"But now… it is your time. The torch we once held, the strength we once wielded, the hope we once carried—we now pass that onto you. You will shape the future of this village. You will protect what we have built. And you will discover your worth."
A heavy silence followed, filled with awe and respect.
Kael stood quietly among the crowd, his eyes fixed on the old man. There was something stirring in his chest—not fear, not excitement exactly—but something deeper.
It was the feeling that his real journey… had just begun.
The village head then lifted his hand, and with a heavy creak, the curtains behind him parted, revealing a long table covered with a dark velvet cloth.
At the center of the table stood a large, ancient-looking stone. It was polished smooth, carved with faint, glowing runes that pulsed with a gentle light.
"This," the village head said, "was sent to us by the kingdom itself. A gift—and a test. It is called the Affinity Stone."
The room held its breath as he continued.
"It serves one purpose: to awaken and reveal the magical potential slumbering within you. Each of you will be called by name, and before all present, you are to walk up, place your hand upon the stone, and await its judgment."
A murmur rippled through the crowd—nervous energy, hushed excitement, curiosity.
"The colors the stone emits reflect your talent," he explained, raising his voice just slightly. "Yellow, green, blue, red, purple, and golden. These are the possible colors that one can draw from the stone."
He paused briefly to let that sink in.
"Yellow denotes the weakest affinity—though even that is enough to step on the path of magic or sword. Green is better but blue is the rarest. The one who awakens with blue color is almost sure to get to the capital and enlist in the royal army."
The crowd remained quiet, almost reverent at the idea of being part of the almighty royal army.
However, Kael furrowed his brow slightly. But what about beyond blue? he wondered silently. He mentioned red, purple and golden as well.
Before he could dwell further, a small voice broke through the silence.
"Grandpa, what about above blue? Aren't they even rare?"
A few heads turned toward the speaker—a young boy standing at the back, eyes shining with innocent curiosity. His mother gasped, and immediately gave him a small slap on the back of the head.
"Boy! That's the village head! You dare call him grandpa?"
But the old man just laughed heartily. "It's alright, it's alright! Let him speak. The young are meant to be curious. That curiosity is what leads to strength."
He turned toward the boy, eyes gentle but sharp.
"You asked a good question," he said. "And I'll answer it clearly. Yes… the affinities above blue are even rare. As I said, red, purple, and golden are higher. But remember—bloodlines play a huge role in such power. Talent is not always something earned. Sometimes, it is passed down, buried in your very blood."
He let the words settle in.
"We are a small village, tucked far from the royal capital. Most of our children carry decent strength, but rarely the kind that has what it takes to awaken those colors. Those with affinities of red or above are uncommon even in the capital. In a place like ours, golden is almost… mythical."
The hall fell silent again.
"But," the old man said with a grin, "that does not mean it's impossible. Greatness has to begin somewhere. And perhaps, one of you sitting here today will be the one to break that barrier."
A wave of excitement spread through the crowd. Eyes lit with hope. Children stood straighter. Parents glanced at their sons and daughters with new curiosity.
And with that, the test began.
One by one, names were called from a scroll held by a young assistant. Each child made their way up to the raised platform and placed their hand on the Affinity Stone.
They waited in tense silence... then... a glow.
For most, it was yellow—a faint, dim light that shimmered for only a few seconds before fading. A few luckier ones sparked green, earning a handful of polite applause and satisfied smiles from their families.
But so far, there had been no blue, no red, and certainly no purple and golden.
Kael sat quietly toward the back, heart pounding in anticipation. He watched each contestant eagerly, noting how long it took for the glow to appear and fade, how strong it looked, how the villagers reacted.
Part of him was curious, but another part—the prideful part—wanted to see someone rise above. Someone worth comparing himself to.