Steampunk Survivor

A Victorian steampunk magical world survives beneath dangerous dunes and above them in wealthy sky fortresses. A parasitic virus infects lifeforms and creates dangerous monsters, each with a white weak spot. Magic exists only through runes: scarce permanent major runes and plentiful minor runes that activate them. Ten elements govern rune abilities, while everyone has ten spatial slots for storing nonliving items. At age ten, people are tested across the elements. At fifteen, they enter a week-long hibernation in a mental world containing an abandoned town, a mana pool, and nine increasingly difficult trials against mirrored versions of themselves. Their choices determine their stars, status, and future in a harsh world where the rich live safely above and the poor survive closest to the failing entrances.