As if it possessed a will of its own, the floating dodecahedral prism began to pulse softly, its faint light flickering in slow, rhythmic beats. The mont lly's bloodied palm—cut by Lyanna's precise blade—touched its surface, the crystal reacted.
What had been a gentle glow suddenly intensified. The prism's surface trembled, and veins of light spread along its edges, flowing like living arteries. lly's blood was drawn in, absorbed into the crystal in a deep red stream that swirled toward its core.
lly gasped.
Instinctively, she pulled her hand back a little, but didn't break contact. She stared at her palm—her blood still streaming into the prism in a thin red line, as if nothing could stop the process.
For a brief mont, fear flickered across her face. She turned to Lyanna, silently asking for help. But the noblewoman remained calm and wordless, her sharp eyes fixed on the crystal as if to say, this is how it's supposed to go.
lly's panic slowly faded, replaced by curiosity.
After a few seconds, the flow of blood stopped. And the prism began to change.
The blood inside it didn't vanish—it spun, swirling in a microscopic storm, like so hidden alchemical reaction at work.
Then, a red glow blood from within.
"Red ans Dull," said Ashtoria quietly, her voice calm and clear. "That's only the first stage. The prism will shift through the colors until it finds the one that fits."
Riven stood behind lly, his eyes locked on the prism, his breath shallow. He was trying to read his sister's fate from the reflection of its light.
The red faded.
Slowly, the prism turned orange—a warm, pulsing color, like the glow of a lantern at dusk.
"Orange ans Flicker," Ashtoria continued, tone even.
Monts later, the orange was devoured by bright yellow, sharper and more alive, like sunlight striking tal.
"Yellow ans Kindled. That's where the potential for Awakening begins," she explained.
Riven's heart pounded faster. His gaze never wavered.
Then the color shifted again, into green.
This ti, sothing was different. The green light burst outward, spreading like tree roots or glowing veins that reached into the air itself.
"Green ans Attuned," said Ashtoria. "A talent strong enough to walk the true path of a Lawbearer."
Relief washed over Riven. That was enough, more than enough. Attuned was a real blessing. A future. He nodded to himself, silently grateful.
But the relief didn't last.
Because the green light began to change again.
From green... to blue.
And not just any blue—it shone bright, vibrant, and alive, reflecting across the ceiling and floor. The prism began to spin, surrounded by orbits of light like tiny stars.
lly watched in awe, her eyes wide with wonder.
Lyanna frowned, studying the phenonon with sharp focus.
"Blue ans Resonant," said Ashtoria flatly. "A fine talent."
Riven froze. He could barely process it. His sister—a Resonant. That was far beyond anything he expected. The kind of gift reserved for the noblest bloodlines. The world was unfair, he thought—but for once, unfair in her favor.
Then, before pride could settle in, sothing else happened.
From within the prism, a small point of light appeared.
Purple.
Just a faint spark at first, barely visible.
Then it grew. Slowly, steadily, it spread until it swallowed the blue entirely.
In seconds, the whole prism glowed violet.
And it didn't stop there. The purple radiance surged outward, flowing like a river of magic that filled the room. The stone walls of the vault shimred in deep violet, as if night itself had descended to replace the day.
lly stood motionless. Her hand still pressed against the prism's surface, now hidden beneath the blinding light.
Even Lyanna, who had struggled to keep her composure since the green stage, couldn't hide her shock. Her eyes widened, breath caught in her throat. When she finally spoke, her voice trembled.
"Impossible... A-Rank talent... a Chosen."
Riven froze in place.
His body felt weightless, his mind numb. Slowly, he turned to Ashtoria, seeking confirmation. She t his eyes and gave a single, small nod.
And at that mont, it felt as though the world itself tilted beneath him.
His sister... lly... was a Chosen.
He looked at her—so small, so innocent, yet now radiant with a light that belonged to legends.
Seconds later, the violet light began to fade, flowing back into the prism, spinning softly like a storm calming after its fury.
When it finally settled, only one color remained.
Purple.
Spinning gently inside the crystal, sacred and still.
lly slowly lowered her hand, then looked up at Riven with wide, hopeful eyes.
Silence filled the room. The last traces of violet dimd, leaving behind only the lingering shadow of a miracle that all of them had witnessed.
Ashtoria stood motionless, her expression unchanged, though her eyes had softened.
Lyanna, on the other hand, still looked stunned. She hadn't blinked since the purple light appeared, afraid that any movent might shatter the mont.
And Riven—
Riven smiled.
A real smile. Wide, bright, and unguarded. His eyes shone with warmth as he looked at the little girl before him. The sister he had protected, now glowing with the light of destiny itself.
Without a word, he opened his arms.
And lly, without hesitation, ran to him and leapt straight into his embrace.
Her small body collided with his chest, and the two of them held each other tightly, like souls finding ho after a long, exhausting journey.
Riven laughed softly, the sound rich with relief, then lifted her high into the air and spun her around once. lly laughed too, cheeks flushed, her feet kicking midair.
"You saw that, didn't you?" Riven said, grinning. "You're a Chosen, l! You've got an A-Rank talent! Do you even realize how insane that is?"
lly giggled, nodding eagerly. "Completely insane! Like a dream."
Riven ruffled her hair. "You know what that ans, right? All the rice, bread, and soup I bought for you wasn't a waste after all!"
lly squinted playfully. "So... I was just your food investnt this whole ti?"
Riven burst out laughing. "Hey, food's expensive, alright? And you always eat enough for two people!"
lly nudged his shoulder. "So I'm just your fattened cow now?"
She pinched his side, making him yelp.
"Whoa—no, no!" Riven backed up, grinning and shaking his head in mock surrender. "You're not a cow. You're… my little food-devouring sister."
When their laughter faded, Riven set her down gently. His expression softened, more serious now, but no less kind.
"You're my sister," he said quietly. "The one I'm proudest of in this world."
For a mont, there was nothing more to say. The world itself seed content to stay silent.
Behind them, Ashtoria watched. Her face calm as ever, but if soone looked closely, they would see sothing strange—sothing like a crack beneath the surface.
The faint smile on her lips should have been warm, but it wasn't. It was cold. Stiff. Like the expression of soone witnessing affection for the first ti and not knowing what it felt like.
So that's how the world treats those who are loved, she thought bitterly.
Her free hand curled into a fist. Not out of anger at them, but at the world. At the hollow years of her childhood. At every embrace she never received, and every gentle word that was never spoken to her.
Lyanna turned away quietly, exhaling a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.
And in the stillness of that vast chamber, the prism kept spinning softly, as if acknowledging the birth of one chosen by fate.
A Chosen.
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