For a while, we just stood by the window.
From below came the dull thuds of training, occasional bursts of strength, and muffled voices. The district of the Awakened went about its business even late at night.
Scarlett was the first to tear herself away from the window.
"Okay," she said. "You look like you're about to collapse."
"Because I am."
She smiled.
"Then go to sleep. Tomorrow I'll show you how everything works here. Just go and wash up; the bathroom is to the right of the door."
I nodded. And went to wash up.
When I returned, Scarlett was already asleep. I lay down on the other side of the bed, and exhaustion washed over me.
The last thing I saw before closing my eyes was the dark sky of the Spire outside the window and the huge shadow of the construct, slowly hovering over the city.
When I woke up, the first thing I heard was the noise of the city.
Shouts from the street.
A hammer struck somewhere.
Someone was arguing loudly.
I just lay there for a few seconds, trying to figure out where I was.
Then it all came back to me.
The Citadel.
The Spire.
The Construct.
I sat up in bed.
Scarlett was already awake. She was sitting at the table by the window, eating something.
"Oh, you're awake," she said. "Good morning."
"Good morning…" I rubbed my face. "How long did I sleep?"
"About ten hours."
"Looks like I needed that."
"You sure did."
She tossed me a small piece of bread.
"Catch."
I caught it.
"Thanks."
We ate in silence for a few minutes.
Then Scarlett said:
"We have three things to do today."
"What are they?"
She held up her fingers.
"First, get your weekly rations."
"Second, buy you some decent clothes."
"Third, show you the market and the main parts of town."
"Well, I've already been shown the market."
She stood up.
"Wonderful. That'll save me some time explaining. Let's go."
The morning district of the Awakened looked a little different.
People were already training on the practice grounds. Some were striking stone blocks, others were honing their abilities. A few were sparring.
But most were simply going about their business.
We stepped out onto the main street of the central district and headed toward the market from there.
The closer we got, the louder the noise became.
And soon, the Citadel shopping district spread out before us again.
It was even livelier than yesterday.
Crowds of people.
Carts loaded with goods.
The smells of bread, spices, roasted meat, and smoke.
"Food first," said Scarlett.
"I don't mind."
We stopped at a stall where the meat of some kind of animal was slowly roasting on a large spit.
Fat dripped onto the coals, and the smell was so strong that my stomach immediately growled.
Scarlett smiled.
"Two servings."
I took a few tokens out of the pouch the governor had given me.
A minute later, we were sitting at a rough wooden table with plates of hot meat and flatbread.
I ate faster than I cared to admit.
Scarlett watched me with a slight smile.
"Now you look like your old self from the academy."
"Very funny. Were you watching me while I ate? Stalker."
She snorted.
After eating, we headed to the distribution center.
There was already a line at the entrance.
People were holding small metal tokens in their hands.
"This is where you get your basic rations," Scarlett explained. "Once a week."
When it was my turn, I held out the token they'd given me at the castle.
The attendant looked at it, then at me.
"Newcomer?"
"Yes."
He nodded and handed me a bag.
"A week's ration."
Inside were:
a small bag of grain
dried root vegetables
beans
a few strange dark fruits and vegetables
I weighed the bag in my hand.
"It looks a bit meager…"
"It's enough to keep you from starving," Scarlett said. "But if you want something tastier, you'll have to pay."
I glanced over at the market.
"Looks like most people do just that."
"Yeah."
The next stop was a clothing stall.
The shopkeeper was a short, broad-shouldered man with a thick beard.
He gave me a once-over.
"Did you arrive this year?"
"Does everyone ask that?" I asked.
The man frowned, and then I replied.
"Yes, I arrived this year."
"Then you need something simple," the shopkeeper stated calmly.
He pulled out a few items.
I chose:
thick, dark pants
a plain white shirt
a jacket made of heavy fabric
new boots
and a simple raincoat
While I was changing, Scarlett talked with the shopkeeper.
A couple of minutes later, I stepped out from behind the curtain.
She gave me a once-over.
"That's better."
"Thanks for being honest."
I paid with a few tokens.
When we stepped back out onto the street, the market continued to buzz around us.
I stopped for a second and looked around.
Thousands of people.
Shouts.
Life.
And far above the rooftops, a construct hung motionless in the gray sky.
I looked at it, then at the city.
"So… this is our home now. At least for a while."
Scarlett looked up too.
And with a hint of sadness, she said,
"It looks that way."
We stepped out of the shop and back into the bustling crowd of the market.
We walked in silence for a few minutes. People jostled each other, vendors shouted, someone haggled over the price of meat, and somewhere nearby, a blacksmith's hammer rang out.
Scarlett finally said:
"Now we need to go to the castle."
I looked at her.
"Why?"
She adjusted the belt around her waist.
"The calibration device is there. You absolutely have to use it as soon as possible."
I frowned.
"Why the rush?"
"Because everything here revolves around power. Expeditions, quests, rewards. Without calibration, you're just another newbie to the city. It's also useful for you, first and foremost."
She smiled.
"And the ruler likes to know what his people are capable of."
The walk back through the central district took about twenty minutes.
The closer we got to the castle, the quieter the streets became.
Fewer merchants.
More guards.
The stone buildings grew taller and more refined.
And ahead of us, the castle towers rose up again.
Scarlett walked confidently up to the gate.
The guards let us through without asking any questions.
"Does he already know we're coming?" I asked.
"Most likely not, but we don't really need to warn him; he'll welcome us without any trouble."
A few minutes later, we were led back into the same hall where I had seen the ruler yesterday.
He was still sitting at a long table covered with maps.
But now there were two other people standing next to him-apparently advisors.
When we entered, he looked up.
For a second, his eyes rested on me, then on Scarlett.
A slight smile appeared on his face.
"It looks like the meeting has taken place."
Scarlett nodded.
"Yes."
He leaned back in his chair.
"Good."
For a few seconds, he simply studied us.
Then he said:
"I think it's time to introduce myself formally."
He stood up.
"My name is Aurelion Drewald."
He spread his arms as if it were obvious. But why the hell does this guy have such a weird name?!
"Ruler of the Citadel… at least for now."
Scarlett smiled slightly.
I just nodded.
Aurelion walked around the table and came closer.
"Survivors from Earth don't show up very often," he said. "That's why each of you is of interest. At least in terms of information about the outside world. But you're in luck, Oscar; Scarlett has already filled me in on all the details, so you're off the hook for questioning.
He looked at me.
"But those who manage to survive their first encounter with the Spire and wake up are especially valuable."
I shrugged.
"Lucky."
"Sometimes luck is a talent, too."
He slowly paced the room.
"The Citadel of Hope is a big city. But, as in any big city… there are forces here trying to influence its future."
I recalled Orpheus's words about the factions.
Aurelion stopped in front of us.
"Sooner or later, you'll have to decide who you support."
I frowned.
"Support?"
He nodded.
"The Guilds. The Guardians. The Deep Explorers. The Circle of the Awakened."
He smiled slightly.
"Every alliance has… its advantages."
Scarlett folded her arms.
"What if we don't choose anyone?"
Aurelion looked at her with mild interest.
"Then you'll get exactly what you deserve."
He paused.
"But those who choose a side… often gain additional opportunities."
I looked at Scarlett.
She was deep in thought, too.
The ruler returned to the table.
"I hope you make a choice you won't regret."
He waved to one of the guards.
"Take them to the device."
The guard nodded.
"Follow me."
We walked through several corridors of the castle.
The deeper we went, the older the walls became.
The wooden elements had disappeared.
Only smooth, dark stone remained.
The lines on the walls here glowed a little brighter.
"We're almost there," said the guard.
He stopped at a massive door.
The doors slowly swung open.
Behind them was a huge circular hall.
The ceiling soared high above.
And in the center of the room stood a strange structure.
Rings of dark metal.
A stone platform.
And dozens of fine lines converging toward the center, as if it were the heart of an ancient mechanism.
The Guardian pointed to the platform.
"The Citadel's calibration device."
He looked at us.
"Stand in the center."
Scarlett exhaled quietly.
"Well then…"
She looked at me.
"Let's see how strong your Essence is."
The guard stepped aside, clearing the way to the platform.
Scarlett also took half a step back and said quietly:
"Good luck."
I looked at her.
"Do you need luck just to go through calibration?"
She shrugged.
"I already went through this a week ago. It's nothing to worry about. Just a little… strange."
I wasn't sure that reassured me.
I walked to the center of the hall.
The platform looked ancient. The stone was dark and perfectly smooth, as if polished by thousands of years. Thin lines ran across its surface, converging into a small circular indentation in the center.
The guard stepped closer.
He pulled a small dagger from his belt.
The blade was thin, almost needle-like.
He held it out to me, hilt first.
"A small cut on your palm," he said calmly. "The blood needs to touch the center of the device."
I took the dagger. Well, of course… I thought to myself, dissatisfied.
The metal was cold.
"How much?"
"Just a little. The device will take what it needs."
I nodded.
I made a shallow cut in the palm of my hand.
Blood began to flow almost immediately.
I clenched my fist so the drops would start to fall.
The first drop fell onto the center of the platform.
And almost immediately disappeared, as if the stone had absorbed it.
The second.
The third.
The lines on the device's surface began to glow faintly.
I heard a quiet hum.
It was so low that I felt it more than I heard it.
The Guardian watched intently.
Suddenly, thin blue threads of light stretched out from the center of the platform.
First one.
Then a few more.
They slowly reached toward my hand… and touched my skin.
I flinched.
The threads seemed to soak into my blood.
The next moment, I felt a slight tingling.
First in my palm.
Then it moved higher… up my arm… up my shoulder…
And finally into my head.
It didn't hurt.
But… it was unpleasant.
As if someone were gently running cold needles along the inside of my skull.
I clenched my teeth involuntarily.
The blue threads trembled slightly, as if reading something inside me.
The tingling intensified for a few seconds.
Strange images flashed before my eyes for a moment-shadows, movements, flashes of something dark.
And then it was over.
The threads of light slowly retracted back into the device.
The hum died down.
The light on the platform went out.
I exhaled.
"Is that it?" I asked.
"That's it."
The guard walked over to one of the device's side panels. There was a narrow metal plate there, on which several symbols and lines were now glowing.
He stared at them intently for a while.
Then he took a small metal plate, similar to a token but larger.
Using a thin tool, he began quickly etching marks onto it.
A minute later, he handed the plate to me.
"Your Awakened ID."
I took it.
Several lines of symbols and the simple emblem of the Citadel were engraved on the metal.
"It records the calibration results," the guard continued. "Your essence, mana count, and your epithets. You can change the data-just pour a little mana into your ID, and it will edit the results itself."
Scarlett stepped closer and peered over my shoulder.
"Not bad," she muttered.
I looked at the guard.
"So what now?"
He pointed to the token.
"With this, you can choose a faction. And head out on a mission."
He paused briefly.
"Study your Bond carefully. The calibration reveals a lot of new information."
I followed his advice and summoned my Bond.
Name: Oscar
Mana Core: Spark
47/100
Soul Attributes:
- Integrity: 3/100
- Resonance: 4/100
- Depth: 2/100
Essence: Ashen Wanderer.
Understanding: 10/100
Epithets:
Fierce Defiance
Ashen Blood
Fortuna's Favorite
Terror of Kings
Everything was just as it had been before, but now I felt I could focus on each inscription individually.
I focused on the line:
Essence: Ashen Wanderer
For a moment, the inscription seemed to tremble.
And along with that, a sensation arose in my mind… as if someone were whispering the meaning.
Essence: The Ashen Wanderer
Description:
A soul walking against its predestined path. The Ashen Wanderer is one who passes through destruction, leaving behind only the ashes of the past. He belongs neither to the road nor to the destination. His strength is born of movement, of a stubborn refusal to accept fate as it is imposed upon him.
The Wanderer walks where others burn.
Where fate leaves only ashes-he continues on his path. Longing to become something greater.
Focusing more deeply, I felt the lines begin to reveal abilities.
Abilities of the Essence
Passive Ability
Ashen Current
Flame and wind yield more easily to the Ashen Wanderer.
His body and soul naturally direct fire and air currents.
Effects:
- Significantly simplifies the manipulation of fire
- Enhances control over the wind
- Increases sensitivity to the currents of fate
Sometimes this manifests as an intuitive sense of the right direction, faint premonitions, or the feeling that the path is "pulling" in a certain direction.
Primary Ability.
Ashen Wanderer's Mask
The Ashen Wanderer can set a target:
- to find a location
- to find a creature
- to find an item
- to reach a specific point
Once activated, the mask of ash light takes effect.
It reveals a thread of ash leading to the target.
This thread:
- is visible only to the Ashen Wanderer.
- constantly changes depending on circumstances.
Limitations:
- requires a constant mana cost
- the more complex the target, the higher the cost
- if the request is too vague, the thread becomes unstable
Sometimes the thread does not lead by the shortest route, but by the one the Ashen Wanderer deems possible.
Secondary Ability
Step Through the Ashes
The Ashen Wanderer can instantly move a short distance, disintegrating into a cloud of hot ash and wind.
Effects:
- A short dash of several meters
- Can pass through enemies or their attacks
- Leaves a cloud of ash after moving
Limitations:
- Requires a significant amount of mana
- Frequent use overloads the body and mind
I was surprised, because when the Spire forcibly loaded information into me, it didn't give me any information about my Essence's skills. Only about how to use magic. Was this intentional? Or is the Spire not all-knowing? I don't have an answer to that question.
I looked down.
Epithets.
I focused on the first one.
Fierce Defiance
A soul that refuses to bow to fate or authority.
Effects:
- Increases willpower
- Enhances resistance to suppressive effects
- In critical situations, can temporarily enhance abilities
This epithet forms in those who go against the imposed path.
Ashen Blood
The blood of the great Ashen Wanderer flows through your veins.
Effects:
- Increased resistance to fire
- Enhanced recovery from mana depletion
- Access to the legacy
Sometimes, during moments of intense stress, the user's body may heat up as if embers were smoldering inside.
Fortuna's Favorite
The Goddess of Fortune sometimes subtly tips fate in the owner's favor.
Effects:
- Increased likelihood of favorable outcomes
- Unexpected coincidences
- Intuitive decisions in dangerous situations
But luck never comes for free.
Often, it simply defers the price to a later time.
Terror of Kings
A very rare epithet bestowed upon those who caused the downfall of a being possessing significantly higher status or power.
Effects:
- Increased damage against opponents stronger than you
- Increased resistance to the Aura of Domination
- In combat with leaders and elite creatures, the owner senses their weak points
This epithet may attract the attention of dangerous forces.
After finishing reading, I terminated the Bond.
As the lines slowly faded, I was still standing there, staring at the token.
After the Bond lines slowly faded, I stared at the token in my palm for a few more seconds.
After the bonds slowly faded away, I stared at the token in my palm for a few more seconds.
The guard waited patiently nearby.
"Finished?" he asked at last.
I nodded.
"Yes."
He reached out, took the dagger, and said briefly:
"Then congratulations. You are now officially a registered Awakened of the Citadel."
Scarlett smirked.
"Sounds almost like a death sentence."
The guard didn't react to the joke. He simply pointed to the door and led us behind him.
We stopped in a small hall next to the calibration room. It was much quieter here than in the rest of the castle. Stone walls rose high above us, and along them stood massive slabs engraved with symbols.
The guard who was accompanying us stopped in front of them.
"Now that the calibration is complete, you must decide what role you will play in the Citadel."
Scarlett tilted her head slightly.
"Role?"
"Faction," he clarified. "Most Awakened choose which group to join." This determines what you'll do, what missions you'll receive, and what resources will be available to you.
I stepped closer to the slabs.
Each one had its own symbol carved into it.
A spear.
A cog and a hammer.
A book.
Ears of grain.
A labyrinth.
The guard began to explain.
"The Ruler's House. The Stone Throne."
He pointed to the symbol of the throne carved into the stone.
"The Citadel's central authority. The court, the administration, and the people who govern the city."
Scarlett chuckled softly.
"So, bureaucrats."
"They distribute land, oversee the distribution of rations, regulate major trade, and appoint the guards. Without them, the city would have descended into chaos long ago."
He paused for a moment.
"But many residents blame them for all the problems."
I looked at the symbol of the throne. The stone around it was polished as if it had been touched often.
The guard moved his hand to the next symbol.
"The Wall Guard."
A long spear pointing upward along the wall was carved into the slab.
"The Citadel's largest military organization. They patrol the walls, guard the gates, and quell disturbances."
"Mostly ordinary people?"
"Yes. But there are many Awakened among the officers."
He added, a little more quietly:
"They say the Guard's command knows of secret passages inside the walls."
The next symbol looked like a stylized Spire.
"The Spire Explorers' Guild."
"The most influential independent faction. They venture beyond the Citadel."
I understood immediately.
"Monster hunting."
"And exploring the Spire territories. They gather rare materials, artifacts, and resources."
Scarlett folded her arms.
"And they die often."
The guard nodded calmly.
"They have the highest mortality rate."
"But they probably pay the best," I remarked.
"True. But I don't think any amount of money is worth losing your life."
He pointed to a slab bearing the symbol of a circle with several lines carved inside it.
"The Circle of the Awakened."
"A community of people with special powers. They train newcomers, help control essences, and study the nature of awakening."
Scarlett looked at the symbol a little more closely.
"Scientists?"
"Partly."
He shrugged slightly.
"Some believe that they are the ones who should rule the Citadel."
I asked quietly:
"And how are they viewed?"
"Many residents are afraid of them."
The next symbol turned out to be ears of grain.
"The Guardians of the Fields."
"They manage agriculture within the fortress."
I recalled the endless green fields we'd seen as we approached the Citadel.
"They watch over the harvest, distribute seeds, and maintain fertility."
"Thanks to the construct?" I asked.
The guard nodded.
"They were the first to notice the Bond."
He frowned slightly.
"Sometimes the plants behave strangely."
"In what way?"
"They grow too fast. They change color. Sometimes they acquire… unusual properties."
The next slab was covered with symbols of tools.
"The Artisans' Guild."
"Manufacturing. Weapons, tools, armor, clothing-they create it all."
Scarlett smiled.
"The most essential people."
"Absolutely."
He ran his finger along the carving.
"Some masters know how to work with the ancient materials of the fortress itself."
"But they don't know where they come from? I asked."
"Exactly."
The last symbol looked like a spiral tunnel.
"Seekers of the Depths."
I immediately sensed a strange tension in the guard's voice.
"They explore the tunnels beneath the fortress."
"Are there levels beneath the fortress?" I asked.
"Plenty."
He looked at us.
"That's where they find ancient mechanisms, crystals, and unknown metals."
Scarlett said quietly:
"And many never return."
The guard nodded.
"That's right."
He paused for a moment.
"Some believe there's something alive down there."
"Doesn't the construct ward off monsters with its imposing aura?" I asked.
"The problem is that there's probably a creature underground similar to the one soaring in the heavens. But it likely can't make it to the surface." I don't know-in any case, these are just guesses from those who explore the depths.
I looked back at the slabs.
Seven paths.
Seven completely different lives.
Scarlett said quietly:
"Well then, Oscar."
She nudged me with her shoulder.
"Which path will the Ashen Wanderer choose?"
I was silent for a moment.
The Guardian looked at us.
"Considering that your essences aren't suited for farm work, I'd narrow the choice down to two factions. But I won't tell you what to do. If you're afraid of death, you can become guards or help with the farm work."
I thought for a moment, then said:
"It seems… we should see them all first."
The guard nodded.
"A wise decision."
He headed for the door.
"You have a few days. Explore the city. Talk to people."
He paused in the doorway.
"And only then decide."
Scarlett smiled.
"So, our introduction to the real Citadel begins."
The guard looked at us over his shoulder.
"Exactly."
"Welcome to your new life."