"What did you think of him?"
In a quiet chamber aboard the ship, Draven lounged comfortably while a voice echoed inside his mind. He closed his eyes, smirking faintly as he watched the naked women gathered around him.
That was who he was—a man of indulgence, driven by desire, lust, and vanity.
"Not bad," he finally replied, pouring himself a glass of wine. "I can't gauge his true level… but according to Eramus' report, he's not someone to take lightly."
The voice remained silent for a few seconds before speaking again.
"He's strong, yes. But still very naïve."
"Oh?" Draven raised an eyebrow, intrigued.
Then, his expression darkened as a thought crossed his mind.
"There's something I don't understand. How did he forge the Insignia of the Awakened Association?"
This question had been gnawing at him. He had already researched everything available about Rael Kazehiro.
The boy was born into a humble family that later rose into wealth. After the laboratory incident, his parents perished, leaving him in his grandmother's care. His relatives distanced themselves after the government branded his parents as criminals, accusing them of illegal experiments—an accusation that destroyed their reputation and seized their assets.
"There's no link between that boy and the Association. It makes no sense for him to possess an Identification Badge."
The possibility that Rael had forged one? Draven dismissed it outright.
Ever since the Awakening Artifact arrived in the world, reality itself had shifted. New laws, new paths, new artifacts surfaced—rare and powerful relics scattered across the planet. But forging an insignia? That was unthinkable.
He took another sip of wine.
"To obtain an Insignia, one must first contact the Association and become awakened. Yet there's no trace of Rael ever registering with them—or with any other faction."
He thought back to the Eternal Box.
The Insignias of the Association, and of all major organizations, were forged using this artifact. The Eternal Box could create and bind specific objects, linking them to their bearer. Through this bond, the organization could track information and detect betrayal. If the bearer was killed, the link would vanish, alerting the organization immediately.
Each large organization had, at most, a few thousand members. Smaller groups only numbered in the hundreds. Every awakened was a precious resource, carefully accounted for.
"So how did that boy slip through the cracks?" Draven muttered, tapping the rim of his glass.
His irritation flared as he thought of Eramus.
"Tch. That useless insect barely extracted anything from him. Leader, I'll never understand why you tolerate such incompetents." His tone was sharp with disdain. Eramus, in his eyes, was weak, inelegant—an ant with fleeting usefulness.
The mysterious voice remained silent, neither justifying nor reprimanding him.
"Well, no matter. Thanks to that boy, we'll still obtain what we came for."
Draven leaned back, momentarily thoughtful. His mind wandered back to Rael's reaction on the ship. He hadn't lied—everything he'd said about the butler had been true. That man really was a criminal, and Draven hadn't cared if Rael was unsettled by the truth.
"A long time ago, I was just like you, kid. Believing people were worth saving…" His smirk twisted into a sneer. "But then I realized—they destroy themselves."
He raised his glass, walking back toward the waiting women.
"They don't need monsters to ruin them. They already carry ruin in their hearts."
-
-
Hours later, the ship reached its destination.
From a distance, Rael gazed at Varhel Island. It was enormous—its coastline stretching wide, dotted with other ships drawing near, each carrying awakened from across the world.
Here, he thought, he would finally find answers. The fragmented notes left behind by his parents had been confusing, half-buried in technical jargon he didn't fully grasp. But he felt that it must also be important at some point, so he kept it.
The ship docked, and the passengers prepared to disembark.
"Kirishima," Rael murmured inwardly.
>"I'm here. I already know the plan. If I find anything unusual, I'll notify you immediately," the "drone" replied, its mechanical voice steady.
Suddenly, a loud voice rang out in front of everyone.
"All right, we've arrived! From this moment, you are free to do as you please on the island. The main events begin tomorrow morning. Tonight, you may rest in any quarters you choose."
The awakened cheered and began disembarking.
Rael presented his badge at the checkpoint once more, passing through without trouble. But as he stepped onto solid ground, a chill ran down his spine.
His brow furrowed.
What is that…?
The air itself felt charged, vibrating faintly with a strange energy. It wasn't Eternium. It wasn't anything he recognized.
"This must be what allows the awakened to use their powers…" he thought, scanning the island. "But why can I only sense it here?"
The answer came quickly. Because it's concentrated. Back in the city, it was nearly nonexistent. But here… it's everywhere.
He turned his eyes toward the heart of the island.
Varhel was breathtaking. Its waters shone crystal clear, its forests lush and teeming with life. Even the smallest creatures—the insects crawling on leaves—seemed more vivid, more alive.
Yet it wasn't a wilderness. The island bore the mark of human presence: buildings, homes, paved paths, and in the center, an arena that seemed carved for spectacle.
"If I hadn't seen the Tower with my own eyes, I might believe this was another reality entirely."
The sight didn't overwhelm him—he had witnessed far more impossible wonders within the Tower. But there was still something unsettling about how alive everything here seemed. Too alive.
"All right. Let's see what secrets this island is hiding."
He contacted Kirishima again.
>"Rael-san, this place is amazing! It feels like another world—another planet, even!"
"Don't get distracted," Rael warned. "Scout the island. Search for anything unusual. I'll observe from here. Something about this place isn't as simple as it looks."
> "Understood."
The invisible drone lifted higher, vanishing into the skies above.
> "To be honest, even I'm curious to know what you guys are hiding."