Chapter 10: Ceremony
Gara wanted to check his status to confirm what exactly had happened to him. But they had already arrived at the town square.
For now, he pushed aside the strange notification from the system. This was a fantasy world, not the modern one he came from.
Still, he was a guy.
How in the world could a man get pregnant?
And more importantly... where was the baby supposed to come out from?
"Gara, are you okay?" Madha’s hand gently patted his shoulder.
Gara looked up, only to realize he was already standing in a line of teenagers, forming a circle around a large stone altar. Madha stood beside him, eyes filled with concern.
"I’m fine," Gara replied. "Just a bit sleepy."
As Gara glanced around, he noticed most of the teens wore simple clothes similar to his own, or maybe a touch more refined. Commoners, most likely.
There were only a few dressed in fine satin, standing out from the rest.
Before Gara could process everything, a man stepped up beside the altar. It was someone he recognized instantly.
Langga.
The man wore the same robe Gara had seen the night before, but this time in gleaming white. On his head sat a tall, pointed hat of the same color, adorned with three gem-like ornaments: a green emerald, a blue sapphire, and a red ruby.
He looked like a holy figure—radiant, noble, untouchable.
But Gara knew what kind of man he really was.
Honestly, from all the fantasy novels Gara had read, he might have assumed the man was drunk or drugged last night. But even then, what kind of person kidnaps a stranger and did that kind of thing?
And what if he really was pregnant?
"I am Langga Alterian of Gyakarta Academy," the man announced, his voice clear and commanding. "I will lead today’s Bloodline Awakening Ceremony. My role is to assist each of you in awakening the dormant bloodlines that may lie within."
The tone Langga used was far from the playful seduction from last night. This voice echoed with authority and purpose.
He swept his gaze across the gathered teens without emotion until his eyes landed on Gara.
For a brief second, Langga’s brow furrowed, as if he’d just recognized him. But then, as quickly as it came, his expression smoothed back to a neutral calm.
"This ceremony is for those who have yet to awaken their Bloodline. If you already have, please step out of the line."
A ripple of murmurs passed through the crowd. Teens glanced sideways at one another in confusion. Of course they all knew the rules. Who would bother traveling all the way from their village if they had already awakened?
From that one sentence, Gara gathered an important clue: it was possible to awaken a Bloodline even before the official ceremony.
And maybe that was why the crowd was mostly made up of commoners. Just like in his old world, the rich always had ways to be a few steps ahead.
But as the others fidgeted uncertainly, Gara couldn’t shake the feeling that Langga’s words were aimed directly at him. It was as if the man knew Gara had already awakened his Bloodline.
" Can Liners detect other Liners? " Gara wondered bitterly. " Yeah maybe he can. Especially, he didn’t just drag me into his room last night, he invaded my body too! "
A deep sigh escaped him as the memory returned.
Still, Gara didn’t move. He had no idea what was normal and what wasn’t in this world.
And if he stepped out of line, Madha would be confused.
Gara just wanted to get through the ceremony like everyone else. He didn’t want to stand out.
Another white-robed man—this one hooded instead of wearing a hat—stepped forward to whisper something to Langga. Probably a gentle reminder to continue.
"You may now come forward one by one, according to your line," Langga instructed.
The first boy stepped ahead.Follow current ɴᴏᴠᴇʟs on NoᴠᴇFɪre.nᴇt
In one hand, he held a gleaming orange crystal, larger than his palm. With his other hand, he reached out and grasped Langga’s.
"What kind of stone is that?" Gara whispered to Madha.
"That’s a Citrine Magic Stone," Madha replied, also in a whisper. "It’s used to awaken someone’s Bloodline. But the one who can activated is someone whose Bloodline or Talent is related to the mental."
Gara nodded, absorbing the explanation. He remembered that Langga had a telekinesis Talent.
Up front, Langga gave a small shake of his head. The teenage boy standing before him lowered his gaze, disappointed. Then it was the next boy’s turn.
This time, Langga nodded. "Elemental Bloodline. Talent: Earth Block."
Actually, Gara didn’t need to wait for Langga’s declaration. He could already check their statuses. Each time a Bloodline awakened, the previously ’none’ status would update with new information.
He glanced sideways at Madha, hoping his kind-hearted friend would awaken one too. It would be such a waste if someone like Madha spent his whole life stuck in a village and never experienced the comfort and excitement of city life.
After ten people, a girl stepped up to Langga. Gara recognized her right away. She was the yellow dress girl that he met yesterday. She was one of the few well-dressed teens in the crowd.
It didn’t take long before Langga nodded. "Elemental Bloodline. Talent: Wind Slice."
The petite girl beamed with joy and ran toward a middle-aged man and woman waiting outside the circle. Judging from their simpler clothing and manner, they were probably her attendants.
Gara shook his head slightly. Wind Slice sounded like a dangerous talent for someone that delicate. She’d probably be shipped off to the battlefield. He didn’t even want to imagine it.
She chatted excitedly with her attendants for a while before walking off. She didn’t seem to notice Gara, and Gara hadn’t noticed her either until she stepped forward.
Both of them were quite short compared to the other teens around.
Then five more stepped forward, one by one. None of them awakened anything.
So far, only two people had awakened their Bloodlines and both were Elemental.
"Are Elemental Bloodlines really that common?" Gara asked.
"For human races, yes," Madha replied. "Other types are rare. You usually only see them if someone has ancestry from another race—or if they’re naturally gifted."
"Other races?" Gara raised an eyebrow.
...