Chapter 1: The Ceremony
The banners of Greenwood Collegium fluttered in the morning wind, their emerald sigils rippling like restless waves. Hundreds of students stood in neat rows across the courtyard, the air thick with anticipation and whispers that refused to die down.
Noah Draven stood among them, his back straight, hands clenched tightly at his sides. His heart hammered as the ceremonial platform ahead shimmered with runes of awakening. Today was the day. The day that would decide if he was someone—or no one.
If he failed to awaken a class… or failed to assimilate with one of his other selves from the ten worlds that had collided a decade ago… then his fate was sealed. Powerless. Helpless. A liability in an age when even walled cities could collapse overnight beneath the weight of monsters.
He swallowed hard. If I was unlucky in this world… then surely, in one of the ten, I should have been something. Anything.
Students around him whispered excitedly.
"Did you hear? Maren awakened a Stormblade yesterday—direct admission into Aetherion Academy!"
"My cousin merged with his Verdant self. He came out of the ritual already knowing three advanced cultivation methods."
Laughter, nerves, pride—they seemed to share it all.
Noah shared none of it.
His three younger stepsisters already had their futures secured. One had awakened, two had assimilated, each had earned their place in the same top academy. The Ward household had been filled with celebration those nights, his aunt Helene's cooking filling the air with warm spices and roasted meats. But though they were sisters by bond and not blood, Noah had seen the subtle shift in people's eyes whenever they looked at him.
He wasn't blood and he wasn't awakened.
---
The memory of his family flickered through his mind, grounding him against the rising tide of fear.
Uncle Thomas Ward, sleeves rolled to the elbow, calloused hands stained with soil—an awakened Farmer who cultivated a full hectare of fertile land within Veru's cramped walls. A plot so valuable that merchants had offered billions in trade for it. He always refused.
"We can't eat gold," Thomas would say, wiping sweat from his brow. "But we can eat what grows from good soil."
And then there was Aunt Helene, sharp-eyed and quick with a laugh, her dishes so rich with flavor they drew nobles and mercenaries alike to the Wardstone Grill. She always told Noah the same thing before bed: "Awakened or not, you're family. That's what matters."
But Noah knew better. In this world, sentiment alone couldn't keep a city from burning.
---
"Hey, Noah!" A voice broke his thoughts. It was one of his sisters—Lila, the youngest, who stood just a few rows away. She grinned and waved despite the stern looks from the instructors. "Don't look like you're walking to the gallows! You'll do fine!" She spoke as she moved closer to him.
A ripple of laughter spread through the students nearby. Noah forced a thin smile, though his throat was dry.
Easy for her to say. She had assimilated on her first try.
The ceremonial gong boomed across the courtyard, silencing the crowd. The Awakening had begun.
One by one, students stepped onto the rune-etched platform. The air shimmered with light, the runes flaring in colors that told the story of each awakening. Some students emerged triumphant, their eyes blazing with newfound knowledge. Others staggered, pale and shaken, but still awakened.
Each success tightened the knot in Noah's stomach.
Only one of his sisters had managed to come today.
Lila—the youngest, the boldest.
The others wanted to, of course, but the academies didn't grant leave lightly. It was the price of their brilliance.
Still, Noah felt oddly comforted by Lila's presence.
Lila had always been the closest to Noah, one who clung to her shadow when bullies circled like vultures.
She still remembered the day in middle school when a senior had cornered her behind the gym, sneering as his hand reached where it shouldn't. Noah's fists had answered before his mind had caught up. The boy left half-conscious and bloodied. Noah left with a two-week suspension.
Thomas hadn't been angry. He had laughed, pride in his weathered face.
"That's my boy," he'd said, clapping Noah's shoulder. "Never let anyone put a hand on your family."
Even now, the memory warmed her.
---
But another memory lingered, one not meant for her ears.
She had been walking to the kitchen late one night when he heard the low murmur of Thomas and Helene talking in the sitting room. Their words had drifted through the cracked door.
"Helene," Thomas had said, voice steady, "the girls are too fond of him."
His aunt's tone carried a trace of worry. "What if it becomes… more than that?"
There had been a pause, then a chuckle, deep and certain. "I don't see any harm in it. He's a good man. Better him than some stranger I can't trust."
Lila had frozen in the hallway, her ears slowly turning scarlet. She had slipped away before they could hear her, but their words etched themselves into her.
If she wants...she could be with Noah...she only had to convince him.
---
Names continued to be called. The courtyard pulsed with triumph, despair, and desperate sobbing as one by one, students awakened, assimilated… or failed. Those who failed were set aside like discarded tools, their futures already ashes.
"Noah," a soft voice tugged him back to the present.
Lila had slipped closer, her fingers brushing his hand. When he turned, she pressed his palm against her chest, right over the frantic beat of her heart. Her smile was radiant, as though the weight of the world hadn't reached her.
"You look like you're about to die," she teased gently. "Even if you don't awaken… I'll take care of you. Always."
Her words were light, but her eyes carried the weight of truth. She knew how much he had sacrificed for her and her sisters. He had given up opportunities so they could shine safely. Him bandaging his wounds late at night because he took another fight for their sake. Not able to study properly because he was busy training his body.
Nearby students muttered, scoffing under their breath.
"Tch, lucky bastard. Clinging to a girl like her, even if he's a dud."
"Pathetic. Doesn't even deserve to stand here."
Noah ignored them. Their laughter no longer pierced him.
He exhaled softly, forcing a crooked smile. "Then… I'll be in your care."
Lila's face lit up as though he had promised her the world.
Inside, though, Noah thought bitterly, Looks like I'm the one who needs protecting now.
The gong struck again. Another name was called. The line grew shorter. His turn was coming.
---
The line had thinned to only a handful when the examiner's voice finally rang out across the courtyard.
"Noah Draven."
His heart lurched. The name struck like a bell, reverberating through his chest. Anticipation and dread twined together, each thud of his heartbeat louder than the last.
Beside him, Lila's expression shifted from mischief to worry. She clenched her small fist and punched him lightly on the arm. "Good luck, Noah… And don't worry. I'll always be there with you." Her voice trembled slightly, but her smile was steady, luminous in the morning light.
Noah looked down at her—her wide, determined eyes, her warmth cutting through the cold knot of fear in his stomach. He reached out, ruffling her golden hair with a gentleness that only made her puff her cheeks in protest.
"Yes, yes… you little angel," he murmured, forcing a calm smile.
Lila's lips curved into a grin, though her eyes glistened.
Noah turned away before his resolve could waver. His steps felt heavier than iron as he walked toward the raised platform. Each footfall echoed in his ears, muffled against the hushed murmurs of the crowd.
The Awakening Crystal loomed before him—taller than a man, faceted like frozen lightning, its surface shifting between pale silver and deep violet. Runes crawled lazily across its base, pulsing in time with the collective tension of the watching students. The air smelled faintly of ozone, sharp and clean, as if a storm were gathering just above their heads.
The examiner, robed in the Collegium's green and silver, glanced down at the slate in his hands. His brows lifted slightly.
"Twenty-five years," he muttered, just loud enough for the front rows to hear. "You've reached the end of your window. This will be your last chance."
Noah swallowed, his throat dry.
The examiner waved a hand, a sigil of verification flaring across the slate. "Attendance marked. Step forward and place your hand upon the crystal."
The murmurs in the crowd swelled. Some whispered with pity, others with cruel amusement.
Noah ignored them. He drew in a slow breath, lifted his hand, and pressed his palm against the shimmering surface.
The crystal was cool. It made his heart skip beat due to the dread that started to fill him.
5 second.....10 second
Nearby students sneared.
"Pathetic till the end" One said.
"Only knows how to hide behind his sisters..hehe." another laughed
....20 seconds....10 more remained
Am I destined to be weak? Just as he was about to face the most dreaded moment of his life.
In the span of a heartbeat, it began to glow, its radiant light glowing across his hand.