Chatoyant

Chapter 7

I wake up to the plum and vermillion glow of the Alenian sunrise. It's 7 in the morning. I swiftly get dressed and walk to the grand dining room. The second part to the choosing ceremony will begin promptly at 8. The excited bustle of people and buzz of conversation fills the castle. In the dining room, there were tables set up with foods of all sorts. One item, in particular, caught my interest. They were strawberry crepes. I don't know what a strawberry or a crepe is, but I am fascinated by Earth cuisine. Queen Astoria must have had them in Dimension 2-6a and brought them here.

I take my plate of strawberry crepes and puzzle over how they're eaten. I take a piece of it with my fork and place it into my mouth. I immediately fall in love. Strawberries are a marvel. They're sweet, yet tart, slightly juicy, with a vibrant red color. After finishing an excessive serving of crepes, I try to figure out the time. Suddenly, the voice of one of the Alette guards silences the room. "Attention! Choosing will begin momentarily. Everyone is to gather in the ceremonial gardens at this time."

The mass of people makes their way through the corridors. I fall in the middle. We ascend a wide spiral staircase. At the top, was the entrance to the garden. It was massive, larger than the ones at Psyche. The domed glass ceiling let in brilliant beams of bluish-white light. Along the perimeter, there were places to sit. We were instructed to sit. Streams of water embedded in the walls and floor flow down from the top and reach the flower beds of the garden with glass separating them from the interior of the room. The room fills with newly-made Aurorans. In the center of the room, there was a fountain. There were hallways on all sides of the circular chamber, each with a person standing by them. Once everyone is seated, Queen Astoria steps forward. "Welcome to the choosing ceremony, everyone. Today, you will choose your role in society. You will have a fair amount of freedom to do what you'd like once you have chosen, but choose wisely because you can only choose again every 20 years. As you all know, there are 10 basic areas of study that you can choose: The Alette guard, education, technology, agriculture, engineering, charity, art and music, culinary arts, healthcare and medicine, and sciences. There are ten white roses. You are to take a handful of water from the fountain behind me and use it to water your chosen rose. The only exception is for those who would like to be part of the guard. There is a crystal blade next to the rose. You are to cut your hand and hold it so a single drop of your blood falls into the center of the rose. Then, you are to proceed down the designated hallways marked with their emblems. Understood?" Agreement ripples through the crowd. "Very well, then." She pauses and looks at a list. "Emris Achilleos," A girl with golden-brown hair stands up and daintily walks up to the fountain. She cups her hands and submerges them in the crystal clear water. She walks over to the rose representing agriculture, careful to keep the water from dripping too much. She releases the water and it soaks into the soil at the base of the rose. Her moonstone necklace seemed to dimly glow. The agriculture representative congratulates her and she heads down the hallway.

More names are called. Very few have chosen the guard. My name is called. My insides freeze. I stand up, and everyone's gaze drifts to me. I walk down to the center of the chamber and pass the fountain. I kneel before the rose representing the guard. I take the knife and hold it against my shaking right hand. I slide it across and a faint line of blood appears. I wince as I hold my hand above the rose and watch as my blood slowly drips onto the petals. Suddenly, the red droplet fades and my pendant begins to faintly glow with hints of blue and orange. The cut on my hand heals within an instant. I stand up. The lady representing the guard gives me a smirk. I walk down the hallway.

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