in the country—the Kaijo and Fang families, sitting in the highest seats.
Aziel continued, "To begin the event and showcase how our Awakening Ceremony functions, I will unlock the Prana of the youngest member of the Kaijo family. Cora Kaijo, please step down onto the arena floor."
Cora, a young girl wearing a light-colored dress, stood and hugged her parents before descending the stairs. Her two brothers, Sergio Kaijo and Koji Kaijo, gave her affirming nods while the present members of the Fang family watched them with eyes of disdain.
Everyone in Avalon knew of the conflict between the Fang and Kaijo. Their feud stemmed from the inevitable Battle for the Throne, which was an upcoming event that would require the strongest child from each family to do battle, with the winner inheriting Helios's throne.
Although the Festival was years away, Raijah recalled hearing commoners talk about the event on several occasions. Word on the street was that Sergio Kaijo, first son of the Kaijo family was the strongest of the Kaijo. As the only Elite in both families, Sergio was said to boast incredible power, so much so that he had such a knack for Prana manipulation and battle that he found it boring.
As for the Fang Family, Raijah did not know much other than they preferred to keep their business and children private. However, King Hendrix, head of the Fang, was known for being overly expressive as he and his wife were the only members of the family that attended public events.
By the time Raijah finished that thought, Cora was nearly halfway down the stairs.
Admittedly, Cora was the most beautiful girl Raijah had ever seen. She had long, curly ash-blonde hair and icy blue eyes. Even from a distance, her flawless brown skin looked smooth, supple, and nothing short of striking.
The other boys in the stand seemed to agree. They went wild as she walked down the stairs, even going as far as to chant her name. Cora waved to them and continued her descent, making them cheer even louder in hopes of regaining her attention.
Raijah rolled his eyes. "Look at those royals. . .always thinking they're better than everyone."
Once Cora stepped onto the arena floor, she stood before Aziel. He stretched his arm, nearly touching her face, and his hand began glowing a bright pink.
Suddenly, Raijah noticed a bright pink energy radiating from Cora, and in seconds, pink crystals formed at her feet.
When a Saint's raw Prana is awakened, the Elite who performed the awakening is capable of peering into that Saint's Signature Prana in order to learn about its nature.
Aziel did just that and his eyes grew wide with surprise. "Ah, this is Crystal Prana. Your Signature Prana is extremely versatile; it allows you to generate crystals and manipulate crystalline structures. If used correctly, you can use your crystals' sharpness for offense and their hardness for defensive purposes. If you hone your abilities, you'll be able to use your Prana in a multitude of different ways. I'd expect nothing less from a member of the Kaijo family."
Cora didn't seem to hear the thunderous applause that followed Aziel's statement. With a smile plastered on her face, she excitedly rushed up the stairs to celebrate with her family, much to the distaste of the Fang family.
Aziel returned his attention to the crowd. "When your number gets called, you may walk down into the arena and receive your awakening."
***
"Number 108," Aziel said.
Raijah nearly flew out of his seat. He bolted down the stairs in a blur or speed and stood before Aziel and his assistant.
"I must say, you're incredibly fast for a stripling," Aziel said. "Very well, let us proceed."
Raijah could hardly contain his excitement. Still, he bowed his head before Aziel to show his respect.
Please, he thought while closing his eyes to calm himself, give me a sign
Aziel extended his arm once again. This time, his hand glowed red. However, Raijah's awakening was different. . .Aziel could hardly contain it.
An aura of crimson lightning surrounded Raijah's body, punctuated by an ear-piercing cracking noise, loud as a whip. His eyes, as well as his lightning bolt marking, lit up with an ominous red light.
Suddenly, his feet lifted off the ground and he stood, hovering in thin air.
Every mouth in the crowd gaped open. Even members of the royal families watched in awe as darkness consumed the sky, only to be illuminated by flashes of red lightning shimmering high over their heads, with booms of thunder following after as though in response.
In that moment, a stray lightning bolt shot out of Raijah's chest, rocketing straight toward Aziel with terrifying speed.
Aziel casually dodged around the lightning bolt. When another struck, he jumped back and effortlessly flipped into a perfect landing without a speck of dust on his hakama.
Just as quick as it had begun, the sky regained its light, and Raijah's aura vanished as his mark returned to its normal state. He dropped to his knees, panting heavily.
But once he collected his thoughts, his mind went haywire. He remembered Sean's stories of peasants getting executed for touching noblemen without permission.
He had just attacked one. Was there a punishment worse than death?
Val and all the workers stationed around jumped into action. Around a hundred people circled Raijah, taking fighting stances, ready to attack as soon as Aziel gave them the order.
Raijah almost assumed his own fighting stance, but chose the safer option of raising his hands in surrender.
"There is no need for this," Aziel said calmly. "The boy did not attack me on purpose."
The workers and members of the crowd looked at Aziel, each with confused expressions on their faces.
"How interesting. . ."
". . .The Prana this boy possesses is unlike anything I have ever seen. He does not wield Basic Prana or Elite Prana as I do. The power this boy possesses is Divine Prana, the Prana of the gods."
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