Void Core: The Last Awakener

4. The Genius of the Veyr Clan

The training grounds of the Veyr Clan had never been this crowded before.

Servants, knights, instructors, and even several clan elders gathered around the massive arena beneath the bright morning sky. Excited voices echoed throughout the manor while young clan members pushed through the crowd just to witness the spectacle happening at the center field.

“An elemental affinity at only five years old…”

“As expected of Leon Veyr.”

“The younger generation finally has a true genius.”

At the center of the arena stood a silver-haired boy surrounded by streams of swirling wind.

Leon Veyr.

Despite his young age, Leon already carried himself with confidence far beyond ordinary children. Mana flowed naturally around his body while sharp currents of wind circled his feet like obedient spirits responding to his command.

The instructors watching nearby could barely hide their excitement.

One of them stepped forward proudly.

“Young Master Leon has awakened Wind Affinity,” the instructor announced loudly. “And his mana control already exceeds most children twice his age.”

The crowd immediately erupted into admiration.

Several young clan members stared at Leon with shining eyes while whispers spread rapidly through the arena.

“A born genius…”

“He truly deserves the Veyr name.”

“At this rate, he might surpass the older generation someday.”

Leon calmly raised one hand.

The surrounding wind instantly intensified before condensing into several sharp crescent blades floating around him. Dust scattered across the arena while nearby banners fluttered violently beneath the pressure.

Then—

SLASH!

The wind blades shot forward instantly.

Three wooden targets positioned across the field split apart cleanly before crashing onto the ground.

Gasps echoed throughout the arena.

Even several knights watching nearby looked visibly impressed.

“Incredible…”

“To think a five-year-old can already shape mana like this…”

“The Veyr Clan truly produced a monster.”

Meanwhile—

At the far edge of the crowd—

Kael quietly watched everything alone.

Unlike the others surrounding the arena, Kael wore plain clothing without any noble decorations. No servants stood beside him. No instructors acknowledged his presence.

Because unlike Leon—

Kael possessed no talent worth noticing.

Several children nearby immediately spotted him standing there.

Whispers spread almost instantly.

“The cursed child…”

“Why did he come here?”

“Doesn’t he understand nobody wants him around?”

Kael lowered his gaze slightly but remained silent.

He had already grown used to the whispers years ago.

Ever since his birth, people within the clan treated him differently. Servants avoided him whenever possible while children his age refused playing near him.

Some feared him.

Others simply hated him.

And the older Kael became—

The more obvious the difference between him and Leon grew.

One was the pride of the clan.

The other was its shame.

At the center arena, Leon’s attention suddenly shifted toward the edge of the crowd.

His silver eyes landed directly on Kael.

For a brief moment—

The two boys stared silently at one another across the noisy training grounds.

Then Leon slowly walked forward.

The surrounding crowd immediately stepped aside to make room for him while admiration followed his every movement.

Eventually, Leon stopped directly in front of Kael.

The whispers around them grew louder.

“The genius and the cursed child…”

“What a difference between them.”

Leon quietly observed Kael for several seconds before finally speaking.

“Did you come here to watch the training?”

Kael hesitated briefly before nodding.

“…Yes.”

Leon glanced toward the shattered wooden targets behind him.

“You should stop wasting your time.”

Kael frowned slightly.

“What do you mean?”

Leon’s expression remained calm.

“You don’t have mana. Even if you watch every single day, you’ll never become like us.”

The words were not spoken cruelly.

Leon simply stated them like obvious facts.

Which somehow hurt even more.

Several nearby children immediately laughed softly.

“He’s right.”

“A powerless child pretending to belong here.”

“Maybe the curse is jealous.”

Kael quietly clenched his fists.

But before he could say anything—

A heavy pressure suddenly descended across the training grounds.

The crowd immediately fell silent.

Magnus Veyr slowly entered the arena alongside several clan elders while knights instinctively lowered their heads respectfully.

The atmosphere changed the moment he arrived.

“Lord Magnus.”

Magnus ignored everyone around him entirely.

His sharp golden eyes shifted directly toward Leon.

“Show me your affinity.”

Leon immediately straightened his posture proudly.

“Yes, Lord Magnus.”

The silver-haired boy raised his hand once more while mana surged throughout the arena. Powerful streams of wind spiraled upward around his body before condensing into multiple sharp blades floating beside him.

The surrounding air trembled slightly beneath the pressure.

Several elders widened their eyes in surprise.

Even among noble clans, such talent at Leon’s age was extremely rare.

Magnus silently observed the display before giving a small nod.

“Excellent.”

Just one word.

Yet hearing praise from Magnus Veyr caused visible excitement to appear in Leon’s eyes.

Then—

Magnus’ gaze shifted toward Kael.

The atmosphere instantly became uncomfortable.

The excitement surrounding the arena disappeared while silence spread slowly through the crowd.

Kael instinctively lowered his head.

For several moments, Magnus simply stared at him coldly.

Then finally—

“You should not be here.”

Kael’s chest tightened slightly.

“…I understand.”

Without arguing further, Kael quietly turned around before walking away from the training grounds alone.

Nobody stopped him.

Nobody called after him.

Behind him, the sounds of admiration and applause for Leon continued echoing throughout the manor.

Every step felt heavier than the last.

Eventually, Kael returned once more to the western garden hidden behind the castle walls. Unlike the crowded training grounds, this place remained quiet and abandoned.

Which was exactly why Kael liked it.

The young boy slowly sat beneath the large tree overlooking the distant mountains before lowering his gaze silently.

For a while—

Everything remained peaceful.

Then suddenly—

“…Weak…”

Kael froze instantly.

The whisper echoed clearly inside his head.

Far louder than before.

“…Abandoned…”

The shadows beneath the tree trembled unnaturally.

Kael grabbed his chest tightly as a freezing sensation spread throughout his body. Thin black veins briefly appeared across his arm before fading moments later.

His breathing became uneven.

“Stop…” he whispered shakily.

But the voice continued.

“…They fear you…”

The shadows around him slowly stretched unnaturally across the ground while the temperature throughout the garden dropped rapidly.

Kael’s violet eyes trembled slightly.

“…The Void remembers…”

“STOP!”

BOOM!

A wave of invisible force suddenly exploded outward from Kael’s body.

The ground beneath the tree cracked instantly while nearby flowers withered into dust. Every shadow throughout the garden twisted violently toward him like living creatures.

Kael’s eyes widened in horror.

Then suddenly—

Everything stopped.

The shadows returned to normal.

The freezing pressure disappeared completely.

Silence filled the garden once more.

Kael stared at his trembling hands while breathing heavily.

“What… was that…”

Clap.

Clap.

Clap.

Slow applause echoed from nearby.

Kael immediately looked up.

Grand Elder Seraph stood near the garden entrance while quietly observing the cracked ground beneath the tree.

But unlike before—

The old man no longer looked merely curious.

He looked worried.

Seraph slowly approached before stopping several steps away from Kael.

“The awakening has started earlier than I feared,” he said quietly.

Kael’s expression immediately paled.

“…Awakening?”

Seraph remained silent briefly before answering.

“You need to learn control before someone else notices.”

Kael stared at him in confusion.

“I don’t understand anything that’s happening to me.”

The old mage sighed heavily.

“That,” he said slowly, “is exactly what terrifies me.”

Far beneath the endless darkness of the Abyss, massive chains trembled violently while black energy surged endlessly throughout the void.

Ancient crimson eyes slowly opened wider within the darkness.

And somewhere deep inside the ancient prison—

A low laugh echoed endlessly.

“The child begins to awaken.”