Alex sat on the balcony of his room, a thick beginner guide book he "borrowed" from God knows where splayed across his lap, propped up by a creatively folded blanket he had also "borrowed" from his bed.
The sun was setting casting an orange hue across the world, like a paint job. A pleasant breeze drifted through the air, carrying the scent of exotic flowers.
He flipped a page with effort, scanning the words with unnerving seriousness for someone who still occasionally needed a diaper change.
> "The Profound Expanse, a naturally formed super-planet, is home to millions of races, protected by an ancient planetary shield. Although advanced in technology, the planet maintains its primitive roots through Talent Awakening. Powerful humans are now common fixtures across the world..."
Alex paused only for a moment before grabbing the edge of the page with his tiny fingers and flipping it over, determined to keep going. His brow furrowed in concentration as he scanned the next passage.
"Talents, the foundational force behind modern civilization, are broadly categorized into four primary archetypes: Elemental, Physique-Oriented, Energy based and conceptual. Each Talent manifests during Awakening and aligns with a person's nature, bloodline, or inherited resonance."
He raised an eyebrow.
"Archetypes now, huh? I'm guessing mine lands somewhere between 'conceptual' and 'Oops-we-don't-know-what-this-is-yet.'"
He kept reading.
"Talents are ranked according to three parallel systems:
Grade: From Common to uncommon, rare, epic Mythic, and rumored tiers beyond.
Compatibility: Measures how well a Talent aligns with the user's essence.
Potential: Indicates the long-term scalability of a Talent."
Alex stopped there, blinking slowly.
"Common to Mythic? That's a huge jump. What happened to the usual bronze-silver-gold nonsense?" He scratched his cheek thoughtfully. "And 'rumored tiers beyond'? Great. That's just vague enough to foreshadow doom."
After a moment, he continuing to read more carefully.
Apparently, natural talent was everything here.
Majority of the people here was born with a unique power dormant within them, waiting to awaken naturally around the age of two.
Talent determined:
What abilities you had.
How fast you could grow.
How high your limit was.
Cultivation was the art of strengthening and extending the use of that talent maybe even possibly evolving it, pushing the body's natural limits beyond imagination.
If someone was unlucky enough to be born without a talent? Then that's it for them, being a civilian not so bad.
He flipped to the next page.
"Cultivation Realms progress in the following order: Body Forging, Core Genesis, Core Compression, Soul Formation and more.
And more? Really " lazy ass authors really need to stop this, keeping readers in suspense ain't cool anymore" Alex lament rubbing his brows he turned the page.
"Oh just a more detailed description" he mused lightly.
"Common Grade," Alex read aloud, brow twitching. "Dull gray, seventy percent of the population, usually caps at Core Compression Realm—yep, that's the 'have fun being average' tier."
"Uncommon Grade," Alex continued, tapping the page. "Forest green, twenty percent, caps around Soul Tempering—basically the overachieving neighbor of Common."
He continues to the next line, eyes narrowing slightly.
"Rare Grade… deep blue, seven percent, Domain Creation Realm cap. Finally, something that sounds useful."
"Epic Grade—Gold, two percent, usually reaches the Law Seed Realm. Nobles, heirs, and drama magnets, got it."
He paused as the next line shimmered slightly.
"Mythic Grade… royal purple. Less than a tenth of a percent. Apex ascendancy ." He blinked. "Okay, that's just cheating."
Then, at the very bottom, in letters that seemed to swirl the longer he stared:
"Unknown Grade… no data, no cap, no clue. The rumoured beyond Great Nothing says 'cosmic mystery' like three question marks and ominous formatting."
Further down below where the descriptions of cores..
Just as Alex leaned in, about to further his reading a polite knock echoed from the sliding balcony door behind him.
"Young Master Alex," came the familiar, lilting voice of Marla, one of the older maids. "Dinner is ready. Your mother says if you're late again, she'll have your dessert—and no bedtime story."
Alex flinched like he'd just been caught red-handed smuggling top-secret documents. With unhurried panic, he shoved the thick beginner's guide into the hollow of the creatively folded blanket like a squirrel hiding nuts.
"Coming!" he chirped with all the innocence a half-diapered one-year-old could muster.
He gave one last look at the sunset, now bleeding into shades of crimson and violet.
"Balance in all things, I guess," he muttered under his breath.
Then he toddled toward the door with measured grace, leaving behind a suspiciously lumpier-than-usual blanket mound and the lingering scent of sun-warmed curiosity.
---
Later that night, lying in his cradle and staring at the soft glow of the shielded sky, Alex whispered to himself:
"Talent, cores and others huh... If I'm gonna survive in this foreign world, I need the best one."
His little fingers clenched.
Luckily, he was nearing his second birthday.
And with it — his natural awakening.
Alex grinned, a dangerous gleam in his bright eyes.
Soon.
Very soon.
.....
Far across the shimmering lands of the Profound Expanse, within a black crystal palace where even light dared not linger long, another scene quietly unfolded.
In a grand chamber, a gorgeous woman with dark violet hair and obsidian eyes cradled a small child against her bosom. The boy, barely over a year old, dozed peacefully, an unsettling coldness lingering in the air around him.
Sitting across from her, a tall man clad in elegant black robes embroidered with silver skeletal patterns spoke softly. His very breath seemed to draw a chill into the room.
This was Azrael Nightshade, patriarch of the House of Nightshade — the bloodline of Mortis Vein, the Talent of Death itself.
"The other great families descendants has been born" Azrael said, a grim smile on his face, "same with the pillars. The time is drawing near."
His voice deepened, as if pronouncing an ancient judgment.
"So it really true—the Prophecy has begun. The Age of Reckoning is upon us."
The woman, Selene Nightshade, softly rocked their son, Riven, her black-violet eyes flashing with a mysterious light.
"Let them come," she whispered. "When Death matures, no life shall stand in his way."
Note* the house of nightshade is also part of the great five families..
Across the World...
Each of the Five Great Families and pillars witnessed their future awaken.
-----
House of Liora — Talent of Life: Vitalis Bloom
In a garden so lush it seemed to be a living tapestry, a young girl with hair like spun gold giggled as flowers bloomed under her footsteps. Wherever she touched, life erupted in joyous excess.
Her parents, draped in emerald robes, watched her with awe.
"Our little Liana will be a beacon in the coming darkness," her mother said, hands pressed reverently together. "As Death rises... so must Life answer."
The Talent of Life, Vitalis Bloom, flourished more fiercely within Liana than any ancestor before her.
House of Veyla — Talent of Illusion and Reality: Mirage Sovereign
In a palace woven from dreamstuff and astral glass, a multi colored -eyed girl played with conjured fantastical beasts from thin air, laughing as they danced around her.
Her father, a lean scholar with ink-stained fingers, scribbled furiously.
"Reality shall bends for her. Dreams will obey her will," he whispered in awe. "The world itself may forget what is true if she so desires."
The Veyla bloodline stirred again through their daughter, Seraphina.
House of Walker — Talent of Space and Void: Eclipsing Horizon
Above floating islands, in castles tethered to invisible strings, Alex Walker—the boy of Space and Void—sat in quiet contemplation.
His mother, Amelia, gazed upon him with a serene smile.
"The void hums for him. Space parts before him," she murmured. "When the stars quake, he shall ascend."
House of Draven — Talent of Blood: Sanguine Crown
Deep in blood-soaked caves under crimson mountains, a blood red haired boy sucking on a feeding bottle filled with suspicious red liquid, his tiny figure emanating oppressive vitality.
The patriarch of House Draven laughed uproariously, raising a goblet of thick red liquid.
"Our blood shall reign supreme! Let the heavens and earth kneel before the might of the Draven!"
Meanwhile, among the Four Pillars...
The Four Pillars stood not by blood, but by unrivaled supremacy of Talent. The Beings who stood at top of the pillars are called the sovereigns.
Though their forces were loyal, they were not bound by blood. Yet even among them, prodigies had emerged—the descendants of the sovereigns.
The Techno Dominion — Talent: Aethermind
Inside a towering arcology of glittering steel and living circuits, a young girl, barely over a year old, sat on a floating platform above the ground. Nano-drones spun playfully around her fingers like loyal pets.
Her mechanical looking eyes gleamed as she giggled at her floating toys.
The Sovereign of Techno Dominion observed from afar, his heart beating in curiosity.
"Even among endless data, she shines like a nova."
Her name was Aria Steele, the future queen of the Machine World.
The Chaos Crucible — Talent: Elemental Chaos
Within volcanic plains and roaring stormfields, a boy slightly over a year old laughed madly as he was surrounded with harmless fire, water, wind, earth, and lightning.
The Sovereign of the Crucible, cloaked in a robe woven from elemental energies, smiled grimly.
"Chaos dances at his feet. A true inheritor of my path."
The boy's name was Kael Tempest.
Swordborn Bastion — Talent: Eternal Edge
In a monastic fortress cut into an ancient mountain, a young girl of one year plus stood alone before a stone monolith.
With a simple wooden sword, she struck.
CRACK!
The monolith split cleanly in two.
The Swordborn sovereign narrowed his eyes approvingly.
"A single strike, and destiny itself shall yield."
Her name was Reina Bladeheart.
Mindspire Covenant — Talent: Mindweaver
In crystal cathedrals echoing with unseen whispers, a young boy slightly a year old closed his eyes, with a thinking speed of an adult slept.
Even without trying, he already a monster of men and beasts alike.
The Sovereign of Mindspire folded his hands calmly.
"A single thought... and worlds can fall."
His name was Elior Mindbane.
Back in the House of Nightshade, Azrael rose from his seat, his long cloak fluttering despite no wind.
"The Great Families and the Four Pillars... all will throw their dice onto the cosmic board," he said grimly.
"Our children... are not merely heirs. They are the storm that shall remake the heavens and earth."
Selene held Riven close, whispering a single promise into his tiny ear:
"My little Death... carve your name into the bones of the cosmos."
Thus, the wheels of fate began to turn.
And the Age of Reckoning would soon drown the world in light, blood, shadow, fire., And....