Shadow Over the Heavenly Throne-Chapter 74: It doesn’t hurt to try

One by one, the children of the collateral branches stepped onto the central platform. The runes beneath their feet lit up as their bodies touched the qi core. For a moment, silence reigned... and then the light dimmed, and the elder announced the result.

"Common Root."

"Common Root."

"Common Root. Type: Water."

Muffled whispers drifted from the stands, like wind rustling through a garden of silence. One mother pressed her lips together, watching her son lower his gaze and step off the platform, while the father beside her just shook his head, as if brushing off the dust of shame. The boy in a navy-blue kimono glanced one last time at the ceremonial masters before his shoulders slumped like withered leaves.

But then the air quivered.

A girl with fiery eyes stepped onto the platform. The runes blazed brightly, and the ceremonial master raised an eyebrow.

"Medium Root. Element: Fire."

A ripple of excitement followed. Someone clapped quietly. Someone stood to see better. A tremor of hope stirred in the air.

"Medium Root. Type: Physical."

"Medium Root. Element: Earth."

Finally, something worthy of note.

And then came a wave of peculiarity. One child had a root of the Ice type. Another had Lightning with a sensory mutation. But despite the exotic types, all remained within the "Common" category. Their families could not hide their disappointment.

When Sylphia’s name was called, the entire hall fell silent.

In the stands, Veynessa froze. Her fingers tightened slightly on the railing, as if trying to hold back the anxiety from spilling onto her face. Shion held her breath, eyes wide with tension, her hands clutching the hem of her dress.

Sylphia stiffened. It felt like her entire body weighed a ton. Each step toward the platform echoed in her ears as if she were walking through water.

Her steps rang oddly dull in the vast space. She held her head high, but everything in her chest trembled.

She touched the core.

For a fraction of a second, nothing happened.

Then the space quivered.

Spiraling distortions appeared around her body, as if the air couldn’t withstand the pressure. Waves of qi rippled through the hall, and the runes around the core lit up in silvery-violet.

"Element: Space..." the Ceremonial Master murmured.

Whispers swept across the hall. Even the oldest members of the royal family raised their brows.

But that wasn’t the end.

On the observation balcony, Aldrich allowed himself a faint, almost invisible smile. He nodded slightly to himself, a flicker of hope dancing in his eyes. "Space..." he thought. "If the root is high... maybe, just maybe..."

The platform trembled once more.

"Final result is..."

Sylphia stood at the center of the platform, trembling slightly despite her efforts to remain calm. Her hands, hanging by her sides, clenched into fists. Every second stretched into eternity. Her heart pounded against her ribs like a caged bird, and her mouth felt parched, as if all the water had left her body.

She kept her eyes fixed on the runes beneath her feet, but from the corner of her eye, she saw the outlines of the royal family. She felt their gazes.

"Medium Root. Third Grade."

A wave of silence swept across the hall. The murmur of excitement was cut off mid-breath, like someone slicing through air with a blade. People froze—some with wide eyes, others already turning away as if they didn’t want to look any longer.

Aldrich slowly pulled his hand away from the railing. His arms stiffened, and a shadow passed over his face, erasing the earlier flicker of hope.

Veynessa closed her eyes for a brief moment.

Shock and disbelief were etched onto Shion’s face.

Calista didn’t move an inch. Her face remained still, like a porcelain mask, and then she let out a quiet sigh.

Sylphia felt her knees give way beneath her. Her heart raced like mad, but not from joy.

"This can’t be..." she whispered. "But... but it was Space..."

Sylphia stepped off the platform, a shadow of her former self.

The Ceremonial Master raised his hand, and his voice carried through the hall:

"The Awakening Ceremony is now complete."

The runes faded one by one, and the lights above the platform dimmed. The gathered crowd began to disperse in silence, as if the weight of the final verdict had crushed not only Sylphia but the entire palace. free𝑤ebnovel.com

Sylphia sat motionless on the bed, wrapped in a blanket that gave no warmth. The soft glow of a magical lamp cast pale light over her face, highlighting the empty stare fixed on a single spot on the wall. Tea on the table beside her had long gone cold. From outside came the occasional night sound, but inside, silence was so deep one could hear a heartbeat. Her fingers clutched the edge of the pillow like it was all that kept her from falling apart.

The door creaked open softly.

Shion peeked in, carefully holding a bowl of soup. Her feet moved noiselessly across the carpet, as if afraid to wake a dream that wasn’t there.

Sylphia didn’t stir.

"Sylphia...?" she asked gently, voice soft as silk but tense.

No response.

Shion placed the bowl on the table and knelt beside the bed.

"I thought maybe you were hungry. I know it must be hard right now, so I just wanted..."

Sylphia raised her head suddenly. Her eyes blazed with a fire that gave no light—only burn.

"You?! You understand NOTHING!" her voice cracked like breaking ice. "With your Divine Roots... you, Calista’s favorite, always surrounded by warmth and praise... You have unimaginable talent and a bright future, and you don’t even see it! And me? With my pathetic roots, I’m nobody. Nobody in this family. Nobody in this world!"

Shion recoiled as if each word struck her like a blade.

"I... I just wanted to help..." she whispered, voice trembling.

Sylphia rose, the blanket falling from her shoulders. She stood before Shion, head held high, but her arms shook.

"LEAVE. Just... leave. I don’t want to see you right now."

Shion froze for a split second, then turned and ran from the room. She stumbled slightly at the threshold but didn’t stop. Tears streamed down her cheeks.

A moment later, the soft thud of a pillow hitting the door echoed in the room.

Sylphia collapsed back onto the bed, burying her face in her hands. Her body trembled.

"Why... why am I like this...?"

She knew Shion wasn’t at fault. She knew the girl had come with care, an open heart, and a desire to help.

But it changed nothing.

Sylphia couldn’t bear the sight. Jealousy felt like a thorn under her skin she couldn’t remove.

She closed her eyes and whispered:

"I disgust myself."

At the same time, in Calista’s apartment:

The door slammed open. Shion burst in, tear-streaked and silent. She dove onto the bed, burying her head deep into the pillows, muffling her sobs.

Calista, sitting on the windowsill with a book on her knee, raised an eyebrow, surprised. She calmly shut the book and landed softly on the floor.

"Shion...?" she called, approaching carefully.

Shion lay curled into a tight ball, small shoulders shaking. Her face was hidden deep in the pillows, as if she wanted to disappear. Quiet sobs choked the air. Calista watched in silence, then reached out, brushing a strand of hair from the girl’s neck. Her fingers were gentle, almost shy, but full of tenderness.

Without a word, she slipped her arms under Shion and gently lifted her into her lap. The girl’s head rested against her chest, and Calista stroked her back.

"It’s okay... Cry as much as you need," she whispered.

Time passed before Shion, hiccuping and gasping, managed to speak:

"I argued with Sylphia... I did what you said. I went to her... I just wanted to comfort her... I really did."

Calista said nothing, letting her continue.

"And she... she said I don’t understand anything, that she doesn’t want to see me... that I’m your favorite, that I have Divine Roots and a bright future..." her voice cracked. "But... it’s not my fault..."

Shion lifted her head, eyes full of pain.

"I was the one... I was the one who was a slave. I was the one no one loved. I slept in dark cells, not knowing if I’d survive another day. And her? She had everything. Warmth, family, love. And now she looks at me like I’m the villain, like it’s my fault she’s in pain."

She clenched Calista’s dress tightly.

"It’s not fair... It’s just not fair..."

Calista hugged her tighter and took a deep breath.

"Sylphia is in a very dark place, little bunny. She’s hurting more than she can admit. But it’s not your fault. She didn’t mean to hurt you. She just didn’t know how to stop herself."

"But it hurt..." Shion whispered.

"I know." Calista stroked her hair. "But give her time. Sylphia is lost and wounded, and she doesn’t know how to handle it. Sometimes, when pain overwhelms us, we hurt the ones we most want to keep close. Not because we mean to... but because we don’t know any other way."

She brushed a strand from Shion’s cheek and looked into her eyes.

"You did nothing wrong. In fact, you did what many adults couldn’t do. You reached out with an open heart. That says more about you than anything."

Shion trembled, her lips quivering.

"You really think so?"

Calista smiled softly and leaned her forehead against the girl’s. Her voice, when it returned, was gentle, almost musical—but strength pulsed beneath it.

"I know it hurts. And I know your heart carries more wounds than any child should bear. But that’s exactly why you’re special. Not because of your root. Not because of the gifts you received. But because you still reach out to others with an open heart, even after all you’ve suffered."

Shion trembled. She said nothing, but her hand clutched Calista’s robe.

"Sylphia sees nothing but her own shadow right now. But that won’t last forever. I know you know her. And I know that when she finds herself again, she’ll understand how much you mean to her."

Calista wrapped her arms around the girl, shielding her from the world. They stayed like that, wordless. Then Shion sighed and buried her face in Calista’s shoulder.

"I know Sylphia. And I know that even when she hides her heart behind walls... it still beats. She’ll come to you. Once she stops fighting herself."

Shion didn’t reply. She only nodded, face pressed into Calista’s shoulder. Her body trembled with emotion, but in that gesture, there was quiet acceptance—as if Calista’s words had reached straight through the pain.

At the same time, in the royal chambers:

Veynessa was packing items into a spatial ring.

Aldrich leaned against the doorframe.

"It makes no sense. We tried with Kaelis too. And nothing came of it."

Veynessa glanced at him briefly.

"But now... this is our only hope. And even if it fails again..."

She closed the ring.

"...it doesn’t hurt to try."

Aldrich sighed. Outside, the moon hung high over the palace rooftops.

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