Riven repeated the phrase silently in his heart.
Echo Initiate.
The na felt foreign, yet... poetic—like it carried a profound aning hidden within each syllable.
He turned to Ashtoria. "What does that na an?" he asked softly.
Ashtoria looked at him for a mont, then began explaining—calmly, yet with an unmistakable firmness in her tone.
"Every object and living being is a part of this world. And this world, in turn, is connected to every creature that lives within it. But that connection isn’t uniform. Every person resonates with the world in their own way—be it through elents, concepts, or essence."
She picked up a small twig from the ground and drew a circle in the dirt.
"For example... soone may have a connection to fire. If their bond—or affinity—with fire is deep and strong, then one day they might be able to summon a blaze powerful enough to burn down a city. But if that connection is distant and weak, they might only be able to spark a small fla. Or... simply have a body that tolerates heat better than most people."
She lifted her gaze, glancing at Riven and Mira in turn.
"That’s what we call Affinity. And the strength of your connection to it—that’s what we call Talent."
Riven and Mira listened intently, ntally taking note of every word, absorbing the explanation slowly, like dry soil welcoming the first rain.
Ashtoria continued, her voice now deeper—almost philosophical.
"There’s a saying often used to describe an Echo Initiate..."
She paused, letting the night air carry the weight of her next words.
"The Law whispers. You hear."
A chill ran down Riven’s spine. The phrase echoed in his mind like a distant voice from another world.
"You’re beginning to hear the faint echoes of the Law... of the affinity buried deep within you. That echo doesn’t co from outside, but from within—sothing that’s long been waiting to reconnect with the world."
She looked into Riven’s eyes. "And your task now... is to discover what your affinity truly is."
Riven lowered his gaze. He understood what she ant, even if he wasn’t sure how to do it. Knowing sothing in theory... was very different from experiencing it firsthand.
Suddenly, Mira—sitting cross-legged beside him—raised her hand slightly. Her voice was soft but serious.
"You said everyone has an affinity with the world, right?"
Ashtoria nodded.
"Then... that ans we have one too," Mira continued. "But do you think... we have enough talent to beco Awakened? What if our affinity with the world is too small... too distant?"
The question hung in the air like a shadow of doubt.
It was the sa question that haunted Riven’s thoughts. He feared he might not be talented enough. After all, the gifted had long been claid by the nobility. For ordinary people like him and his sister to beco Awakened... it would take either a miracle or an anomaly.
A miracle?
For two poor orphans like them, that word felt almost unreachable.
’Wait a minute... aren’t I an anomaly? I’m not even from this world. And in all the ani and web novels I’ve read, people like usually get systems or overpowered talents.’
Riven tried to calm himself down, forcing the pessimism to retreat.
Ashtoria remained silent, watching them closely.
Her ruby eyes narrowed slightly as she looked from Mira to Riven, then finally spoke in a quiet, composed tone. "To asure your talent... you’ll need a special device. These are usually provided by rchant guilds or major academies. We can check your potential once we reach Dorthlam City."
Riven gave a small nod. He already knew that much.
But he also knew... using that device ca with a steep cost. Five gold coins—an amount nobles might find trivial, but for Riven and Mira, it was their entire food budget for nearly two months. He couldn’t afford to waste it—not on sothing so uncertain.
What if the results are bad?
What if I pay five gold coins... only to be told I have no talent?
Riven bowed his head, anxiety stirring in his chest.
Before he could say anything, Ashtoria spoke again—soft, yet unwavering.
"But I believe... your talent is enough to beco Awakened," she said, eting their eyes calmly. "In truth, even an ordinary person can reach that level—if they train hard, are taught proper techniques, and given the right resources."
Riven looked up, surprised by the conviction in her voice. Even Mira gave a small smile, as if her spirit had just been watered after a long drought.
Yet deep down, Ashtoria couldn’t suppress a far more pragmatic thought.
’Of course, in the end... growth is still determined by talent. And those with low potential... are often neglected, because their outco seems inevitable.’
Unaware of the conflict behind her calm exterior, Riven asked, "Then... how can I discover what my affinity is?"
Mira also looked at Ashtoria with hopeful eyes, waiting for an answer.
Ashtoria inhaled slowly. Then, with a steady gaze, she replied,
"I can help you train in mana absorption—so your connection to the world, to your affinity, grows stronger. The stronger that connection becos, the clearer the echo you’ll hear."
"But..."
Her voice dipped slightly with weight.
"To identify the nature of your affinity... only you can uncover that."
Riven and Mira fell silent.
They waited, but Ashtoria didn’t add anything else. Her gaze was firm, as if to say: this is a path you must walk on your own.
Finally, Mira murmured, "So... it’s like searching for an echo inside yourself?"
Ashtoria nodded. "Yes. You must truly listen to your own voice."
Riven took a deep breath. The night air felt heavy in his chest.
"Easier said than done..." he muttered, barely audible.
Ashtoria rely looked at him—neither denying nor confirming his words.
"Knowing there’s an echo within is one thing... But hearing it, feeling it, understanding its direction and shape—that’s sothing else entirely," Riven continued, his voice clearer this ti. "How am I supposed to hear sothing... when I don’t even know what it looks like? Is it going to speak to and say, ’your affinity is fire’ or sothing like that?"
Ashtoria then said softly, "You’ll co to know it yourself—eventually."
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