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."