Jillian stood up, a confident smirk spreading across his face, and walked to the center of the training room. His Southern accent was thick with pride as he announced.

"My Avatar's name is Shadow Wraith. It's pretty much a common Avatar of the Shadow Constellation".

The Shadow Avatar belongs to Sagittarius, the constellation of shadows, silence, and emptiness.

Sagittarius is the second constellation governing the Northern Domain. Each domain, Levi remembered, has three governing constellations. For the Northern Domain, the first is Leo, the Constellation of Radiance, Sun, and Rebirth.

Jillian's father was originally from the Northern Domain and had settled in the South with Jillian's mother, but Jillian had clearly inherited his father's powerful Northern Avatar.

Jillian took a deep breath, focusing his energy. Then, with a sudden shift, he fell into his own shadow on the floor.

The shadow then stretched and moved across the polished concrete, fluid and fast. It flowed up the adjacent wall and came to rest perfectly on the ceiling.

A moment later, Jillian's head peeped out of the shadow on the roof, looking down at his two silent, captured teammates.

"How's it?". He asked with a wide, triumphant smile.

He then smoothly slid down the wall and reformed on the floor, emerging fully from his shadow as if stepping out of water.

Levi gave a non-committal shrug, his Northern lack of accent contrasting with the Southerners. "Mighty efficient way to travel". He commented dryly, referring to Jillian's Shadow Wraith.

Chloe bristled, sensing the lack of awe. Her competitive nature took over. She couldn't let a Northerner look down on Southerners.

She quickly placed her hand on the floor in front of her, her voice ringing with defensive pride.

"Well, my Avatar is called Irregular Plant". She announced. It was an Avatar derived from Virgo, the constellation of life, reproduction, and growth. From the western domain.

As she spoke, a single, strange flower suddenly bloomed from the exact spot where her hand had touched the floor. Its roots, thick and dark, didn't penetrate the concrete but floated a few centimeters above the ground, suspended by green energy.

Levi examined the floating flower with a mild expression, but Chloe misinterpreted his look as a condescending thought: 'Is that all? Hmm, you might as well be your ancestors' biggest disappointment.'

Annoyed, she rushed to explain its true utility. "It ain't just a flower! If I feed the plant a poison". She explained, her gaze daring Levi to challenge her. "it can perfectly replicate that poison later on, in huge quantities".

Hearing Chloe's explanation, Levi couldn't help but be genuinely amazed by the diversity of this world's powers.

He understood that the abilities granted by the Avatars were not just based on the major Constellation, but also on the specific Personality— or path— within that Constellation.

For example, Jillian's Avatar, the Shadow Wraith, was from Sagittarius, the Constellation of Shadows, Silence, and Emptiness.

His abilities were specifically tied to the Shadow path. This meant that even if another sorcerer had an Avatar from Sagittarius, if that individual's Avatar didn't fall under the Shadow personality, they wouldn't have shadow-based abilities.

They might, for instance, have powers related to Silence or Emptiness instead.

The same principle applied to Chloe. Although her Avatar, Irregular Plant, originated from Virgo, the Constellation of Life, Reproduction, and Growth.

Her abilities fell specifically under Growth the ability to grow. If another person had an Avatar from Virgo but possessed the Life personality, their Avatar's abilities would instead focus on healing or vitality.

The system was far more complex than simply categorizing by star sign.

"What's yours?". Jillian's voice snapped Levi out of his deep thoughts about Avatar diversity.

Coming back to his senses, Levi focused his will and summoned the tiger instead. His hand clasped together, stumbled up, but the shadow of his hand that was projected on the floor was in the shape of the head of a tiger.

Jillian and Chloe regarded the large beast with only mild interest, as seeing summoned Avatars was the norm in their world. Chloe, however, showed a particular affinity for the Avatar because of its feline nature, her eyes brightening slightly.

Jillian quickly concealed his little amazement and asked. "What's its ability, Levi?".

But Levi didn't answer, instead he showed him.

Chloe who had been curiously rubbing the tiger's Red white coat, suddenly felt the space beneath her hand go empty. The tiger had instantly disappeared.

Chloe looked at Levi in confusion. "Why'd you unsummon it?"

"Didn't unsummon it". Levi replied proudly. "Its ability allows it to become transparent, causing it to go invisible and phase through things."

Jillian and Chloe's eyes immediately lit up in understanding.

"A Phantom Tiger!". They both exclaimed together.

They looked at each other, and Chloe shyly muttered. "Jinx." Jillian looked away with a slight blush on his face.

Levi watched the interaction with a complicated expression. 'Why does it feel like a romantic situation all of a sudden?'. He wondered, annoyed by the sudden shift in atmosphere.

Jillian shook off his awkwardness and looked back at Levi. "No wonder it looks familiar. It's a tribe of tigers that occupies the ravine in the Blackwood Forest". This was the same forest from which Levi had entered the city from.

Jillian then asked if Levi's ability worked like a simple summon. Levi simply nodded yes, giving them the general impression that it was a basic summoning ability, nothing more.

Levi consciously held back the truth about his Avatar's full capabilities. He liked a certain amount of secrecy.

Based on the unconventional path he had envisioned in his mind— a path he suspected would be considered dark or forbidden— he was sure they would eventually turn on him. So he kept his cards close to his chest.

The tiger turned back to visibility just in time for Hazel to walk in.

"Hhhhhhhhhh". Hazel let out a girlish squel as she rushed towards the tiger an embraced it.

She didn't consider that the tiger was dangerous, seeing it in-between the trip without showing signs of attacking.

Unknown to Levi, from that day onward. The tiger would turn to a house pet.

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