Chapter 48: The Glorious Sujin Festival Begins
The awakening changed everything. The village of Sujin, once quiet and humble, now pulsed with energy, laughter, and glowing excitement. Even after Yue's birthday, the festive mood hadn't died down. If anything, the mass awakening had added fuel to the fire. For the first time in decades, everyone—old, young, city visitors, and villagers—felt like they were truly part of something greater.
Now that the men and boys had finally awakened, there was no more need for meditative diets. With the Sujin Festival fast approaching—the grandest celebration held once every five years—the village buzzed with excitement. Even the elders declared: 'Let joy fill your bellies! You've earned it—no more diets, just celebration until the last candle floats!'
Preparations began early that morning. Women and girls led the effort, hauling out colorful ribbons, lanterns, and baskets of tomatoes with a sense of purpose and power. Some of the women's awakened abilities made the work easier—floating decorations into place, lighting lanterns with sparks from their fingers, or boosting each other's strength with support buffs. One aunt even accidentally froze a tomato when trying to chill the drinks.
Children giggled, husbands clumsily floated above ground while trying to hang charms, and the village burst into a flurry of magic, tradition, and messy creativity.
By noon, the entire village square was covered in red flags, with tomato baskets stacked higher than goats. Then, with a conch blow from Elder Tama, the Sujin Tomato War began.
It was absolute, joyous chaos.
The women split into teams, faces painted with tomato juice like war paint. Yue and her gang huddled together in their own formation—"The Mischief Division"—armed to the teeth with soft, ripe tomatoes.
"Target the aunties first!" Mei Qui shouted, already leaping into the fray.
"I'm going for Mama Lian! She threw a tomato at my forehead last time!" Jia said with mock fury.
Splat! Splat! Tomatoes flew through the air, bursting on dresses, heads, even a few unlucky chickens. One woman used her new wind ability to blow an entire volley of tomatoes back at her opponents. Another lifted baskets with telekinesis, launching tomatoes like artillery.
Yue ducked, rolled, and took a direct hit to the cheek. "Ah! Who did that?!"
"Sorry, Yue! Friendly fire!" Chika laughed, covered in red like a battle-hardened warrior.
Meanwhile, the men tried to stay out of the line of fire, but several were pulled into the mess, especially the more handsome ones. A few were dragged onto "tomato thrones" by their wives or girlfriends and pelted with soft tomatoes as a joke.
After nearly an hour of battle, laughter, and stained clothes, the elder women declared victory. Everyone, even the babies, looked like they had taken a tomato bath. But spirits were high, and the tomato war ended with cheer and applause.
Evening came quickly.
As the sun dipped below the hills, families gathered near the lake by the ancestral rune temple. It was time for the candle lighting ritual.
Everyone, young and old, held a small wax candle in a handcrafted wooden float. They lit them from the eternal flame, passed down from the first Sujin matriarch. As the soft glow spread across the lake, the water shimmered like stars had fallen into it.
Yue held her candle close to her chest.
"What are you going to wish for?" Tao Lin asked softly.
"Something I can't say out loud," Yue smiled, her gem-blue eyes reflecting the lights.
She closed her eyes and whispered her wish. Then, gently, she placed her candle onto the water. One by one, the villagers did the same. Soon, the lake was aglow with hundreds of tiny flames, drifting peacefully on the surface.
There was a sacred quiet.
After the ritual, food was served under the moonlight. Families sat around fires, sharing roasted meats, sweet fruits, and stories of awakenings. Some tested their new powers in friendly sparring matches. A boy accidentally teleported onto the roof while trying to impress his crush. One of the aunties shot lightning into the sky to make sparkles.
Yue's gang sat on a soft hill just outside the village, overlooking the scene.
"I can't believe we're all awakened now," Shu Fen said dreamily.
"It still feels like a dream," said Riko.
"It means we get to go to the academy too," Lian whispered.
Yue hugged her knees, a soft smile on her face. "But first... let's enjoy what's left of our time here."
They nodded. The stars above twinkled, but the lights on the lake outshone them that night.
And Sujin, for the first time in a long time, felt like it was glowing from within.