The Mythic Defect

The first thing Drake heard that morning was screaming. The sharp cries echoed through the narrow alleyways of the Lower Quarter long before the sun fully rose above Ashveil City. Somewhere beyond the cracked stone buildings, merchants were already shouting prices while carriage wheels rattled over uneven roads. The city was awake, alive with anticipation, because today was not an ordinary day.

Today was the Day of Summoning. For most people, it was a celebration. For Drake Valemorn, it felt like an execution. Another crash thundered from downstairs, followed by the furious voice of his landlord.

“If you cannot pay by tonight, then get out! I’m done tolerating dead weight!”

Drake slowly opened his eyes to the damp ceiling above him. Rainwater stains stretched across the wood as diseased veins, and cold air slipped through cracks in the walls of the tiny attic room he rented above a butcher’s shop. The smell of blood and spoiled meat drifted upward every morning without fail.

He stared at the ceiling for several seconds before exhaling quietly. His body already ached, despite the day having barely begun. The landlord continued shouting below, cursing someone in the courtyard, but Drake no longer listened. He had grown accustomed to noise. To anger. To disappointment.

Those things followed him everywhere. He sat up slowly and reached for the faded black coat hanging beside the bed. The fabric had been repaired so many times that the original stitching was impossible to recognise. He pulled it over his shoulders before moving toward the cracked mirror resting against the wall.

A pale young man stared back at him. Dark hair fell messily over sharp grey eyes that always seemed more exhausted than angry. There was nothing extraordinary about his appearance. No noble features. No intimidating aura. No sign of greatness. In Ashveil City, ordinary people were invisible. And invisible people were trampled first.

Drake tightened the straps around his wrist guards and forced himself to look away from the mirror. Today would decide everything. Every child in the kingdom underwent the Summoning Ceremony at eighteen years old. Through an ancient ritual overseen by the Temple of Beasts, each person awakened a spirit companion tied directly to their soul.

A powerful beast meant status. A legendary beast meant glory. A weak beast meant lifelong humiliation. And no beast at all…Drake’s jaw tightened slightly. No beast meant you became less than human. The thought lingered in his mind while he descended the narrow staircase into the crowded street below. The city was already overflowing with people heading toward the Grand Summoning Plaza.

Excitement filled the air. Children chased one another through the streets while noble families travelled in decorated carriages lined with silver insignias. Drake watched them pass silently. Golden lions.Crimson serpents.Storm hawks. The symbols of the great clans gleamed proudly beneath the morning sun. The nobles never looked at the poor when passing through the Lower Quarter. To them, commoners were little more than background scenery.

Still, Drake noticed the moment one carriage slowed near him. A young man leaned lazily against the carriage window, dressed in white ceremonial robes trimmed with gold. His sharp features carried the effortless arrogance of someone born with power. Lucien Ashthorn.Even among the elite houses, the Ashthorn Clan stood near the top.

Lucien’s silver eyes landed on Drake almost immediately, and amusement curved across his lips.“Well,” Lucien said casually, “if it isn’t the stray dog from Black Alley.”

Several people nearby immediately lowered their heads. Nobody wanted attention from an Ashthorn. Drake kept walking. Lucien chuckled softly. “Ignoring me today? That’s unusual.”The carriage rolled beside him at a slow pace.“I heard you finally turned eighteen,” Lucien continued. “Tell me, Drake… what exactly are you expecting to summon?”

One of the noble girls inside the carriage laughed quietly.“Probably a sewer rat,” she whispered. More laughter followed. Drake said nothing. That only encouraged them further.“You should pray for something useful,” Lucien said. “The city always needs labourers to clean beast waste.”

The carriage erupted with cruel amusement. Drake stopped walking. For a brief moment, silence settled between them. Lucien raised an eyebrow. Then Drake spoke calmly.“At least sewer rats survive by fighting for themselves.”

The smile on Lucien’s face faded slightly.“And nobles?” Drake asked quietly.

The air suddenly grew tense. Several nearby pedestrians immediately moved away. Lucien’s silver eyes narrowed.“You should be careful,” he said softly. “People like you disappear every day.”

Drake held his gaze without flinching. That irritated Lucien far more than fear would have. Before the tension could escalate further, a horn suddenly echoed across the city. The Summoning Ceremony had begun. The streets immediately exploded into motion.

Lucien clicked his tongue before leaning back inside the carriage.“Enjoy your final moments before humiliation,” he said coldly. “The entire city is about to witness your worth.”

The carriage sped forward and vanished into the crowd. Drake remained still for several seconds. Then he continued walking toward the plaza. The Grand Summoning Plaza towered at the centre of Ashveil City like a monument built for gods.

Massive stone pillars surrounded the enormous circular arena, each carved with ancient beast inscriptions glowing faintly beneath the daylight. Tens of thousands of spectators filled the surrounding seats while banners from noble clans waved proudly overhead.

At the centre of the arena stood the Summoning Altar. A gigantic black crystal surrounded by floating rings of golden light. Drake felt his heartbeat quicken slightly as he entered the plaza. This place determined destinies. Some people walked into this arena as nobodies and emerged as legends.

Others never recovered from what happened here. Rows of newly awakened youths stood near the altar, waiting for their names to be called. Excitement, fear, pride, desperation, every emotion blended beneath the deafening roar of the crowd. Drake moved toward the back of the line. Nobody greeted him. Nobody smiled. Most people pretended he did not exist. A familiar voice suddenly spoke nearby.“You actually came.”

Drake turned slightly. A girl with auburn hair stood a few feet away, wearing simple academy robes. Her green eyes carried visible concern. Lyra Morrigan.One of the few people who had ever treated him like a human being.“You sound surprised,” Drake replied.

“I was worried,” she admitted quietly. “After what happened last month…”

Drake understood the beating immediately. Three noble students had cornered him near the eastern district after he refused to kneel during a clan procession. He still carried scars beneath his ribs from the encounter.

“They didn’t kill me,” Drake said lightly. Lyra frowned. “You joke too much when you’re hurt.”Before Drake could answer, the plaza suddenly erupted with cheers. A massive eagle made entirely of blue lightning burst into the sky above the altar.“Storm-Class Beast!”Incredible!”

“That’s a Royal-grade summon!” The crowd roared with excitement. A noble boy near the altar basked proudly beneath the attention while electricity crackled around his body. Drake watched silently. This was the world they lived in. Power earned worship. Weakness earned contempt. One by one, new beasts appeared across the arena. Flaming wolves.Crystal serpents.Iron gorillas.Golden mantises.

Each summon brought louder cheers than the last. Then the failures began. A sickly brown rabbit.A crippled hound missing one eye.A featherless bird incapable of flight. The reactions changed instantly. Mockery spread through the audience like wildfire. The newly awakened youths lowered their heads in shame while nobles laughed openly from above.

Drake felt something cold twist inside his chest. This ceremony was not sacred. It was entertainment. Eventually, an elderly priest stepped forward holding a glowing scroll.“Next,” he announced. “Drake Valemorn.”

The entire plaza grew quieter. Whispers spread immediately through the audience.“That slum boy?”The orphan?” “I heard he has no bloodline at all.”

Drake walked toward the altar while thousands of eyes followed him. Every step felt heavier than the last. He could feel the nobles watching eagerly, waiting for failure. Lucien Ashthorn sat high above the arena with a faint smile already forming on his lips. Drake reached the altar. The elderly priest looked at him briefly before speaking in a bored tone.“Place your hand upon the crystal.”

Drake obeyed. The moment his fingers touched the black surface, freezing energy exploded through his body. Pain surged into his veins. His vision blurred violently. Then darkness swallowed everything. Inside the void, Drake heard chains rattling. A deep, ancient sound echoed endlessly through the darkness. His breathing slowed.

Something was there. Watching him. Then he saw it. Two enormous golden eyes open beneath the abyss. Drake froze. The presence behind those eyes felt incomprehensibly vast.Ancient.Hungry.The chains began breaking one by one.

Suddenly, the black crystal cracked. Gasps erupted throughout the plaza.“What happened?”The altar—!”

Golden light exploded upward into the heavens. The entire arena trembled violently. Priests stumbled backwards in panic while ancient runes across the pillars began glowing uncontrollably. Then the light vanished. Complete silence followed. Drake stood alone before the altar. No beast appeared.

Nothing. The crowd stared blankly. Then laughter erupted. Thunderous laughter.“He failed?”No summon at all?!” “I’ve never seen this happen!”Even some priests looked horrified. Lucien Ashthorn laughed openly from above.“A man without a beast,” he declared loudly. “How fitting.”

The humiliation struck harder than any blade. Drake’s fists tightened slowly. He could feel thousands of eyes tearing into him.Disgust.Mockery.Pity.The elderly priest’s expression darkened.“This has never happened before,” he muttered.

Then, a scream echoed beneath the altar. The ground split apart. Cracks spread across the stone floor while black smoke poured upward from the depths below. The laughter stopped instantly. Something moved underneath the arena. And then, from the darkness beneath the shattered altar…A pair of broken golden eyes opened.