The Second Halo of Ciazel,

The City of Nocelle,

Rubble Arena

Fastening the last of the crimson buttons sewed onto her shirt’s cuffs, Val slipped on a midnight poncho and smiled at herself in the washroom mirrors. “All done.”

Designated by the Ciazen Magocracy, all mages were gifted white button-ups and black bottoms, paired with a resistant cloak and weather-worn combat boots. Used in official gatherings like the closing ceremony of the Tripartite Trial, the uniforms were in the middle of formals and regimentals.

Hopefully, it would stay closer to the former.

Val’s gaze traced the green sashed looped under her left arm and around her neck, the colour supposedly representing new beginnings, a resonance of sorts to the blooming Novices. The sentiment brought back the dilemma eating at the rear end of her mind.

Colours, it appeared, conveyed more than the human-proposed meanings. Ever since Collins’ slip of the tongue, she’d paid closer attention to it, combing through her brain to see what she could find.

Be it past occurrences, like the umber-brown of Miss Peppers’ gaze whenever she held back some form of anger, or the more recent ones, like the bright teal of the lightning in Thundertails, the hue was linked to the element exhibited. Brown for geo and teal for lightning. Neon blue for illusions and fuschia-pink for mind traps. Heavenly Hue, was it?

It didn’t make sense since, as Collins had said, she needed to be a part of it to perceive it. Wouldn’t that make her a… mage? That doesn’t add up though. She wouldn’t have spent ten grand and given herself a stressful week if she had been one prior, which left her with an unsolvable puzzle.

And if there was one thing she hated, it was a problem she couldn’t solve.

“As much as I take appearances seriously,” Caro's boots squelched on the sticky tiles as she moved for the door, tucking a tiny braid into the side of her fiery ponytail. “Our elemental awakening is waiting for us.”

…

Val’s head swung akin to a pendulum as she absorbed the stunning view spanning from the middle of Rubble Arena. A stadium made for tens of thousands circled all around her, tiered seats rising from the ground, up to the landing where she stood, and beyond. Lapis-blue enchantments twinkled on the amphitheatres as sunlight splashed on the seats through the arena’s translucent cover.

Joining the steady stream of ebony-clad people, she travelled down the stone steps and through the rustic-wood archways, finding Williams sitting by his lonesome in one of the first rows.

“Where are the rest?” She took a seat beside him, rising right back up to marvel at the surprisingly warm seats. Curious.

“Went to go find their own group of friends,” he answered, shifting down one seat so Caro could sit.

Her lips curled downwards. “Didn’t even get to say goodbye.”

"Don't worry." Caro jiggled a sheet of paper and smiled. "I got their socials written down right here. We’ll be able to stay in contact no problem."

“Write mine down as well,” Williams said. “It’s—.”

“Ew,” Caro interrupted. “I don’t want it.”

His expression froze. She burst into laughter and stretched a hand around Val to slap his shoulder. “Just kidding, what was it?”

“I’m not telling you.”

“C’mooon,” she drawled. “Like I said, I was only—”

An all-encompassing drone overtook the stadium. Transparent screens popped into existence above the stadium, hovering over the holes widening inside the sandy arena floor. Onyx pillars rose from the cavities, stopping to reveal slate spheres recognizable by any kid, any student, and any aspiring mage.

Val gaped, entranced by the swirls of millions of colours periodically churning in each sphere. “Aren’t those…”

“Manifestation orbs?” Caro squeaked, excitement raising her pitch. “It is taking literally everything in me not to jump this fence and touch one of those things.”

“You’ve waited years, I’m sure you can wait a couple of more minutes, Hayes.”

Val’s attention rose to the arena’s roof, a floating object drawing nearer by the second. As it closed in, its appearance sharpened into a form she could make out. Wait, that’s not an object, it’s a—

“By the saints, that’s Fiona Rhodes!”

“You mean the Spatial Soldier?”

“The one and only, look, there she is!”

The ring of overhead IBR screens displayed Fiona clearly for each section of the crowd, clad in her military fatigues. She chuckled and adjusted her cap, her ice-blue eyes scanning the crowd. “Glad to see my time in the University Games is remembered.”

Her words provoked a standing ovation and Val’s head swerved to take in the sea of dark clothes cheering, bewildered.

“See,” Caro gestured to the crowd. “Everyone knows who she is.”

“Thanks, it wasn’t like I could see that.”

Caro grinned.

“I want you to focus on the amphitheatre you all are currently sitting on.” Fiona swept a hand around the arena. “The stone seats, the sandy arena floor. Something this grand—something that took months to build—is an object of the past. No one comes to this place in droves anymore to watch mages battle tamed aether creatures.

“At the time, they couldn’t have believed streaming would become a thing or have guessed the subsequent fall to insignificance that would follow. The same could be said for magic, the elemental arts, and you—" she gestured to the crowd "—who will soon dabble in the things unseen."

Rhodes twirled in the air to face the other side, the screen displaying her every action. "We only discovered elements to exist a mere two millennia ago and each year we find more. Fifty years before this very moment the Tripartite Trial you all just bested did not exist and none can say with confidence it will still be here in the five decades to come.

"As you can see,” she said, “change is as ever-present as time and only one thing remains the same within it all." She laid a palm on her chest. "The rise and fall of your drive—your willpower. Will you be the one adapting to the constant shifts of life or will you bring about that change?

“Every spell cast, every incantation uttered alters reality a tad bit. Meaning as mages, we hold a power that makes a tiny increment of difference within our reality. That power is what we call magic and that is what you all will train to exhibit."

A smirk tugged at the corner of Fiona’s lips. "Excited yet?"

Excited? Val was thrilled. The hairs spanning across her arms stood on end. An electric feeling she couldn’t name filled her being. She wasn’t far from jumping the fence herself.

“With all that said, I want you to look at those dressed the same way you are, green sash and all.”

Participants surveyed their friends, their recently made teammates and their recently made enemies.

“Those are your future comrades as well as your future competition. Memorize their faces, as this is the generation of mages you walk along, the generation you cultivate with and the generation you protect Ciazel with arms linked.

“No one else besides you, conductors and overseers are allowed inside these premises because this moment is about you. As much as the clans, houses, and esteemed families would love to see what this country has to offer, you witness it first. The first privilege you’re privy to, with more to come as you climb.”

“Now.” Fiona gestured to digital screens hovering all around her. “District, sector, region and names will be displayed above. Your first duty is to pay attention and look for when you are called. If there are any causes for confusion, turn to the conductors stationed throughout the aisles.”

Northern District

City of Nocelle

Stall Region

Unbound prepped for manifestation are as follows:

Tyson Gerald

Allison Red

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Pattison Jones

…

Minerva Louise

A line of names streamed down the screens, tugging the gazes of the eager youths in the brimming crowd. Various people sprouted to their feet, a couple of hoots sounding from the distant corners, and rushed down the aisles.

Upon reaching the lower floor, they scattered about, stationed in front of each manifestation orb. Overseers strolled up and down, surveying the entrants like aether creatures ready to pounce, like threats. And until the awakenings settled, technically, they were right for acting like so.

The process of tethering to such an unknown, powerful source brought about the same magnitude of reaction. Though manifestation orbs were a practical way to bring awakenings forth, it could happen when any form of shock took hold of a person—mentally, emotionally, or physically—and it was far from silent.

“On my say.”

Fiona’s voice boomed through multiple sounding crystals, pulling Val’s attention onto the arena floor.

“Stretch your arms.”

Fingers remained an inch away from the sphere.

“You may now touch the orbs.”

Some prodded at it with the faintest touch of their fingers while others spread their palms wide across the sphere. Val honed in on an Auricean man in his early twenties, sweaty palms shaking. A faint, ghost-white glow enveloped the orb, transitioning to a luminous azure.

His almond eyes dulled, as if he wasn’t all there, before taking up an azure colour of its own. Viscous water swirled all around in a gyre of blue liquid, turning the sand into dark mud.

A water mage.

“While common, the Elemental Gate of Water is not the worst to tether to.” Williams seemed to be watching the same mage as her, a hand on his chin. “If his PAST and elemental affinity are high enough, he’ll excel anywhere he decides to go.”

“Woah… check out the one over there.” Caro pointed to the far left.

A Kidraan girl around Val’s age held a manifestation orb exhibiting a deep crimson colour. Pillars of flames budded all around her, licking the ground and spreading to her clothes. Fiona teleported to the girl in a frame of a second, conjuring a folded towel out of nowhere.

The light show lasted a moment longer, the flames disappearing all at once. The new mage wobbled where she stood and Fiona wrapped the long towel around her.

“To have her flames man, to have her flames.” Caro sighed.

“Fire’s one of the most common elements to be had,” Williams said, “not all that special.”

Caro rolled her eyes. “No duh, the Elemental Gate of Fire is positive-concrete for a reason.”

“Wow.” Williams glanced her way. “I find myself surprised.”

“Of what, that I know my property groups?”

He nodded. “Precisely.”

Caro scoffed. “Look, I know the primary elements like the back of my hand. Right Val?”

“Because of Miss Peppers,” she replied. “Better go apologize to her for all the trouble you gave her.”

“Nah.” Caro waved the notion away. “She loved me.”

“She hated you.”

“Same difference.”

Val huffed a small laugh. Jokes aside, the knowledge of the primary elements was as commonplace as the letters in the Standard alphabet and at that, she recalled one of the questions in the exams.

Define the property groups given to each element.

She thought she went crazy at the sight of such a kindergarten question. It was free marks, however, so she wrote.

Positive→ Related to the Biotic Essence

Negative→ Related to the Necrotic Essence

Concrete→Tangible

Abstract→Intangible

From there, plugging an element into their preferred attributes wasn't difficult to achieve.

“No way!”

“Ah, I wish that was me!”

“You’ve gotta be kidding me…”

The arena fell into disarray, dragging her out of her memories. Surveying the thousands of manifestations taking place, she found it hard to pinpoint the center of the commotion.

Thankfully, the ring of screens displayed it for her. A Kidraan girl held a pitch-dark orb, limbs of darkness swishing about in a chilling manner. Her eyes were black, swallowing her pupils and sapphire irises whole.

Williams whistled. “Now that is an element to have.”

If negative elements were rarer than positive ones and abstract scarcer than concrete, the element of darkness, carrying both negative and abstract properties, went unseen in the Second Halo.

Val glanced behind her and gritted her teeth. Not even halfway done. Sighing, she allowed herself to be absorbed in the event.

“Unfair, he tethered to the Elemental Gate of Ice!”

“Wow, I can feel the cold from here!”

“The Elemental Gate of Ice doesn’t exist, dummy.”

Ice’s one of the best to have. Rarer than some abstract elements, compound elements occur when two Elemental Gates overlap. As one participant said, there wasn’t an elemental Gate to connect to, instead, one tethered at the point of contact between said gates, an ensign. For ice, it would be the watergate and the airgate.

“By the clouds, he’s got two! Both fire and air!”

“What in the hell?”

“Lucky lucky him.”

“I don’t understand all the commotion.” Williams sneered. “Is it not common knowledge in Ciazel that a mage can have two elements?"

“Still.” Caro leaned forward. “The chances are kinda low. Though I bet dual-bound mages like him are popping up like crazy over in the First Halo. Scions of high-ranking mages and all that.”

Hours passed, ambient light disappearing as the afternoon came and went. The floodlights poured radiance onto the stone seats and sand floor. At last, the screens displayed the information she’d been waiting for.

Northern District

City of Wyn

Belt Region

Unbound prepped for manifestation are as follows:

Kindo Grey

Walter Kent

Ian Freight

Ayenga Forte

…

Mikhail Williams

Val scanned the names, twice, thrice, and four times for good measure. I don’t see mine?

“The hell’s going on,” Caro asked, searching the wall of text.

“Seems like I’m the first.” Williams rose from his seat, dusted off his clothes, and made the journey down the steps. He took two steps before being absorbed into the enthusiastic surge of participants, people gushing out the aisles and scurrying to the nearest available orb.

“Ready yourselves.”

Fiona’s voice echoed, signalling the start of another round of manifestations.

“Let’s go,” Caro said.

“What?” Val wrenched her sights from the arena floor, brows arched at seeing her friend shuffle down the aisle. “Where you going?”

“I don’t know about you, but I live in Wyn.” Planting her feet on the staircase, she made a bee-line for a conductor. Val hurried to catch up, barely arriving on time to the beginnings of a sure-fire way to be shut down. “I didn’t see my name on the list.”

“Did you pass?” the conductor asked.

“Am I standing here in front of you?”

“Cee,” Val hissed.

“And you live in Belt region?” he went on to ask. The two settled for a nod. “Uh…” His gaze wandered off to another of his kind, a few strides away. “Sir, how do I respond?”

“Tell them to sit back down,” the other replied. “Sit down,” he ordered directly to the pair.

“But—!”

“Sit. Now.”

"It was worth a try," Val whispered. "Let's do what the powerful man with magic says, alright?" With a firm grip on her back, she chauffeured her indignant friend—still throwing glares sharper than daggers behind the shoulder—back to their seats right as the umpteenth round of manifestations started.

Williams’ orb shone a bright teal colour, threads of lightning surfing on his clothed forearms. His raven-black hair pointed in all sorts of directions, defying gravity in every way.

“That damn lucky guy.” Val cracked a smile, shrugging off the ominous feeling that arose from being held back. “Can’t believe he got lightning.”

Caro clicked her tongue. “An element known to be proud and loud. Suits him.”

A grin was plastered on Williams’ face the whole way through the process of his awakening, his climb back up the stairs, and his sitting down beside the pair.

Val raised an eyebrow. “How different do you feel?”

“I’m not sure… It’s hard to put in words.” Williams clenched and loosened his fists. “I feel… connected somehow.”

“Connected?” Caro leaned across Val to give him an incredulous stare. “That’s it?”

He patted down his hair and turned to face the arena floor. “You’ll see for yourself, won’t you? Stop asking me questions and watch the event.”

Caro raised a finger in protest. “You…”

“Truce, please?” Val asked.

Caro muttered something under her breath but kept quiet nonetheless. Another hour passed, and Val watched as all districts—every single one of them—were called and dealt with.

Fiona’s eyes glowed and she teleported upwards, standing on thin air. “I congratulate you all and welcome you into the ranks of mages, Novices. You all possess newfound powers. Experiment. Learn. Create. However, do so under supervision, as a single mistake now may halt your advancement forever.”

“This is sounding an awful lot like a concluding speech,” Caro mused.

Val frowned. “I think that’s because it is.”

“Bullshit. We still haven’t gone.”

“Exactly…”

“Bus rides back to your original testing sites have been provided, where you will receive all belongings originally confiscated at the beginning of the trials.” Fiona smiled. “We forge, we fight.”

“We live with might,” the crowd answered, a surge of conversations filling the arena at the dismissal. Newly-ascended Novices chatted excitedly as they streamed into the aisles, gaining contacts, saying farewells and talking to the idle conductors for advice.

Something she should’ve been doing as well, had she been called upon. Val’s gaze crossed Caro’s, her almond-brown eyes filled with horror.

Were they the only unbound people left in the gathering of Novices?