Sylus von Astrodial was now five years of age, growing up to be a handsome young man.
The past two years had been unlike anything he had ever experienced in his former world.
His father, Martin von Astrodial, was a busy man, so he rarely saw him, and yet, the few times that he did, Sylus was always treated like a rare gem.
At first, Sylus wasn’t sure why, but later on, he began to realize there was a certain amount of expectation on him.
During his birth, reports from the priest, church, and even powerful families came in, all saying the exact same thing.
"The stars are smiling at your son."
In this world, the Star blessing you inherited was just as important as any other status, if not the most important.
For example, the great Star that fell upon his own family was called The Star of Trinity, representing Chaos, Control, and The Catalyst.
The Astrodial family was the only royal family to have a star carrying three different Star blessings; as such, those who served under them were equally as strong with their lesser stars.
Martin inherited the Star blessing Control, which granted him the ability to command anyone he felt stronger than to do his bidding. Because of this, he was feared by many people.
Elizabeth was a bit different, as she was not born into royalty but rather married into it; as such, she only inherited a lesser star, one that fell under Martin’s Star blessing Control, the ability to slightly control the weight of things.
It wasn’t until she got married to Sylus’s father that she also advanced her Star blessing and could now fully use telekinesis.
The same went for his two elder siblings: Lucas, who inherited the Star blessing Chaos and could fully control chaos magic as he pleased, and his sister Erica, who inherited the Star blessing Control, making her able to compel people with eye contact.
While there have been cases where a child is born into royalty and never inherits a star, and is thus disowned, the Astrodial family had never had to be in such a situation.
That said, there was one thing they still yearned for that placed them in disappointment every generation.
That was the last blessing of the Star of Trinity, the blessing Catalyst, said to be the strongest of all the stars combined.
Throughout the history of the Astrodial family, only the first king had ever inherited the Catalyst star.
A blessing so powerful it was said to have never been outmatched.
The first king was loved and respected by all the stars, capable of using all types of magic and often able to not only command other stars but also punish them.
He was a legend among the Astrodial family.
From generation to generation, no one had ever been able to inherit the Catalyst star after the first king.
But after hearing the reports from people after Sylus’s birth, it was no wonder everyone had their hopes up.
Alas, the time for judgment was here.
Sylus was five years old, and on his fifth birthday, his father called the priestess to come for his evolution.
Standing in the middle of his father’s office, only Sylus, his father, and the priestess were present. No one else was allowed into the room.
"Young prince, please rest your hand on the stone," said the beautiful priestess.
She was dressed in a nun’s uniform, her black hair falling behind her back as she smiled at Sylus.
’How the hell did two years pass so fast? Just the other day, I was enjoying the cake and tea Mum gave me. It’s been that long already?’
Avoiding eye contact with the priestess, he focused on the green glowing stone that was safely placed on a small table before him.
It looked to be an oval rock with small magic circles dancing around it, mimicking the movement of clock gears.
’Touching this is supposed to reveal what type of star I inherit. This was probably how my two siblings did theirs too.’
’Right now, my father is probably expecting me to get the rare star; he has been talking about it for years because of the rumors, so it’s obvious. Knowing the kind of shitty luck I have, who is to say I’d even get a star to begin with?’
That fear had clung to him for years growing up.
So much so that he had to subtly ask his mother about it, which then led to him learning that those from a royal family who don’t inherit a star are often disowned by the family, labeled as failures.
’If I happen to be among those who don’t awaken... chances are I’ll be disowned,’ his face turned pale.
’I don’t want to end up living a poor life. Having to suffer in a second life is more than pathetic.’
Suddenly, his father placed his hand on his shoulder.
"Son, you have nothing to worry about; you’ll do great."
Not that Martin’s words did anything to elevate his motivation; he just didn’t want his father to think he was having any doubt.
To stand out in this family, showing fear or hesitation to do anything should never be an option.
Closing his eyes, Sylus placed his hand on the glowing rock.
A loud shimmering sound followed, and then, right after, the entire room was plunged into darkness, leaving only the faint green glow from the crystal as the only source of light.
Sylus could not see the priestess or his father’s faces anymore, as they had both been swallowed by the darkness.
It was then it appeared.
The magic screen that played before him with golden characters.
(The Star of Catalyst.)
Sylus’s eyes widened in what seemed to be shock.
Perhaps he had used his luck for the next 100 years; he didn’t care.
Before he could turn around to share the news with his father, the darkness that had once swallowed the room disappeared, allowing the morning sun to slip back in.
And then, from nowhere, Martin scooped Sylus up from the ground, raising him into the air and spinning him around.
"You did it, Sylus!" his father shouted with a smile on his face. "You broke the cycle! You have the Catalyst star, my son! Hahaha! I’m so proud of you!!!"
For the first time in three years, Sylus saw his father laugh and act like a teenage