The sky was gray above the Lirien Institute.
Not one of those threatening grays, no.
A dull, lifeless gray, as if it reflected the silent anticipation of the students.
In the large central courtyard, they were all lined up—nervous and impatient.
Today was the most important day for every sixteen-year-old living on the continent of Orven.
They were going to receive their magical Enarkan.
A small boy stood at the back. Arms crossed, gaze fixed. He wasn't talking.
He had never been the talkative type. Even worse, he knew this day would be the worst, even if, to everyone else, it was the most important.
A boy to his left whispered, "You think he's gonna get one?"
Another one chuckled, "With a bit of luck, maybe a broom."
Kael heard them but stayed silent.
What was the point of rebelling when you didn't have the magical abilities of others?
The only thing he could reprimand in his heart:
'Why don't people try to understand others, try to put themselves in their place?'
He had learned to stay quiet and observe.
Even though he was the weakest in magic, he was the smartest in the class.
But that didn't stop him from being last in everything.
---
At the center of the courtyard stood the Witness of the Word: a silver monolith covered in shifting runes. It hummed softly, as if it felt the tension in the air.
A woman in a red robe stepped onto the stage. Her voice, clear as crystal, cut through the atmosphere:
"Students of Lirien, today you turn sixteen. You are ready to receive the fruit of your magic."
A shiver ran through the ranks.
"When your name is called, step forward. Touch the pedestal of the Witness. Your Enarkan will reveal itself."
Names were called, one by one.
"Elira Yven!"
A blonde girl stepped forward, trembling. She placed her hand on the pedestal.
A golden grimoire appeared in a burst of light.
Applause.
The girl returned to her place, happy.
"Ren Talven!"
A smiling, confident boy stepped up. He obtained a black iron ring, etched with moving symbols.
Murmurs of admiration swept through the crowd.
The Enarkans appeared—beautiful, strange, colorful, powerful.
And then…
"Kael Varn."
Silence fell.
Kael stepped forward, slowly. Each step echoed in the courtyard.
At first, he hadn't wanted to come, but it was mandatory.
He thought maybe an orphan without magical talent would still receive some object to guide him.
He placed his hand on the circle.
Nothing.
One second. Two. Three.
The whispers began.
"What's going on?"
"He got nothing? Is that even possible?"
Those were guests speaking. If they had known Kael, they wouldn't be surprised.
In fact, it would've been strange if he had received a magical item.
Then… a dull thud.
A heavy object fell to the ground at his feet.
A slab of rough black stone. No markings. Cold. Lifeless.
No light. No effect.
The crowd burst into laughter.
"Is that a tombstone?"
Kael didn't move. He was used to this.
But he gave a small smile, bent down, and tried to lift it.
It wasn't heavy.
But it gave him nothing. No vibration. No rune.
Normally, an Enarkan was supposed to communicate its powers and abilities. The Enarkan revealed everything.
He slid it into his satchel under mocking stares.
'Why don't they even try to understand what kind of Enarkan I received before laughing?' he murmured before going to sit down.
The ceremony continued.
---
"You may now head to the classroom. Professor Helgron will come for the official Enarkan registration in a few minutes."
The students scattered through the vast orientation hall.
Kael walked through the stares without avoiding them.
He didn't need to. They were everywhere anyway.
"It's weird, did you see him? He got a magical object even though he can't cast a single basic spell."
"If you call that thing a magical object again, I'll kill you. It doesn't even have a rune. Just a pathetic rock like him."
A group of four students approached. The ones who bullied him every day.
"Hey you, is your stone an orphan too? No rune, so I was thinking maybe you should just throw it away," said one of them with a mocking grin.
"I'm not planning to. And I have a deal for you… If I pass the entrance exam to the Ruins University, will you leave me alone?" Kael asked coldly.
They all burst into laughter, leaning against the wall beside them.
It took a few minutes for them to recover.
"Who do you think you are? Just because you 'got a stone,' you think you're at our level?"
This time it was their leader who spoke.
How could they believe someone with no magic could pass the entrance exam to the greatest university in the Valerra Nation, the one that trained the country's best students and professors?
More than 300 students apply each year, and only 200 are accepted—even fewer if you exclude those chosen by recommendation.
It wasn't just a school. It was military training.
'No, I know I'm the weakest. But if I received this stone, it's because I earned it. Combined with my intelligence, insight, analysis, and the training I've done to make up for my lack of magic, I have a small percentage of success—even if the chance of failure is higher.'
"Alright, it's a deal. But if you fail..."
He grinned, then raised his voice:
"It'll be hell for you. Every single day."
"Deal," Kael nodded.
'I'll need to train even harder... and discover what power lies in this artifact. After all, the exam is in one week,' he thought.
---
As expected, Professor Helgron took the students to the official Enarkan registry.
A simple ritual before the Wall of Enarkans, a massive living slab where magical identities appeared.
Name, age, case type, magical class.
After several calls, Kael's name was spoken.
He stepped forward. The slab pulsed softly beneath his steps.
The ceremony master placed his palm on the stone.
"Kael Varn, sixteen years old. Activating the case."
Kael raised his arm.
The black stone appeared, floating in the air, hovering above his hand.
Silence.
Nothing.
No glow. No inscription on the slab.
The master frowned, extended his hand again.
"Nothing. This object has no readable magical signature. It is... non-existent."
A student in the crowd burst into laughter.
Another shouted,
"Even the wall ignores him! That's pathetic. You don't belong in this world. Stop resisting."
Kael clenched his fist slightly, took back his "stone," and left.
---
Kael returned home.
It was a small house, with nothing cozy or entertaining.
He entered, closed the door.
He stared at the object on the table.
He reached out.
When he touched it... silence thickened around him.
No sound. No breath.
Even his own heartbeat seemed to vanish.
He stepped back.
The silence lifted. The world returned.
He tried again. Same feeling.
A void. Like a tear in the fabric of reality.
'Looks like you and I are the same kind. We say nothing… but I'll make you speak.'