Point of View: Eldrin
The entrance to the settlement was packed.
I couldn't remember seeing so many gathered in one place since our arrival in these lands. Primordials filled every free space in front of the walls, even standing atop the watch platforms. The collective murmur was low, expectant. Farther out, a perimeter formed by soldiers had been established, meant to protect us from any beast that might approach, drawn by the sheer number of people. Not everyone could go outside; that would have been dangerous. Most remained within the settlement, though close enough to hear.
Above the main gates, directly connected to the structure of the walls, hung the plaque that had remained hidden for days: a large, carved surface, covered by a light-colored cloth, unmoving despite the wind.
I stood on a platform set to one side of the entrance, nervous and somewhat excited. I took a step forward.
When I raised my hand, silence fell instantly.
I took a deep breath.
—When we arrived here —I began—, we were not a city. We weren't even worthy of calling this place a settlement. We were survivors, walking toward an uncertain future, relying on one another because there was no other choice.
Some nodded. Others lowered their gaze.
—We built walls to protect ourselves —I continued—, but what truly sustained us was not stone… but trust. The decision to stay. To grow together.
I paused briefly.
—For five years, this place gave us shelter without asking for anything in return. It witnessed our mistakes, our arguments, and our achievements. Children were born here. Vocations were formed. Ideals were forged.
I lifted my gaze toward the cloth.
—A place like this deserves more than being called "the settlement."
A murmur rippled through the crowd.
—It deserves a name that gives us identity —I said firmly—, a place from which we can say to the world: this is where we belong.
I extended my hand toward the cloth.
—From today onward, this place will no longer be a faceless point on the map of this world.
I pulled the cord.
The cloth fell.
The name was revealed, precisely carved.
ARCADIA
For a second, no one spoke.
Then the sound erupted.
Applause.
Cheers.
Hands clapping forcefully, voices rising, shouts repeating the name. Some raised their arms. Others simply kept clapping, as if afraid the moment would vanish if they stopped.
—Arcadia!
—Arcadia!
The name echoed against the wall… and beyond it.
Then I felt it.
The origin energy was moving.
The system screen appeared before me.
[Genesis Records updated]
[Foundational event confirmed]
[City registered: Arcadia]
Point of View: Citizen
I had never felt anything like it.
At first, I thought it was just collective excitement, an exaggerated reaction to the speech. But then...
The energy.
From everywhere.
From the ground beneath my feet, from the sky above, from as far as my gaze could reach into the distance. Origin energy began to gather.
Gentle currents, countless in number, converged toward us.
Toward Arcadia.
Around me, others noticed it as well. Some stood completely still; others looked around in awe.
—What's happening? —someone whispered.
I was asking myself the same question.
The energy flowed quickly, yet without violence. Like a river that had finally found its course. The walls emitted a faint glow, and the gates seemed sturdier.
Then, before my eyes, the screen I was already familiar with appeared—yet it displayed something different.
[You have been recognized as a citizen of Arcadia]
I swallowed.
I didn't fully understand what it meant.
But a certainty settled deep within me.
This was no longer just the place where I lived.
It was the place where I belonged.
Point of View: Eldrin
Two days had already passed since the event, and things felt especially lively.
I could feel it. The origin energy was more abundant than usual, and I could cultivate at least twice as fast.
It seemed that the Genesis Records had recognized the city—and us—as its citizens. That recognition allowed us to cultivate more efficiently within our territory, and the city now possessed a higher concentration of origin energy.
It was something neither the council nor I had expected.
A pleasant surprise.
I estimate it won't be long before one of the primordials manages to ascend.
What will happen then?
I await it eagerly.