The ballroom was silent and the air was thick with anticipation as the butler gently placed the glowing crystalline sphere atop its pedestal.
Fabian, the eldest of the Borin quintuplets, stepped forward first with practiced confidence. He straightened his maroon coat, gave a theatrical bow, and then smirked back at his siblings.
"Well then," he said, locking eyes with Adrian, "Mr. Genius, why don't you go first? You've been reading magic books since you were two, haven't you?"
Adrian looked up with a calm smile. "Thank you, brother, but I'll pass. Feel free to go first instead."
Fabian's smile twitched, but he chuckled and turned back toward the orb. "Fine, watch and learn."
He pressed his palm confidently onto the Awakening Orb.
At first, nothing happened. Then... whoosh!
The orb flared with vibrant red flames, followed by brilliant arcs of white lightning. Sparks shot up like tiny explosions in a storm.
"Fire... and Lightning!" the butler declared with reverence. "An extremely rare dual affinity. Exceptional for both combat and command."
The guests burst into applause. Fabian turned with a smug grin, soaking in the admiration. Dual affinities were so rare that only five out of every hundred Mages awakened with one. And Fabian was truly exceptional to have gotten it.
Next was Diana, who approached with a swish of her deep green dress. Her expression was poised and proud.
The moment her hand touched the orb, it shimmered with emerald hues and swirls of brown.
"Oh my! Another dual affinity... Wind and Earth," the butler proclaimed.
Diana smiled at the nobles, then turned her gaze to Adrian with veiled contempt.
Julian went next. His dark, emotionless eyes gave nothing away as he placed his hand on the orb, and then silence followed.
Then, the entire orb went black, like ink pouring into water. Faint purple motes floated inside like dying stars.
"Darkness affinity," the butler said slowly. "Rare..."
A few nobles murmured. Some shifted uncomfortably. Julian said nothing and walked back without expression.
Now, only Serena and Adrian remained.
Serena stepped forward, graceful and humble.
Adrian watched her with quiet admiration. She was the only one who ever treated him like family. The only one who didn't look at him with envy or disdain. So he wished she got something great too.
She gently placed her hand on the orb.
The crystal shimmered. First, it glowed with pure golden light, gentle and warm. Then, a soft blue hue spiraled alongside it like flowing water.
The ballroom fell into awe.
"Light and Water," the butler announced, his voice a mixture of pride and disbelief. "Another rare dual affinity... and two of the most graceful elements. This is a true blessing."
The guests erupted into cheers. Even Lord Cedric stood, clapping with joy.
Serena turned toward Adrian with a glowing smile. She didn't look smug. She looked... happy.
And now, it was his turn.
Adrian stepped forward slowly, causing the atmosphere to shift slightly.
There were whispers, held breaths, and stifled excitement.
Everyone was watching him.
Everyone had heard the stories. The child who read and wrote at two, who spoke like a scholar by three, who memorized magical theories without ever casting a single spell.
How many affinities would he awaken? Two? Three?
Some even whispered the forbidden word — Omni-Affinity.
Adrian stopped before the orb and looked at it quietly.
'This is it. The moment I've waited five years for.'
He placed his left hand gently on the surface. It was cool to the touch, pulsing faintly like a heartbeat.
He closed his eyes and took a breath.
'Calm. Focus. Let it flow.'
No swirl. No light. No color. Only silence.
Seconds passed, but the orb remained still.
"Maybe his is just taking longer?"
Adrian frowned but kept his hand there, focusing harder. He could feel something... faint. A hum in the air. But the orb didn't react.
One minute passed. Then two. Then five.
Suddenly, the orb darkened, not like Julian's darkness affinity, but murky, greyish smoke began to swirl inside.
The butler stepped forward with a low voice:
"...Smoke. A failed resonance."
Gasps echoed across the ballroom.
"A... Dud?" someone muttered.
"No way. He's the genius child!"
"This must be a mistake. He's a Borin!"
Adrian's heart pounded when he realized the situation.
'No. No, this isn't right.'
He pressed his hand harder against the orb causing sweat to form on his brow.
'It doesn't make sense. I studied everything. I understand magic. I know more than they do!'
"Try again," he whispered. "Come on. Just one spark..."
But the orb remained dull.
The butler finally spoke with a soft and respectful tone.
"Young Master Adrian... I'm deeply sorry. But the orb has spoken. You possess... no affinity."
No affinity. He had many expectations before the Awakening, and that wasn't even an option for him, but now it's the reality.
"How pathetic," Diana remarked. "So much studying and you couldn't even light the orb."
"You don't deserve to be a Borin," Fabian snapped. "You're a waste of a name."
Adrian trembled and his hand slipped from the orb. And without knowing, a single tear ran down his cheek.
He had dreamed of this moment for five years. He had prepared, hoped, and believed.
He turned slowly, but just as he took a step back—
A metallic chime rang in his ears, and then glowing, silver text filled his vision.
[TECHCORE SYSTEM ONLINE.]
[User Designation: Adrian Borin | Age: 10 | Status: Mana Affinity – Null]
[Scanning Neural Pathways... Synchronization Optimal.]
[Soul Compatibility: 99.99% – Exceptionally Rare.]
[Fusing Primary Core... Please remain still.]
A pulse of heat surged through Adrian's chest at that moment, indicating the beginning of the fusion.
The process wasn't painful, but it felt like something had sunk deep inside him, latching onto the very core of his being.
It didn't take long before the process was completed, resulting in a change of the text within his vision.