Inheritance of Sin

Chapter 1: The Day the World Held Its Breath

“That boy is destined for greatness.”

“He is going to join the Great Court.”

These were things that Lucan Grey often heard. Born in a prestigious family, the world believed that he was gifted. The boy kissed by the wind.

But not all winds carry promise. Some carry whispers. And whispers… can turn into screams.

“Boy,” Caelan Grey addressed. “Today is the Choosing. You must receive a strong Essence and make me proud. You are the heir to this clan; keep that in mind.”

“Yes, Father,” Lucan replied, standing tall and proud.

“Then, I bid you farewell. May God be on your side.”

Lucan Grey, a young fair boy and soon-to-be heir of the Grey Clan, stepped out of his household into the morning light with fire in his eyes and hope in his heart. The Choosing Ceremony, the most important event in all of Solara, was today. This would decide not just his future, but his worth in the eyes of his family… and the world.

The streets of Ardent Hollow were filled with joy and excitement. People were lining up all the way to the Grand Plaza, where the Choosing happened. 

Flags bearing family crests fluttered in the breeze, and young heirs from all the clans walked to the Grand Plaza, each dressed in their finest robes, each hoping to get an Essence worthy of their lineage.

Lucan walked among them. He felt the weight of more than a dozen eyes staring at him. Noble families whispering, pointing, watching. Some with awe. Some with envy.

“Is that the Grey boy?”

“They say his mother was blessed by the wind spirits themselves.”

“I heard he's never failed a single test. A prodigy, they call him.”

Whispers followed him as he made his way to the Grand Plaza. Lucan kept walking proudly. 

But inside him, a storm was brewing, not out of fear, but of expectation. The blood of Caelan Grey flowed in his veins. He wasn't allowed to be weak. Especially not today.

His fingers brushed against a small token around his neck, a gift from his late mother. It was a small charm shaped like a swirl of wind. He closed his eyes for a moment. 

“I'll make you proud, too…”

As Lucan walked, he saw a familiar face in the distance. 

“ELI, WAIT!” Lucan shouted, running up to him.

“Oh, it's you,” Elias replied.

Elias Ward was the type of person who walked into a room and instantly owned the silence. His eyes, silver with a speck of violet, seemed to see more than they should, as if they were watching from just a few seconds into the future. With neatly kept raven-black hair and a calm demeanor that rarely cracked, he looked more like a scholar than a fighter. But anyone who underestimated him quickly learned that beneath that calm surface was a storm of sharp intellect and deadly precision. He was the prodigy of the Ward clan, known for their deep ties to the ancient studies of Essences.

Lucan and Elias chatted casually as they walked. The Grand Plaza rose in the distance, its vibrant colours standing out.

It was a circular platform, surrounded by 12 pillars, each carved with the symbols of the Ancient Essences. Below the symbols was a line representing it.

The 12 Ancient Essences are the most fundamental. They created everything. All other Essences came from them. The Essences were Life, Death, Time, Space, Fate, Reality, Mind, Emotion, Will, Light, Darkness, and Chaos.

“I hope I get one of the Ancients,” hoped Lucan, looking at the pillars.

“Who doesn't?” replied Elias.

In the center of the Grand Plaza was a purple pillar of the same height as the other pillars. But something felt different about this one. 

“That’s the Pillar of Resonance,” muttered Elias, looking in awe of the pillar.

Around them, the Grand Plaza was filling up.

Heirs from all around Solara were gathered here, in this tiny town. The flags of clans were all around them. Some flags had a lightning emblem. Some had fire. Some had water. 

Lucan took it all in. Each clan had its pride, its legacy, its expectations. Everyone had a story, and every story hungered for an ending written in power.

Everyone was chatting, laughing, and looking at their competition. From behind the noise, the ceremonial horn echoed across the plaza. They stopped chatting, the laughter died, and everyone looked at the Pillar of Resonance.

The Choosing Ceremony had begun.