"This ends the testing for the A-C rank students," the teacher said, looking at the students seated with pride.
"Congratulations on awakening your HEARTS. May the Goddess help you climb even greater heights."
Cheers erupted outside the classroom walls, vibrating through the floorboards. Joy radiated throughout the room, as the students hugged one another.
Killian's eyes followed the students celebrating and flexing their elements. He was a pale-skinned boy with disheveled copper brown hair and lidded eyes, seated at the row in the back.
He looked outside to his family.
They celebrated him. Keith Dominic. His twin brother, who had awakened a pure lightning element a few minutes ago.
Inside, Killian Dominic sat in the back row. Invisible.
What was worse than living under the shadow of an older sibling who was a celebrated prodigy?
Living under the shadow of your twin brother who just became another celebrated prodigy.
D-Ranks like him were made to wait. They couldn't 'spoil the season' with their pathetic affinities until the A-C rank students were done.
His red eyes shifted to the screen displaying the results.
[Keith Dominic: 30% affinity to
There had only been three great mages who awakened more than the usual 10% HEART of pure lightning.
His twin brother had joined the greats.
The teacher's gaze lingered on the back row. "After ten minutes, we would finish the rest."
'The rest' being the four D-Ranked students. The other three lowered their heads, as the teacher came close to collect their IDs needed for testing. But Killian held the teacher's gaze.
The man clicked his tongue at the sheer audacity, "Why are you still here? Your twin is already done. Isn't it clear only one of you has the talent?"
Killian looked away. His eyes narrowed at the testing crystal. Only that could decide his fate. Not a middle-aged man who couldn't even become a C-Rank Warden during his own time.
Realizing he got ignored, the teacher clicked his tongue, before walking away. "Shameless brat."
A young lady walked into the class as the teacher walked out, brushing his shoulders.
"Watch where you are—" The words died in his throat when he met her darkened gaze. "M-Miss Quara. My apologies. I should've watched where I was going—"
She leaned towards him, her eyes glowing. "Yes. Watch yourself."
An ember bloomed in her eyes and the teacher glanced quickly at Killian. He nodded humbly before hurrying away.
Killian turned to his older sister who fell into an empty seat besides him. "Our parents are going to a hotel later. Do you want to come?"
He frowned at her.
"I guess not." She leaned back on the seat, reaching for his neck and placing a necklace on him.
Killian stared at the necklace. His WLog (Warden's Log) that should track his mana and affinities.
Yet it never glowed.
They sat in silence. Somewhere in Killian, her presence comforted him. Someone cared enough to stay for his testing.
Since he turned six and showed no affinity to either element — his paternal fire or his maternal lightning —his parents had dropped him like an afterthought.
At that point, his older sister, Quara, had to handle his school fees because his parents saw no need to pay for someone like him.
A Null. Despite being from a family of exceptional mages.
Yet the blatant disregard of his existence still hurts. He was still their son.
If it was by his power, he wanted to impress them.
Ten minutes passed by quickly and the teacher walked into the class with a hard note. "I will call the names. Let's hurry this up." He said, barely audible.
He stood in front of a large testing crystal.
"Killian Dominic."
He was first.
Killian took a deep breath and unconsciously looked around the room for his older sister.
She had left the room earlier, likely to celebrate with the talented younger brother.
The lump in his throat grew bigger, as did the heaviness in his steps as he took to the front.
Three pairs of eyes followed him.
The other D-rank students were waiting too. If he found a miracle, maybe, somehow, they could as well.
"You know the drill." The teacher said without looking up from his book. He had placed his pen on the hook, waiting to mark an 'X' on his name.
The room fell silent.
He placed his hand on the crystal, hearing nothing but the beating of his own chest.
Something.
As long as he got the HEART of either a fire or lightning mage, he could exist with pride.
Even if it was the ability to sense heat, or to withstand lightning strikes. Even if he was a sidekick all his life and never get to be a Warden. It would be meaningful.
But nothing. Not even a glow.
The crystal ignored him too.
His hand remained there, still waiting.
From the corner of Killian's eyes, he saw the teacher's hand move.
An 'X'. That mark defined his very existence.
Null. Worthless to their progressive magic state.
A cold presence crept into his chest from his contact with the crystal. The temperature around him dropped. Was this the end?
"Evelyn Constantine."
The next person was called. Killian clenched his fists until his nails dug into his palms.
With heavy shoulders and heavier steps, he walked out the testing room. There were no words, no jeers, no mockery.
Just the expected outcome of a Null trying a crystal.
As he walked to the exit, along the lonely hallway, he stared at the shadows following him.
A part of him hoped the shadows would become a portal to take him to another world where he could hide away. Away from his parents' look of disgust.
Everyone expected it, yet the fact he held onto a sliver of hope broke him more.
His fifteen years of existence were summarised to nothingness. Away from prying eyes, the tears fell before he could hold back. He let them.
At least something should be allowed to exist. His disappointment and anger at himself and everyone else should be allowed to exist.
"Kill."
He stopped. She was behind him.
"Let's go to my place."
He blinked the tears away and quickly wiped his face. "Sure, sis." He sniffed. "Thank you."
She placed a hand around his shoulders and walked him out of the building. "Don't sweat it."
They both stood there in a momentary silence, as if mourning, before continuing to the exit.
As he stepped into the sun, flames consumed him.
The sensation had happened too quickly for him to process. He screamed, falling back into the building. Then the flames vanished.
Quara turned to him, alarmed. "What?"
Killian's heartbeat accelerated as he scanned every part of his body for any burn.
There was nothing. He shifted his eyes to his sister.
He trusted that she wouldn't burn him alive to protect the family's image, but he had to ask. "Did you do something… to me?"
"No." She touched his forehead.
He flinched when she did, but relaxed when nothing happened. He had felt the intensity of the flames, but there was no pain.
If anything, it felt like it nourished him.
"You are burning up, Kill." She said, touching his chest. "But your chest is frozen. Are you okay?"
"Look," there was a tinge of excitement in his tone as he stretched a hand outside the roof.
This time the process was slow. When the sunrays hit his arm, smoke rose from his skin.
The smoke turned to dark flames that burned like they were starved. The flames didn't burn, and he reacted to the sun.
There was only one conclusion.
"Is this… the fire element?"
"It is not."
Quara pulled his hand back away from the sun, inspecting it. "You burn under the sun. That is not the fire element."
Realization slowly dawned on Killian. His sister held his arm carefully, staring at it. "This is—"
Suddenly, the red crystal necklace around his neck grew hot. Mana charging through it.
The WLog screen flickered to life. A red holographic screen projected from the pendant, floating in front of Killian's vision.
[WLog Interface Active.]
Killian Dominic Registered.]
[Warning: Anomaly Detected.]
[Warning: Anomaly Detected.]
The interface began to glitch.
[Warning: Anom….]
"Devoured."
[Covenant Established.]
[Objective: Survive the Sun.]
[Reward: Void Ascension.]
[Failure: Possible Death.]
His breath hitched. The shadows around his feet began to writhe.