"Stand in line and approach the Awakening Orb! You have three paths. Hope for luck that you will become one of the Carriers!" the Ceremony Master exclaimed, his powerful voice echoing throughout the hall.
Ethan gulped, clutching the crystal tightly.
This was an important day he had been preparing for over the years, and his time was coming to an end. Today, he would find out whether he could become a Construct Carrier or not.
The Construct Carriers were the main force in this world, people with abilities that came at a great price to use and create. There were only three options for people, the worst being to remain a commoner, which was the fate that awaited most at the ceremony, but there were two more: the Broken Carrier and the True Carrier.
'Just don't become a Broken Carrier...' Ethan thought as he watched the ceremony begin.
The Broken Carriers were unable to reach the Second Rank that the Ceremony Master held. The reason was that their Circle was broken, and the Construct simply could not perform its functions. Their strength and abilities were limited, but they were still much stronger than ordinary people.
While the True Carriers did not have such flaws, their potential was limitless, unless they died at the claws of a monster or other Carriers. Their Circles were complete, and they could have several Circles as well as many abilities, making them superior to the Broken Carriers.
Every youth between the ages of 16 and 18 wished to see the Construct. It was during these two years that the energy in a person's body was at its most active, and it was possible to establish a connection with the Construct.
The Construct connected the Carrier's Circles, allowing them to become stronger, accumulate energy, develop their own abilities, and truly influence their lives through strength, power, and blood. For many, it was a dream, an opportunity to change their lives, but becoming a Carrier was only the beginning of the journey. Some Carriers died earlier than some farmers or blacksmiths due to the dangers of the world.
"The Awakening Ceremony begins now. The orb will show your results. An empty circle for commoners. A broken circle for the Broken Carriers. Finally, a full circle for the True Carriers. Perhaps one day you will create the Second Circle, just like me."
The Carrier's Rank depended on how many Circles a Construct had. In Orsire, Ethan's hometown, there were only a few Third Rank Carriers. These were people with great power, their Circles contained many Patterns that allowed them to use various abilities.
They were the foundation of Orsire City, providing protection from both enemy lands and the monsters that filled every corner of this world, because they were where the energy was. Energy was everywhere, even in the ceremony hall, swirling around the faces of the nervous youth.
Many areas were simply dangerous for ordinary people to enter. Due to the high energy density, Anomalies could appear, the Remnants that turned into fearsome monsters, and even the Echoes — mysterious substances containing treasures that every Carrier desired.
The main defense was an army led by the Third Rank Carriers, at least in the Exalted Claws - a coalition between Orsire City and three other cities that controlled most of the Corrupted Shore.
The first young man placed the crystal on the altar.
Two streams of energy connected the young man and the orb as his eyes lit up. The Full Circle filled the orb.
A happy smile spread across his face as he imagined his bright future. With his family's resources and his talent, he could hope to one day stand alongside the Ceremony Master.
A fire lit up in the center, showing his closest affinity to an element. The element was unique to each person, sometimes something simple like fire and ice, but it was not unique to see glass, lightning, metal, gravity, and other non-standard elements.
There was something unstable, like time or... chaos?
The element was initially only visible to the Full Circle. It was more difficult for the Broken Carriers to understand their element.
"First try and you got the Full Circle?" The man raised an eyebrow. "Good job, Oren."
Envious glances fell on Oren, everyone wishing they were in his place.
"Next!"
Oren smiled at his luck. The chances of becoming a True Carrier were very low. Most had to hope for the role of a commoner or to be a Broken Carrier. Bloodline played a major role. If a person had at least one Carrier in their family, their chances were 5-10 times higher than those without one.
Ethan's missing grandfather was a Broken Carrier. It wasn't as good as having a father or mother who was a True Carrier. His parents died, so he had lived with his grandfather since childhood.
Soon, the ceremony hall was filled with the desperate cries of those who received the empty circle.
"Commoner! Next!"
Ten people after Oren were unable to establish contact with the Construct, even though some of them had higher-level Ascension Crystals!
Ethan knew that his turn would come soon. He was one of the oldest, only three months away from turning 18, and his energy would cease to be active because he was poor.
To participate in the ceremony, one needed an Ascension Crystal, and Ethan had a gray one. It was all he managed to earn in the five years since his grandfather, who taught him everything, disappeared. He hoped to one day find his missing grandfather, but deep down, he knew that his grandfather was most likely long dead.
It was the lowest quality, pale in comparison to the green, blue, or even red crystals of the other participants.
A magic circle hovered in the crystal — a sign that it was 100% purified, meaning that its energy could interact with humans without harm. This was the reason for its enormous price. The worse the crystal, the lower the energy density, thus the less time the applicant had to establish contact with their Construct.
Sometimes, only the level of the crystal was determined whether a person would become a Carrier or not. The energy could run out too fast. Some needed only a moment, others needed more.
The worst part was that it was impossible to know what caused the failure: a bad crystal or a lack of talent. That's why everyone tried to get the best crystal possible.
The risk was unacceptable. Everyone had only one attempt in their lifetime. If a Construct closed, it disappeared forever.
"Ethan Thorne!" the Ceremony Master exclaimed. "Step forward! I repeat, for the last time, Ethan Thorne!"
A young man with black hair and gray eyes stepped forward.
Behind him, mockery echoed out over his crystal. He was one of the few who came to the ceremony with the worst of them all.
"Hah, just look at him. A gray crystal?" Leyna Staher's mockery rang out through the hall like thunder. "Couldn't you even afford a white one? If I were you, I wouldn't even try, you're just wasting everyone's time!"
She became a True Carrier using one of the most expensive crystals, the red one.
Ethan took a deep breath, gathering his thoughts.
The time would come when he would prove to Leyna how foolish her words were, but not now. He had a more important task ahead of him that required all his will to succeed.
"Enough!" The Ceremony Master banged on the column. "The crystal is not as important as your talent. If one is destined to become a Carrier, it will happen."
Soon, Ethan's crystal cracked, the noise disappeared, and the ceremony hall was replaced by endless darkness.
Huge gears moved further and further away until Ethan found himself in front of the dark core, the great mechanism of all Carriers — the Construct.
"This..." Ethan's eyes flashed. "I did it! R-Right?!"
The darkness began to shatter into pieces, his crystal left him a mere moment, but it was enough.
The Full Circle soared behind the Construct, the lines heading towards the center, forming a complex grid.
And then...
One part after another shattered, leaving no more than half of the previous structure.
"NO!!!"
Ethan shouted as if it could change anything.
"Broken Carrier!" The Ceremony Master announced with a wave of his hand.
Ethan's eyes widened in disbelief. "But! I saw it!"
The orb did not lie, everyone saw a Broken Circle.
The ceremony continued.
One by one, the young men placed their crystals. Some got only pale faces, while others got the power to change their lives. It all depended on their talent and the type of Circle.
Tap.
The Ceremony Master touched Ethan's shoulder, bringing him out of his trance.
"Hey, kid, wake up."
Ethan glanced around. Everyone left. Only he and the Ceremony Master remained in the hall.
"I know. At first, you were happy to see the Construct, but you ended up at the bottom of the food chain. You will remain at the same level forever, but that doesn't mean you can't become stronger."
He patted Ethan on the shoulder.
"Just do your best and you'll live a decent life."
Strangely, none of this bothered Ethan. Over and over again, he remembered how his circle was almost complete, and then the space fell apart.
Ethan clenched his fist with a fiery gaze.
'I'll get what's mine. I'll make my Construct work! I'll become a True Carrier, no matter what it takes!'
He wouldn't let failure and poverty affect him.
He spent his entire life at the bottom, and he wasn't going to stay there.