Chapter 38: Judite’s Awakening (2)
Judite, who was so anxious that she could barely eat, picked at a piece of bread, took a sip of juice, and spent the rest of the time fidgeting in her chair, looking out the window every five seconds.
"Can we go now?" she asked for the fourth time.
"What if there are no spots left? What if..."
"Judite," Clavor interrupted, his voice calm but firm.
"The Awakening Hall is open all day. You’re not going to miss your turn. Eat something. You’re going to need energy."
Judite sighed, picked up a piece of bread, and took an unenthusiastic bite.
After breakfast, the family left the inn and headed through the streets of Great Rock City.
The morning sun was already warming the white stone pavement, and the city was awake. Merchants were opening the doors of their shops, arranging goods in the displays. Street vendors pushed carts loaded with fruit, bread, and flowers. Children played tag among the adults, laughing and shouting.
Lukas looked around in every direction, absorbing every detail.
The shops, a jeweler with gems sparkling in the display window, a bookstore with stacks of books piled in the windows, he almost went inside, but restrained himself. An armor shop where a blacksmith hammered an anvil, sparks flying through the air.
The smells, fresh bread, roasted coffee, flowers being sold in colorful stalls, tanned leather, and a sweet scent of honey drifting from a pastry shop on the corner.
The sounds, voices negotiating, children laughing, a musician playing a flute in a small square, the clinking of coins being exchanged.
Tilbo, on his shoulder, moved her antennae frantically, taking in every stimulus from the surroundings.
The journey to the Awakening site was not long.
They walked for about fifteen minutes, passing small squares with fountains of crystal-clear water where pigeons bathed, through narrow alleys where cats stretched in the sunlight, and along an entire street dedicated to fabric shops. There was colorful cloth hanging from the facades like banners.
At the end of the street, after a small hill, the building they finally saw stood out from everything else.
It was a low structure, only one story tall, but impressive.
Absurdly thick and tall columns, each one at least twice the width of an adult man, made of pure white marble, supported a flat roof decorated with magical symbols engraved in gold. The symbols were not random; Lukas recognized some of the patterns he had seen in Aurora’s books, concentric circles, wavy lines, and dots in the center.
The facade was simple, almost austere, with no large windows, only small openings high near the ceiling, allowing enough light inside to illuminate the interior without making it dark. The door was a massive double door made of dark wood with silver details, handles shaped like hands, and wrought-iron hinges.
Above the entrance, carved into a white marble plaque, were large, elegant letters.
HALL OF THE ETERNAL CRYSTAL
"What a beautiful name..." Lukas murmured, tilting his head to read the golden letters.
Clavor placed a hand on his son’s shoulder.
"It is an ancient organization. Present in every major city of every human kingdom." He looked at the imposing facade, his eyes tracing the details of the architecture.
"Every child who turns five comes here to awaken their innate ability. It is a neutral place. Respected. Even kingdoms at war do not dare lay a hand on this place."
"Why?" Lukas asked.
"Because the Eternal Crystal is sacred to many religions. They say it was a gift from the gods to humanity. A gift so that we could know ourselves."
Lukas nodded, processing the information.
In front of the hall, a small line of families had already formed.
There were not many people, about eight or nine groups, each with a five-year-old child at the center of attention. Some boys and girls looked nervous, holding their parents’ hands tightly.
Others were excited, jumping and pointing at the building. A blonde girl was quietly crying, clinging to her mother’s skirt.
The murmur of the crowd was low but constant, voices whispering words of encouragement, parents giving last-minute advice, children chatting about what they hoped to receive.
"I want to be strong!", "I want to help my family!", "I want to fly!"
Lukas smiled inwardly.
They waited for about half an hour.
The sun climbed higher into the sky, and the line advanced slowly, group by group. Judite could not stay still, bouncing from one foot to the other, swinging her arms, looking at the hall every two seconds. Aurora tried to calm her with gentle hands on her shoulders, but the girl’s energy was uncontrollable.
Clavor remained serious, his arms crossed over his chest, but there was a proud gleam in his brown eyes.
Finally, the great wooden gate opened with a deep, solemn creak.
A middle-aged woman, dressed in an immaculate white robe without a wrinkle or a stain and a light-blue cloak draped over her shoulders, stepped out and raised a hand, asking for silence. Her gray hair was tied in a tight bun, and her green eyes swept over the line with authority.
"Welcome to the Hall of the Eternal Crystal." Her voice was firm, but not harsh.
"Please enter in an orderly manner. The children who will awaken proceed to the altar when called. Parents will wait behind the red line."
The line began to move.
The interior of the hall was even more impressive than its facade.
It was an enormous space, much larger than it appeared from the outside. The walls were made of polished white stone, and the ceiling was supported by internal columns, also marble, that rose like petrified trees. At the center of the hall, a circular altar of white stone rested atop an elevated platform with three steps.
And upon the altar...
A large crystal rested on a silver pedestal.
It was transparent, the size of two human heads placed together, and glowed faintly with a soft inner light. Not a light that illuminated the surroundings, but a light that seemed to come from inside the crystal itself, as though it were alive.
Lukas felt Tilbo move on his shoulder, her antennae pointed toward the crystal.
’Did she sense something?’ he thought.
’There is something there. Something definitely magical.’
The woman in the blue cloak positioned all the visitors behind a red line painted on the stone floor.
"One at a time," she announced.
"Climb the stairs, place both hands on the crystal, and close your eyes. Your ability will reveal itself naturally. Do not force it. Do not try to control it. Simply touch it and wait."
The first was a buck-toothed boy with messy brown hair and freckles across his nose.
He climbed the stairs slowly, his shoulders slumped as if he were walking toward an executioner’s block. His hands were visibly trembling. He placed them on the crystal, at first hesitantly, then more firmly, and closed his eyes.
The crystal glowed faintly.
For a second, a pale yellow light pulsed within the center of the gem. Then it vanished.
The boy came down with a sour expression, almost crying. His eyes were red, and his voice came out choked as he whispered to his parents.
"I... I didn’t awaken a combat ability like I wanted..."
His mother hugged him, stroking his hair.
"It doesn’t matter, my love. Every ability is useful."
"But I wanted to be a knight..."
"You can be a knight even without a combat ability. An ability does not define who you are."
The boy sniffled but seemed a little comforted.
