BLOODLINE AWAKENING CEREMONY LAST PART

Meanwhile, Austin grew increasingly nervous as Alex's turn approached, unconsciously recalling his own bloodline awakening ceremony where he had manifested the Tempest Born bloodline, albeit at a human rank.

The memory of his father's cold, disappointed gaze and the scrutinizing stares from others haunted him; he didn't want Alex to endure the same judgment. Tension gripped him, and he clenched his hands tightly.

However, a reassuring touch on his shoulder startled Austin. Turning, he saw a familiar face – David, not quite a friend but someone he recognized who didn't show any contempt to him during his childhood.

"Hello, David," Austin greeted, masking his nervousness with an attempt at calm.

"Unexpected to meet you here, Austin," David responded, eyeing Austin, who seemed unchanged since their last encounter.

"Your son is already on stage," David informed him.

Austin shifted his gaze to Alex, who returned a comforting smile. A sense of pride and hope flickered within Austin, momentarily overshadowing the doubts he had harbored about his son's potential.

"Alex seems confident," David remarked, breaking the silence.

"Yeah, I hope he inherited some of my resilience," Austin replied, a mixture of pride and anxiety in his tone.

Patriarch Harrison, observing from the golden throne, remained stoic, but a hint of softened expression crossed his face when his eyes met his grandson's, who appeared surprisingly mature for his age.

On the elevated stage, bathed in an ethereal glow, Elder Whitlock observed young Alex with a discerning gaze. The murmurs of the onlookers formed a buzzing backdrop as they speculated about the potential outcome of Alex's bloodline awakening.

"Are you ready, child?" Elder Whitlock's voice, soft yet authoritative, cut through the ambient noise.

"Yes, Elder," replied Alex with a confidence that belied his youth, his steps purposeful as he approached the enigmatic tower that held the key to unlocking his latent talents.

The speculative whispers of the crowd reached a crescendo as they speculated about the nature of Alex's bloodline. "Maybe he'll follow in his father's footsteps with a human rank talent," ventured one observer.

"Considering his mother's lineage, a mortal talent might be in the cards," suggested another, punctuated by laughter.

Elder Whitlock, a figure of sagacious demeanor, responded with a disdainful snort that echoed through the hall, effectively silencing those who dared to undermine the significance of the ceremony.

"Are you nervous child?" questioned Elder Whitlock, his eyes scrutinizing the young kid.

A confident smile graced Alex's face as he dismissed any notion of nervousness. "Not at all," he asserted, his hand reaching out to make contact with the solemn purple tower.

The moment Alex's fingertips brushed the tower, the hall seemed to hold its breath. A sudden change in the atmosphere was palpable, and outside, nature itself responded with thunderous rumbles and tumultuous winds.

The onlookers exchanged startled glances as the phenomenon unfolded, a sign of a bloodline awakening within the Empire's coveted top five including skyrumble bloodline.

As a black light enveloped Alex, momentarily shrouding the stage in darkness, a collective gasp echoed through the hall. The revelation that only Austin's eldest brother had previously awakened the elusive skyrumble bloodline heightened the suspense.

With a smile of pride, Austin watched as Alex, standing amidst the pulsating energy, proceeded to touch the white tower. What followed was nothing short of extraordinary—a rapid ascent of the tower to the illustrious Demigod rank.

The hall erupted into a mixture of awe and disbelief. Even the patriarch, a figure of stoic authority seated on the golden throne, found himself standing in astonishment. Some onlookers, unable to comprehend the magnitude of what transpired, succumbed to unconsciousness.

In the wake of this momentous event, dialogue rippled through the crowd. Clan members, overcome with a spectrum of emotions from shock to jubilation, exchanged words of congratulation and amazement.

The realization dawned that Alex, now the second in the clan's history, had achieved the revered Demigod talent in the skyrumble bloodline, solidifying his place among the Empire's most formidable individuals.

Harrison, typically wearing an indifferent expression, broke into a rare smile that sent shockwaves through the entire hall. "Hahahaha," his laughter resonated, leaving everyone jaw-dropped, witnessing their patriarch laugh for the first time.

Even the seasoned elders of the clan couldn't hide their surprise; it had been decades since they witnessed such genuine mirth from their patriarch. Meanwhile, Austin, recovering from the initial shock of his son's extraordinary talent, found himself facing an unexpected scene – his father, laughing wholeheartedly.

"Congratulations, Austin!" exclaimed David with contagious enthusiasm, prompting others around Austin to join in the chorus of congratulations.

The air was charged with excitement, as everyone sensed that significant changes were on the horizon for the Obsidian clan.

The patriarch's booming voice cut through the celebratory atmosphere. "From now on, Alex will be accepted as one of the sequences of the clan, and the exile status of the family will be removed."

The proclamation left no room for objections. Even those who might have harbored objections were silenced by the undeniable talent displayed by Alex. The acceptance of Alex into the sequences signaled a turning point for the Obsidian clan.

Amidst the attention and congratulations, Alex found himself at the center, somewhat perplexed. He had never sought this level of attention, knowing that with it came increased danger. His desire was to grow stronger in the shadows, but now it seemed an impossible feat.

Determined to navigate the newfound attention, Alex silently resolved to become so formidable that his enemies wouldn't even have time to consider plotting against him.

As Alex returned to his seat, a lingering feeling nagged at him, a sense of forgetting something important from his past life. It felt as if the world conspired to make him forget, and he couldn't shake the disconcerting sensation.

Elder Whitlock's announcement shifted the focus to the next in line, Noah Obsidian. As the name echoed through the hall, Alex's expression transformed into one of shock.

He remembered the crucial detail he thought he had forgotten, but uncertainty lingered – was this recollection a blessing or a curse?