THE PATH TO SUPREMACY

The grand mage's hand steadied on the staff as he drew it closer to Rui. The hall, which had already been tense, now held a silence so profound that even the faint hum of the crystal was deafening. Rui stood motionless, his silver eyes reflecting the faint glow of the staff. His calm demeanor belied the quiet storm of thoughts swirling in his mind.

As the staff touched Rui's chest, a surge of energy rippled outward. It wasn't sudden, like the others, but a slow, deliberate pulse that grew in intensity with every passing moment. The crystal at the staff's tip glowed brighter and brighter, its light intensifying until it bathed the entire hall in a pale silver hue.

The grand mage froze, his normally composed expression shifting to one of disbelief. "This…" he whispered under his breath, his voice trembling slightly. "This is no ordinary awakening."

The air around Rui became heavy, thick with mana that seemed almost alive. It wasn't wild or chaotic, but impossibly dense, like the atmosphere before a violent storm. The onlookers murmured, their whispers rising in waves as the light from the staff changed—what began as a soft silver now radiated with a brilliance that seemed otherworldly.

The grand mage stepped back instinctively, his grip on the staff tightening as though it might slip from his hands. "The mana—it's… tempered," he said, his voice carrying a note of awe. "It's almost as if the mana itself has been shaped—honed—long before this moment."

The room stirred with unease. Tempered mana? Such a concept was nearly unheard of. Mana in its raw form was untamed, volatile. To have it tempered before awakening implied years—decades—of meticulous refinement. And yet, this boy, barely seven years old, stood at the center of it all, his core awakening with a force unlike anything the grand mage had ever witnessed.

The light surrounding Rui began to pulse, each wave carrying an intensity that seemed to press against the very walls of the hall. Nobles who had been leaning forward in curiosity now sat back, their expressions shifting from intrigue to something bordering on fear. Even Soren, who rarely showed emotion, had a flicker of unease cross his face.

And then it happened.

A soundless explosion of energy burst forth from Rui's core, the silver light erupting into a radiant display. The mana around him condensed visibly, forming intricate, shifting patterns in the air—like the threads of a tapestry woven from light. It wasn't just power. It was precision, control, and overwhelming potential all at once.

The grand mage staggered slightly, shielding his eyes as the crystal atop his staff dimmed in comparison to the radiance before him. "This… this level of refinement… I've never encountered anything like it," he said, his voice shaking. "The density of the mana—it's beyond anything seen in an initial awakening."

Rui remained standing, his body trembling as he tried to hold himself steady against the tide of power surging through him. The air around him shimmered with heatless intensity, his robes rippling as if caught in an invisible wind. For a moment, his silver eyes flickered with a light that matched the glow of his core.

And then, as suddenly as it had begun, it stopped.

The light dimmed, the patterns of mana dissipating like mist in the morning sun. Rui's body swayed, and before anyone could react, his knees buckled. He collapsed to the floor, unconscious, his breathing shallow but steady.

The grand mage hurried to his side, his staff abandoned on the ground. Placing a hand over Rui's chest, he closed his eyes, his brow furrowing in concentration. The silence in the hall was absolute, every noble's gaze fixed on the scene before them.

After a moment, the grand mage opened his eyes, his expression unreadable. Slowly, he rose to his feet, his gaze sweeping across the gathered crowd.

"A Silver Core," he announced, his voice ringing out with finality. "Tempered, refined, and possessing a density I have never encountered before. This awakening… this core… it transcends anything I could have anticipated."

The crowd erupted into a cacophony of whispers, the tension in the hall shifting into something electric. A Silver Core was rare enough to begin with—its presence alone was enough to ensure a legacy. But the words "tempered" and "refined" carried weight, implying a potential that far surpassed any expectations.

From the crowd, Arielle clasped her hands tightly against her chest, her expression a mixture of pride and concern. Soren's gaze remained fixed on his son, his sharp eyes betraying the faintest glimmer of emotion.

The grand mage lingered in silence for a moment, his gaze fixed on Rui's unconscious form. The light from the silver core still glimmered faintly within the crystal of his staff, a testament to the boy's extraordinary awakening. He didn't address the gathered nobles, nor did he cast his words outward; instead, he seemed lost in thought, as if trying to comprehend what he had just witnessed.

He knelt slightly, placing his free hand lightly on Rui's shoulder, a rare softness crossing his features. "Such a core… tempered and honed before its time," he murmured, his words meant only for himself. His fingers brushed the edge of the boy's ceremonial robe as if he were trying to feel the weight of the mana still radiating faintly around him. "The density… it's almost alive, resisting yet inviting at the same time."

The grand mage straightened slowly, his staff held firmly by his side, the glow dimming as he stepped back from Rui. His gaze turned inward, his thoughts heavy. This was not a moment for grand declarations, nor a spectacle for the nobles who watched with wide-eyed awe. What Rui had awakened was something far beyond the usual bounds of tradition.

A gentle gesture summoned an attendant, who approached with quiet efficiency. The grand mage spoke softly, his voice barely audible to those nearest him. "Take him to rest. He will need time to recover—and more time still to understand what has awakened within him."

The attendant bowed, moving carefully to lift Rui's small, unconscious form. As they carried him toward the edges of the hall, the grand mage remained where he stood, his eyes following them briefly before returning to the center of the circle. His expression was inscrutable, a mixture of caution and curiosity.