Chapter 31: The Silence Before the Storm
The sound of birds chirping filtered into Lin Yue's room as the morning sun bathed her in golden light, but there was no peace in her heart.
She sat on her bed, knees hugged tightly to her chest, staring at the system panel that had remained dormant for over a year. A whole year and a few months since her so-called "awakening," and it had done nothing. Said nothing.
No quests. No rewards. No guidance. No power.
She had tried everything—meditating, reading, even sneaking out into the forest to try "activating" herself with moonlight like she'd seen in some drama. Nothing.
She clenched her fists and whispered, "System, I know you're there. Please... answer me. I'm losing hope."
Her voice cracked.
"All around the world, people are awakening. Even babies. Even the villagers' kids in the city. What's wrong with me? What's wrong with our Sujin... and the other villages like us? Why are we the only ones left behind?"
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then—ding.
A flicker of light shimmered across her panel. The system's voice echoed softly in her mind, cold and unbothered.
"Host. The five-year prophecy will answer your question. Be patient. Power not rooted in destiny will always crumble."
And then it vanished. Again.
Yue's lips parted in disbelief. "What does that even mean?"
Outside, life in Sujin rolled on as if the world hadn't shifted.
The boys, who had once spent their days giggling over sweet buns and chasing butterflies, now sat cross-legged under the willow tree with scrolls in hand. Some practiced breathing exercises. Others read thick books about mental cultivation and spiritual focus—though they mostly stared blankly.
"Stop drooling on the pages!" a 10-year-old girl barked at her brother.
"I'm hungry!" he wailed. "This stupid meditation said don't eat meat for a week! I haven't tasted chicken in three days! THREE!"
From a distance, a small crowd of girls—sweaty and fierce—trained with wooden swords, their movements sharp and powerful. Yue watched one girl knock a training dummy over with a cry of triumph.
"You see that?" the girl yelled. "That's ten seconds faster than yesterday!"
Another girl rolled her eyes. "You still swing like you're afraid of hurting your husband."
"Well, maybe I am!"
Laughter erupted around them.
Meanwhile, the boys tried to sit still, breathing deeply and repeating chants like "focus... peace... awareness," even though most couldn't even spell awareness.
"Why do we have to meditate?" one of them groaned. "Can't I just... awaken by sleeping?"
"No, genius," muttered another. "We're supposed to prepare our mind. Maybe you'll get mind control or telepathy or—"
"I'd rather have the stamina thing. My dad says he can last twice as long now!"
"Dude, ew. TMI."
Later that evening, Yue gathered her little gang and some of the village kids aged 9 to 11 at the creek behind the shrine. They sat in a big circle, whispering as the sun dipped below the hills.
They didn't say it out loud—but the envy was thick in the air.
"We're the oldest kids in the village," one girl finally said. "Why haven't we awakened?"
"Maybe we're just... normal," muttered a boy.
"No way," Yue said. "We can't be. Not with the system, not with the twins, not with this prophecy. We're meant for more. I know it."
"But even the ghost dance is weird now," another girl added, crossing her arms. "The boys scream way longer than before."
The group chuckled nervously.
"I thought my brother was dying last week," someone whispered. "Turns out my mom just tried a new position."
"Can we not talk about our parents like that?" groaned one of the boys, his face red.
Despite the laughs, their eyes were troubled.
Yue looked around at them—her friends, her fellow future warriors—and clenched her fists.
Something was coming. She didn't know what. But she could feel it.
They were being held back for a reason.
And when the time came... they would all be ready.