4 BOOM!
The entrance for the Arcane Affairs Bureau was a massive hall with deep green marble floors and six massive, round, off-white pillars on each side. The pillars had grooves carved into them, making them look like the shaft of a wooden spear, which made them look even more grand. Between the pillars, there were simple benches, attached to the walls where people could sit and wait, in case they had a meeting or appointment. After all, the bureau handled more than just aether synchronisation.
The chandeliers were not massive, but they were filled with beautifully cut crystals, which refracted the light across the hall evenly, all the while looking quite divine. But while the rest of the hall was well lit, the light seemed to especially focus on the counter at the other hand of the hall, as if emphasising its importance.
Considering the early hour, Nero did not face any traffic and walked to the counter unimpeded. Unfortunately, due to the lack of a crowd, and the resulting silence, Nero's footsteps seemed especially loud and pronounced as he approached.
The receptionist on the counter spotted him as soon as he entered and maintained a polite eye contact as he approached. Yet even as hit footsteps echoed through the hall like the sound of thunder, Nero did not look away, nor did he alter his speed. He disregarded any awkwardness that had built up, as if it was not there at all.
When he finally reached the counter, he first placed his bag on the floor beside him, then observed the receptionist. It was a young lady, her uniform perfectly pressed and without a single crease, with a polite smile and curious eyes. She was older than Nero, obviously, but that did not prevent him from noticing that she was quite beautiful.
"Hello, my name is Hildi. How may I help you today?" she asked with an energetic voice, despite the early hour.
"Hello Hildi. My name is Nero, Nero Grant. I stabilised my aether sometime during the night, so I'm here for my synchronisation."
"Congratulations Nero, this must be an exciting time for you. I just have a few questions, and then I can help you along to the Synchronisation hall. Do you know your parents' names and identification numbers?"
For the next few minutes, Nero answered all of Hildi's questions, which included things like his age, address, which school he went to and such. In Kolar, every citizen did not get their ID at a specific age, such as 18, but instead they got it when they awakened their innate abilities. This meant that soon, Nero too would receive his first ID card. The reason Hildi was asking for all this information was because while he went to get synchronised, they would have an in-house artisan quickly make a card for him, which recorded all his information. Such cards could not be forged, and were a foolproof way of proving his identity. It served both as a security measure, and a logistical convenience.
"Alright, we're all set. Follow me," Hildi said, and got up from her seat to escort Nero. She didn't need to do that, as pointing him in the right direction was enough. But it wasn't as if she was doing anything else.
"You nervous about your ability?" she asked as she stepped aside from the counter and began to lead the way.
"A little," Nero admitted honestly. "But I'm not hoping for anything too special. Just a normal ability is enough for me. As long as I can wield aether well, I can manage everything else on my own."
"Ho ho, confident aren't we?" she said, chuckling. "It's normal to be nervous. I was too. My ability… was kind of disappointing, but my skill with aether was decent. A lot of hard work later and look at me now, working a government job at 22."
That was impressive, as government jobs were not easy to land due to the incredible perks attached. That also meant that she had already completed her mandatory enlistment period.
"What was your ability, if you don't mind me asking?"
"It's not a problem. My ability is an external passive - I always smell good, regardless of the situation."
"Uh, what?" Nero asked, suddenly pausing. That was the most bizarre ability he had ever heard of!
"Yeah, quite the bummer, huh?" she said with a laugh. What surprised Nero was that her laugh did not seem to be deprecating and was quite genuine. "Don't worry, my family has a history of abilities like that. Most people don't get such random abilities."
Nero nodded his head, and silently prayed that his ability would not be anything like hers. Hildi had gone from exquisite and charming to a nightmare real quick. Suddenly, Nero's heart started beating faster.
"Here you are, just go through here," she said, bringing him to a large wooden door. "There's no one in front of you, so you can walk all the way in. Good luck, and tell me what you got on your way out."
"I– I will," Nero responded, suppressing his fear. A genuine death threat could not have intimidated him the way Hildi had.
As if she knew exactly what was going through his mind, Hildi laughed as she walked away.
Nero collected himself, pushing away all random thoughts. There was no way he was going to get an ability that made him smell nice - there was just no way!
He looked up at the doors and took in everything they represented. Wood was hardly used to make anything, not just in Kolar, but in the entire region of the former Velaryia empire! That was because it was one of the most difficult materials to harvest and work with. It represented one of the most devastating, lethal forces in this world. But, at the same time, any time wood was used, it was a symbol of great power and meaning.
It was fitting that the doors he had to pass through to awaken were made of wood. Every soldier, every warrior in the entire country, would begin their journey walking through similar doors.
Nero dropped his signature smile, and for once did not make an effort to bring it back. Although he always stood straight anyway, he made sure to check his posture and his clothes.
His shoulders were pulled back, chest lifted out, his feet pointing forward, his neck absolutely straight. His uniform was absolutely clean, and though it had gained a few creases on the car ride over, he knew for a fact that his mother would have silently eliminated those with one of her cards without alerting him.
With a solemn expression and eyes filled with determination, Nero stepped through the doors.
BOOM!
The sound of 96 wooden spears slamming the ground synchronised with his entry, causing reverberations to travel through the floor. Nero did not flinch at the sound, regardless of how sudden or loud it was.
The room he entered was dimly lit so that its details were obscured. What Nero could see was the red carpet representing the trail of blood he was to walk, laid out at his feet, all the way to the end of the hall, as well as the figures within the hall.
On both sides of the carpet stood youths, fully armoured and holding wooden spears. On each side, there were six rows, each containing eight fully armoured young men. They were called young men instead of soldiers, exactly because they had not yet enlisted. Instead, they were among the top students from all the ones who would enlist this year in Aetherpeak. These youths also had another name they went by. They were called the Arcane Heralds!
Nero did not pause, and he did not look left or right. Instead, at a steady pace, he continued to walk forward, looking only at his goal.
BOOM!
They slammed their spears again, as if paying respects. Although whether that respect was for Nero, or the bloody path he was walking could not be determined.
This was an ancient tradition of Kolar, and in his heart, Nero could feel why it was so prevalent, even after all these years.
BOOM!
The ground shook beneath his feet, and with each thunderous sound, Nero's convictions played out in his mind.
When he was young, his mother used to tell him that the death of a Kolari citizen was written from birth, and it was on the battlefield. They fear not death, and they fear not war, nor curse or any abomination. They fear only the day their brothers and sisters are out at war, and they are left behind.
BOOM!
He and his brother used to have that conviction too. They used to dream, fight, and train together. It was not just each other they trained for, but for all of Kolar. They dreamed of the day they too would carry the honour of their country on their shoulders.
When Nero was 9, a Stygian Rift opened right on the border of Aetherpeak. His grandmother died fighting that day, protecting not only him but countless others. Neither he nor anyone in their family shed tears on that occasion. Instead, they were proud.
BOOM!
Like a clap of thunder, breaking through the silence of a dark night, the spears banged in the hall. That is also what it felt like when he learned his brother had been accused of a crime he had not committed. Like the trembling hall beneath his feet, his world had shaken that day as well.
He, his mother, his father all rushed to plead his case. But in Kolar, all criminals were not sent to prison, but to the front lines of battle. They would either redeem themselves or pay their final contribution to society. By the time they reached, his brother had already been shipped away, without even getting a chance to say farewell.
BOOM!
That is the day he learned of the worth of Kolari honour, and the day Nero changed forever. He was 13, and perhaps he should not have had such strong negative emotions at such an early age. But the depth of the betrayal he felt could not be conveyed in simple words. His entire world had crashed around him. His belief that Kolars were better than others. That they fought for one another, laying their lives down for their comrades, for a better present and future… it was all shit!
BOOM!
Only power mattered, and the powerful. Just like the ones who had sent his brother to death. Nero's fists clenched and his jaw tightened. Jacob Dom, that was the name of the man who had accused his brother. He just happened to be the grandson of Baelor Dom, the mayor of Aetherpeak.
Whatever their reasons were, Nero did not really care. They had sentenced his brother to death, just like that. So that day, when he was 13 years old, Nero also swore to sentence them to death as well.
He had spent the past two years training to his utmost, learning everything he could that might even remotely be helpful. All of it was in preparation for this day. Today, he would take his real first step towards revenge!
BOOM!
Nero reached the end of the hall. The best of the best had stood as an honour guard for him as he walked the symbolic blood path. It was a Kolari tradition. It was like acknowledging that even the strongest warrior started out in the same way, as a weak human, without any power.
Every day, a new batch would come and serve as Arcane Heralds, but to be qualified, you had to be the absolute best. Many of those here were likely already on the verge of breaking through the Neophyte level and becoming an Initiate.
Each of them were honouring him, a new awakener from their town, just as they had been honoured by their seniors. This tradition was in place to foster feelings of camaraderie between seniors and juniors. It was a rite of passage that everyone had received, but not everyone was qualified to give.
But this tradition that Nero had once so looked forward to, the tradition that filled his brother with elation and excitement when he experienced, only left a bitter taste in Nero's mouth. He did not feel camaraderie. He only felt pity.
The Heralds in this room did not even know that to those powerful and in control, they were completely worthless. No, that wasn't true. Their true worth lay in their capacity to act as cannon fodder.
But Nero knew the truth. If he could help it, he would not let them suffer the same fate as his brother.
BOOM!
He stepped forward, exiting the hall.
