The morning sun cast long shadows across Memorial Plaza. Black stone pillars stood tall and silent, covered in thousands of names. Alex Morgan and Maya Rodriguez passed them every day on their way to school. But today, they stopped.
They stood in front of the tallest pillar and read the words carved into the base:
"In memory of the 2.3 billion lives lost during the First Wave. May their sacrifice never be forgotten. 2157–2162."
It had been thirty years since that dark time ended, yet the weight of it still lingered. Today, it felt heavier than ever. Alex gave Maya's hand a gentle squeeze.
Both of them stood quietly, thinking about what the world must've been like when the Gates first opened.When monsters came through those rifts like a flood, and people had no way to defend themselves.
Everything changed when the Insignias appeared.
"Are you nervous?" Maya asked softly, her voice just above a whisper.
He felt excited and a little scared too. But after all the stories he had heard from his uncle and grandpa, he couldn't help wanting it. He wanted the Insignia. He wanted to go on adventures, fight monsters and demons, explore new worlds with the people he loved, and protect the world they came from.
Alex glanced down at his left hand. The silver-blue marking hadn't been there yesterday. It looked like a glowing compass rose, with strange symbols curling around the edges, beautiful, mysterious, and terrifying all at once. Because he knew exactly what it meant.
"Terrified," he said, fingers locking tighter with hers.
"But also... kind of excited? It's strange."
Maya gave a small smile, her cheeks warming.
"I know what you mean."
Her eyes flicked down briefly, remembering the moment her Insignia had appeared, just below her belly.
The mark pulsed faintly, delicate and bold at once, shaped like a woman standing tall with arms spread open, as if welcoming something… or someone. That spot still felt extra sensitive, like her body remembered the exact moment it awakened.
Alex had asked to see her Insignia. He'd said, "I'm your boyfriend, right? You don't have to hide it from me."
But Maya always blushed and turned him down. It wasn't just embarrassment. Every time she thought about showing him the mark, especially where it was, her body reacted. A slow heat would build between her legs, her thighs pressing together without her meaning to. It was too much.
So she made him a deal. "After the trial... when we both come back safe," she whispered once, cheeks burning, "I'll show it to you then."
They'd both known this day might come, but experiencing it together felt like a miracle and a curse all at once.
Seven days. That's how long the Insignia gave you to prepare before the System pulled you into your trial world. Seven days to say goodbye, to make peace with the thought that you might not come back. Seven days to get ready for something that could change everything, your body, your mind, maybe even your soul.
"At least we're in this together," Alex said, raising her hand and brushing a soft kiss across her knuckles.
"Whatever happens in our trials, we'll both make it back. I promise."
"Don't make promises you can't keep," Maya said, but her smile lingered, even with the worry in her eyes.
"And you'll show me your Insignia," Alex said, grinning with that same cheeky, slightly perverted smile he always gave when teasing her.
"Shameless..." Maya muttered, turning red. But her voice softened as she added, "Okay."
She loved him. Enough to show him something that personal, something hidden so close to her most private place. The thought made her body warm, her belly tingle with a low, crawling heat.
She knew it would be embarrassing. But it was Alex. And in the future… they were probably going to do things way more intimate, way naughtier than just showing a mark. Stuff that would make her blush even harder.
Still, she smiled, heart beating fast. Because deep down, she wanted those moments too. With him and only him, but...
They kept walking toward Aurora Academy, passing under massive energy barriers that hummed softly above them. The translucent dome covered the entire district, maintained by teams of Barrier-class Awakeners who worked in shifts to keep everyone safe.
Beyond the barrier walls, Alex caught sight of the containment zones, huge crystalline towers sealing the old Gates.
"You know what I keep thinking about?" Alex said, trying to shift the mood.
"My great-uncle Marcus. He was the first known Awakener, and he didn't even get seven days. The moment his Insignia appeared, he was thrown straight into some unknown metal world. Cases like that are insanely rare, like one in ten million. But the ones who survive that kind of instant trial? They come back with power on a whole different level."
Maya laughed softly. "Your family really has a thing for making history, huh? First Awakener, and now his great-nephew is stepping up."
"No pressure at all," Alex muttered, though he appreciated her trying to lighten the mood.
But honestly, being born into the Morgan bloodline came with weight. Marcus Morgan, the man who could twist molecules like thread, had turned the tide during the Crisis. His daughter, Sarah, had risen all the way to become one of the world's twelve Void-class Awakeners.
So yeah, people weren't just wondering about Alex. They were expecting him to be next.
But right now, all he could think about was Maya.
The way her meaty thighs pressed together as she walked, the soft bounce of her full breasts beneath her uniform, the curve of her peach-shaped ass shifting with every step, she was temptation and comfort wrapped into one. Her warmth beside him felt more real than any future power.
He gave her hand a gentle squeeze, watching the way her lips curved, just enough to show she noticed how often his eyes drifted down her body.
"Look," she said, pointing ahead.
A sleek silver pod touched down at the plaza near the academy's main gate. Its polished body shimmered under the morning light, bearing the gold-and-silver seal of the International Awakener Association.
The doors hissed open, and a tall woman stepped out.
Sarah Lysandre Morgan.