Letting out a lazy yawn, Yan sat up in bed, still half groggy.
He rubbed his eyes with one hand and, stumbling a bit, headed toward the bathroom.
"Finally… today I'll awaken my mana," he murmured to himself, with a slight smile of anticipation.
As he left the room, he noticed the house was enveloped in an unusual silence.
"Weird… looks like I'm the first one to wake up," he commented, frowning.
Although he always had the habit of getting up early for his physical training, his mother usually woke up before him to prepare breakfast.
He looked at his wristwatch: 5:01 AM.
"Even weirder… I don't usually wake up at this hour."
Brushing off the strange feeling, he continued to the bathroom. When he picked up his toothbrush from the sink, he froze.
Reflected in the mirror was a figure he didn't immediately recognize.
Hair white as snow. A sculpted body. A face with delicate, yet still masculine, features. And finally, a pair of golden eyes that exuded mystery.
Yan stepped closer, still in shock. Upon a closer look, he saw that the figure — although absurdly more beautiful — had features similar to his own.
He touched his own face with both hands, following the reflection in the mirror.
The image did the same.
"What the hell… happened to me while I slept?" he murmured, still slack-jawed. "I even got taller… How is that possible?"
Still stunned, he left the bathroom and went straight to his mother's room. He needed answers.
Knock, knock, knock.
"Mom? Are you awake?" he called, knocking on Helena's bedroom door.
He heard a rustling inside, probably the blankets shifting. That only increased his discomfort.
"Yes, dear, I just woke up," her voice replied.
Seconds later, the door opened.
"You're up early, my swee—"
Helena stopped speaking immediately. Her eyes widened, and she froze, staring at the young man before her.
"Y-Yan… what happened to you, my son?!" she exclaimed, completely shocked.
Yan opened his mouth to respond, but another door suddenly burst open.
"What happened, Mom? What happened to my Yan?!" Aurora appeared in the hallway, breathless. Her eyes fixed on the divinely beautiful young man standing at their mother's door.
She stopped abruptly, also overtaken by surprise.
"Sigh… I'll explain," Yan said, exhausted by the confusion. "Let's go to the living room first."
The two followed him immediately.
---
In the living room, after a brief explanation…
"So you're saying you just woke up like this?" Aurora crossed her arms, skeptical, examining her brother from head to toe.
"Sigh… Yes. I woke up like this. I have no idea what happened to me during the night."
He turned to Helena.
"Do you know what it could be, Mom?"
Helena was still lost in thought. Her son's question brought her back to reality.
"I… honestly, I'm not sure," she replied, hesitant.
Yan sighed, visibly frustrated at getting no answers.
"Maybe… it's something related to your bloodline," Helena suggested, noticing her son's disappointed expression.
"Bloodline? But bloodline awakening only happens after mana awakening, right?" Yan immediately retorted.
"That's right, Mom," Aurora agreed. "Besides, the chance of a human manifesting a bloodline is extremely low."
Realizing that those speculations weren't getting them anywhere, Helena sighed and decided to end the discussion.
"We won't figure this out now. How about we have breakfast and then go to the guild for your awakening?"
Yan and Aurora nodded and soon went to wash up.
Alone for a moment, Helena stared into the void, breathing heavily.
"Huff… Huff… I'm sure it's a bloodline… and one I've never seen before," she murmured, having discreetly scanned her son with one of her hidden abilities.
---
After breakfast, the three changed clothes and left for the mana users' guild.
Upon arrival, they were greeted by an imposing sight: a monumental, elegant tower clad in polished black marble. The sign glowed with mystical lights, highlighting the name of the place.
After a brief moment admiring the structure, they went inside.
The environment was full of armed people — swords, spears, axes, daggers, even modified firearms. Everyone looked like warriors ready for combat.
The murmurs began as soon as the trio passed through the entrance.
"Who are they?"
"How can they be so… beautiful?"
"Aurora is with them. They must be important."
"Isn't she friends with the guild leader's daughter?"
"Yes. That explains a lot."
Ignoring the comments, Aurora walked up to the reception desk, cutting the line with natural ease. No one dared to complain.
"Please, let us through. I already spoke with Alice. She's expecting us," she said, handing over her ID card.
The attendant examined the card and nodded.
"All right. You may go," she said, unable to take her eyes off Yan.
They proceeded through the inner hallways.
"Sis… Why didn't anyone complain about us cutting the line?" Yan asked, puzzled.
Before Aurora could answer, Helena stepped in:
"We're close to the guild leader, son."
"Really? You never told me that…"
"Haha, don't be so surprised, dear. It's nothing special," Helena said, letting out a mischievous chuckle.
Farther down the corridor, they reached a hallway with several metal doors. In front of one of them, two women were waiting.
One had short blonde hair, red eyes, and a slender body. The other had long blonde hair like a waterfall, fiery red eyes, and a serene posture.
Alice and her mother, Diana.
"So you've arrived," Diana said, looking at Helena with a slight smile.
"Yes. I brought my son for his awakening," Helena replied, gently pushing Yan forward.
Upon seeing the young man, mother and daughter widened their eyes.
"What happened to little Yan, Helena?" Diana asked, confused.
Helena shrugged, a mischievous smile on her lips.
"Nothing much… Anyway, we came for the awakening."
Realizing she wouldn't get a concrete answer, Diana sighed.
"Come. Let's awaken your mana, little Yan," she said, taking the boy's hand and leading him into the room.
The others followed right behind.
---
Inside the chamber, at the center of the room, was a floating cube made of bluish crystal.
"This cube is used to awaken mana and also detect hidden bloodlines," Diana explained, casting a suggestive look at Helena, who responded with an enigmatic smile.
"I just need to place my hand on it?"
"Yes. I'll activate the cube."
Yan nodded and placed his palm on the crystalline surface. Diana channeled energy into the object…
And then, the unexpected happened.
All the mana in the cube was absorbed in an instant.
Runes appeared on Yan's skin, glowing intensely. A multicolored vortex formed around him, pulling mana from the atmosphere like an uncontrollable whirlwind.
The phenomenon grew — from one meter to ten… then a hundred… four hundred…
The women present began to panic as they felt their own mana being drained.
But before chaos could spread, an ethereal voice filled the room:
"Fear not. No harm will come to you."
Instantly, the draining stopped — at least for them. But the vortex continued to expand.
**Two hundred... Five hundred... One thousand meters... Three kilometers… Ten... Thirty… One hundred.**
The entire guild was engulfed. Outside, chaos erupted.
"What is this?!"
"My mana… it's disappearing!"
"Run!"
People fled; others recorded the phenomenon with magical devices. The vortex was visible to the naked eye, a spectacle of light and energy.
---
Back in the chamber.
"This is enough for now. The human world is still maturing," said the mysterious voice.
The vortex began to shrink.
Yan floated unconscious, eyes closed, enveloped in energy. In a few minutes, everything vanished — as if it had never happened.
A translucent figure held him gently and spoke:
"Take him home. He needs to stabilize. I have already deemed you worthy of my beloved's trust."
It paused, then added:
"Oh… and don't worry. In one minute, no one I do not wish will remember what happened — not by memory, nor by recording."
Handing Yan to Helena, the entity looked one last time at everyone there.
"Take care of him as you always have."
And disappeared.
The women looked at each other, stunned, trying to confirm that it hadn't all been a dream.
"Haa… Let's go to my house," Helena said, her voice tired.