Chương 2: Chapter 1: The Prince Without an Astra

The sky burned gold. Not because of the sun. Because of the Astras. Thousands of streams of divine energy streaked across the heavens like shooting stars, illuminating the massive city of Ayanor. The capital stood at the heart of the Human Realm. Towering walls. Floating citadels. Golden bridges suspended between mountains. And at the center of it all stood"the Astra Academy". The place where heroes were born. Or where failures were exposed. Today was Awakening Day.

The day every seventeen-year-old would awaken their Astra. The day their destiny would be decided. The academy arena overflowed with nobles, merchants, generals, and Astra Masters. Excitement filled the air. Everyone wanted to witness the birth of future legends. Above the arena floated a giant crystal sphere. The Astra Orb. An artifact left behind from the First Age. It judged souls. And awakened power. One by one, students stepped forward." Aeron Valis." A handsome noble walked toward the orb.

The crystal flashed. Blue lightning erupted around his body. Gasps echoed through the arena." A Lightning Astra!"" Gold Rank!"" Incredible!" Aeron smirked. His father laughed proudly from the audience. The crowd erupted into applause. The next student stepped forward. A girl. Long silver hair. Sharp golden eyes. The moment her hand touched the orb— BOOM! Green light exploded. Vines burst from the arena floor. Flowers bloomed everywhere. The spectators rose from their seats." A Nature Astra!"" A Saint-Class Astra!""

A genius!" The girl remained calm. Almost bored. Her name was " Siena". Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. The daughter of Duke Janak. One of the strongest young talents in the kingdom. She glanced toward the crowd. Not proudly. Not arrogantly. As if she were searching for someone. Then her eyes stopped. On a black-haired boy sitting alone near the back.

"Rayan". The forgotten prince. The boy who had yet to awaken. The boy everyone pitied. The boy everyone mocked. The Second Prince of Ayanor. Siena frowned slightly.

"Why do you look so calm?" she whispered. Far below, Rayan sat with his arms crossed. Watching. Waiting. As student after student awakened powerful Astras. Flames. Ice. Wind. Shadow. Steel. Every successful awakening brought cheers. Every cheer made the atmosphere heavier. Because everyone knew who was next. The prince without power. The prince who had failed every aptitude test. The prince whose Astra resonance was measured at nearly zero. Whispers spread through the arena.

"Poor guy."

"He shouldn't have come."

"This will be embarrassing."

"Imagine being born into the royal family and awakening nothing." Laughter followed. Rayan heard every word. Yet his expression never changed. Not because he was brave. Because he had heard it his entire life. A Failure. A Weakling. A Disappointment. Words lost their sting after enough repetition. A loud voice echoed through the arena.

"Rayan Ashvar." Silence. Thousands of eyes turned toward him. The prince stood. Slowly. Calmly. His black academy coat fluttered behind him. Step. Step. Step. Every footstep echoed across the arena. The whispers grew louder.

"Look at him."

"He actually came."

"Does he think something will change?"

"Maybe he'll awaken a Cleaning Astra." More laughter. Rayan ignored them. Eventually he reached the Astra Orb. The crystal floated before him. Brilliant. Ancient. Powerful. For a moment, he simply stared at it. Then he raised his hand. And touched it. Nothing happened. The arena waited. One second. Two seconds. Three. Five. Ten. Nothing. Not even a spark. The silence became uncomfortable. Then someone laughed. Another followed. Soon the entire arena erupted.

"Hahaha!"

"He really has nothing!"

"Zero resonance!"

"No Astra!"

"The prince is powerless!" Even some nobles openly mocked him. The royal family's reputation crashed in real time. The king sat silently. Expression unreadable. Nearby, several ministers exchanged smug smiles. Rayan lowered his hand. The crystal remained dark. Failure. Again. The examiner coughed awkwardly.

"No awakening detected." The words echoed throughout the arena. Like a death sentence. More laughter. Rayan turned away. His face remained calm. But inside— Something cracked. Not anger. Not sadness. Exhaustion. He was tired. Tired of proving himself. Tired of expectations. Tired of failure. As he walked back toward his seat, a voice called out.

"Lucky me." The arena turned. Aeron. The Lightning Astra genius. He wore a mocking grin.

"You know, Rayan." The noble spread his arms dramatically.

"I was worried." Laughter spread among his followers.

"Worried?" Aeron nodded.

"That maybe the royal family had hidden your talent." More laughter.

"But it turns out you're even worse than the rumors." The crowd chuckled. Several students joined in. Rayan stopped walking. The arena grew quiet. Aeron smirked.

"Tell me, Your Highness."

"How does it feel to be useless?" Silence. Everyone waited. Rayan slowly looked at him. His eyes remained calm. Too calm. And that irritated Aeron. Finally, Rayan spoke.

"If mocking me makes you feel stronger..." His voice was quiet.

"... then perhaps you're weaker than I thought." The arena froze. Aeron's smile vanished.

"What did you say?" Rayan continued walking. Ignoring him. The noble's face twisted. Humiliation. In front of thousands. Lightning crackled around his body.

"Stop." Rayan didn't. The lightning intensified.

"STOP!" BOOM! A bolt exploded toward Rayan's back. Gasps erupted. The attack was fast. Too fast. Even teachers were caught off guard. The lightning reached him— And missed. A strange feeling swept through the arena. As if reality itself had shifted slightly. The bolt struck the ground. Exploding into sparks. Everyone stared. Confused. Even Aeron blinked.

"What?" For a split second— Rayan had moved. Just enough. Almost as if he had known exactly where the attack would land. His eyes narrowed. Because even he didn't understand what had happened. A strange sensation lingered in his mind. A whisper. A distant voice. Ancient. Forgotten. Watching. Waiting. The arena suddenly felt colder. The wind stopped. The sky darkened. People looked upward. Confused. The sun had disappeared behind massive black clouds. A deep rumble echoed across the heavens. Not thunder.

Something else. Something older. Something alive. Far beyond mortal sight. Deep beneath the world. Inside an ancient ruin buried since the First Age. A pair of golden eyes opened. The chains surrounding them trembled. Cracks spread across divine seals. A voice echoed through eternity. A voice that had slept for thousands of years. A voice only one person could hear. Rayan froze. His heartbeat thundered. The world around him vanished. Darkness swallowed everything. Then the voice spoke. Calm. Ancient. Absolute.

"At last." Rayan's eyes widened. The voice continued.

"I have found you." The darkness trembled. Golden light filled the void. And a single question echoed through his soul.

"Will you inherit the First Dharma Astra?"