Walking toward the Sun Temple, Elden was struck silent by its sheer magnitude.

  The very air around it seemed to hum with sanctity.

  The outer walls were alive with carvings—miniature sculptures that spiraled upward in endless rows, each one telling a story.

  Legends of the Sun God’s rise to divinity unfolded in stone, his triumphs etched into eternity alongside folktales and epics of heroes long past.

  The walls told stories without words, and the sheer abundance spoke of the Temple’s ancient weight and its place in the heart of the Empire’s cultural and historical significance.

  At the entrance, an immense sculpture loomed: four horses, each sculpted in marble, white as milk, each facing a different direction, their massive forms frozen in eternal motion, an ode to the divine horses that drew the Sun God’s chariot.

  ‘That’s huge’, Elden thought, eyes wide.

  “Well, well, well—look what the cat dragged in.”

  The voice was bright and warm.

  A man wrapped in muslin, glittering with gold and jewels, strode toward them

  He strode towards Elden and his family, stroking magnificent beard.

  “Grandpa Jason!” squealed Elden as he ran towards him, leaping into his open arms.

  Jason caught him with ease, lifting him deftly into a hug before placing him on his waist.

  “My little monkey,” he declared, rubbing his cheek against Elden’s and laughing.

  “Look at you! You’ve grown so much since I last saw you” exclaimed Jason all the while laughing jovially.

  Elden tried pushing his face away.

  “Stop it Grandpa!” Elden protested, his cheeks puffing in irritation as he tried to wiggle his way out of the precarious situation his cheeks found themselves in.

  “Ha ha ha, I can’t help it. Feels like just yesterday, when I watched you crawl on the floor trying to reach your beloved dada” Jason says, his eyes moistened in reminiscence.

  This made Elden wiggle more in struggle trying and failing to escape the iron grasp of his grandfather.

  “That’s enough, Father,” David interrupted at last, though the slight curve of his lips betrayed amusement at his son’s misfortune, deeming it karma for his betrayal.. “You’ll smother the boy. Besides, if you keep this up, he might avoid you come next time.”

  Jason laughed again but set Elden down, who then promptly scurried behind Avery like a squirrel.

  Elden’s flustered pout drew another round of laughter from the adults, which only deepened his indignation, causing his cheeks to puff up like a squirrel with nuts in its mouth.

  “How lovely it is to see you, Avery,” Jason said, turning his smile on her. “You’ve grown ever graceful since my last visit.”

  “Thank you, Father-in-law,” she replied with a warm smile.

  Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

  “You know, Avery, you ought to drag your boring ass of a husband to spend more time with his extended family more often. At this rate Elden is going to forget all about me and his cousins.”

  David opened his mouth, but Jason cut him off with a wave. “Yes, yes, I know. Duty first, duty always.” He mimicked in mock seriousness. “But remember, family matters too—sometimes more than duty.”

  A chime echoed through the temple’s vast courtyard, drawing Jason’s attention.

  “Well would you look at that? Looks like the time is up. The ceremony is about to start.” Jason says beckoning them.

  Elden and his parents followed Jason into the temple.

  “You know your uncle Arden, cousin Cain, and the others are already here.” Jason mentions to Elden.

  “I know it has been a while since you have met your cousin, but you were practically inseparably when you were toddlers. Always off to cause some sort of mischief, you two were.” Jason says reminiscing the golden days of his family staying united.

  “How is he now? I heard…. he is a little genius right?” Elden asks, pushing the rising embarrassment from being reminded of his previous antics down.

  “Yes, he is quite talented that cousin of yours. Barely 7 years old and he has already become quite formidable with the spear. His tutors call him a prodigy and say that he’s far ahead of the his peers in his studies too.”

  “Well that’s good, he’ll need to be that strong to make me serve him, hmmp” Elden declares with a pout.

  “And what a sight it would be, when my two grandsons stand side-by-side, leading House Talon to glory” Jason says ruffling Elden’s hair.

  Soon they reach the main hall of the temple.

  The space was vast and thrumming with presence.

  Aristocrats glittered in jewels, brimming with pomp. Merchants of noble lineage preened with smug self-importance. Bureaucrats slouched with quiet disdain for the pomp apparent around them. Newly ascended industrialists hovered awkwardly at the edges, desperate to prove they belonged.

  Every family had gathered for the same purpose: to witness their children’s awakening. However, there was another hidden purpose: to gauge the potential of the new generation of their rival Houses and make an estimation on who to ally or build connections with.

  Only the children of the truly influential would have the honour of being awakened in a temple.

  For commoners, who make up the overwhelming majority of the Empire, or truly any place in the world, awakening was a far plainer affair. Officials from the Department of Awakening handled it in local branches scattered across the Empire.

  Those without a branch had to visit the nearest one to be able to awaken. It wasn’t a perfect system, but practicality outweighed perfection.

  With how large the Empire was it was damn near impossible to reach every corner of it, and even more to maintain a permanent presence.

  Elden guided by Jason soon reached the area designated to House Talon.

  There he saw his Uncle Arden and Cain along with other members of House Talon. Most of them were from the branch families.

  Seeing them, Elden and his father made a beeline for Arden and bowed their head.

  “Patriarch” They saluted.

  Arden grinned, embracing David and punching his arm with brotherly force.

  “Took your time, didn’t you? I was wondering if you were planning on skipping on the ceremony altogether.”

  “Yes, all thanks to a certain someone” David quips back and stares dead eye at Elden who looks away, his face flushed crimson.

  “Ah, little Elden.” Arden shoved the boy next to him, Cain forward. “Do you recognize this pipsqueak?”

  “Cain!” Elden exclaimed

  “Been a while Eldy” says Cain, amusement tugging at his lips.

  “Yeah, it has. Say, are you still a pain in the butt, Cain the pain?” Elden shoots back much to the chagrin of the boy, and the amusement of the adults.

  “Is this badmouthing habit of yours chronic?” Avery asked, appearing at Elden’s side with the uncanny smoothness of silk from a magician’s cuff.

  Elden, startled turned around comically slow.

  Elden stiffened and turned slowly to face her. “Uh… Mom… it’s just a nickname. Everyone calls him that!”

  Avery’s eyes narrowed. “We’ll talk later.”

  David smirked, clearly savoring his son’s downfall. Elden wilted.

  He was saved by the sudden rise of hymns drawing near, indicating that the priests were about to enter.

  The great doors of the inner chamber opened, and priests filed out in solemn procession, their voices lifting in praise of the Sun God. The sound reverberated through the temple, heavy with ritual weight.

  Arden rested a hand on Elden’s shoulder, smiling down at him. “Brace yourself, kiddo. A new world is about to open to you.”