"I promise you."
A subconscious mumble left the boy's lips, which woke him up from his sleep. Through the slit of his half-closed eyes, he discovered his hand, pointing towards the ceiling. As if, reaching out for something—only to fail.
Retracting the hand, he rubbed his still-drowsy eyes but sensed something unusual. So, he gently touched his cheeks, only to find them moist with tears. This left him bewildered, also got rid of his drowsiness.
Whose voice?
Who was she?
What did I promise?
Why am I crying?
A series of questions popped up, making him momentarily confused. But answers didn't find him.
Unable to find answers to his inexplicable dream and unanswerable questions, he slowly rose from bed and stretched his numbed body. Drawing back the curtains and opening the window, the morning sunlight flooded his room, while the cheerful chirping of birds reminded him of the dawning of a new day. Inhaling the fresh, humid air, he felt alive like never before.
"It poured like crazy last night, didn't it? Almost went deaf from those thunderclaps. " he muttered.
While the boy was enjoying the fresh breeze, a knock echoed from the door, followed by his mother's voice. "Aryan, are you awake?" she called, followed by more knocks.
"I'm awake, Mom. Come in." Aryan responded.
Slowly, a lovely middle-aged woman in a cooking apron over her sari stepped into the room, her tired voice teasing him. "Finally decided to wake up, huh? Didn't you ask me to wake you up early? Why've you been sleeping like a log?"
Aryan stretched, a wide yawn escaping him. "Really? Guess I couldn't sleep properly with all those thunderclaps last night."
His mother frowned, her brow furrowing. "Thunderclaps? What thunderclaps?"
Aryan paused, his own confusion deepening. Were they just my imagination? The thought flickered, then he quickly pushed it aside. "Wait, Mom, what time is it?"
"It's already ten o'clock," she sighed and said, "Alright, go get yourself ready. I'll warm up the food."
"I'll be ready in seconds," Aryan rushed towards the washroom with full of excitement, without even grabbing the towel.
The event he had been eagerly awaiting was none other than the renowned "Awakening Ceremony". On this day, young individuals like him would visit the branch headquarters of the Elemental Association to awaken their elemental affinities.
Though the ceremony took place every year, it never lost its charm. People came not just out of duty, but with genuine eagerness—parents, elders, even those whose time had long passed. To witness someone's first spark… it was a reminder of their own beginnings.
As the shower's gentle spray washed away the last traces of sleep, Aryan's thoughts began to wander, drifting back to a distant autumn afternoon. It was the very day he was introduced to the world of Elementalists
It was an autumn afternoon by the Dalisari riverbank. The sky open and blue, with streaks of cotton clouds floating lazily overhead. Gentle breeze carried the scent of water and kashful, those tall white flowers that danced like whispers in the fields. A quiet warmth clung to the air — not the heat of summer, but something lighter, as if the earth itself was stretching after a long sleep.
A checkered cloth lay spread beneath the shade of a Poinciana tree, where a little boy, no older than four, sat beside his mother. In his small hands was a slice of starfruit—big, juicy, and bright green. His face scrunched like a crumpled sheet every time he took a bite, eyes watering slightly from the sharp tang. But he kept going, nibbling with determination, pausing only to squint at his mother with an expression that begged for rescue.
She tried not to laugh and leaned back on her elbows, watching the little drama unfold.
Aryan finally held the half-eaten slice at arm's length. "It's too sour!" he said with a grimace, lips puckered.
"You've almost finished," she said calmly, plucking a small seed from another slice. "If you eat all of it, I'll show you some magic."
As if his sweet tooth vanished, Aryan finished the whole slice in seconds and looked up, blinking, juice still on his chin. "Magic?"
Mother laughed softly and stood, brushing crumbs from her sari. "Come."
Curious and excited, Aryan grabbed her hand and followed her a few steps away, where a tiny sapling peeked through the grass — small, no taller than his pinky. It looked fragile, barely alive, its leaves trembling in the breeze.
His mother knelt down, placed a hand gently near the roots, and closed her eyes.
A soft green glow shimmered from her palm — faint, like sunlight filtering through leaves. The glow slipped into the soil.
And the sapling stirred.
Slowly, its stem grew taller, leaves unfurled, and small buds bloomed into white and purple flowers.
Aryan gasped. "Ma....Magic! Ma, your can do magic! You made the tree grow"
She turned, her face warm with laughter. "It was always meant to. I only reminded it how."
He dropped beside her, eyes still on the flowers. "Can I do that too? Can you teach me?"
"Yes, you can," his mother said, her voice filled with quiet confidence. "But first, you must understand what it is you saw."
Aryan sat still, waiting.
She looked out over the river, the kashful swaying around them. "A very long time ago, nearly four thousand years passed before the world truly understood its own breath. Back then, there lived a brilliant mind named Advan. He was curious—like you. Always asking why."
Aryan leaned closer, mouth slightly open.
"One day, Advan's father hunted a strange beast, feeble but capable of a miracle: it could emit a 'Sun' from its mouth. Advan was captivated. He wanted to understand this power, perhaps even possess it himself. So, with meticulous care, he dissected the beast, comparing its anatomy to ordinary feline creatures that couldn't produce light. That's when he discovered an organ unlike anything he'd ever seen."
"What did he do with it?" Aryan whispered.
"He experimented tirelessly. Night after sleepless night, he worked, until he finally detected a mysterious energy contained within that foreign organ. But he couldn't use it. Frustrated, desperate, Advan did something reckless. He injected that energy into his own body."
Aryan's eyes widened.
"For three intense weeks, he burned with fever. But he lived. And when he woke, he felt an energy he'd never known—more spirited, robust, passionate. He felt truly alive. Yet, he still couldn't control it. So, Advan returned to his scholarly pursuits, determined to unlock its secrets."
The wind shifted the grass around them, as if the world was listening, recalling ancient times.
"It took thousands more failed experiments on other elemental beasts, but finally, Advan deciphered the process of channeling that energy—what we now call Origin energy—inside a human body. Through this discovery, he created the first-ever Primal Origin Art, and he became the very first Elementalist."
"His aspiration to breathe fire," she continued, brushing a leaf from Aryan's hair, "would go on to change the fate of humanity, granting them the means to fight back in this harsh Origin world. Following in his footsteps, countless ambitious geniuses like Advan dedicated their lives to the path of elemental cultivation."
"They learned that the human body consists of five elements: Fire, Water, Wood, Earth, and Metal. Though Wind is a peculiar element, it is often intertwined with these. However, humans don't interact with all these elements in the same manner. Some exert a greater influence than others. Close interaction with a specific element generates an Affinity toward that element within the human body. Elemental cultivation is built upon this elemental composition and affinity."
"After millennia of evolution, every human in this era possesses an affinity for a fixed element. This isn't limited to just the five major ones; there are also deviant elements like Lightning, Darkness, Light, and Sound. However, possessing an affinity and awakening it are two distinct concepts. The Awakening Ceremony we partake in today is meant to awaken our affinities, paving the way for us to wield those elements."
Aryan stared at his hands. "What about me?"
She cupped his palms gently. "Your day will come. And when it does, the element meant for you will answer." And touched her forehead to his. "Even the smallest spark can light the dark, Aryan. Remember that."
They sat there quietly, the breeze rustling around them, the river flowing slow and calm.
The little sapling stood taller now, its blossoms open to the sky.
And for a moment, it almost seemed to hum.
Time is a restless musafir. It awaits for none, and Aryan wanted it to wait for him even less. Only by growing bigger and stronger could the sapling of his Elementalist dream bear fruit. So, time didn't just develop his body; it also sharpened his ambition.
To understand his goal clearly, the restless Aryan became a silent bookworm in no time. And after going through the book his mom recommended, Aryan summarized the important information he needed- Affinity, Lineage, Physic.
He learned that the human body comprised five primary elements: Fire, Water, Wood, Earth, and Metal. While Wind remained a peculiar, distinct element, humans didn't interact with all these forces in the same way. Certain elements exerted a greater influence, and sustained interaction with a specific one generated an "Affinity" within the human body. This deep connection formed the bedrock of elemental cultivation.
Millennia of evolution had ensured that every human in this era possessed an affinity for a fixed element. This list wasn't limited to the major five, but also included deviant elements like Lightning, Darkness, Light, and Sound. However, merely possessing an affinity and awakening it were two entirely different concepts. The Awakening Ceremony, which he would attend today, was precisely for that—to unlock their hidden affinities and pave the way for wielding those elements.
Aryan, eager to know his own path, asked his mother about his lineage and elemental affinity. Her truthful answer, however, brought a pang of disappointment. "We aren't Lineage Elementalists, Aryan. That's what nobles are. As you know, my elemental affinity is Wood. As for your dad, he's a Wind elementalist. And both of our parents had different elements than us. So, we're not sure what your element will be."
Aryan realized then that elemental affinity was a wild card. It could be hereditary or a pure, random occurrence, obtainable only after the Awakening Ceremony. Pondering it now was a waste of time. So, he delved deeper into the remaining information.
Mastering the manipulation of elements, he read, was no simple task. The sheer density of a single element could disrupt the delicate balance within the human body. Thus, a mature physique, capable of withstanding such disruption, was essential. The human body typically entered this phase of maturity around the age of sixteen. This was why, from the age of six, aspiring Elementalists like him practiced Body Enhancement Methods to develop a compatible physique capable of harnessing elemental energy.
This concept of Physique resonated strongly with Aryan. Forging the perfect physical body as a carrier for Origin energy was paramount. A flawless carrier meant easier storage and more efficient channeling of elemental power!
Since his earliest memories, the dream had been embedded within him, fueled by the tales of Advan and the subtle magic his mother had shown him. To achieve this, he had diligently cultivated a body-enhancement method called "Vajrasana Body." He had no idea where his father had obtained it, but he practiced it with every fiber of his being and every ounce of his will. This method focused on solidifying the five elemental compositions within his body, preventing an imbalance caused by an excessive increase in any particular element—a principle that perfectly suited Aryan's intuitive understanding.
Though practicing it was initially arduous and often painful, he persevered. Yet, his entire world shattered when his efforts yielded a startling result: a bulky and utterly unappealing physique in the middle stage of the art. Even he was disgusted by his disproportionate figure, characterized by a small head atop a massive body. It nearly drove him to abandon the path of an Elementalist entirely.
He vividly remembered the day he wept before his mother.
"I want my opponents to fear my strength... not my appearance, Mom. Father gave me this weird body-tempering method, and look at what it has done to me," he cried, his voice thick with tears.
Hearing his heart-wrenching cry, his mother couldn't control herself anymore. She brandished her weapon of planetary destruction, her broom, and stormed off to confront his father, demanding an explanation.
"Aryan, don't be sad. You know your dad loves you. I would never choose something that would harm you. Everything will return to normal as you reach the final stages of the Vajrasana Body," his defeated father assured him with a smile, though his pity-filled eyes betrayed his words. It was evident that he, too, knew nothing about this body-tempering method. Despite the lingering air of suspicion, the naive and innocent Aryan decided to continue practicing it.
Thankfully, his father's words rang true. After enduring years of bitter persistence and the trials of body enhancement, Aryan had finally reached the final stage of the Vajrasana Body. His physique could not be more perfect. As those bulky muscles contracted, his body transformed into an impeccable figure with heightened muscle density. At first glance, anyone would take him for an ordinary teenager, utterly unaware of the dormant power within.
"Muscle Power!" he thought with a grin. All that was left is awakening the elemental affinity.
And finally, the long-awaited day had arrived! Today was the day when he, along with his peers, would awaken their elemental affinities. His excitement knew no bounds, enough to completely eclipse the memory of that weird dream that had made him shed tears in his sleep.