The Hidden Valley...
The morning air was unusually still.
Not a single leaf swayed.
Not a single bird sang.
Even the river seemed quieter than usual.
Crystal stood before a circular stone platform hidden deep within the valley.
Ancient runes covered its surface, glowing faintly beneath the morning sun.
Kieran approached slowly, his curiosity evident.
"Mama..."
"I've never seen this place before."
Crystal gently brushed her hand across the weathered stone.
"You weren't meant to."
"This platform has existed since before I discovered this valley."
"I restored it over the years."
"It is one of the few places capable of safely awakening a person's Element."
---
Kael leaned against a nearby tree with folded arms.
"I haven't seen this formation activated in centuries."
Crystal nodded.
"It was built by masters whose names have long been forgotten."
"They understood Magna far better than we do."
---
She motioned for Kieran to step into the center.
"Relax."
"Don't force anything."
"Simply listen, just as you did yesterday."
Kieran nodded confidently.
"I understand."
He sat cross-legged in the center of the formation.
Crystal took a deep breath.
Her fingers began forming intricate seals.
One after another.
Each movement caused another section of the formation to illuminate.
Golden.
Blue.
Green.
Red.
Silver.
The ancient runes awakened in succession until the entire platform shone like a miniature sun.
---
"The Formation of Resonance..."
Crystal whispered.
"...Activate."
A low hum spread through the valley.
The Magna in the surroundings slowly gathered toward the platform.
Not violently.
Gracefully.
Like streams flowing toward the sea.
---
Kieran closed his eyes.
He remembered Crystal's lesson.
Don't take.
Listen.
Immediately...
The countless motes of Magna appeared once more.
Only...
There were far more than before.
Millions of tiny lights surrounded him.
Each carrying its own unique rhythm.
Its own voice.
Its own purpose.
He smiled.
"...Hello."
The Magna answered.
They danced around him joyfully.
---
Crystal watched carefully.
"So far..."
"So good."
Normally...
This was where a child's affinity would begin revealing itself.
A single color would emerge.
Fire.
Water.
Earth.
Wind.
Whatever Element resonated most strongly would gather before the child.
But...
Nothing happened.
No color appeared.
Instead...
Every color remained.
Perfectly balanced.
Crystal frowned.
"...Strange."
---
Then...
The impossible happened.
The Magna stopped moving.
Every mote froze in place.
Time itself seemed to hesitate.
Kael immediately straightened.
"What..."
The next moment...
Every mote slowly turned toward Kieran.
Not figuratively.
Literally.
As though acknowledging his presence.
Crystal's breathing caught.
"They're..."
"They're looking at him..."
---
A deep vibration spread throughout the valley.
Not from the formation.
From the world itself.
The ancient oak shimmered with golden light.
The river glowed softly.
Flowers bloomed all at once.
Even the mountains seemed to exhale.
The entire Hidden Valley had entered resonance.
---
Kieran slowly opened his eyes.
"Mama..."
"They're asking me something."
Crystal's pupils shrank.
"What are they saying?"
He listened quietly.
Then...
His innocent expression became confused.
"I..."
"I don't understand."
"They keep asking..."
"...what I wish to become."
---
Silence.
Crystal's heart thundered within her chest.
She had never...
In all her centuries of life...
Heard of Magna asking a cultivator such a question.
It should have been impossible.
---
Suddenly...
The ancient formation beneath Kieran began changing.
Runes that had remained dormant for untold ages lit up one after another.
Symbols Crystal had never seen emerged across the platform.
The air became heavy with ancient authority.
Kael instinctively took a step backward.
"...Crystal."
"I know."
"This isn't the awakening formation anymore."
---
Far beneath the Hall of Origins...
The golden seed burst into brilliant light.
The empty pedestal trembled.
Across its surface...
A single line of ancient script slowly appeared.
"The Heir has reached the First Gate."
---
Back in the valley...
The ancient runes surrounding Kieran abruptly dimmed.
The Magna dispersed.
The valley returned to normal.
As though nothing had happened.
Kieran blinked.
"...Is it over?"
Crystal stared silently at the formation.
Then at Kieran.
Then back at the formation.
After a long pause...
She smiled gently.
"Yes."
"But..."
She placed a hand on his shoulder.
"...your awakening isn't ready yet."
Kieran tilted his head.
"Did I fail?"
Crystal immediately shook her head.
"No."
"You did something..."
She searched for the right words.
"...that I don't yet understand."
"And until I do..."
"I won't force your path."
Kieran nodded without disappointment.
"If you think that's best, Mama."
Crystal smiled.
He trusted her completely.
That trust strengthened her resolve.
She would uncover the truth.
Whatever lay behind Kieran's impossible awakening...
She would face it.
Even if it meant confronting mysteries older than Gaia's recorded history.
As the three walked back toward the cottage...
None of them noticed...
High above the Hidden Valley...
A single star remained visible.
Though it was broad daylight.
And for the briefest of moments...
It shone gold.
End of Chapter 37