1 Chapter 1.

Leck, one of the many cities established after the fall of the demonic empire, as it is today known, by the Eternal Church. After the fall of the demonic empire brought by the united forces of humanity, all other races were expelled whether by removal or execution, a cleansing occurred. with the religion of the Eternal Church seeing order across the lands, humanity flourished. Along with the ruling of the Eternal Church came the probation of any kind of sorcery or foreign worship which would be called blasphemy and in turns, lead to execution of all who participated.

Each year, across the the empire, children who had reached the age of seven will be brought together to undergo the awakening of their aptitude for cultivation of the divine arts. Those who's aptitude for the divine arts is found to be high will be graced with the fortune to join the church as a holy knight, a title which would have them finding no worry over food nor money ever again.

Walking through the streets of Leck were Arthur and his uncle. On their way to the main church of Leck, different voices made their way through and into their ears. Shouts from merchants who came to sell their goods, worries of farmers about the coming winter, gossip of women, who could swear the woman next door was a sorcerer. The streets of Leck were as ever lively, even more so today.

After a short walk, Arthur and his uncle arrive in the city center, where the main church of Leck is located. This is not the first time Arthur sees the church, the building that is pure white, height rises above any other in the city. He would always wonder why his uncle which is usually warm and welcoming would grimace upon looking at such a beautiful place.

Together with his uncle, and like the many others who came today for the same purpose, Arthur enters the church, toward the place in which the awakening of his aptitude will take place.

"Arthur" exclaims his uncle as he bends down, his hand on Arthur's shoulder, their eyes meeting at the same height. "You will have to go alone with all of the other children now, will you be alright?"

"Don't worry uncle, i will be fine"

"Then i will be going now"

After leaving his uncle, Arthur begins to follow the other children. Among all the children, Arthur finds himself a little stressed. He grew up traveling, without brothers and sisters, and without much contact with the other children in town. He had only gotten into Leck last year. After watching others, he gathers courage and tries to call the child to his right

"Hello"

Despite his expectation for an answer, the boy to his right merely gazes at him before he rolls his eyes and ignores him.

Saddened, Arthur looks down.

"Snuffly nobles" A whisper comes from his left.

Surprised, Arthur seeks the source of the voice

Right next to him, Arthur sees another child. Black hair and brown eyes, the boy's gaze is full of contempt as he looks at the child who had just ignored Arthur.

"Nobles?" Arthur says, perplexed.

"Yes, that's what my ma calls them, dressed in pretty clothes. says they're the reason we don't have enough money for sweets, something about takses?"

"Taxes, you mean?" Arthur recalls a term his uncle had used

"Yes taxes!"

The boy pauses as he examines Arthur from toe to head

"My name is Glam, what is your name?"

"Arthur"

"That a pretty nice name, not as good as Glam, though."

Just then, a bell rang when a voice called out to all the children

"Stand in line, enter one after the other each time the priest calls"

Afterwards, all of the children rushed to the top of the line, Glam being one of them.

"See you later Arthur!" Glam calls as he run.

Taking note, Arthur does the same, finding himself a spot in the line, waiting to be called in.

.......

After separating from their children, all those who wishes to watch the awakening ceremony would make their way to the main hall of the church, where they sat to watch the ceremony

"By the flame!"

A shocked voice escapes from the mouth of one of the church sisters as she guides the visitors to the main hall.

"Head sister Elsa, are you okay?" One of the other sisters questions to the shock of her fellow

"Yes" She replies "I... just have to check something, please keep going and i will be right back"

Giving no heed to her fellow's approval, Elsa start marching toward a certain direction, in which an Arthur's uncle was standing.

"Is that really you?"

"Long time no seen, Elsa" the old man replies, his voice quite and soothing.

"What are you doing here!?" She asks whispering, yet full of fury.

"They told me you ran away, they told me your betray-"

"I am sorry"

silence ensues for several seconds.

"Why shouldn't i just turn you in right now?"

"I trust you to not do that"

Another bout of silence

Elsa sigh, the fury disappear from her face

"What are you even doing here Verick, if anyone were to recognize you, you would be executed right away"

"i came here with a boy" Verick, Arthur's uncle, answers.

"A boy? Is he yours?" Elsa squints her eyes

"No" Verick grins "Is that jealousy i hear?"

"Jealousy?" Elsa chuckles, "Was just surprised there would be a woman stupid enough to lay with you"

"Why did you have to choose Leck of all places?" she inquires

"The kid is special, if trouble happens, there are people I can call here, favors to use"

"And besides" He pauses "I just wanted to see you"

"By the flame! You have not changed a bit"

"Neither did you"

Taking notice of the empty corridor, Elsa sighs

"Its time to go, i have a crowd to look after"

"See you later, Elsa "

.........

After the priest's proclamation, a line was formed towards the main hall. Arthur found himself in the back of the line when one by one the children began to be invited inside. Not long after, Arthur was at the front of the line, the next to enter

"Next!"

Breathing deeply, Arthur gathered courage as step by step, he began walking toward the main hall.

"What will happen now?" he wondered. His uncle seemed to know about what was going on during the awakening ceremony, but he nevertheless refused to reveal anything. "You don't have to worry" he told him, and yet, Arthur couldn't help but shake a little with anxiety.

What does awakening means? His uncle didn't tell him much about the ceremony itself, but when asked about the meditation he had to perform each day for the past year, his uncle replied that he would understand after awakening, and that the meditation should not be skipped, even for one day.

As he stepped in, Arthur's eyes widened at the sight of the hall that was exposed in front of him. Marble pillars lined on either side like soldiers, leading to a pedestal upon which an ever burning torch was lit. From above, beautiful chandeliers sprang up like the stars in the night sky, sending their lights to the glass windows that adorned the church walls. Beyond the marble pillars, Arthur could see benches on which all those who came to experience this ceremony sat in anticipation.

"Come here, child" A pleasant voice called from beside the pedestal.

As he walked toward the stage, Arthur looked up at the people he passed. He saw parents holding their crying children, reassuring them with comforting whispers. He saw other children with a big smile on their faces, parents proudly looking at them. Then, he saw Glam, waving his hand with a big grin on his face. However, no matter how much he searched, he did not find his uncle among the crowd.

When he reached the stage Arthur looked up at the priest who called him. The priest wore a white robe upon which the eternal torch symbol was displayed, but unlike the other priests he saw while in the church, gold and silver lines adorned these specific priestly robes, in addition, the priest held a silver staff in his hand.

"Lay you hand upon the pedestal child, and the flame shall guide you"

Arthur watched the pedestal that stood before him, gleaming an ivory color, before laying his hands upon it.

Silence reigned as the ever burning flame danced on the pedestal with no apparent change. Only the sighs of the observers broke the silence, some in disappointment, some in relief, some in both.

Unknown to these people, inside Arthur's head, a scarlet storm erupted.

.....

Howling winds raged beneath the crimson sky that unfolded as far as the eye saw. Under the guise of the purple lightning, which was constantly bursting with deafening roars, sharp drops of rain like knives fell to the ground, stabbing all that came in their way.

Crop fields that once fed entire villages were filled with destruction as winds that could even uproot trees from the ground passed through them before making their way toward a small cabin in the center.

Inside the cabin a child was seen, his body curled up on the floor with a residue of fading fire next to him. Without a shirt, the boy shivered as the dreadful storm came through his bones. The fabric of his shirt had been already depleted, if only to keep the fire alive for a shorter while. His parents left in the morning, farmers, they went to town to sell the eggs they raised, the milk they milked, the -

*BOOM*

Suddenly, the roof that had so far protected the cabin from the heavy rain was ripped from its place, the roaring winds that saw this opportunity rushed in full force, as did the rain which showed no mercy beneath it.

*BOOM*

No longer protected under the roof of the cabin, the boy who was curled on the floor of the cabin began to feel innumerable cuts appear on his body which was already on the verge of collapse.

"A-aar-r-thurr"

Desperate, the boy clung to the sensation that emerged in his chest, the feeling of his baby brother, which his parents had left under his care. He could feel the warmth of his brother who continued to roar against the chilling storm, he could feel his chest rise and fall with every breath, he recalled the promise he made to his parents, under his pride as a big brother, when his body came as a shield to his brother, he did not think of himself

*BOOM*

Just before his eyes closed, and the comfort of death enveloped him, he saw it. A figure in the sky, wrapped in crimson light, with wings of blood, she looked at him, and the sparkle of her eyes was the last thing he saw.

....

The silence continued as groans of discomfort rose alongside whispers in the church hall. It's been about five minutes since Arthur put his hand on the pedestal, since his eyes closed and his body froze in place.

Most awakenings lasted less than a minute, with two minutes being the longest. Those in the hall before knew that a successful awakening would be proven by the rise of the flame of the eternal torch, while the color of the flame, if changed, would indicate the element for which the child would be most attuned.

They wondered why the pastor who was standing next to Arthur had yet to stop him, but no one dared to question his decision, at least not outside of their minds.

Suddenly, with no precedent, Arthur's eyes opened, and with them the flame roared as it grew up to the ceiling of the hall. Shock and awe filled those who watched the flame come to life out of nowhere, rising to a height that dwarfed all those before it. Their eyes couldn't widen any more as suddenly, the color of the flame split in two: crimson and white

"By the flame!"

Even the pastor, who waited expectantly, as he felt the divine energy flowing from the flame to the child before him for the last few minutes, hardly believed his eyes.

And despite this, the child in the middle of it all, in a state of which countless other children would like to be, shed a tear