The Void Heart Devourer

Chapter 4: The Heavens Choose, The World Judges

The explosion of blue light slowly faded, but the atmosphere in the Holy Hall grew even more thunderous. Cheers filled every corner of the room, while the participants gazed at the altar in awe. Several elders even exchanged glances, as if they had just witnessed the birth of a legend.

"A SkyGrade Aether Heart, peak class!" the Altar Guardian exclaimed. "It has been more than thirty years since talent like this last appeared in Elarion."

Applause echoed once more. Patriarch Laakso rose from his seat with a look of satisfaction—something he rarely displayed in public.

"You have brought honor to our family, Eveliina."

"Thank you, Father," Eveliina replied with a bow. Her face remained calm, but her eyes were filled with conviction, as if she had expected this outcome all along.

Several Patriarchs began to offer their congratulations. Even Kael Draven, who had remained silent until now, gave a slight nod.

"I acknowledge your talent."

"Is that all?" Eveliina gave a thin smile.

Kael smiled back. "Too much praise will only make you complacent."

"In that case, I'll see you at the Imperial Academy."

"If you can catch up to me."

Their brief exchange caused several participants to glance at one another. The two greatest geniuses of this generation spoke as if the path to the summit were already within their grasp.

On the other side, Edrik looked at Akseli and let out a soft laugh.

"Look at that."

"That is the person you were once betrothed to."

Several participants followed his gaze toward Akseli. Cynical smiles began to surface, as if they had just remembered the connection that had long been a subject of gossip among the nobility.

"You're right."

"How could a genius like Miss Eveliina almost marry a man without an Aether Heart?"

"That’s the best joke of the year."

Suppressed laughter echoed in the corners of the hall.

Akseli remained standing calmly. His gaze stayed fixed on the altar, as if the mockery had nothing to do with him. His composure only irritated Edrik further.

"Can you really pretend not to hear that?"

Akseli finally turned his head.

"Do I have to answer everyone who enjoys the sound of their own voice?"

Edrik’s smile vanished.

"You are truly stubborn."

"No."

Akseli shook his head slowly.

"I’m just tired of explaining things to people who have already decided not to understand."

Several participants fell silent. The words weren't harsh, but they were enough to wipe the smile from Edrik’s face.

As the tension rose, slow footsteps approached.

Eveliina stopped directly in front of Akseli. Her expression remained calm, but her gaze was far colder than it had been moments ago.

"Akseli."

"There is something I want to talk about."

Akseli nodded curtly.

"I'm listening."

Eveliina took a slow breath before looking him straight in the eyes.

"I have been thinking about this for a long time."

"And after seeing today's results..."

"...I am even more certain of my decision."

Akseli said nothing. He simply waited.

"I do not wish to continue our engagement."

The atmosphere around them suddenly went quiet.

Several participants who were about to leave stopped in their tracks. Even Edrik wore a thin smirk, as if this were the moment he had been waiting for.

Eveliina looked at Akseli without a hint of hesitation.

"I cannot possibly marry a man who does not even possess an Aether Heart."

Eveliina’s words made the people around them fall silent. Even some participants who had returned to their ranks turned around, curious about the rest of the conversation. Amidst the crowded Holy Hall, the space around Akseli felt deathly quiet.

Akseli stared at the girl before him without changing his expression. "So... you have truly decided?"

Eveliina nodded slowly. "I’ve thought about it for a long time. Today only made me more certain."

"Because you succeeded in awakening a SkyGrade Aether Heart?"

"Not just that." Eveliina shook her head. "I realize we live in a world that only values strength. I don’t want to spend my life with a man who doesn't even have an Aether Heart."

The words sounded flat, yet they were enough to make several participants exchange glances. Many nodded in agreement. To them, Eveliina’s words weren't an insult, but an undeniable reality.

Akseli smiled thinly. "So from the very beginning... you were ashamed to have a fiancé like me."

Eveliina didn't answer immediately. She took a slow breath before saying, "Yes. I am ashamed."

The answer felt sharper than any insult.

"I don't want to be the laughingstock of the nobility," she continued. "Everywhere I go, people say that my future husband is a man without an Aether Heart. They laugh at me because of that engagement."

Behind them, Edrik chuckled softly.

"Miss Eveliina finally said it."

He stepped closer, looking at Akseli with a mocking smile. "Did you really think a woman like her would still choose you? You can’t even cultivate."

Some participants laughed, but Akseli didn't look at Edrik. His gaze remained fixed on Eveliina.

"In that case..." he said quietly, "have you just been waiting for an opportunity to end it?"

Eveliina nodded without hesitation.

"I tried to respect my family's decision. I once hoped that one day you would change." She looked into Akseli’s eyes coldly. "But eighteen years have passed, and you are still the same. You are still a man without a future."

There was no anger on Akseli's face. He simply exhaled, as if he had long expected this answer.

"I understand."

Only two words. No denial. No pleading.

His calm demeanor made Eveliina frown slightly. For some reason, she had expected Akseli to be angry or to protest her decision. Instead, all she received was an incomprehensible serenity.

Edrik clicked his tongue. "At least you know your place."

"Akseli," Eveliina continued, "after this ceremony is over, my father will announce the dissolution of our engagement before all the guests. That way, no one will ever link the Laakso name with the Vainio family again."

Akseli stared at her for a moment before nodding.

"If that is what you truly want..."

"...I will not stand in your way."

For a moment, Eveliina’s expression shifted. There was a flicker of surprise at how easily Akseli accepted it, but she quickly brushed the feeling aside.

"It is the best decision for both of us."

She turned and walked away without looking back.

Soon after, the Altar Guardian’s voice echoed throughout the Holy Hall.

"Next participant..."

"...Kael Draven."

Cheers filled the hall once again. While everyone’s attention shifted to the altar, Akseli remained standing in his place. His gaze was calm, but deep within his heart, the final thread to his past had just been severed. The cheers slowly subsided as Kael Draven walked toward the altar. His steps were steady, without a hint of hesitation. He stopped directly in front of the Awakening Crystal, staring at it briefly as if the outcome had been known to him all along.

"Proceed," said the Altar Guardian.

Kael raised his right hand and touched his palm to the crystal's surface. In an instant, a reddishgold light erupted from the altar, far more powerful than most of the previous participants. The ancient runes on the floor lit up simultaneously, filling the entire hall with waves of Aether.

"SkyGrade Aether Heart!"

Applause rang out immediately. Although the light was slightly dimmer than Eveliina’s, the result still caused the nobles to nod with satisfaction. Two geniuses born in the same generation—something that hadn't happened in decades.

Patriarch Draven smiled proudly. "Good. Do not be easily satisfied. The peak of cultivation is still far off."

Kael bowed his head. "I have no intention of stopping at the peak of Elarion."

The answer made several Patriarchs smile thinly. That was the ambition they expected from the heir of a great clan.

When returning to the line, Kael stopped in front of Akseli. He didn't mock or laugh, simply staring at Akseli for a few seconds before speaking.

"Your turn will come soon."

Akseli nodded slowly.

"It seems so."

Kael looked at him as if wanting to say something, but ultimately held back. He only said briefly, "I hope you can accept the results."

After that, he returned to his place.

Edrik, watching the scene, clicked his tongue.

"Kael still had time to encourage you? Too bad, I’m not as kind as him."

He grinned broadly before continuing, "If I were you, I would have already left this hall. Instead of embarrassing yourself in front of the entire Holy City."

Several participants laughed again. This time, there were more of them. Even some guests in the gallery began to pay attention to Akseli, as if they, too, were curious how someone without an Aether Heart could have the audacity to remain standing there.

Akseli didn't react. He only brushed his sleeve, which had begun to wrinkle. His gaze remained calm, but his thoughts drifted back to what his father had said that morning:

"Do not bring more shame upon this family."

Those words felt heavier than all the mockery he had heard today.

At the altar, the Altar Guardian opened the golden scroll again. His eyes scanned the remaining names before stopping at one. His expression shifted slightly, as if he himself hadn't expected that name to appear so soon.

He raised his head, his voice echoing through the entire Holy Hall.

"Next participant..."

The room went silent again.

"...Akseli Vainio."

In an instant, thousands of eyes were fixed on one person.

Then...

Laughter began to erupt from every corner of the hall.

Akseli’s name had barely echoed before the entire Holy Hall broke into derisive laughter. Some participants didn't even bother to hide it, as if the name itself were a joke.

"Finally, his turn."

"Why bother going to the altar? The result is already predictable."

"What if the Awakening Crystal doesn't even react?"

The laughter grew louder. Even some nobles in the gallery shook their heads, regarding Akseli’s presence as nothing more than a waste of the ceremony's time.

The Altar Guardian raised a hand, calling for silence.

"Next participant, Akseli Vainio."

Akseli took a slow breath before stepping out of line. His walk remained steady even as thousands of eyes tracked his every move. The closer he got to the altar, the clearer the whispers filling the hall became.

"That is the disgrace of the Vainio Clan."

"Poor thing."

"If I were him, I wouldn't have the courage to show up."

In the Vainio family gallery, the atmosphere was equally awkward. Patriarch Vainio closed his eyes and let out a long sigh, as if he already knew what would happen. Several elders merely lowered their heads, hoping for the moment to pass quickly.

Edrik crossed his arms, smiling with satisfaction.

"After this, all of Elarion will see for themselves that he has nothing."

Beside him, Eveliina watched Akseli. Her face was calm, but her eyes no longer held a flicker of hope.

"Akseli," she said quietly as he passed her. "If you still have any selfrespect... stop now before you are humiliated."

Akseli’s steps faltered for a moment.

He turned, looking at the face of the woman who had been promised as his life partner for years.

"So in your opinion..."

"...my courage to stand here is an insult?"

Eveliina nodded without hesitation.

"Because you know the result."

"You do not have an Aether Heart."

"And everyone in this hall knows it."

Akseli smiled thinly.

"Perhaps that is true."

"But I would rather face reality..."

"...than run away just because I’m afraid of being laughed at."

For a moment, Eveliina was stunned. She hadn't expected Akseli to speak so calmly. However, that wonder quickly turned into disappointment.

"Courage without ability is mere foolishness."

"That is what you have always failed to understand."

Akseli did not answer again. He continued toward the altar, leaving Eveliina standing frozen in her place.

The entire hall went silent again as he stood directly in front of the Awakening Crystal. The Altar Guardian looked at him for a few seconds before nodding.

"Place your hand on the crystal."

Akseli slowly raised his right hand.

Behind him, soft laughter could be heard again.

"Count to three."

"The crystal won't even react."

"Or maybe it will shatter, confused by trying to find an Aether Heart that doesn't exist."

Some participants laughed again.

But Akseli didn't look back at all.

His gaze was fixed solely on the Awakening Crystal standing firmly before him.

Slowly...

His palm touched the surface of the crystal.

The entire Holy Hall held its breath.

And in the next second...

The Awakening Crystal suddenly began to vibrate violently.