Zeke walked toward the stage, his heart racing. He took a deep breath to steady himself. As he approached the Fatebringer, he could feel the eyes of the other students and the leaders of the four factions on him. He heard the whispers of the crowd, speculating about his potential affinity. The thought of becoming a powerful mage filled him with excitement.

He reached out and brushed over the surface of the transparent orb. It was smooth to the touch and felt incredibly cold in his hand. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. This was it — the moment of truth. The Fatebringer crystal would only glow if it sensed an affinity within him.

The headmaster placed his open palm at the center of his back. It rested on his spine, just between his shoulder blades. However, Zeke was too focused on the task at hand to pay much attention. He concentrated hard, focusing on the image of fire and the desire to control it.

Seconds passed in silence, and Zeke felt no change. He opened his eyes a crack and saw that the crystal was still dull and lifeless. His heart sank. Did he not have an affinity after all?

He pressed his eyes shut again and focused even harder on the mental image. He could see the flames dancing — an inferno of fire and wrath, destroying all in its path. Still, there was no change in the crystal in front of him.

"Relax your mind, boy," the headmaster advised from behind Zeke. His tone was gentle, convincing him to give up on the iron hold he had on his thoughts. He let his mind drift. The moment he did, he felt a strange force penetrating deep into his body from the hand on his back. The thoughts that came to him now were so very different from moments before.

Instead of a raging fire, his thoughts went to his home.

He saw his father, lifting a stack of heavy crates above his head. A beaming smile emerged on the man's face upon noticing Zeke’s admiring gaze. The view changed, and he saw a crowd of people, all connected by a net of energy. And then, he saw his hometown from up in the air. His viewpoint drifted up, ever further into the sky. Finally, he looked down at a blue sphere that floated in an endless, dark void.

Without Zeke’s knowledge, the crystal had started to glow. It was faint at first, but gradually grew brighter and brighter until it was almost blinding. When he finally opened his eyes, it was as though a veil had been lifted from his senses.

He felt a rush of sensations, an awareness that extended beyond his physical form, akin to a faint whisper from all around. There was a new taste in the air, like the scent left in the wind after a thunderstorm. Colors seemed richer, and every detail of his surroundings was etched with newfound clarity.

His attention shifted to the people around him, and he saw them not just as individuals, but as vessels of energy, hungrily consuming this newfound force. But while the students were like tiny carp gingerly taking sips, there was a whale right behind him. Victor Windtänzer was like a bottomless void, hellbent on draining the sea.

This had to be it — Mana! The very force Mages used to weave their spells.

Zeke didn’t even need to turn his head to get the full picture. His ability to sense the Mana around him was completely independent of his sight. If he had to describe this new sense, then it was like standing in the middle of a pond and feeling the ripples hitting his body. Not the most accurate system, but it would have to do.

He flexed his fingers, feeling the magic resonate within him, a harmony between his core and the arcane forces that coursed through the world. He was connected to something greater now, a web of power that had always been there, waiting for him to notice its presence. But there was something even more important for him to do now.

Zeke squinted at the Fatebringer crystal in front of him, trying to determine its color. He needed to know what affinity he had awakened to. And as the glow began to fade, he could finally make out the changes. The formerly transparent orb was now split into three distinct hues, swirling around each other — like ink in water.

The first of the colors was a rich, crimson red. Its deep hue held a beauty that reminded Zeke of his own hair, prompting a fleeting smile to grace his lips. This had to be his Fire Affinity!

The second color bore a regal shade of blue, yet its allure carried an unsettling undercurrent. A mere glimpse seemed to ensnare the gaze, but with a determined effort, he managed to break free from its grip and shifted his attention to the third color.

The final hue unveiled itself as a deep, velvety purple, its darkness enlivened by tiny, glistening particles nestled within the swirling shades. Like stars scattered across the night sky, these specks added an unexpected touch of wonder. Among them, he found solace, drawn to the soothing embrace of this enchanting vista, where he could have easily lingered for hours.

"This is most unusual," the Arch Mage declared, his voice full of amazement. Only now did Zeke notice that the man had moved beside him to study the crystal as well. "See those three colors? It means you have three affinities, my boy. And one of them is even a perfect affinity. I believe this is the first time I have witnessed both these abnormalities at the same time."

The headmaster must have realized from the look on Zeke’s face that he had no idea what that meant, as he began to explain. "The grade we assign to an affinity refers to the quality of a core. It is a rough estimate to describe how much ambient Mana can be attuned by one's core. The scale goes from minor to perfect. While a minor affinity means your core can only convert up to 10% of the ambient mana, a perfect affinity represents the opposite end of the spectrum. Do you understand?"

Zeke nodded, unable to hold back a smile. He could hardly believe what he was hearing. He had never even heard of a perfect affinity before. At least none of the thousands of other initiates today had gotten this rating.

He glanced over to the Fire section at Alexander Feuerkranz, the leader of the Fire students. The Arch Mage followed his gaze and immediately shook his head, causing a sense of unease to wash over him. Even the whispers of the crowd fell silent as they waited for the headmaster to explain his reaction.

"Unfortunately, your perfect affinity is not a Fire affinity," he said, causing a ripple of astonishment to go through the audience. Zeke’s heart sank as he realized that he would not be able to join the Fire faction as he had hoped. He now regarded the Arch Mage anxiously, as he waited to learn what his future would hold. "In fact, you do not have an affinity with any of the four elements at all."

"If I don't have a Fire affinity, then what is this red part?!" The mix of nervousness and disappointment made the word sound much harsher than he had intended.

There was an immediate outcry from the students. Many hissed at him in displeasure. This was no way to talk to an Arch Mage and pillar of the empire. However, the old man in question waited a moment for the crowd to calm down before explaining, not unkindly.

"The red part of your core represents your perfect affinity. However…" Here, the old man paused for a moment, as if he didn't want to say the next words. Still, after a moment of thought, he continued nonetheless, “It is not Fire, but Blood."

Murmurs could be heard from the crowd, this news seemed not to be well received. Confused, Zeke looked to the headmaster for an explanation. However, the old man just ignored the strange behavior of the students and went on to explain the rest of his affinities.

"That eerie blue part represents your first greater affinity – the Mind affinity. And this glittering purple part is your second greater affinity – your Space affinity."

Zeke struggled to process this information. He was trying to understand what it meant for his future as a mage. Was this a good thing? A bad thing? Right now, he didn’t have enough knowledge to make a call one way or the other.

"Your situation is quite unique," the headmaster began. "It is unfortunate that you turned out to have multiple affinities. But despite that, their grade is still exceptionally high. And therefore, in spite of your muddled core, you have the choice of how you want to proceed.”

Unfortunate? Muddled? What was happening? Didn’t this just mean that he could do more kinds of Magic? How could that ever be a bad thing? However, the headmaster didn’t give him the chance to ask any of his many questions and instead began listing off his options.

“Your first option is to attend the Himmelfahrt Institute. There, you will be taught the intricacies of Space Magic. It is likely that you will be able to find a position there after graduation. The institute is always looking for fresh talent and it is they who keep the empire safe from foreign Space Mages and provide us with the ability to move quickly inside our borders.”

This was tempting. Zeke would be able to study Space Magic, which intrigued him greatly. In addition, the guaranteed position after graduation was just as enticing. For a commoner-born Mage like him, something like this was not a given. This path would most likely guarantee a life of leisure and luxury.

“Your second option is to attend the Gedankenmeister Akademie. It is a school specializing in Mind Magic. There, you will be taught to use the inherent superiority of Mind Mages in the fields of administration and strategy. Our best and brightest come from there and even most of the emperor’s family attends that school as well.“

Zeke’s eyes shone. He had always been drawn to research and the pursuit of knowledge. This very fact was what had allowed him to develop his own meditation technique so young. There was little he enjoyed more than finding creative solutions to difficult problems. If even the emperor’s family attended that school then it was certainly one of the best places in the empire. However, would he even be able to fit in in such a place?

“Your final option is to attend the Elementium here, the foremost academy for combat Mages. Every single hero you are likely to have ever heard of has emerged from its very halls. However, I would discourage you from choosing this option.”

“Why is that?” Zeke couldn’t help but ask.

“Because you don’t have a primary affinity,” Victor explained. “Like it or not, there is little you’ll be able to learn here. Even though we offer classes on Blood Magic, it’s not a path that will lead anywhere. There is no place in the army for a Blood Mage… at least not here in the empire.”

After explaining the options, the old man fell silent, giving Zeke a moment to make his choice. Truth be told, he liked all of them. The guarantee of a good position was very tempting. The chance to study the mysteries of Magic was something that intrigued him greatly as well. However, that was not the reason he had left his home. Hadn’t he always wanted to be a hero? Somebody, people would write stories about?

There was only one choice he could make if that was still his goal. Furthermore, there was another reason to pick the third option. His gaze was drawn to the figure of a certain girl watching him from the stands of the Wind Mages. Lilly’s gaze found his own, as she anxiously waited for his decision. It was at this very moment that he made up his mind.

“I would like to attend the Elementium.”

“Are you certain, boy?” Victor asked with a stern expression. “This will be the hardest path for you, and you won’t get the option to change your mind later.”

His gaze was still locked onto Lilly’s trembling fingers, interlocked in front of her chest. “Yes, I am sure. Thank you for your concern, sir.”

The Arch Mage grimaced but still patted Zeke on the shoulder. "I hope you know what you're doing, my boy. But enough of that. Let me formally welcome you to the Elementium, Ezekiel of Feldstadt.”

Zeke looked around, but only silence greeted him. Unlike with any of the other initiates up till now, nobody cheered. Granted, that was mostly because there was no section for Blood Mages anywhere. But it still left him in the awkward position of not even knowing where he should go now.

After an embarrassingly long moment, the headmaster took pity on him and pointed to one of the corners. Zeke was all too happy to get out of the limelight and left the stage in a hurry. Soon, he found himself in the company of a rag-tag bunch. To him, this area looked like the spot where they hid all the misfits.

Unsure of what to do, he hesitated for a moment before taking a seat amongst them. His mind was in turmoil as he tried to process the headmaster's words and the reactions of those around him.

It had barely been a couple of minutes, but he was already doubting his choice. Well, at least he wouldn’t be alone. As long as he and Lilly worked together, they would surely be able to overcome this.

All around the hall, people congratulated each other or mourned their lack of magical ability as the ceremony came to an end. Deep in thought, he mechanically followed his small group out of the hall. He hadn't even registered the passage of time.

As he passed through the gate, Zeke saw a woman handing out packages. They were distributing uniforms and entry tokens to all who had managed to get accepted. Upon receiving his bundle, he was told to always wear his uniform while on academy grounds.

“Thank you,” he replied courteously. “Would you be so kind as to point me to the dorms?”

“Sure thing, young man,” the woman said. “What is your affinity?”

“Blood, Mind, and Space,” Zeke replied, pleased to find somebody who could help him right away.

Immediately, the woman's face changed. “There is no dorm for your kind,” was all she said.

“Then where am I supposed to sleep?” Zeke asked, taken aback by her sudden shift.

However, the woman had already turned her back on him and was now completely ignoring all attempts to ask her any further questions. Bewildered by this response, Zeke walked off with a sinking feeling in his chest.

He had not considered the possibility of not having a place to stay. Another staff member told him that there were inns and boarding houses in the city that catered to students, but they could be expensive.

Zeke nodded, feeling overwhelmed by the sudden change in plans. He thanked the man and decided to head back to the square where the carriage had dropped them off. He was hoping to find his friends and figure out a plan.

As he left the Evaluation hall behind, he couldn't help but feel disappointed in how the day had gone.