"Elizabeth Garza" the host called out.
Murmurs filled the air as she walked up onto the stage.
"Wow, she is so scary."
"I hope I don't get on her bad side."
"I wonder what gift she will get, it will have to be powerful."
"Look how strong she is"
A sense of dread crawled up his stomach as she made her way up the stage.
Each step shook the hall floor as a rough smile with dark yellow teeth looking not that different from pirates. She looked just as disgusting as always.
She placed her big rough hands on the ball and waited.
After 15 whole seconds, the max time the ball would take to shine, a deep purple colour was displayed.
The most prominent shine anyone has gotten today. The dread that was in his stomach crawled to his whole body as he knew what this meant.
Elizabeth walked over to the testing area before she shot fireballs out from her hands. The heat was so intense that Miles started sweating, and it was over 100 meters away. She moved the fire at will and so did she do the same with the temperature.
It was unbelievably frightening and even more so that she could use that on Miles. No. She would use that on Miles.
He was putting all his hopes on his gift. It was the only thing that could save him from Elizabeth. If he could just get a transformation or an elemental even a weak one, he might stand a chance.
Even a good shield-type gift to block her attacks he hoped.
'I guess my life is in fate's hands' Miles thought as he sent a silent prayer to the heroes of his books.
He had no idea what he was doing as he was not religious, but he thought that if anyone could save him, it would be them.
After Elizabeth's turn, there were quite a few rejections and some low-level gifts before it was his time.
"Miles Morton"
It was his time. He couldn't let himself, his friends or his family down.
'I can do this, I can get a skill I am proud of that can protect me and everyone I love'
His thoughts continued like this as he made his way to the stage. He couldn't even feel his legs as he walked up.
He gets nervous enough getting up in from of his whole year level but adding the ceremony into it, he couldn't think straight.
The walk up to the stage felt like years had been taken off his life.
Once he made it on the stage he tried to look for his friends except his vision felt blurry. He blinked a few times but that wasn't helping him.
He finally looked back and took a deep breath before placing his hands on the spherical object.
It felt like glass but also like he could squish it like jelly. It was a feeling he had never experienced before.
Obviously, he knew he couldn't actually squish it as it was probably harder to destroy than diamonds, but it nevertheless felt this way.
He kept holding onto the ball and it felt like it was taking ages. He knew it was just because he was nervous but it continued to not shine.
If Miles looked up, he would have noticed the worried and weird looks the hosts, teachers and students were giving each other.
Miles just kept hanging on knowing it would be over soon.
Just as he was about to look up when the ball shone a bright black colour.
'Wait what?' was the first thing Miles thought.
It wasn't far off what everyone else was feeling either.
Everyone just stared at the black colour emitting the ball.
After 20 seconds of staring, the host recomposed himself and instructed him to go to the training area.
Everyone was looking at him so intensely as he stood there seeing if it was a transformation, elemental, strength boost.
Nothing happened. No instinctual knowledge. He just looked like a fool standing there waiting for something to happen.
A faint white light in his vision lit up, however, Miles was more focused on his gift than some words that were probably on the back of the hall.
He decided he would give some weapons a go.
He picked a sword and felt no different. Then he tried a shield.
Alex could feel his anxiety grow and the tears in his eyes started to form.
The black colour must also mean it was a rejection was just about every thought in his mind that happened for the next 2 minutes.
The hosts didn't even try and hurry him along and wanted to see if the black was a special gift or a rejection that hadn't occurred yet.
Most people had at least a little bit of knowledge or idea of the power they received but not Miles.
The teachers said your gut feeling would normally be right after the mana awakening but this was not at all what he felt.
Marta and Dean both had worried looks as they saw his colour and the struggle he faced trying to activate his gift.
Alex continued to test every single option he could think of.
After a total of 3 minutes, he hung his head and walked off the stage to the seating area.
'I have let everyone down and I will be of no use to anyone.' He repeated to himself over and over.
The hope he had held for many years of this magical moment vanished and washed away like tears down his face.
He couldn't face his friends, and he couldn't face his parents.
He should barely have the right to exist.
These were the only feelings Miles held, fear, regret, and disappointment.
He sat for the rest of the ceremony in a daze of disappointment while he watched others celebrate their good fortune.
The resounding comments didn't help to cheer him up as the last person came off the stage.
"I can't believe he got a new colour and waited all that time for nothing"
"Still as pathetic as ever"
"As if it would have been a good gift"
Hearing this did not help his mood one bit.