More than an hour had passed. I leaned back in my chair, stretching my stiff neck as I closed the book. My eyes burned from scanning page after page, but the information had sunk in.
So this was how it worked.
Becoming a Resonator required Awakening—a process that unlocked one's ability to sense and channel Aura. And there were two ways it could happen.
1. Natural Awakening.
This method was rare, almost mythical.
The book described it as an "exceedingly rare phenomenon, occurring in perhaps one in ten million individuals." It could happen at any age—infancy, adolescence, even old age—and was often triggered by extreme stress, life-or-death situations, or profound emotional turmoil.
"Those who awaken naturally," the text stated, "are said to possess an innate harmony with Aura, often reaching heights of power unattainable to others. Their resonance is purer and more potent than those awakened through ceremony."
A smirk tugged at my lips.
This was the cliche textbook protagonist material. The kind of backstory where the hero "miraculously" awakens during a crisis, unlocking hidden potential just in time to save the day.
I wouldn't be surprised if Aeron or Zephyr had awakened as well.
The book even listed historical figures who'd awakened this way—legendary warriors, mystics, channelers.
All of them had one thing in common: they'd reshaped the world.
- The Stormcaller, who first summoned lightning as a child during a bandit attack.
- The Iron Saint, whose body turned to unbreakable metal at the moment of execution.
- The -Dreamwalker, who fell into a decade-long coma at age six—only to awaken with the ability to step into others' minds.
All of them were legendary figures, their awakenings the stuff of epic tales.
Yet, the book also soberingly stated that not every natural awakening granted immediate success; the rate of those who truly mastered their powers this way was very low, which is why the second, more reliable method was eventually developed.
And maybe success rate of natural awakening being even lower was another reason.
2 - The Traditional Awakening Method.
The second method was far more common, the established norm.
"The standard method, practiced by academies and noble houses for centuries," the book explained. It was conducted when the soul reached "adolescence"—typically between 16 and 17 years old.
At around that age, individuals would undergo a formal ceremony, a rite of passage into the world of Resonators. Our academy would likely hold ours before graduation too—six months from now, give or take, marking a significant milestone in our lives.
The book described the process in dry, technical terms:
- The Conduction Circle – A formation of special metals or stones, designed to amplify ambient Aura from ley lines.
- The Channeler – A senior Resonator or Artificer guided neutral Aura through the subject, jumpstarting their resonance.
- The Mark – A "Resonance Mark" would appear somewhere on the body, colorless at first but shifting hues based on certain conditions.
"Unlike natural awakenings," the text continued, emphasizing the practical benefits, "this method is controlled and thus significantly safer—though the resulting resonance may be less potent than in those rare, spontaneous cases."
Huh. So in half a year, I'd be unceremoniously shoved into a magic circle, zapped with focused energy, and branded with a fancy, potentially color-changing tattoo. Good to know. It sounded less like a mystical awakening and more like a standardized procedure.
But this wasn't obviously the end of it. The book went on to detail the nuances of a Resonator's development beyond Awakening.
It mentioned that some Resonators developed affinities—natural leanings toward specific elements or concepts, allowing for more efficient manipulation of those aspects of Aura.
Others manifested Resonance Gifts/Abilities, rare but not unheard-of abilities intricately tied to their individual Path, unique talents that set them apart. The odds of manifesting such a Gift were slim, about 1 in 30 or 50 people, according to the text.
Wonder if I'd get one. The thought flickered through my mind, quickly followed by a more pragmatic consideration.
I leaned back, exhaling slowly.
- Wait for the academy's awakening ritual. Safe, but slow.
- Hope for a "natural awakening"—which, statistically, was like waiting for lightning to strike.
Then again, did it matter? I already had the system handing me skills and abilities even without awakening. Let's take Exorcist's Gaze as an example, isn't it what you call a resonance ability, heck I can even level it up.
Did that mean I could bypass this world's rules entirely? Or was I a ticking time bomb, my body unprepared for the skills I'd crammed into it?
But one thing was becoming increasingly clear:
Awakening, in their terms, seemed to be the established and accepted path to gaining strength within this world's framework.
My own situation felt like an anomaly, a variable the book hadn't accounted for.
So, despite the growing questions, I kept reading.
The book further dived into the whole process, providing historical examples and more detailed information about the intricacies of Aura. But the initial sections on the two methods of Awakening were the most crucial basic info I needed to grasp the fundamentals.
Well, there was more important stuff too—like resonance ranks, the principles of aura mastery, and how each distinct Path utilized and manipulated aura in unique ways. But those seemed like topics best tackled after I actually underwent the Awakening ceremony.
Still, knowledge was power, or so they said, and a part of me felt compelled to learn as much as possible, regardless of when it might become directly relevant.
So I was soon immersed in the book once again.
Damn, I should've taken a drink with snacks.
My throat felt like sandpaper after all that reading. I was so engrossed in the intricacies of Awakening and Resonance that the time had simply melted away. Maybe a quick trip to the refreshment area was in order.
I blinked, my vision swimming as I tore myself away from the dense text.
Another hour had slipped by unnoticed, the sunlight now slanting at a sharper angle across the library tables. My neck ached from being hunched over, and—
My head snapped up to find a figure standing mere feet away, watching me with entranced eyes. Sunlight caught silver-blonder hair, and for a heart-stopping moment, I thought I was hallucinating.
I cursed inwardly. So much for situational awareness. I'd been so engrossed in the book I'd completely dropped my guard. Pathetic.
Forcing my expression into something neutral, I offered a wry smile. "To what do I owe the pleasure, Your Highness?"
She startled badly—wait, why was she startled?—nearly tripping over her own feet. Her gloved hands flew to her chest. "U-um, h-hello," she stammered, voice barely above a whisper.
I kept my smile in place, but internally, my confusion spiked. Why is she acting like I snuck up on her? She's the one who—
Then it clicked. She'd been lost in her own thoughts too. The realization was almost funny. The mighty tsundere princess, spacing out like some daydreaming schoolgirl.
"Ummm... Ano..." Before I could say anything else, she fidgeted, her gaze darting around before she abruptly bowed her head, a flush creeping up her neck.
"T-Thank you," she finally blurted out, the words rushed and almost swallowed.
I opened my mouth—to ask what for—but she was already spinning on her heel and bolting, her shoes tapping a frantic retreat across the library floor.
I stared after her retreating figure, eyes narrowing in contemplation. That reaction…
The timing, the awkward gratitude, the way she'd practically fled the moment she spoke.
A cold droplet of suspicion trickled down my spine, chilling the lingering warmth of the afternoon sun.
She saw me yesterday?
Yeah she probably did...
Sigh... I only hope she won't trouble me in the future.