Unawakened: Rise of the Divine Archmage

Chapter 2: Wake-Up Call

Chapter 2: The First Mage

Ezra opened his eyes, but he saw nothing familiar.

The world around him was an endless sea of pure white.

"Where am I?" Ezra whispered. His vision blurred, then sharpened against the blinding brightness. "What happened to me?"

He tried to stand up. The ground felt solid beneath his boots, yet it looked like endless glass stretching into nothing.

"Hello?" Ezra shouted into the empty expanse. "Is anybody here? Where the hell am I?"

His voice echoed across the white void, bouncing off invisible walls.

"Ezra Mohr."

The deep voice came from directly behind him.

Ezra jumped and spun around, his heart pounding in his throat.

A man stood only a few paces away. He was dressed in immaculate white robes that did not have a single speck of dirt. Long white hair flowed down his shoulders, and a thick white beard covered his jaw. His eyes held an ancient, calm light.

"Who are you?" Ezra demanded, stepping back. "How do you know my name? Were you the one who pulled me away from the forest?"

The old man chuckled softly. "Easy with the questions, boy. Which one do you want me to answer first?"

"How about starting with who the hell you are!" Ezra yelled.

"A feisty one, huh?" The man smiled, his hands tucked inside his flowing sleeves. "There is no need for you to know my name. All you need to know is that I was the very first mage to ever exist in Valeria."

Ezra stared at him with narrow eyes. He took another step back, inspecting the old man from head to toe. "The legendary first mage? Are you joking?"

"Young ones and their endless doubts," the mage said, shaking his head with a sigh.

"Why should I believe you?" Ezra asked. "You look like an old man in fancy robes."

"Is that so?" The mage smirked. "Since you do not believe I was a mage, how about I prove it to you?"

Before Ezra could respond, the temperature skyrocketed.

The peaceful white space erupted with blinding, roaring heat. Violent golden flames burst from the man's feet, swirling around his body in a massive spiral. The air warped under the sheer pressure.

Ezra fell backward, lifting his arms to shield his face from the blistering heat.

"A fire mage?" Ezra screamed over the roar of the blaze.

Fire magic was rare and dangerous in Valeria. But this was not ordinary fire. The flames were not red or yellow. They were a brilliant, pure gold that radiated overwhelming power.

Ezra knew the magical color system by heart. He had spent years reading every single book in the town library, praying he could find a way to awaken his own core.

Every mage in the world was graded by the color of their talent.

Red was the lowest grade. Mages with red talent had barely enough mana to spark a candle. They struggled to cast even the most basic spells and made up the bottom of society.

Yellow was the common grade. It showed average magical power.

Blue was exceptional. Mages with blue talent could cast advanced attacks with ease.

Purple was extraordinary. Purple-grade mages were regarded as once-in-a-generation prodigies.

Gold was the absolute peak. It was legendary. Mages with gold-grade affinities were deemed divine beings.

The fire surrounding this man was undeniably gold.

Ezra felt the crushing aura pressing against his chest. He could barely breathe. All doubt evaporated instantly. This man was truly a divine being.

Terror and awe flooded Ezra's senses. He dropped to his knees, slamming his forehead directly against the white ground.

"Oh, great one!" Ezra shouted, his voice trembling violently. "Please forgive my disrespect!"

"Haha!" The man laughed loudly.

With a simple snap of his fingers, the towering golden flames vanished into thin air. The oppressive heat disappeared in a split second, leaving the space cool and tranquil once again.

"You can relax now," the mage said with a grin. "And do away with the bowing thing. It's irksome."

Ezra stayed pressed to the floor, his body shaking.

"You can stand up now, Ezra," the mage commanded gently.

"No! I am not worthy to look upon your face, great one," Ezra answered, keeping his head down.

The old man groaned loudly. "Will you stop being so dramatic and get on your feet already?"

Hearing the firm order, Ezra swallowed his fear and rose slowly, keeping his eyes lowered in respect.

"If I may ask, great one," Ezra whispered, "why did you bring me here?"

"Because you were about to do something utterly stupid back there in the forest," the mage said flatly.

"No I wasn't," Ezra retorted, his fists clenching tightly. "I was being considerate!"

"Considerate?" The mage arched an eyebrow. "In what possible way were you being considerate? Please, enlighten me."

The mage snapped his fingers again. A heavy, ornate chair appeared out of thin air behind him. He took a seat, crossed his arms, and leaned back, watching Ezra with an amused gaze.

Tears welled up in Ezra's eyes, burning with shame and anger.

"My life was completely useless," Ezra said, his voice breaking. "I could never help my family. I was beaten up daily by the other kids just because I was not a mage like them. People treated me like trash."

He wiped his eyes furiously on his sleeve.

"I could not protect anyone! When the wild beasts attacked, my dad died trying to provide for us. If only I had magic, I could have fought beside him! I could have saved him from being slaughtered! But I stood there, useless!"

The mage watched him in silence as Ezra's shoulders shook with sobs.

"So the solution was to end your life?" the mage asked, his tone turning sharp and cold. "You claim you were being considerate. Did you think about your mother, Elise? Did you consider what she would feel?"

Ezra froze.

"Your mother lost her husband today," the mage continued, pointing a finger at Ezra. "She was drowning in grief. And you were about to leave her all alone to bury her only son as well. What would she go through? Did you think about her pain for even a second? No. You were just being childish and selfish."

The words pierced Ezra straight through the heart.

A deep pang of guilt washed over him. The image of Elise crying alone in their broken home shattered his defenses. The mage was right. He had acted like a coward, running away from his pain and leaving his mother to suffer by herself.

"I know," Ezra whispered, staring at his trembling hands. "I am ashamed. But what can I even do? I am completely powerless. How am I supposed to protect my mother when I have nothing?"

The mage leaned forward on his throne, a sly smirk spreading across his lips.

"What if I told you that you actually possess an affinity?"

Ezra's breath stopped. "What?"