Chapter 13: The Assessment

The children exchanged a breathless glance, sweat beading on their foreheads. Neither spoke.

And just then, footsteps approached from behind, the priest returning with the tablet of discernment.

“Ah, you remained well-behaved,” he said kindly, carrying a small chest in both hands. Moments after came Solan and Lucina, their steps soft across the polished stone. “I apologize for the wait. I had to retrieve this from the reliquary. It is not brought out very often. Follow me, and we shall carry out the assessment.”

The family followed him into a small office-like room. He set the chest down on a table and opened it carefully. Inside lay a purple rectangular crystal tablet, it faintly glowed. The surface shimmered but the inside of the slab looked like fragmented crystals.

Lucina rested a hand on Lea’s shoulder. “Do as he says, my dear.”

The priest gestured. “One at a time. Simply place your palms flat upon the surface, and it will reveal the blessings you carry.”

Lea hesitated only a moment before stepping forward. Her reflection warped faintly in the crystal as she pressed her hands down. A sudden warmth flowed up through her arms, like electricity surging through her veins. Then the tablet's surface began glowing, and squiggled writing began manifesting .

The priest’s eyes widened. “By the gods…”

Across the crystal appeared a list, each word shining in its own color: Light. Ice. Nature. Water and Vitality.

Lucina gasped, her hand lifting to her lips. Solan stiffened, his face unreadable, though his eyes betrayed astonishment.

“This… is impossible,” the priest murmured. “No child should bear so many blessings. Typically, two, perhaps three at most. Yet this many is basically unheard of…” He swallowed hard. “The only explanation is that the gods themselves… have taken a liking to you”

Lea pulled her hand back, trembling, her emerald green eyes darting to her parents. “I-is something wrong with me?”

Lucina immediately knelt to embrace her. “No, my darling. Nothing wrong. This is…” She exhaled shakily. “This is miraculous. A true blessing.”

“Let the boy try,” Solan insisted.

Leo stepped forward, his heart thundering. He pressed his palm to the crystal. The same warmth Lea just felt now surged through his body. Again script flooded across the surface just as before.

“Every blessing… Between the two you twins have EVERY magical affinity,” the priest trembled.

He stumbled back half a step, clutching his robes. “Look, the boy has the affinities for; Fire. Wind. Earth. Vitality. And finally, Darkness.”

Solan’s brows drew together, his voice a low rumble. “What does this mean, Father?”

The man swallowed, his expression stern. “It means…though I cannot begin to explain how but together, they embody the full spectrum of divine gifts. And how strong these blessings are, how far they will grow, that we cannot know yet. In time, with training, it will reveal itself.”

Leo pulled back, his fists tightening at his sides. A strange mix of pride and unease churned inside him.

The priest turned back toward Solan and Lucina. “Lord and Lady Kazantria… you must understand the weight of this. Children such as these are not born in centuries. Maybe even millennia, it’s the thing of legends”

“Does this mean that we're some of the most powerful people around?” Lea asked curiously, holding her hands up

“Not necessarily, however if you manage to boost your magic potential and mana limit over time, having all these blessings could very well mean that.” he replied, voice trembling slightly.

As his words echoed, Leo blurted out without thinking, “Why haven’t you built a statue for Lady Lyrule yet?”

The silence that followed was sharp enough to cut. The priest blinked, visibly unsettled. His lips parted, but no answer came at first.

“How… how do you know of that?” he asked at last, voice hushed.

Leo shifted, heat crawling up his neck, but his eyes stayed locked on the priest’s. “Because the fallen shadow god is here, Memphis he betrayed the council. He’s not a god anymore. He’s a demon lord. Isn’t that true?” he said with a stern expression.

The priest’s hands tightened on his sleeves. He glanced quickly at Solan and Lucina, who both looked equally shocked. “That knowledge is… not widely spoken of nor known. However, yes, you are correct. Memphis was cast down decades ago. And Lady Lyrule is his successor.”

“Then why is his statue still here?” Leo pressed. His tone wavered, caught between childish insistence and something deeper.

The priest exhaled slowly, as though burdened. “Because faith is not stone, young master. It is in the hearts of the people. To replace one god with another, many will see only treachery, and Outcry would spread like wildfire. Yet still… The truth will have to be faced one day. the statue of Memphis will fall, and Lyrule will take her rightful place.”

Lea tugged on her brother’s sleeve, sensing his tension. But she said nothing.

The priest straightened, forcing calm back into his voice. “That is enough for today. You have been blessed beyond measure. Take pride, and prepare yourselves—your journey will be long, but the gods walk with you.”

Lucina gathered the twins close, “You hear him? This is no ordinary gift. But you are still my children. And whatever comes, we face it together.”

Solan’s hand rested heavily on Leo’s shoulder, firm but protective. “A blessing but also a weapon. You must learn to wield it wisely, young ones.”

The children both nodded faintly, though the weight of it pressed deeper than they could yet grasp.

“Nothing of this must ever leave this room, this is an unheard of miracle and it could be catastrophic if the masses knew that meer children possessed so much power.” urged the priest.

He closed the chest with reverent care, bowing his head toward the family. He began ushering them out. “The festival begins soon. What lies ahead… will test you.”

And with that, the moment ended. Yet in their hearts, Lea and Leo carried the truth that no one else in that hall could see—words spoken by gods themselves.

They were now not just confused children without closure anymore. And although not all their doubts were answered or all their fears reconciled. Now they felt different, a new force weighing down on them.