The morning sun pierced through the clouds over the city, but Kai felt a tension in the air.
As he walked to school, his senses were heightened. The events from the day before—his encounter with the cultist scout and Sophie's rising curiosity—had left him wary. Today, though, things would escalate.
---
During lunch break, Kai stepped out into the courtyard, his mind drifting to the new developments in his inner universe. Before he could retreat to the rooftop for solitude, a tall, lean student blocked his path.
"Kai, right?" the boy asked, his eyes sharp with veiled hostility.
Kai scanned him instantly.
Name: Elren Voss
Race: Human
Bloodline: Phoenix Remnant (Sealed)
Physique: Flamebound Body
Power Level: Core Weaver (Peak)
Strength: 350
Agility: 320
Mana: 500
Ability: Fire Imbuement / Burn Step / Ember Blade
Kai said nothing but narrowed his eyes.
Elren's lips curled. "You're hiding something. Your aura is too clean. Too... empty. What kind of ability user are you?"
"I'm not interested in a fight," Kai replied calmly.
"Too bad," Elren muttered, and his foot ignited in orange flame.
Kai sighed, stepped sideways with inhuman precision, grabbed Elren's arm mid-strike, and gently twisted.
With a grunt, Elren staggered back. His eyes were wide.
"You... you are an awakener."
Kai turned, his expression cold. "That was a warning. Don't make me hurt you."
As he walked off, the watching crowd whispered in disbelief.
---
Sophie's Perspective: Tailing the Unknown
From a nearby hallway, Sophie Silver had watched the entire exchange. She leaned against the wall, arms crossed.
"He moved like a Sovereign... but the appraisal says nothing," she murmured.
Since the previous day, Sophie had followed Kai discreetly. There was something unnatural about him. The way his aura was completely blank—like a void. Not even a Core Initiate could hide so well.
"Who are you really, Kai?"
She activated her flames briefly, watching the residual mana in the air where Kai had stood.
"Even the mana resists dispersing," she said. "Something's off."
---
Flashback: Silver Clan History
[15 Years Ago – Silver Clan Compound]
A younger version of Sophie sat cross-legged in front of a blazing silver brazier. Her grandfather, Lord Selric Silver, stood behind her.
"Our clan is the guardian of the Heavenly Flame Physique, a legacy dating back to the Skyfire War," Selric said. "But our blood is thinning. Your potential... may be the last."
Sophie looked up, face set with determination. "Then I'll make sure the Silver name never fades."
Selric nodded. "Good. But beware the other clans. Especially the Trace Clan. They aim to devour us."
---
Back in Kai's inner universe, Ema hovered above the central spire of his world, overseeing the first Supreme Council assembly.
The progenitors sat on thrones carved from divine stone—High Dragon King Nireth, Prime Elf Matron Alaya, Chaos Human Warlord Garin, and others.
But already, arguments were forming.
"The Supreme Demons cannot be trusted," Alaya snapped. "Their progenitor spoke of conquest!"
"And the Seraphim look down on us as impure," Nireth growled.
Ema stood in the center, her voice calm but firm. "Your Creator wishes for peace among his children. If you divide now, your civilizations will weaken—and he will be disappointed."
A tense silence followed.
Still, alliances began forming. The High Elves and High Humans formed a Purity Pact. The Dragons and Beasts aligned in the Primal Accord. Meanwhile, whispers of a secret alliance between the Demons and Seraphim hinted at a future conflict.
Ema looked up at the sky.
"Kai... you'll need to choose a side soon.
In school, Kai kept a low profile, but Sophie Silver was relentless.
She trailed him quietly after classes. She watched his every move—his calm footsteps, his subtle control over his aura, his unnaturally graceful movements. It wasn't just awakening. He had changed.
That night, under the glow of the setting sun, Sophie confronted her clan's archivist.
"I want to know everything about irregular awakenings. And I want to know if anyone's bloodline has ever… changed." Her voice was low, burning.
---
At the edge of town, a dark-cloaked figure knelt before a holographic projection.
"Target confirmed. Aura unidentified. Possibility of SSS-Class anomaly."
The image nodded. "Engage with caution. Do not kill—observe and report."
The figure vanished into the shadows.
---
Kai's Mission Begins
A system notification blinked in Kai's vision as he left school:
> [Mission Alert: Awakened Encounter] An agent from the Obsidian Order is surveying the city. Confirmed anomaly level: Law Initiate. Mission Objective: Observe. Engage only if compromised.
Kai gritted his teeth. "Always someone watching."
He trailed the dark-robed scout through the busy streets, keeping his signature cloaked. At an alley turn, the figure stopped.
"You've been following me for a while, SSS-Class freak."
Kai froze.
The figure turned—an older teen with dead-gray eyes and a black rune etched on his neck.
> [Name: Elron Vale]
[Affiliation: Obsidian Order – Recon Division]
[Level: Law Initiate]
[Physique: Abyss-Eye Receptor]
[Abilities: Rune Shift, Void Veil, Mind Pierce]
"I don't want to fight," Kai said calmly.
"Then why are your eyes glowing?"
Kai blinked. The Appraisal Eye was active.
"Tch." Elron charged.
Kai side-stepped just in time, barely dodging a tendril of void energy.
He whispered to himself, "Time Sovereign – Ripple Flow."
For a moment, the world slowed.
Kai dodged a second blow, his palm brushing Elron's back. A small seal formed instantly.
> [Rune of Binding – Duration: 15 Seconds]
Elron's body froze mid-attack.
Kai stepped back. "Tell your master—SSS-Class awakeners don't kneel."
Then he vanished.
---
Elsewhere: The Council of Awakened Bloodlines Reacts
In the deep vaults of the Council of Awakened Bloodlines, a projection flickered.
"He's not a regular awakened," muttered the Ryken Warden.
"His aura is masked. Not even our sensory arrays caught it. This must be the one the Helix Ring warned us about," said a woman from the Vellethorn Clan.
Sophie's image appeared briefly on a secondary screen.
"She's too close to him. Monitor both."
The Council agreed.
---
Later That Night
Back in his room, Kai sat in his inner sanctum, facing Ema.
"You said no one sensed my awakening."
Ema bowed slightly, looking uncharacteristically sheepish. "I tried, Kai. I sealed your signature with my full authority, but… your aura was too powerful. A sliver must have leaked."
Kai nodded slowly, understanding. "Then they know something's out there. They just don't know what."
Ema smiled softly. "And they won't—until it's too late."