In the mystical realm of the White Kingdom, citizens begin to awaken extraordinary magical powers - and some even twice, with enough determination. This surge of supernatural abilities unsettles the ruling class, who initiate a dark era of witch hun...
The boy was roused from his slumber by persistent shaking. He strained to open his eyes; the bright hues of his visions faded as the sky took on the vermilion tones of sunset. Directly above his head, the snout of a goat loomed. One might have assumed this mountain beast had descended from the peaks, if it weren't for its words, spoken in a courteous, albeit creaky, voice:
"Do you desire the salvation of your soul or your body?"
"Preferably both," groaned the boy.
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The goat, surprisingly bipedal, wore the orange robes of the sun monks. With surprising agility, it hoisted the boy onto its back and began to carry him off. Nearby was another pilgrims' refuge, nestled in a small cave. The boy had surveyed this rock with his clairvoyance but missed the narrow entrance.
Inside the cave, the monk had arranged his modest belongings neatly. A small fire smoldered, bathing the surroundings in comfortable warmth. When the monk placed the traveler on the ground, Ray noticed that his rescuer had transformed into a fully human form. He fed the youth with warm dandelion broth and offered him a few honey lozenges.
Warmed and having savored the modest refreshments, Raymond felt a surge of strength. Despite his exhaustion to the near-fainting point, his fear of death had been somewhat exaggerated. The temperature hadn't dropped drastically, and if he hadn't expended his energy on pyrokinesis, he could have survived the raw blizzard unscathed.
A sizable bruise marred his side; minor burns snaked along his arms and chest.
"Imrok has saved you!" proclaimed the monk resolutely.
"That's very kind of him, but it appeared that you just have saved me," Raymond replied politely.
"Didn't you see the sign? The flames of the northern lights blazed around you!"
"I thought they were only visible in the White Mountains and Lantar," the boy said.
"The God himself guided me to you. There was so much light that I thought Cantaros Imil had descended from the heavens. The light was so intense that I saw it even here, in the cave. Without this sign, I would not have found you."
Raymond was bewildered; he hadn't anticipated that his vision would be perceptible to others. The issue was that the awakened one lacked control over light, as photokinesis was exclusively granted to the miraclists. The fact that the boy could generate such radiance indicated one thing alone. Raymond understood he had undergone transcendence – a state of semi-awakening, or awakening 1.5. During moments when life is hanging by a thread, the awakened one might temporarily perform miracles, almost reaching the level of miraclist. Transcendence never leads to the second awakening, but life-threatening situations often result in death, thereby experimenters were soon diminished.
The state of transcendence manifests far too seldom to rely on seriously, yet, in the end, it was what saved Raymond's life. The boy decided it would be impolite to boast about this in front of the monk who had dedicated his whole life to pursuing the second awakening. Let him believe it was a sign from above; the sun worshippers cherished that greatly.
