You're next! Stop dawdling and get to the platform now!" the head instructor barked, gesturing impatiently.
Nael hesitated, his concern for Mira warring with the imperative of the ceremony.
"Nael!" Instructor's voice echoed again.
"Alright, I'm coming!" Nael shouted back and turned to Mira. "I'll be right back, stay put."
Nael reluctantly stood up and made his way through the rows of anxious students, his mind still on Mira's strange condition. '...I hope it's nothing bad.'
Soon, he reached the base of the platform just as the previous student, the boy who was talking about getting an uncommon class a while ago, descended with a disappointed slump to his shoulders.
He awakened an Uncommon Class as he hoped for, but it was just a Herbalist, obviously not a combat type. But it wasn't that bad either.
"Next! Nael, son of Korbin, enter the circle!"
'Finally, my turn...' Taking a deep breath, Nael quickly climbed the steps. The grandeur of the Lyceum seemed to shrink, narrowing until all that existed was the dais and the massive, pulsating Awakening Crystal at its center.
'Father. Mother.'
He muttered inwardly as he stepped into the Circle of Essence. As soon as he did, a strange sensation enveloped him. It was both foreign and somehow familiar, as if awakening something that had long been dormant within him.
'Hmm...'
It was like being submerged in warm, electric water that tingled against his skin. Nael forced himself to calm his racing heart, pushing the image of Mira's glazed eyes to the back of his mind.
'...I'm finally going to awaken.' Closing his eyes, Nael placed both hands against the cool surface of the crystal. But what awaited him was...
'!'
PAIN.
'Argh!'
A sharp throbbing began at the base of his skull, like the worst headache he'd ever experienced, but multiplied tenfold. It pulsed through his mind in waves, making him both dizzy and nauseous. His vision exploded into white-hot fragments, his temples pounding violently.
'Argh-!'
His hands trembled against the crystal surface. He had to bite his lips to keep from crying out. Even when his every instinct told him to pull away, to escape this mounting torment, he forced himself to hold on, to endure.
'I have to... I have to!'
The ache spread through his mind like fire, making his thoughts scatter and his concentration waver even more. His breathing became shallow and rapid as he gritted his teeth, sweat beginning to bead on his forehead.
The pain wasn't unbearable for him, but it was persistent and draining, like his mind was being stretched and reshaped.
"Huff... Huff..."
After what felt like an eternity, though it was probably a minute or two, the throbbing finally began to fade. The sharp edges of pain dulled into a warm, tingling sensation and then disappeared entirely.
'Huff... Huf-huh? I f-feel...' Nael froze inwardly. 'W-What happened?'
He could feel it. It felt different. His mind, his thought. They were clearer. Broader somehow, as if the fog that had always clouded his thoughts had finally lifted.
Knowledge flowed through his consciousness, as if it had always been part of him. He instinctively understood what he was now, what he had awakened as.
"I'm... an [Investor]?"
Nael asked himself, his voice barely audible. Then he glanced up at the projection panel above to confirm whether he was right.
The glowing runes materialized with their usual flashy effects:
________
[ Class: Investor ]
[ Grade: Common]
[ Primary Stat: Focus]
________
"..."
The crowd's reaction was... underwhelming.
There were a few polite claps scattered through the audience, but most had either turned their attention elsewhere or were discussing how 'useless' or 'trash' his class was.
While common classes were hardly worth celebrating, they were the perfect topic for gossip and ridicule as well.
"...another Common class? What a waste of the ceremony."
"Investor? What's that, he gives people money?"
"Probably some useless merchant subclass. Trash."
...And so on.
"..."
Nael ignored the crowd and their words. He descended from the platform, while countless questions continued spiraling in his mind.
The most obvious and important one being: 'An Investor? What kind of class is this?'
Nael had read every class compendium he could find to prepare for this day, and thought about what he would do according to the Class he awakened. He even prepared a backup plan for the worst scenario: if he couldn't awaken and became Mundane.
But this... this was a variable he had never considered. There was no record, no footnote, no story of a Class called 'Investor'.
It was a complete unknown. A blank space in a world that categorized everything.
'I'm done for.' The initial shock gave way to a cold, sinking dread. 'I ended up with a Class no one has ever heard of.'
How was he supposed to process it? How could he change his life now?
'Urgh...' Nael moved through the crowd on autopilot, the snickers and whispers of his fellow graduates washing over him.
"That Class nerd got a dud," a voice sneered as he passed.
"He got a class he doesn't even know!" Another added. "Haha! The irony!"
"..."
Nael continued staying silent.
However, instead of dampening his low spirit even further, their insults acted like a splash of cold water.
It shocked him out of the spiral of despair.
'...' Nael had spent most of his life being overlooked, preparing for a moment that might never come. He had built philosophy on making the most of what you were given.
So... was he really going to abandon it at the first real test? The answer was obviously...
'...No!'
The cold dread in his gut didn't vanish, but it was met now by a spark of stubborn defiance. He recalled his own lines again.
That's right...
It's not what one gets, but what they do with it...
'It's fine, I can do it!' he thought, his jaw tightening. But he decided to learn what 'it' was first. But that was a task for later. Right now, he had a more immediate concern.
'I need to help Mira.'
He quickly returned to his class's row, his eyes searching for the familiar cascade of silver hair. Unfortunately, her previous spot was empty.
'Where is she?' A frown creased his brow. Then, he turned to a classmate sitting nearby and tapped their shoulder. "Damian, did you see where Mireille went?"
"Oh, her? She left just a while ago," Damian replied a bit absentmindedly. "Looked kind of pale, actually. Maybe she went to the infirmary."
"Alright, thanks," Nael said, already moving. He quickly exited the ceremonial grounds, his mind now focused on finding his only friend rather than dwelling on his 'useless' class.
'Her turn will come soon. I need to find her quickly.'
He searched around the various academy buildings near the ceremonial grounds, while not forgetting to check the usual spots where students might retreat.
'Hmm?'
Just as he passed through the archway leading to the eastern courtyard, he noticed a figure leaning back against the large oak tree that dominated the center of the space, partially hidden by its massive trunk.
'Found you.'
Nael quickly ran toward her, but as he drew closer, his steps faltered. Mire was sobbing quietly, her knees up to her chest and her face buried in her arms. Her hair fell like a curtain around her, trembling with each suppressed sob.
He slowed his steps but quickened them again, driven by concern. Crouching down beside her, he called out gently.
"Mira... Mira... Hey, it's me."
She quickly wiped her tears with her sleeve and turned toward him, her cerulean eyes still red and puffy. Despite her obvious stress, she managed a wobbly smile.
"N-Nael? How... how did it go? Did you get a good class?" she asked, her voice slightly hoarse.
Nael nodded with a faint smile, not wanting to burden her with his own concerns. "Yeah, it went fine. But what's wrong? Why are you crying?"
Mira dodged his gaze, looking anywhere but him. "I-It's... It's nothing..."
"Come on," Nael said softly, settling down beside her against the tree trunk. "I promise I won't tell anyone. Don't you know I'm the best person to keep secrets?"
"..." She glanced at him sideways, and despite her tears, a small, genuine smile tugged at her lips. "T-That's because nobody tells you their secrets."
"Ouch!" Nael clutched his chest dramatically, his face contorting into an expression of mock hurt. "Right through the heart, Mira. And here I thought we were friends."
Mira looked away from him, her voice barely above a whisper, but Nael still heard it clearly.
"W-We are friends..."
But she quickly went silent again, her shoulders hunching as if trying to make herself smaller.
'Hm...' Nael frowned and glanced at the time. 'Not good, our class's turn will end soon.'
Nael glanced back at Mira. "Then come on, we need to return quickly. Or you will miss your turn."
"N-no," Mira shook her head, pressing herself further back against the tree trunk. "I-I won't go."
"Huh? Why?" Nael asked confusedly.
But Mira didn't reply.
'...' Nael knew something was wrong, so he took a firmer tone and asked again.
"Mira. Tell me what happened."
"...This..." Mira hesitated, her fingers fidgeting with the hem of her academy uniform. Finally, in a voice so quiet he had to strain to hear, she spoke. "Father..."
"H-He got into an accident."