The first thing anyone learns about the Divine Progression System is that it was given to us by the gods as an apology for allowing the fallen to occur.

  What the fallen actually was and why the gods, in all of their divine might, couldn't prevent it is all up to speculation. It's said however, that over 90% of humanity died out back when it happened.

  Determined to push forward through despair, the remnants of humanity centralized into an all-encompassing military power.

  Remnant.

  The name's too on-the-nose for my tastes, but it stands as a representation for all of humanity's collective achievements in the decades since.

  Sometimes referred to as "The spine of humanity", It's truly the only thing that allows humanity to stand against those things the fallen left behind.

  Soldiers, executioners, and heroes. Call them whatever you want really, all that matters is that they, the ascendant among us, act as the shields that allow the

  rest of us an opportunity to grow stronger.

  There are two of them at the heart of Remnant, each representing one of the four paths of ascension the system provides.

  The Path of War and The Path of Spirit.

  And today, I'm finally going to choose which path I want to start down.

  Hey Wake! Over here!"

  Shouting from the far end of a gathering group of kids, a young boy with messy blonde hair and piercing eyes anyone could spot from a distance frantically waved his arms.

  Even though the boy was yelling and flailing his arms around like a madman however, none in the room paid him any mind.

  Not out of ignorance of his actions, but from ignorance of his presence.

  "Why's he applying his trait in here of all places?"

  Glancing over the nearly packed room I tried to gauge whether or not I had time for this.

  Hmmm...

  In the front of the room stood a lone podium framed by massive red drapes that covered almost the entire wall.

  "If no one was at the podium then that means we aren't starting yet right?"

  Thinking this I turned towards my friend in order to respond in kind when,

  *CRAAAASH*

  "Huh?"

  Turning back towards the podium alongside everyone else, I was met with a confusing sight.

  "Ahhh, I’m so—Ahh—ahh, I’m sorryyyy!"

  A woman, who hadn’t been there a second ago, somehow tripped her way through the drapes and wiped out right in front of the crowd.

  She hit the floor hard, a disorganized stack of papers erupting into the air around her like startled pigeons.

  They fluttered and spun in every direction, scattering across the polished floor and between startled students.

  For a moment, no one moved.

  Then she groaned, chuckled, and sat up with a sheepish smile that did nothing to hide the pink coloring her cheeks.

  "Right… okay! That was… oddly enough, exactly how I pictured that going."

  She clapped her hands together twice. Sharp, fast, and deliberate.

  A hum of energy rippled outward, barely visible, like strands of heat in the distance. In a blink, the scattered papers froze mid-air. Then, with a subtle flick of her fingers, they zipped back toward her in perfect formation, stacking themselves neatly in her outstretched hands.

  A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  She then stood, dusted herself off, and cleared her throat.

  "Ahem. Good morning, would-be-initiates. I’m Adept Hale, and I've been assigned to guide you through today’s orientation."

  As she said this, Adept Hale began floating in the air. Now ever so slightly off of the ground, she assumed a more firm posture and continued.

  "Now then," she continued, adjusting her tone to something a bit more official, "At the age of five, each of you should have awakened to your Divine Trait, the core gift that defines your relationship with the system. Some were born with abilities suited to combat, others with traits more subtle or abstract."

  She began to float slowly across the stage, her eyes scanning the crowd.

  "Since that day, your job, your only job, has been to gather essence, observe your own growth, and learn how to better utilize your trait in mock battles and in every day life. Ten years of mostly passive development. Of watching and killing only when we could assure your safety. Of figuring out who you are, and where your role, whether in remnant or elsewhere lies."

  She stopped at the center of the podium again.

  "That ends today."

  "From this point forward, your progression will no longer be closely monitored. You will select one of the two available Paths: War or Spirit. Each path provides a foundation, a framework through which your trait can evolve and grow stronger. You will be shaped by the path you choose, and in turn, it will be shaped by you."

  She gestured to the drapes behind her as they slowly opened to reveal two towering figures sitting atop massive thrones.

  "Here behind me are two of Remnant’s highest-ranking Ascendants, both an embodiment of the Paths of War and Spirit respectively. You’ll all meet them shortly."

  "But first, interfaces, please."

  She raised her hand.

  Around me, the room lit up. Glyphs and panes of soft, shimmering light flared into existence as students summoned their status displays. Some looked proud, others nervous. A few didn’t move at all—too afraid, or maybe too ashamed.

  Among the first things we were tasked with upon awakening was that our mission was three-fold:

  1. Thoroughly study your trait. Probably because many traits carry hidden consequences, ones you wouldn't normally think about in a life-or-death situation.

  2. Develop basic survival skills. For obvious reasons.

  3. Studiously gather essence. This one was tricky as we weren't allowed outside of the perimeter established by remnant, and as such we could only acquire essence from approved low ranking creatures brought in for this specific purpose. It didn't happen often and you had do get there ahead of large crowds of people aiming for the same thing.

  We weren’t expected to fight, not really. But every child was taught to take part in a kill when the opportunity came, to absorb essence and hold it until the day we became initiates.

  That day was today.

  I sighed and raised my hand.

  A subtle click echoed in my chest. One invisible gear turning later, and a construct of light unfolded above my palm. Thin rings of text and layered runes spun gently in the air, aligning themselves into clean, structured lines.

  Minimal. Clean. Understated.

  Just how I liked it.

  Trait: Arbiter: Increases the likelihood of any consciously made decision resulting in a favorable outcome.

  Essence: 1000/1000

  Title: N/A

  I may not have a powerful trait, But that essence count?

  That was all mine.

  Every single one of those points, earned the hard way.

  It wasn’t easy. Half the time, the Fallen brought in for essence collection would be swarmed before you even made it through the gate. But I never missed a chance. I volunteered early. I trained harder. I stayed longer.

  I didn't care if it was a cleanup detail or a supervised hunt, I made sure I was on the list. I made sure I was seen.

  So yeah, I might be one of the few here without a particularly useful trait.

  But my numbers?

  They speak for me just fine.

  Adept Hale raised her voice, cutting through the quiet murmurs and nervous shuffling of the gathered initiates.

  "Alright everyone," she called clearly, hovering slightly higher for better visibility. "Form two orderly lines in front of the podium. Those with the highest essence counts, please move to the front."

  There was a brief pause of hesitation before the crowd began moving. A sea of glowing interfaces shuffled around as students checked each other's counts, compared numbers, and slowly found their positions.

  I started forward, holding my interface casually. As I walked, I glanced around at the various glowing essence counters, noting the range of numbers that flickered into view.

  Essence: 124/1000

  Essence: 352/1000

  Essence: 50/1000

  I suppressed a wince. Fifty? What the hell had that guy been doing all this time?

  A bit further along, a tall, confident-looking girl held hers aloft, quietly proud as the others parted around her.

  Essence: 600/1000

  I nodded slightly to myself. That was more like it. Essence collection wasn't exactly a cakewalk, after all.

  By the time I reached the front, the mutters around me had grown louder, laced with surprise, envy, and uncertainty. I pretended not to notice the way eyes drifted toward my own glowing counter.

  Adept Hale cleared her throat again, now hovering almost directly above me with an authoritative air.

  "Those of you who've decided upon the Paths of Mind or Elements," she announced, her tone firm, "your initiation will take place tomorrow. You may leave and continue your preparations until then."

  The room shifted again as many a disappointed and slightly confused student moved towards the exits, casting curious looks back over their shoulders.

  That left just us, the ones who'd chosen War or Spirit.

  Adept Hale smiled down at us, her expression sharpening with interest.

  "Now then," she said, voice echoing clearly through the now quieter room, "it's time for those who remain to take their first real steps forward."