The world had changed.
The cities that once belonged to ordinary humans were no longer the same. The streets were filled with impossible sights that people from the past could never have imagined.Cars flew through the skies between buildings, moving above the roads instead of staying on them. People communicated through holographic watches, sending messages and accessing information with a wave of their hands.
Technology had advanced beyond what anyone thought was possible.But technology was no longer the greatest change.Mana was.The discovery of mana had completely transformed humanity.
Those who learned to control it became known as sorcerers.
They were people who could use the energy flowing throughout the world to perform abilities that once existed only in legends.They could fly through the sky without wings.They did not need machines.They did not need artifacts.They simply used mana.
A young girl sat inside a flying car, staring out the window with wide eyes. She was only around four or five years old, and everything outside fascinated her.
Then she saw something that immediately caught her attention.
A man was flying beside the car.
"Mom look!"
the girl shouted exitedly
"He's flying"
Her mother looked outside and smiled
"He's a sorcerer"
The little girl continued watching the man with admiration.
"When I turn fifteen years old, we'll go to the Crimson Tower and I'll become a sorcerer too, right?"
Her mother looked at her daughter.
The dream of becoming a sorcerer existed in almost every child's heart.
At fifteen years old, ordinary people were given the opportunity to receive a sorcerer mark through the Crimson Tower.
If the marking crystal accepted them, they would step onto a completely different path.A path above ordinary humans.
The man flying outside the car heard their conversation despite the distance between them.A mocking expression appeared on his face.
"Do you think everyone can become a sorcerer?"
His voice was filled with arrogance.
The next moment, mana surged around his body.His speed increased, and he flew past the car, leaving them behind.The woman was not surprised.To an ordinary person from the old world, someone flying through the sky would have been impossible.
But this was the current era.After mana appeared, the world had changed.And with that change came a new hierarchy.
Sorcerers stood above ordinary humans.They were respected.
They were feared.
And many of them became arrogant.
Unless there was an attack from a magical beast, receiving help from a sorcerer was almost impossible.If someone was not related to a sorcerer, speaking with one was already difficult.The distance between them had become greater than ever.
Far below the skies of Miami, waves crashed violently against the shore.
A figure moved through the raging sea.
Kelvin.
Unlike the people flying above him, Kelvin was an ordinary human.He was a surfer.
The ocean was where he felt most comfortable.Every day, whether the sun was shining or the sky was dark, Kelvin returned to the waves.It was his hobby.
The one thing that allowed him to forget everything else.
But there was something he wanted more than anything.He wanted to become a sorcerer.Since he was young, he had looked at those who controlled mana and wondered what it felt like.To fly.To possess power beyond ordinary humans.To stand among them.That dream had never disappeared.
After finishing his time at the ocean, Kelvin changed his clothes and returned home.The next day was the ceremonial day.The day ordinary humans would gather at the Crimson Tower and attempt to receive their sorcerer mark.Kelvin had saved money for a long time.
A thousand dollars.
That was the fee required to access the marking crystal.For some people, a thousand dollars was nothing.But for Kelvin's family, it was a large amount.
He knew he could not keep trying forever.
When morning arrived, Kelvin woke up early and wore a simple track suit.
"I'm leaving,"
He told his mother.She looked at him and smiled.
"Good luck."
Kelvin nodded before leaving.When he arrived at the Crimson Tower, he was shocked.The line stretched farther than he expected.Hundreds.No.Thousands of people stood waiting.Everyone had the same goal.To become a sorcerer.Kelvin joined the line.He did not know how long it would take.But he waited.
One hour passed.Then five.Then ten.The sun moved across the sky, and people slowly disappeared from the line as their turns arrived.Kelvin remained standing.
After more than fifteen hours, only a few people were left before him.
His body was tired.
But his heart was still filled with hope.
He looked at the Crimson Tower.He thought to himself
"If it doesn't work this time I'll have to give up"
He could not continue spending a thousand dollars every time.His family was already struggling.This was not his first attempt.He had tried before.And every single time...The crystal rejected him.But he still hoped.Maybe this time would be different.Maybe today would finally change his life.
Finally, his turn arrived.Kelvin stepped forward.The marking crystal stood before him.A crystal that had awakened countless sorcerers.A crystal that determined a person's future.He slowly placed both hands on it.
For a moment, nothing happened.Kelvin held his breath.Then—The crystal trembled.A faint light appeared.His eyes widened.The people around him noticed.
"Is it reacting?"
"He might actually awaken."
Hope appeared in Kelvin's chest.The light grew brighter.After years of waiting.After all the failures.After all the disappointment.It was finally happening.
He almost smiled.
But then...
The light began to weaken.The crystal shook once more.The brightness disappeared.Silence filled the area.A symbol appeared on the crystal.A symbol everyone understood.
Rejection.
Kelvin froze.The voice from the Crimson Tower echoed.
"Rejected"
The crystal returned to normal.No mark.No mana.Nothing.Kelvin stared at his hands.The dream he had chased for so long had disappeared in an instant.
The people behind him began whispering.
"Another rejection."
"That's unfortunate."
"But the crystal cannot be forced."
They were right.No wealth.No status.No amount of determination.Could make the crystal choose someone.Kelvin slowly lowered his hands.He did not speak.
He simply turned around and walked away from the Crimson Tower.
The place that gave people the chance to change their lives...Had once again shown him that his own life might never change.