The light of the dawn is greeted by the song of the rooster, standing proudly on top of the tower of bones. Abraham with his uncle and cousins is standing in front of their manor's gate, waiting for Sylvia and Maria as they are still taking their time to dress.
Today Abraham and William are wearing a dress made from insect saliva, raised on the academy grounds. These are the particular dresses for the enlightenment ceremony. The cloth is pure white and shines under the sun.
But Abraham feels that the cloth is too smooth and will slide if it is not tied by a belt on his waist with a beautiful butterfly knot, which he believes is very feminine, but he has to bear it. He is envious of the dress that his uncle and elder brother are wearing. Even William is staring at them for some time.
Adam is wearing black-colored cloth made of leather of some unknown beast. On leather, several small spikes look menacing and sharp. He is also wearing a chest plate made of scales with gloves and boots made of claws of some animal.
Today every person who attends the ceremony will wear the clothes made from their best hunt except for the kids.
Kyrios is also wearing a skin of furry brown beast but is lacking if compared to Adam.
After some time Sylvia and Maria have also arrived. Sylvia wears a white leather fur coat which contrasted with her red hair. She is wearing necklaces and rings made of bones having a metallic luster. She wears a headdress adorned with different colored flowers. In the city, the woman mainly goes on hunting inside the territory designated by the city. Though it has ferocious beasts, their number is comparably less than outside while males hunt outside the borderline.
The loss of even one female is taken seriously due to the low sex ratio. Though some have to marry outsiders, they take a long time to adjust to their surroundings. Females mainly work in maintaining their herb garden, raising and taming the beast, pharmacist, and other interior works. Hence women like to show off the herbs and flowers, that they have grown by adorning on their heads just like how man showoffs their hunts.
Maria wears dark color clothes due to her age, and she also adorned dark-colored flowers on her head. As everyone arrives, they begin to walk towards the academy.
The enlightenment ceremony is held after every two years. The participants never know the details of the ceremony, other than their previous observation that people change after attending it and become powerful.
So, they are excited.
As they walk towards the academy, they are accompanied by various families along the way, which also includes…
"Hey William, let's fight after the ceremony. I will then defeat you with my new powers…Argh". Kaylin wants to blabber more but is stopped by a strong pat on his head.
"Kid's these days are surely energetic, isn't it chief?"
The person who asks is just a little short of Adam. He has black hair, grey eyes, and a body like a leopard, muscular but slender.
He is Kaylin's father Isaac. He is a chief hunter of one of the three hunter teams organized by the city. With him is his wife. Kaylin's mother Isabel is an outsider i.e. she is not from the city. Hence her height is 1.8, which is a little short in terms of the citizen's standard, but her blonde hair, blue eyes, and delicate appearance gives her the impression of a doll, and it became more prominent when she stands beside her husband.
"They have to be energetic. If they rest now, then they will just let their body rust in adulthood."
"Well, it will be their fault," Isaac said in a laid-back manner. After watching Isaac's reaction, Abraham now knows that from whom Kaylin has inherited such an attitude.
"How are both of you, William and Abraham." A sweet voice interrupted his thoughts. Isabel is looking towards them.
"We…"
"Mother, don't talk to them." Kaylin stands in between William and Isabel, just like a cat who is protecting its favorite thing. But he again tastes a smack from his father.
"Hey, don't talk in between."
"Father! Why do you hit me every time." Kaylin shouted, but he again gets a taste of a smack on his head.
"Shut up, I am your Father."
Abraham is watching the small argument between the father and the son, but his attention again gets attracted to aunt Isabel, who is talking happily with aunt Sylvia.
"She would have become accustomed to it." Abraham thought.
After some time their quarrel is ended by his uncle, and they resume their journey towards the academy.
The academy is made just after the founding of the city by ancestors. The area of the academy is 1/5th of the total area of the city. There are research facilities for formation, alchemy, smithy, pharmacy, etc. Instead of a door, a huge gate is installed at the entrance of the academy. The gate is just like the inner wall with various patterns and drawings inscribe on it. Today many people are entering the academy. Except for those on guard duty and kids who can't participate, everyone is coming towards the academy.
As they enter the academy gates, they are stopped by a middle-aged professor. The professor is wearing a black uniform. He has adorned a silver badge in the shape of the tortoiseshell on his chest, and geometrical and animal patterns are embroidered on his sleeves using silver thread. He has a list of participant names in his right hand. He separates the participants from their families and arranges them in a line.
"How do you do, chief Adam and Head Hunter Isaac? it's a rare chance to see you guys together like this."
"Oh Imad, it is not as rare as to see you outside of your room. You should go on some hunt, just like old days." Replied Isaac.
Professor Imad is as tall as Adam but is thin with pale skin. He gives a different impression in comparison to Adam and Isaac. But the most prominent feature is his missing left arm. He is the department head of the anatomy of beasts and formations. His presence itself shows that how important the city and academy consider this ceremony.
"William, Kaylin, and lastly Abraham, come out and stand in the line." Imad ignores Isaac and calls their names, and puts a cross mark in front of their names.
"Chief and Head Hunter, please go to the arena and let other people come." Imad doesn't answer them and shows the way towards the arena.
They both stare at each other and then move forward. After them, many other families come, and Imad continues to do his work. After some time, when each name in the list has cross-marked, he cross-checked the children's identity and then put the list in his pocket.
Then he looks towards the children who are talking with excitement about the ceremony. For a short time, a trace of sadness appeared in his eyes. He then snaps his fingers loudly, due to which children stop talking, and their attention turns towards him.
"Everyone arranges yourself in a line and follows me toward the arena."
Abraham is in front of the line because they are standing in ascending order of height, so he is first, but for him, the most dislikable thing is the girls of the city are also standing behind him means that even they are more developed than him. It is the first time that the girls are with them. Though girls are also powerful, their strength falls a little short in comparison to boys. So, the martial arts thought to them are much more different than boys who mainly paid attention to explosive power while girls on agility and speed.
Though both the girls and boys learn about medicine, the girl's curriculum includes the in-depth study of the herb. So, overall they rarely meet them and don't know much about each other.
As he follows Imad, others begin to follow him, and after some time, they reach near a massive door about 10m high. From the door is the entrance to the ground of the Arena.
Abraham had only seen the arena from outside. It is a large circular building, four stories high, made of stone blocks. The first floor of the building stands on the Doric order of column, second by ionic, third by the Corinthian, and the fourth level, roof stands on the Composite order of column.
The arrangements depict that the Doric order, which looks bulky, symbolizes strength, is the base.
In the Ionic order of column, the top is volute which represents order and balance.
The Corinthian order column's top is acanthus leaves representing Resurrection.
The three orders represent the advice of the ancestors to the future generation, which is that with strength and order, resurrection is not impossible.
The composite is just the combination of Ionic and Corinthian. It was built by later generations to support the roof.
Only their seniors are allowed to practice there, and one of the perks after the enlightenment ceremony is that they can access the Arena.
Imad gives him a hand signal, and he stops, followed by others. Then Imad gets near to the door and then taps on it in different spots. A voice is generated, and then the door opens slowly. And then Imad enters the arena followed by the children.
It is the first time that Abraham has been able to see the inside of the arena. It is very vast from the inside, approximately the size of ten football fields. The floor of the whole arena is made of blocks of white stones and is surrounded by an inner wall. There are also three different gates in the wall closed by iron doors. After the inner wall, the chairs are placed and continue up to the fourth floor.
The highest floor is for VIP people such as chief, elders of lineages, hunting team leaders, principals, and academy professors.
The first three floor's chairs are now filled with citizens, but the environment surrounding them is not of excitement but solemnity. The chairs of higher levels are slowly getting filled. He can find his aunt in the crowd. She is sitting on the chair on the third floor, and beside her are grandmother and Kyrios, but the chief's chair is still empty.
On the stone floor, 30 mats are laid, in the combination of 6 rows and 5 columns at the center of the arena. It is equal to the number of children present here. Out of 30 children, 20 are boys, and 10 are girls. Then Imad signals him and other children to stand beside those mats. One person per mat. They remain standing there while watching the chairs getting filled. Now even the chairs of the fourth floor are filled except for two, one is of Adam the chief, and the other is of the principal of the academy.
Abraham is watching everything around him, observing every detail as everything is new for him. He had noticed the sadness in Imad's eyes, worries in the villager's eyes, and a myriad of emotions shown on the faces of the elders sitting on the higher seats. One of the girls around him is darting her eyes left and right. She has fair skin and black hair, but the most significant feature is her big green eyes.
"She would also have perceived something from the environment." Abraham thought.
Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
He felt a gaze on him, and he found that William is staring at him. His relaxed eyes are also tense. Kaylin, whose eyes show laziness, is glowing while Ragnar is radiating a chilled aura.
After some time, bugles sound echoed as Adam enters the Arena. On his face, there is no usual smile which he shows in front of them. Instead, his face is solemn, and a dignified aura is radiating from him.
An old man is walking behind him. His hair is white as snow, but his skin is of tanned color. His face is full of wrinkles, and his body looks like dried wood. His posture show humbleness, but his steps are firm. His eyes are closed, but he
is walking normally. He is the principal of Academy Arkam Barca. His uncle had said that he is the principal from his grandfather's time.
When the chief and principal sit in their respected seats, the environment becomes silent. One man stands up from his seat on the fourth floor; he is old but not as old as a principal. He has a long white beard; and bald head, his towering figure and healthy body don't seem to be affected by od age. He is Vice-Principe Raynell.
"All the students, please sit on the mat beside them." Raynell's voice echoed in the whole Arena.
"Until now, you have learned how to be aware of your surroundings; you have at least reached the beginner or fledgling level. As you know, energy is everywhere in the world, that enters your body and changes it little by little. If not controlled properly, then the change can be hazardous rather than beneficial."
"You had learned to strengthen your body, mind, and soul, which was necessary so that your body will adapt in enlightenment ceremony. Every person in the clan attends the ceremony only once in his lifetime. It can make you powerful, but you can also become vulnerable. The ceremony will help you to take the first step in your cultivation. That is "enlightenment of oneself". Your first enlightenment will be unique to you, depending on your nature, your outlook on the world.
After years of research, we have categorized the enlightenment in various paths, which now exist as lineages.
Abraham is sitting on the mat and listening to the speech of the vice-principal and contemplating on it. When they were eight years old, they had learned three exercises: which are breathing to regulate and control the intake of energy, body exercise to improve flexibility and muscle strength, lastly mental exercise to increase their concentration, awareness, and memory.
Abraham still remembers how happy he was when he had able to open the door of their manor, only after doing the exercise for two months. He had felt his strength increasing and concentrating become easier, and with the help of those boots.
"Now go ahead, close your eyes and remove every thought from your mind." Raynell's voice once again echoed.
Abraham closed his eyes, but he doubts his heart that in the whole speech, Vice-Principal has only introduced enlightenment and its benefit, but not the method to achieve it.
But his thought is interrupted when he feels a large amount of energy gathering above him.
His curiosity compelled him to open his eyes but is stopped by Raynell's voice and his instruction to not open their eyes and remove all thoughts from their mind.
He tried to concentrate, but his attention is always attracted to the sensation of monstrous energy over his head, and then suddenly, that energy descended on him, and his mind gone blank. After some time, his thoughts returned, but he doesn't feel anything special. Surrounding noise enters his ears, and he reflexively opens his eyes and found that other children are also in the same situation as his, confused about what is happening.
"Is the ritual ended?" Someone asked.
But no one is paying attention to them. Every citizen is watching towards the sky, particularly towards the crack in the sky.
After careful observation, he understands that the crack is not in the sky but in the barrier that surrounds the entire city. It is now glowing, and the crack is healing itself, but Abraham discovers a small black dot in the sky that is enlarging, and as it reaches the barrier, it is as big as the Arena.
It is a concentrated mass of black energy, and it explodes as it touches the barrier. All these happen so rapidly that no one can react and remain seated, watching the barrier-breaking away.
"Everyman lead the children and women to the underground shelter and get ready for war." A shout of Adam has pulled them out from their dreamy state.
Everyone hurriedly stands up from their place and begins to run towards the exit. Though the situation looks chaotic, they are moving systematically.
"Everyone quickly arranges yourself and follow me." They heard Imad's urgent voice, and they quickly gather and begin to follow Imad outside of Arena.
They are almost running, and as time passes, the sky becomes darker, giving the signal of the oncoming apocalypse.
Abraham feels that the clouds are also covering his heart, Destroying a ray of hope. The people sitting on the fourth floor are the strongest and most prestigious among the clansmen, and today Abraham witnessed them flying towards the darkening sky.
Soon the drumming thunder smashes his heart, and lightning illuminates the sky. He sees a humongous silhouette of the beast above the dark clouds.
It has a serpentine body that is as much large as the whole city. Suddenly a loud screech of the bird resounded, and the smoke clouds with fire appear outside the inner wall. A bird, many times greater than the wall, is standing there. Molten lava flows from its body.
"Quickly hurry up, don't look there."
Imad's voice pulled them out from their trance, and they enter a building. Then Imad has led them to the basement, and once everyone entered the basement, he sealed it from the inside. Formation patterns covered the walls of the basement.
"We are now safe". Abraham thought, but his fantasy is shattered by the noise of a huge explosion.
He can see the faces of his friends, his brother William, everyone's heart is agitated. They don't even get the time to understand anything about the situation. The noise of explosions is still reaching their ears, shaking their hearts. After some time, William asked in a trembling voice.
"Professor, what's happening?"
"Beasts have attacked." Imad gave them a short answer which makes them even more confusing.
They know that there are many beasts outside the wall, but they had never thought that such a thing, can happen.
William and others wanted to ask more; about their family, their parents, but they are interrupted by the explosion. The whole basement begins to shake, and small debris begins to fall from the ceiling.
"The building above them should have been destroyed by the explosion." Abraham feels that his heart is beating in his skull, and his blood vessels will burst up.
The sound of the explosion is still coming from time to time.
Imad is now inspecting the walls and ceilings, searching for the damages in the shield created by the formation.
No one has now any heart to ask any question. Abraham doesn't know how much time has passed, but the deadly symphony of the explosion doesn't stop.
Two more explosions have happened above the basement, damaging the walls and ceiling even more. Their professor Imad is now repairing the formation, his back is drenched in sweat, doing everything he can.
William has hidden his face under his knees, the laidback attitude of Kaylin's face is nowhere to be found, Ragnar's eyes have lost their brightness. Others are also in a similar situation.
From the hole created in the ceiling, Abraham can perceive that night has come, but it does not affect the frequency of explosion, the sky gets illuminated by light from time to time. He gets worried about his family, his teachers, his villagers.
After some time, the intensity of the explosion becomes slow, and then it eventually stops. Midnight is already passed.
Constantly being on edge has depleted his mental strength, and the stoppage of the explosion has let him lose down his tense nerves, and then he lost consciousness.
Abraham…Abraham, wake up… wake up…Someone is shaking him. As he opens his eyes, he sees William's golden eyes are staring at him. The sun rays are coming from the ceiling and are reflecting on William's face.
"Why am I sleeping until now, that rooster song would have awakened me." He thought.
But then something snap in his brain and his head is filled with the memories of past night and day. His groggy mind is now fully awake and worry for his family clouded his heart. William, who has perceived his condition, hugged him.
"Don't worry, everything will be alright." He begins to pat Abraham's head but…
Abraham can feel the trembling of William's hand, he can feel the warm droplets of water wetting his shoulder. He also wants to cry, but he doesn't know why tears are not coming out of his eyes.
He is worried about everyone, about their future, about their food, about everything, but he doesn't know why he doesn't feel sad.
He knows he should feel sad, no he should cry, for the first time, he thought that he is lacking something… something important.
He views the room, which has become tattered now. Plasters are fallen from the ceiling, and gaps are created, from their sunlight is illuminating the room. Some of his friends are like him, lying down while some are awake, but those who are awake their faces are pale, the mark of tears can be seen on their cheeks, their jaws are clenched as they are resisting themselves to cry. Imad is sitting near the door, he looks disheveled, and his black robes look dirty. He is continuously staring towards the door.
William's tears have now stopped, and he stands up. His eyes, which are red due to crying, are now determined, he then goes towards Imad.
"Professor! please tell us, What the hell is happening?" His cry attracts the gazes of others but not of Imad.
He yells again, but again he does not get the answer. So, he extends his hand and grabs the collar of the professor, which in normal times he would have never think of but in reaction professor's body falls to one side.
William's eyes expanded to their limit, and his body begins to tremble, he starts yelling.
"Professor…Professor…Professor…" but he gets no answer. Everyone's face gets ashen, those who wake up begin to cry, and those who are awake just stare in despair.
In the meantime, Abraham climbs over the debris and peek from the hole created during the explosion. For the first time, he sees something which he thought that he would never be able to forget, it's like his eyes, heart, and mind are glued to the scenery of the apocalypse in front of him.
With great difficulty, he turns his head to inform others but he sees that William's body is trembling and professor Imad's body is fallen to one side. He understands that this can be the final blow to William towards despair. Abraham runs to console him but stopped when the door is open with the sound of a "bang".
An old man, like dried wood, is standing there. He enters the room, his robes tattered, but his steps still feel heavy. He watches William, who is still grabbing the collar of Imad's body and sadness appeared in his eyes.
He pats on William's head lovingly and spoke.
"Poor child, sleep now. You have already endured much." And William loses consciousness.
He then turns towards them.
"Children, there is no time to explain to you, as time is limited. You all will be transfer to a safer place. You can be separated, but don't fear and live, search for your life, your way, your enlightenment towards yourself, towards the world."
Then he puts his hand in his pocket, and when it comes out, there are finger-size clear crystals. Then those crystals flew towards the children.
"This is the parting gift that the clan had prepared for you. The exercise in the crystal will help you gain power, power to achieve your desire... than goodbye, and please don't waste your life in revenge. As life is precious."
After that, Abraham loses his consciousness again.