Phantom's Path

Chapter 1: Rearden Dune

The name's Rearden Dune. No parents, no family. They left me at an orphanage and didn't even bother with a goodbye. Can't say I miss them much—don't even remember their faces. Still, a part of me wonders, you know? What kind of people just... walk away like that? But hey, I'm not here to dwell. I've got bigger things to think about.

I grew up in the slums, where silver spoons are myths, and gold? That's just a bedtime story. Around here, we scrape by with whatever we can get, and most days, it's not much. Don't get me wrong, though. I don't plan on staying here forever. I've got a goal—not a dream. See, dreams are for people who have the luxury of time. A goal? That's different. It's real. Tangible. My goal is simple: live a good life. Not just survive. Live.

Now, about the world I live in. It's not all dirt and misery—at least, not for everyone. This is a place where your whole life can flip in a single moment. One day, you're like me—no one special, just another face in the crowd. The next? You're someone who can change the world. How? Powers.

Here's how it works: when you hit 15, you've got a chance to awaken powers—one, two, maybe even four if the gods are feeling generous. These abilities? They're the key to everything. Money, status, respect—it all starts with what you awaken. Every year, like clockwork, the guards show up in every town and city. They've got this item, a crystal or something, that reveals what powers you've got hidden inside you.

If you're one of the lucky ones, you get a ticket to one of the three best magic schools in the country. That's where the real players are made. The powerful. The untouchable. Me? I've been counting down the days. Tomorrow, the guards are coming here. But today?

Today, I turn 15.

I'm not gonna lie to you—I'm nervous. Yeah, I know what you're thinking. Rearden, the kid from the slums, nervous? It's just a test, right? But here's the thing: this isn't just a test. It's everything. It's the fork in the road. Either you awaken something incredible and climb out of this hole, or you don't, and you stay down here with the rest of the forgotten.

And me? I refuse to be forgotten.

But that's tomorrow's problem. Today? Today's the day my life might finally change. And you better believe I'm ready for it. Or at least, I hope I am.