Zephyr packed up as quickly as he could, taking only the essentials he would need- a few sets of clothes, basic necessities, and his specialized runic inscription tools. There was no time to waste. He secured his bag and rushed out, making his way to the town square.
As he got closer, the streets became more crowded. Merchants lined the roads, their stalls overflowing with wares, eager to take advantage of the surge of people who had gathered to watch the fresh recruits. Everyone was high with excitement and anticipation. It was the same every year.
Zephyr navigated through the dense crowd, carefully squeezing past bodies before finally reaching the perimeter where soldiers were stationed to maintain order. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his token, holding it up for them to see. The moment they spotted it, they stepped aside, allowing him through without a word.
'Phew. That was hectic. Just made it in time.'
At the center of the square, right at the front of the town hall, a makeshift platform had been erected. Freshly awakened kids of various ages filled the space, their chatter filled with excitement and nerves. Some were bouncing on the balls of their feet, others stood in groups, whispering amongst themselves.
Zephyr's eyes roamed the crowd, observing how people had already started dividing into cliques. Like-minded individuals naturally gravitated towards each other. The rich merchant kids stood right near the front, forming their own exclusive circle. Most of them had probably grown up knowing each other, even if in passing, and their familiarity made their group basically impenetrable to others.
His gaze flickered to a red-haired girl who seemed to also be drawing attention. She looked plain at first glance, nothing particularly striking about her. Zephyr tilted his head. 'Probably awakened with a high-grade mana core or something.' His eyes lingered on her for a moment before moving on.
Outliers stood at the edges, those who didn't quite fit into any group. A giant of a boy stood at the far end of the square, his sheer size alone dissuaded anyone from approaching. Even from a distance, his presence was imposing.
Not far from him, a blonde-haired boy leaned casually against a post, wearing a lazy, self-assured smile. He watched the crowd like he was looking at insects. Every so often, someone would approach him to strike up a conversation, but they usually left just as quickly, looking either annoyed or dismissed.
Zephyr narrowed his eyes slightly. He couldn't hear what was being said, but the kid practically oozed superiority. He must have the talent to back it up. Most kids who awakened early were considered prodigies, and judging by his youthful face, this one was probably twelve... thirteen at most. For context, the majority of recruits here were around fourteen. The difference might not seem like much, but it was what separated the talented from the untalented. People who awakened with more nodes in their mana cores usually did so earlier than the average age of fourteen.
And this only made Zephyr feel more out of place. He was the only sixteen-year-old here. He was sure of it.
His thoughts snapped back to the present when movement on the platform drew his attention. A woman stepped forward, and the restless chatter gradually died down. She strode to the center with a quiet confidence, her gray eyes sweeping over the gathered recruits. There was something effortless about the way she carried herself. Her silver hair fluttered slightly in the breeze, her expression unreadable.
She was young, probably not even in her thirties, but the authority she exuded made it clear she was in charge. Where her gaze fell, people subconsciously straightened, as if standing before a superior officer.
She let the silence hang for a while, long enough that the recruits started shifting uncomfortably.
Then she spoke.
"Ladies, gentlemen, whatever else you people identify as, welcome to hell."
Her voice was lazy, like she couldn't be bothered to put effort into it.
"You're recruits now. That means you don't think, you don't complain, and you sure as hell don't hesitate. You listen, you learn, you survive."
Her sharp eyes swept over them as she continued. "You're here because someone thinks you're worth training. Maybe you are. Maybe you aren't. Either way, it's not my problem. You lot either prove yourselves or wash out. I don't particularly care which."
She shifted her weight slightly, as if even standing here giving this speech was a waste of her time.
"You'll be entering a rift owned by the ruling House Ryvelin, specifically designated for training recruits like you. You'll be crossing into another dimension. And since it's your first time, well…" she gave a slight shrug, "you're in for a treat. You'll feel bouts of nausea, disorientation, weird mana fluctuations... your body's going to hate it. Some of you will puke your guts out, some might even black out for a few seconds. That's normal. Just push through it fast." She waved her hand dismissively.
"Dimensional laws don't work the same inside rifts. Gravity might be different. Time might not flow right. Magic could act up differently. Some rifts can even rip your limbs off if you cast the wrong spell at the wrong time. But you don't really need to worry about all that. This one's relatively stable, so if you die, it's not the rift's fault. It's yours."
Her lips curled slightly in a cold, knowing smile, "And you will die in there if you act like idiots. The noble house isn't going to waste resources saving people who can't be trained. You fall behind, you get left behind. You mess up, you deal with the consequences. The only real rule in there is simple... Survive."
She stretched, exhaling like she just finished up a chore. Then she turned to the officials standing below at the side. "Open it."
Murmurs rippled through the recruits. Even the officials stiffened. "Commander, shouldn't we give them more—"
"Did I stutter?" Her tone remained casual, but a sharpness had crept in.
The official swallowed, then quickly moved to obey.
Tension spiked in the air as murmurs rippled through the ranks of the recruits. Firstly, they had expected a longer speech, one that explained rules and expectations in detail, that spoke of duty, honor, service to the Ryvelin House and the kingdom of Morva. A formal declaration, maybe some words to inspire and encourage them. Instead, they got this. And to top it off, with all the ominous things she had said about rifts, they were diving straight into it without any proper preparation.
Even Zephyr was taken aback. This felt rushed. Too rushed. They were ill-prepared. One moment she was on the stage, and the next, they were already preparing to enter the rift. He glanced around at the others. Even the giant guy was shifting on his feet, uncertain.
The blonde kid, on the other hand, was grinning in excitement. Zephyr frowned. Something was definitely wrong with that guy's head.
Just as he turned his attention to the red-haired girl again, everyone's focus snapped forward.
The air before them shuddered. A jagged crack split reality, spreading like a three-dimensional spider web, glowing with an unnatural blue light. The space twisted, bending unnaturally before tearing open, revealing a swirling abyss beyond.
The rift had opened.