Sin woke up with his head resting between a crocodile's jaws, wondering if this was the stupidest place he'd ever slept.
His first thought wasn't panic, but disgust. "Gods, your breath smells worse than that swamp water," he muttered.
The crocodile snorted, exhaling a wave of foul air that made Sin gag.
He shifted carefully, crawling out of the reptile's mouth and into the mud. The jaws snapped shut behind him with a crack, but Sin barely flinched.
"Thanks for the hospitality," he said, brushing dirt off his makeshift hide wrap. "But I'll pass on breakfast."
The jungle around him buzzed with life—birds shrieked in the distance, critters going about their business on the floors, and the leaves rustled in the distance.
Sin stretched, feeling the ache in his muscles from another night spent surviving. At fifteen, he looked older than his years, lean and scarred from years of scraping by in the wild.
He didn't belong here—and he knew it. But this jungle had been his home for five years, a place where he'd learned to survive when he had no other choice.
Pushing through a curtain of vines, Sin stepped onto a ridge overlooking a vast plain.
The sight stole his breath. There it was—a city. Solstar. Its stone walls shimmered under the morning sun, and even from a distance, he could hear the hum of life.
"Finally," he whispered. He pulled a crumpled piece of parchment from his belt. The words were nearly illegible, but he didn't need to read them. He'd memorized the promise they held: Nearest city near you with a Hunter Guild: 'Solstar. 1053 miles and 4002 feet away, toward the capital of Captainia.'
Sin's fingers brushed the scars on his palms, "This is it," he muttered. "With this, I will be able to test my Spirit Energy affinity."
Sliding down the ridge, he kicked up small clouds of dust with each step.
He felt a bit nervous, of course. It was reasonable. Surviving for five years all by himself in a wretched jungle wasn't just for shits and gigs.
He needed to prove to himself that he was powerful. Right now, there was nothing more important to him.
...
Before he knew it, Sin had managed to not only get inside the city but stood before a large Hunter's Guild building that dominated the street.
All around him was a bustling atmosphere filled with dozens of pedestrians making rowdy noise.
Vendors were yelling to sell their merchandise. Carts carrying supplies and carriages carrying people roamed back and forth--with a few rare glimpses of more advanced, mechanical vehicles.
Or, sometimes even individuals riding atop large beasts: like a white tiger or spotted black-bear. These beasts weren't of ordinary size, but instead, as large as horses at the very minimum.
Sin adjusted the robe he'd stolen from inside a luxurious-looking carriage. It was too fine for someone like him, but it let him blend in.
He had been in and out of several dozen cities in the past five years, so he knew how to sneak around without getting caught.
This time, he had bagged himself the clothes of a more wealthy individual it seemed.
A white robe with green lining, along with a pair of clean black trousers that complemented his dark locks of hair.
He brushed himself off, thinking, 'I hope I won't have any consequences for stealing something this expensive. It's more risky than what I usually go for... but when would be a better time to look my best than right now?'
When he entered the building, it took him seconds to find where he wanted to go.
The interior was large but simple. Near the entrance were a few filled seats beside the oblong windows.
At the far back of the building were multiple lines of over 100 people in total leading to booths, behind which were Hunter Guild associates providing their services.
To the right was a small canteen area, where food was being served freshly at an open restaurant to folks who wore various types of armor and wielded an array of weapons--from axes to swords, to bows, and more.
All of these areas were cool and all... but Sin's attention was immediately drawn to the left side of the establishment.
There, the sign of a large crystal ball instantly caught his attention.
A smirk formed on his face as he made his way toward a long desk with a few more Hunter Guild associate booths behind it.
But these associates were different from the ones in the back. These ones... had crystal balls in front of them.
'This is it... this is where I test my Spirit Energy affinity.' Sin eagerly mused, biting his lips so that a girlish chuckle didn't escape his mouth.
It had been over three years since Sin set out on a journey to find this city, solely to find out whether or not he had any potential for Spirit Energy in him.
'Now that I'm finally in a big city, where there are actual opportunities for me... I can gain power. I can finally get strong enough to get reve--' His train of thought was interrupted abruptly as another young man brushed past him--aggressively rubbing shoulders.
"Tsk..." The young man exclaimed under his breath with a tone of disdain as he walked past.
A couple more men walked in front of Sin, only to all join a single one of the five lines.
They muttered what Sin thought were cringe one-liners as they strolled past him:
"Who's that posh little idiot?"
"Choose a line... pompous dickhead."
"Didn't he get the news who's visiting the guild today?"
"Good thing Dreli didn't mind him too much. He must be in a good mood, since he's getting his Spirit Energy affinity tested today and all."
Sin's smile immediately disappeared from his face. Naturally, his fists balled.
But then, he exhaled, and his fists turned back into loose palms.
'No... I won't let them ruin this moment. I've waited too long for this.'
He joined the line beside the guy who had pushed him.
Before long, he made it to the front of the line, where he was greeted by a young woman wearing a white button-up and a short black tie.
"Good morning sir! You are here to test your Spirit Energy affinity, am I correct to assume that?"
"Yep."
"Perfect! Please give me your name. It's only to make sure your identity is protected."
"Sure. Its... Sin."
"S-Sin? Just Sin?"
"Sin... Clemoth Falmerdic."
"Great!" The young woman wrote Sin's name down before turning to face him again, "Please place your hand on this crystal--" Sin's attention was swayed at that moment.
"Hahaha!" The guy who brushed past him a few minutes ago busted out into a peal of laughter, "Of course, I shall!" He said as he lifted his hand and reached toward the crystal in front of him.
"--and try to relax your arm." The young woman in front of Sin finished speaking.
Sin took in a deep breath and reached for the crystal orb, placing his hand on top at the same time as the guy beside him, 'We are getting our affinity tested at the same time huh?' Sin mused, noting that fact.
The eyes of the lackeys of the young man addressed as "Dreli," concentrated on their leader's orb.
Sin noticed that many other people around the guild seemed to be staring at the orb beside his.
'Dude must be popular around here...' He thought nothing else of it.
For the first ten seconds, nothing happened to either crystal of the two crystals.
Dreli looked up at the associate in front of him with furrowed brows.
Seeing the young man's face, the associate spoke up without needing to hear a word: "Don't worry... it usually takes up to half a minute to fully register one's affinity."
"W-worry? Who told you I was worrying? Keep your mouth shut, tramp." Dreli rolled his eyes as his friends chuckled behind him.
The associate shadowed her face, looking toward the ground with a grim expression.
At that moment, Sin's crystal began to spark with energy. Sin's eyes widened with intrigue, as Dreli's head quickly turned to face him.
The two made eye contact, creating a slightly tense and awkward moment.
'Don't tell me... this random rich brat has a more powerful affinity than me...' Dreli mused for a moment, shocked.
His friends were also silent. They, along with many other people in the guild, were staring at Sin's crystal ball which was beginning to glow brighter with each passing second in a bright white light.
But then, the light abruptly disappeared.
"Please remove your hand..." The Hunter Guild associate in front of Sin said, "Unfortunately, you have no affinities whatsoever. It's quite disappointing."