'Why do we pray to those who burn our lands and slaughter our families?'
'Why, like cattle, do we kneel before creatures that have wiped out half of humanity?'
'How is man capable of such baseness when all he has to do is look forward without relying on the abstract powers of unseen beings.'
These questions tormented Morvian's mind as he watched his aunt go to church every Sunday.
He had never understood her and thought it pointless. After all, no matter how much she prayed, their problems were not magically solved. It was all too pointless.
Today, however, he recognized the answer to his questions.
Fear.
A feeling that every living creature experienced in its life.
It was what Morvian was feeling right now. And it was the reason he had come to the church today to pray to the dead gods.
A stale odor mixed with the disgusting stench of unwashed people filled the boy's nose.
Dozens of voices with sobs surrounded him and filled the space of the very spacious cathedral. However, the multitude of people ruthlessly filled the building in such a way that not even an insect could fly through here.
Morvian opened his eyes, breaking away from his prayer, and looked up.
Seven monumental statues of goddesses of dark stone towered over the assembled rabble.
Four of them had already unleashed their wrath upon the humans, almost exterminating humanity. However, it had survived and was now praying to them.
'Tonight I die... or am reborn into one who needs no prayers.'
The black-haired boy turned his head to the left and looked at the woman who was persistently praying, folding her hands together and bowing her head.
A dirty shawl covered her hair, and clothes torn in some places hung over her lean body.
Today his aunt prayed especially hard, for it was a special day.
A day of awakening.
Very soon, hundreds of young people who had turned eighteen this year would gather in the central square. And will wait for the beginning of the ceremony that will decide their future lives.
Morvian will also be among them.
'Speaking of which... I should probably get going. You don't want to be late for an event like this.
Thinking about it, the boy poked his aunt lightly in the shoulder.
The woman looked at him strangely, but afterwards there was understanding in her eyes.
Together, they quietly got up from the floor and carefully walked through the crowd of praying people.
Once outside, Morvian and his aunt walked towards the square where the ceremony was to be held.
Scarlet particles, like sparks of fire, were falling from the cloud-covered sky.
A few cheaply dressed people were walking down the street, heading near the center of town.
The ear-slashing, scraping sound of a metal carriage on the tracks filled the silence.
Morvian walked with his aunt down the paved street, skirting the litter that lay strewn about.
His dark, shabby cloak with a few patches billowed in the wind, and his pitch-black hair moved in time with his movements.
His cold granite eyes were staring at a single point, as if he were in a trance. While the sound of his heels chased the scraping of the rails.
At that moment, a cold hand grasped his wrist.
Morvian came to his senses and looked at his aunt.
"You look kind of pale, Morvie. Are you worried?"
The black-haired boy regarded the few new wrinkles on the woman's face for a moment, then smiled weakly.
"You know my skin is naturally that way, Auntie Aunt. Besides, what do I have to worry about."
"Don't lie to me little swan. You know you can't fool me!"
The woman's voice was deliberately stern and serious, despite her soft exterior.
"I understand you perfectly and at the same time I don't. Are you sure you don't want to change your mind? It's not necessary, is it?"
Morvian sighed irritably.
"We've discussed this more than once and my decision won't change at the last minute."
"But it's so dangerous! You could die out there!"
Morvian stopped and looked directly into his aunt's eyes. After which he gently took her by the shoulders.
"I know you feel strongly and don't want me to go. However, understand... this is our chance to get out of this hole! Do you understand? Even though the risk is great, it's justified."
Having said that, Morvian saw in Aunt's eyes that he didn't convince her.
"Besides, if you're so worried, I can just sit somewhere safe while the others take the test for me. Yeah, I won't get the ability, but I'll awaken anyway, becoming stronger. See? One upside."
The shawl-wearing woman faltered slightly, clearly still disagreeing with him.
Morvian put his arm around his aunt.
He wasn't much taller than her, so he had to rest his head to the side.
"I know my beliefs will not make you calm down. However, please try to realize that this is really necessary. You know me, for I've gotten out of more than my share of trouble dry."
Instead of answering, he heard only silence and quiet sobs.
They stood like that for a while, until Aunt came out of her nephew's embrace.
Her eyes were still wet, but she read confidence in them, though not the firmest.
"Alright... the important thing is to survive and come home soon. Got it?"
Morvian grinned and pointed a finger at himself, smiling smugly.
"I see, what do you take me for? Some ordeal can't crack me up like the streets of Rusthole!"
His aunt grinned and punched him weakly in the shoulder.
"Save that smugness for the young maidens you'll meet at the ceremony."
"Perhaps my face is enough for them."
Aunt laughed for a few moments, then looked seriously into Morvian's face.
"Well, go. Survive and return home, and I'll go back to the temple."
After saying those words, Morvian turned around and walked with a confident gait through the streets of the city. While his aunt stared after him.
Red particles fell from the sky, dissolving on the ground like snowflakes.
The once quiet environment was becoming noisier and more disorderly.
Morvian raised his gaze and looked at the crowd of people in front of him.
The monumental cathedral towered over the entire city, seeming to press down on it with all its grandeur.
The iridescent windows of multicolored glass refracted the scarlet light that fell from the cloudy sky.
There was fear and doubt in the air, but there was also courage here.
The courage of the young men who stood in the middle of the square, lined up in rows.
Morvian elbowed his way through the dense crowd, feeling someone's sweaty hands clinging to his cloak. When he finally made it into the square, he was met with a flurry of appraising glances - hundreds of eyes slid over his patched clothes and then turned away with almost palpable disappointment
'Of course... who cares about poverty.'
The boy straightened up and stood in one of the back rows, where the lower class were mostly.
He regarded the other participants across the rows with a little interest, but of course his gaze lingered on the
the very first.
Where the heirs of the great houses stood.
This group of people had far fewer members than the same participants from the poorer neighborhoods. While there was less middle class than the poor, there was a lot more elite.
Morvian chuckled to himself as he looked away from the heirs.
'They're all like porcelain dolls in a shop window.'
Indeed, all of the heirs were incredibly beautiful and seemed to shine.
Their clothes were exquisite, but chosen with style and taste. It was as if they had come to a ball, yet they could run a marathon in those clothes.
Morvian regarded the aristocrats for a while, but at that moment a thoughtful voice was heard to his right.
"I've never understood why there are guards here during the ceremony?"
Morvian turned his head slightly to the right, but in a way that was not noticeable.
The voice belonged to a short guy with long curly brown colored hair.
The guy was even shorter than Morvian! That meant he didn't even reach 170 centimeters.
The dwarf was wearing slightly shabby baggy clothes, and his blue eyes stared boredly into space.
"If no one ever rioted during the ceremony, why so many guards? I understand the need for some sort of security guarantee, but there are somehow too many."
Morvian looked around the entire perimeter of the square.
"Indeed.
There were a couple dozen soldiers with rifles on each side, totaling over a hundred soldiers.
"Are you an idiot or are you just pretending?"
A new voice was heard from the front. It was pleasant and sarcastic at the same time.
Morvian looked forward and saw a tall guy with long blond hair tied into a ponytail.
He was turned to face them and Morvian could see the unknown man's almond eyes.
There was a startling clarity in them, like that of a bird of prey that has spotted its prey.
The dwarf glared angrily at the tall fellow, cocking his head upwards, as that was the only way he could do it.
"Huh?! Who are you calling an idiot here?"
The little guy's voice was angry and loud.
"Obviously you, since you can't even comprehend that."
This time the dwarf looked at Morvian, dumbfounded at such insolence.
Several people began to look in their direction, observing the situation.
The short man was quite loud, so even the aristocrats caught a glimpse of their sora. However, they quickly lost all interest as if they were watching an insect fight.
The short guy angrily covered them with curses while waving his arms and shouting.
Morvian rolled his eyes, while the tall guy in front only covered his face with his hand.
More and more people began to pay attention to them, curious about the sudden noise.
Several dozen eyes were staring straight at them.
The red-haired guy raised a finger and put it to his mouth, showing the dwarf to shut up.
"I'm surprised you even came here since you don't know something so important."
The undersized man quieted down a bit, but the anger was still in him.
"Hm? And what is that?"
Morvian sighed heavily and pointed a finger all around the perimeter of the square where the soldiers stood.
"They're here to kill us."