Two weeks had passed in agony for the von Parseval family. Johan, in particular, sat at his desk lamenting the events of the past few weeks. With a tense expression on his face, he tried to forget the things his father had told him. He had given up on trying to extract any more information from him; not a single word had come out of his father's mouth since that evening.
Sylvia, Johan's mother, stayed at home to look after him and Marie while Mattheus was away on a business trip. However, Johan wasn't sure if that was entirely true, as he harbored suspicions about his father's activities.
...
The day of Johan's sixteenth birthday was approaching, and preparations had begun. The patriarch of the von Parseval family, Thimoeuss von Parseval, sat on a throne in the middle of a crowded hall. From left to right, servants prepared the room for the upcoming event. Tables and chairs were being brought in, while others decorated the windows.
Thimoeuss was deep in thought. Not only had his grandson died, but his second grandson, Mattheus, was about to turn sixteen, which meant he would soon be involved in the family affairs. The more pressing issue, however, was that he would receive his system from the von Parseval crystal.
In this world, there were ordinary people, so-called 'Rankers,' and otherworldly beings. Ordinary people lived their lives according to mostly democratic systems of government, unaware of the hidden realities around them. Only the elite members of society had any knowledge of the Rankers and their systems. The Rankers were primarily composed of ancient families or small groups and clans that had formed over thousands of years. Some were mercenary groups, while others were ancient tribes that had yet to emerge into the open. Most of them, however, were no match for the ancient families in terms of power. These families were almost entire societies, built after a war that occurred many millennia ago. But that is another story.
The term 'Ancient Family' is given to families that possess an 'Aether Crystal,' which contains massive amounts of compressed Aether energy. Even most Rankers have little understanding of the origins of these crystals. Some say that the immense energy from the Ancient War created them; others claim they come from now-extinct species such as dragons and giants. Although the true origin remains a mystery, some elders of these families have a rough idea. Nevertheless, these crystals release the energy stored within a human body. Members of ancient families possess the bloodline that grants them access to great power. The system they acquire is akin to a soul-like entity that resides in their consciousness and provides stats and abilities. Rankers also tend to live much longer than ordinary humans, depending on how they lead their lives, though they are not immortal.
Families usually have a specific element or power linked to the ancient species associated with their crystal. Depending on the innate talent of the individual, these attributes grant certain amounts of stats and special powers to the Ranker. Species such as dragons, elves, and dwarves are extremely rare and exceptionally powerful.
The attribute of the von Parseval family is Aether itself. Most families find themselves in a similar situation, lacking any special elements tied to their powers. However, the strength of the crystal determines the purity of these attributes.
Thimoeuss's stats looked like this:
Thimoeuss von Parseval
Age: 169
Attribute: Aether
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Rank: S-
ATK: 243
DEF: 178
SPD: 145
MANA: 312
SPA: 1: Crystal Mage (S)
2: Stone Detector (B+)
Ability: 1: Allows the usage of the aetheric energy in the form of crystals. High rank also grants the usage of crystals from other entities.
2: Extreme efficiency in finding stones and crystals.
Limits: (Broken Crystal)
Because he was a high-ranking individual, Thimoeuss's stats were also high. However, some of them were limited due to the broken crystal, which was why he was so worried about Johan and his birthday. If something went wrong, the celebration could be ruined. He got up and went downstairs, casting a spell to enter a hidden dark room. Inside were old sculptures and various random items, but in the center of the room was a faintly glowing crystal of a pale golden color: the von Parseval Aether Crystal. An incident involving Anton some time ago had damaged the crystal, leaving cracks that had begun to appear. This had happened to other families before and often resulted in the crystal either shattering or remaining in a weakened state. The outcome was either reduced efficiency—resulting in weaker Rankers—or a complete lack of a system and stats. With a look of disdain, Thimoeuss stepped away from the crystal and left the room.
...
The night before the ceremony, both of Johan's parents were in the living room.
"Are you sure everything will be alright, honey?" Sylvia was extremely worried about her only son's future, especially given the recent loss of Anton and the state of the cracked crystal.
"Don't worry, Sylvie. Everything will go as planned. Johan will awaken and gain his powers just like Anton and Priscilla did."
Mattheus himself was quite anxious, but dwelling on useless thoughts wouldn't solve anything. "The Siegen family had a similar situation, and they are just fine. Think about the countless clans that had their crystals broken during the Lyras Conflict." Sylvia didn't respond but appeared somewhat reassured.
The Siegen family was one of the few families in the Germanian region to have their crystal broken. Though they were weaker than the von Parsevals, they still held Ancient Family status. The Lyras Conflict had caused considerable damage in the Euros regions, but somehow only two families had fallen.
...
The day of the ceremony arrived. Johan and Marie were taken to the main von Parseval mansion, which was about four hours from their home, or so their parents had told them. The drive felt like twenty minutes, as if the car were flying at lightning speed. Curiously, Marie looked out the window but couldn't see anything; the glass was smudged on all sides. How is the driver navigating this car? she wondered, feeling that the situation was strange. The family had never hosted a birthday party like this before, especially after the recent tragedy. She felt out of place, but perhaps that was precisely why it had to be done. What baffled Marie even more was that she couldn't bring any of her friends.
Upon arriving at the mansion, both young Parsevals gaped in awe. The mansion resembled a castle from the Middle Ages—black to the core and majestic in every sense. Two giant pillars seemed to pierce the clouds, reaching for the sky. How is it that we have never seen or heard anything about this building before? Marie was completely flabbergasted. She knew about her father's businesses and that her distant family was just as successful, but this was beyond anything she could have ever imagined. Although Johan was also amazed by the sight, he felt less awe due to his prior interactions with his father.
The exterior of the building was adorned with the usual birthday decorations—but more extravagant. As Johan approached the door, he noticed a young girl around his age standing beside guards dressed in regal attire. She had silver hair and a dark complexion. Her height was slightly less than his own, but the most striking feature was a large scar that extended from her chin, over her right eye, and ended just beneath her hairline. She wore a slightly nervous expression but appeared overall calm. When he approached the guards, she stepped in front of him and said, "Good morning, Lord von Parseval. I'm Videl, your personal guide. Please follow me, and if you have any questions, feel free to ask." She gestured for him to follow her to the door.
"Videl, do you know where we are right now?" Johan asked, eager to learn where they had been brought.
"This is the von Parseval main mansion. However, I do not know the exact location. Us servants were not given any information regarding that. We were brought here in a tainted car."
It seemed she had no more information to offer.
"Well, thank you regardless. Let's go in." All three of them entered the mansion.