Awakening II

We walked out of the mansion, followed by knights and maids. An entourage of luxurious cars waited at the door for our arrival. Yes, there are cars in this world. Not only cars but also trains, buses, mobile phones, smartwatches, and much more. In some ways, Azeroth is more advanced in technology than Earth. Well, technologically advanced might be the wrong term; a more accurate word would be "magicraft."

In this world, there is a profession called Alchemists. Alchemists are like scientists on Earth. They research how magic can be used in daily life instead of just for fighting. All appliances in the world run on magic instead of electricity or fuel. These cars are the best example of the combination of technology and magic, running on mana crystals instead of fuel. Mana crystals are lumps of mana found in places where mana is very dense or in the bodies of monsters. Not only mana crystals but runes can also be used as the source of energy. Runes are not the direct source of energy but there are some runes that extracts mana from the atmosphere and provide it for use. But these are very less efficient. Runes can only be used for small devices.

As I pondered these things, my father seated me in the back of the car with my sister. My mother sat beside me, and my father took the front seat.

"Let's go," my father ordered the driver, and we soon departed.

The entourage of vehicles moved along the road. The citizens of the duchy bowed as our car passed by. As I admired the scenery outside, we soon reached the church. I hopped out of the car, where a group of priests was already waiting for us at the door.

3rd Person P.O.V.

"Good morning, Lord Aldreck. I hope the journey here was pleasant," an elderly priest said to Lucius.

"And these must be your children who will be going through the ceremony," the priest added, looking towards Noah and Lucy.

"Indeed. This is my son, Noah Aldreck, and my daughter, Lucy Aldreck," Lucius introduced his children with a proud look on his face.

"How long are you going to talk at the gate? Let's go inside the church," Lilith urged.

Noah's P.O.V.

We followed the priests into the church. The inside was grand, with shiny marble floors, walls adorned with precious artworks and gems, and holy knights stationed at regular intervals around the hall. In the centre of the grand hall was an altar.

Yes, an altar, not a statue.

Not all churches are like this. Typically, churches have statues of the gods they are dedicated to, such as the Sun God or the Goddess of Light. Those churches are for believers of their respective gods. The church we were in, however, is not devoted to any specific god. Several such neutral churches around the world are used for performing awakening ceremonies. Since these churches are not dedicated to any specific god, all gods can pay attention to these ceremonies. When an awakening ceremony is performed, any god can bestow their blessings based on their traits.

But what happens if someone performs the awakening ceremony in a regular church? Well, it wouldn't be a problem if your trait aligns with the church you are performing the ceremony in. However, if it doesn't align, problems arise. Suppose someone has a trait for dark mana and goes to church of light for awakening; not only will they not awaken, but they will also suffer a backlash. That's why awakening ceremonies are performed in neutral churches.

"All the preparations have been done. We can start whenever you are ready," the priest said.

"So, who will go first?" my father asked.

"Me, me! I will go first!" Lucy said excitedly.

"Okay, okay, calm down first. Go there and lie on the altar," Father said to Lucy, pointing towards the altar.

"Okay," she said, running towards the altar and lying down on it.

The priests surrounding the altar began to chant a mantra. Soon, a dome of green light formed around her. After the light faded, Lucy woke up and ran towards us.

"By the color of the light, it seems the young miss has awakened a healing magic trait, but we need to check her talent," the priest said. Soon, a young man walked in with a crystal ball in his hand.

"Place your hand on this crystal and inject all the mana you can extract," the priest instructed.

Lucy followed his instructions, and the crystal began to glow green but soon faded.

"F."

A letter appeared on the orb, and the atmosphere became solemn. All the playfulness disappeared from Lucy's face. Her face became gloomy.

Seeing her reaction, my heart ached. 'As expected,' I thought, remembering the game.

"Hey what did I tell you before coming here. Whatever talent you awaken you are still the daughter duke of Lucious Aldreck." Father tried to comforted Lucy.

"Yes, daughter you are still the same little girl for us" Mother said while stroking her back.

"But I wanted to help brother"

"Who said you can't help me. You are a healer and can heal me whenever I am hurt. You are the best support that I can ever get"

"Really?"

"Really"

"yeahhhh"

With that the solemn atmosphere lightened a little.

But I will have to do something about it. I can't let it be as it was in the game, things would be different. I couldn't let Lucy fall into despair. I had to protect my family and ensure their happiness.

With a determined look, I stepped forward. "My turn," I said, ready to face whatever awaited me.