The faint, resonant hum of Veylora Prime's morning winds was a sound Kael Novar knew better than his own heartbeat. It was a planetary lullaby that vibrated through the crystalline windows of the Novar household, but this morning, it failed to soothe his desire for more sleep. He was deep in the grip of a fading dream, one so vivid he fought to hold onto its fragments. He dreamt he was on a beach, a stretch of pristine sand where no one else could be seen for thousands of miles. It was utterly peaceful and quiet. There was no ship, no birds, just the boundless, untethered freedom of the sea waves.
"Kael!" His mother's voice, cutting through the home's comm system, shattered the last remnants of the dream. "You'll be late for your first day back. Do you want Instructor Seliora calling here again?"
Kael groaned, pulling the thermal-weave sheets over his head. The pale green light from the bioluminescent vines on his walls, a living network his mother had cultivated, dimmed to a murky green. "Five more minutes, Mom. The sea breeze was just getting good."
The door to his room slid open with a whisper. Lyra Novar stood there, a vision of effortless grace, her long hair shimmering with emerald hues. "Let me guess. Daydreaming about the beach again? Last year, 'five more minutes' became half a day. Not today."
"It was better than thinking about school," Kael mumbled into his pillow.
"The 'five more minutes' excuse is genetically hardwired into teenage boys, I swear," Lyra sighed, though a smile played on her lips as she surveyed his room. A single, inquisitive vine snaked down from the ceiling, nudging a pile of discarded clothes. "And so is this chaotic room of yours. Unfortunately for you, my plant-affinity genes come with a very effective countermeasure. The orchids are feeling particularly restless this morning."
Kael's eyes shot open. "Wait, no, the orchids are aggressive! I'm up!"
Too late. A thick, leafy vine with surprising strength shot out from a pot by the window, wrapping around his blanket and yanking it clean off in one fluid motion. The cool morning air was a rude shock to his system.
"That is an abuse of power and a violation of dream-space!" Kael protested, scrambling to sit up as the vine retreated, seemingly satisfied with its work.
"Consider it your first lesson of the day in dealing with an Evolutionary," Lyra said, her calm healer's aura doing little to mask her triumphant grin. "Now, get dressed. Your sister is threatening to test her new cooking theories on your breakfast, and because you're late, your father is close to letting her. Try to keep up if you want to avoid her... dark recipes."
Downstairs, the family dynamic was in full, chaotic swing. Aela, Kael's eleven-year-old sister, was carefully arranging her synth-berries into the shape of a spiral galaxy. Their father, Draven, was lost to the world, studying shimmering lines of complex data on his transparent holo-slate. A warm, focused light emanated from the slate, a subtle use of his light-affinity to enhance the display's clarity, a trick Kael had seen him use a thousand times.
"Morning, Kael," Draven said, his eyes still on his work. "Don't make your mother resort to the thorn-vines. They leave marks, and the paperwork for domestic ability-use is tedious."
"I think Mom should do it," Aela piped up without looking at him. "Maybe it would make you less grumpy in the mornings."
"I'm not grumpy," Kael grumbled, sliding into his chair and grabbing a piece of warm synth-bread. His gaze drifted to his father's work. "What is that, Dad? More work from the Institute?"
Draven finally looked up, deactivating the slate. "Something like that. The annual Awakening ceremony is planned for March 17th. The Institute is moving some researchers to help with the quality verification of the Awakening reagents we received last month. It's one of the most important events of the year, so they don't want any mistakes." He fixed his gaze on his son, his expression kind but serious. "Speaking of which, the Institute is accepting preliminary applications for post-Awakening studies. You said you wanted to go to the advanced academies for science and technology, right? Your results have been great, and I can provide a recommendation. Have you given any more thought to your preferred focus? Bio-engineering? Genetic studies?"
A familiar knot tightened in Kael's stomach. He couldn't very well admit that his main reason for wanting to attend those off-world academies was to finally get some freedom. If he stayed here, his parents would monitor him every day, and his dreams of sleeping on an empty beach would remain just that—dreams.
"Uh, not really," Kael said, forcing a casual tone. "I figure I'll see after my Awakening. Seems a little cart-before-the-hover-horse, doesn't it?"
"A wise approach," Lyra said, placing a plate laden with steaming food in front of him. "But your father has a point. Your science and technology scores are high. It's better to study here, where your father can provide constant guidance, than at those distant academies. It's good to have a plan."
"His plan is to figure out how to ask Selene Myrr to the Graduation Gala without turning the color of a Veyloran sunset," Aela said matter-of-factly.
Kael's face flushed. "I am not! And stop trying to hack my private messages!"
"Don't need to," Aela said smugly. "You were talking about it in your sleep. Even Mother heard it."
"That's enough, both of you," Lyra interjected, her voice gentle but firm. With a flick of her wrist, a small, dormant flower at the center of the table bloomed instantly, its petals unfurling to release a calming, citrusy scent. "Today is the first step toward a new future for you, Kael. Let's just focus on getting through it without any inter-sibling warfare."
Kael managed a grateful smile at his mother and quickly finished his breakfast. He snapped his ComSphere onto his wrist and headed for the door.
"Have a good day, Kael," Draven called after him. "And listen to Instructor Seliora. Balance and control are more important than raw power. Remember that."
"I will!" he called back, dashing out into the vibrant morning of Orivale City.
He found Tarin at the transit hub, practically vibrating with excitement. They boarded a sky-tram, and the transparent vehicle whisked them silently along its levitation track. Below, sky-gardens overflowed with alien flora on the sides of crystalline towers while holographic advertisements flickered past them—a promotion for the new Star-Skimmer 5000, an ad for 'Awakening Insurance: For Life's Little Genetic Surprises', a travel poster for the beaches of Kepler-186f.
"...and then Aelric Dorne finished the match with his signature move!" Tarin was saying, his hands moving emphatically. "They'll be teaching that move at the military academies for the next decade! It's not just a sport, Kael, it's the future of personal combat!"
"It's a simulation, Tarin," Kael countered, his gaze fixed on the real-life spectacle outside. "I was reading about this Void-Ranger, Captain Eva Rostova. She charted three new habitable worlds in the Attican Traverse last year. That's real. That matters."
"And what happens when she runs into space pirates?" Tarin shot back. "She'd better hope she's as good as Aelric Dorne. One is training for the other, don't you see?"
Kael didn't see. He just saw people wasting their energy every day playing, watching, and discussing the same thing. It would be better to conserve that energy with a few extra hours of sleep, he thought. He fell silent, watching the city give way to the sprawling campus of the Aurelia Institute.
The classroom was already a hive of nervous energy. Zaina, the class monitor, with her perfectly neat uniform, was trying to maintain order.
"Settle down, everyone," Zaina said, her voice carrying a practiced air of authority. "Instructor Seliora will be here any moment."
"Relax, Zaina," came a drawling voice from a nearby desk. A lanky boy named Kaelen leaned back in his chair. "It's the first day. The official classes haven't even begun."
"Although it's not an official class, it's still preparation," retorted Ria Solara, without looking up from her holo-slate.
Selene Myrr smirked as Kael and Tarin dropped their bags. "Welcome to the party. We've got the optimist," she said, nodding to Tarin, "the scholar," a nod to Ria, "the monitor," a nod to Zaina, "the sleeper," a nod to Kael, "and the cynic." Her gaze landed on Kaelen.
"I'm a realist," Kaelen corrected her. "There's a difference."
Nearby, Lian Chen was nervously twisting a strap on his bag. "I just hope it goes okay," he murmured. "My cousin's friend on Cygnus X-1… he failed his Awakening last year. He's been in a recovery pod ever since."
Kael felt a pang of sympathy. The fear of the ceremony was real. He didn't want to take that risk; he just wanted to live a simple life. If not for his parents and the Imperium's laws, he wouldn't even consider going through this process called Awakening.
"Maybe the recovery pod is the smart move," Kaelen added thoughtfully. "There's a chance of complete recovery so he can try again. If he leaves early after just a month or two, the failure could cause permanent damage."
Zaina nodded in agreement. "It's better to be safe. Although he would have to pay for the second reagent and will be set back a year or two, he'll still have a chance to travel the stars."
Their discussion was cut short as the classroom door slid open and Instructor Seliora Veyra entered.
"Welcome back," she began, and the room fell silent. "This semester, you stand at the threshold of your new lives. Your Awakening awaits. This is not magic. It is biology—the unlocking of your genetic potential. Our goal for the next ten weeks is to prepare you to survive the experience and shape its outcome."
She projected the semester's plan onto the wall. "We will begin with an introductory class. Are there any initial questions?"
Ria Solara's hand shot up first. "Instructor, does the latest research suggest we can influence the success of the Awakening through specific mental disciplines, or is it still fundamentally predetermined by our genetic markers?"
"An excellent question," Seliora acknowledged. "Genetics provides the blueprint, Ms. Solara. But your mental and physical state can influence the success rate of the Awakening from that blueprint. Our Preparatory Exercises are designed to give you more control over that."
Her eyes then found Lian. "Mr. Chen, you look concerned."
Lian flinched. "Um, what about… failure?"
Seliora's expression softened. "A true catastrophic failure is extremely rare, less than one percent. What is more common is a standard failure, where the body safely expels the reagent energy. In those cases, a period of recovery is required before you can try again. Power is not always free, Mr. Chen."
Tarin's hand went up. "Do certain exercises increase the chances of getting combat-oriented abilities?"
"No," she replied patiently, her tone firm. "And our purpose here is not to train soldiers, Mr. Veyor. It is to ensure you have a balanced foundation, to make sure every one of you gets through this safely."
Zaina raised her hand. "Instructor, regarding responsibility, how much will the Imperium focus on the legal obligations for those with abilities affecting public safety?"
"A crucial point, Ms. Rostova," Seliora said approvingly. "A significant portion. You will learn about the Imperium Accords on Evolutionary Abilities and mandatory registration. Every Evolutionary has to be monitored and is restricted from using their abilities on a planet's surface. A Level-4 Evolutionary has far stricter restrictions than a Level-2 because of the potential damage they can cause. For Evolutionaries, understanding and following these laws is as important as controlling your abilities."
A tense silence followed. Then Kaelen spoke up, without raising his hand. "What's the policy on someone who doesn't want to register? Or someone who doesn't want to Awaken?"
The air grew thick. Kael felt a jolt—a mixture of fear and admiration for Kaelen's audacity.
Instructor Seliora's gaze became sharp. "There is no policy for refusal, Mr. Demos, because refusal is not an option. The Awakening is a natural biological process you will eventually undergo. As for registration… an unregistered Evolutionary of significant power is considered a rogue element. A threat to social stability. The Imperium deals with such threats decisively. Do I make myself clear?"
"Crystal," Kaelen muttered, leaning back.
Seliora held his gaze for a moment longer before her expression softened once more. "These are the realities you will soon face. But that is enough gravity for one day. Let us begin with something lighter. Tell me about your holidays."
A few hands went up tentatively. "Mr. Veyor, let's start with you."
Tarin straightened up, beaming. "I went with my family to the Orbital Cup in the Heliora system! I got to see Kex 'The Comet' Orion in person. He manifested a micro-gravity field around his starfighter and made his opponent's attacks just float away! It was incredible!"
"A fine display of strategic ability use, I'm sure," Seliora said with a small smile. "Thank you, Tarin. Ms. Solara?"
Ria adjusted her glasses. "I was granted access to the Veyloran Geological Archives on our moon, Io-Prime. I spent two weeks studying the crystalline energy matrixes of proto-planets. It was highly informative."
Tarin made a quiet snoring sound, which Selene silenced with a sharp jab of her elbow.
"Fascinating, Ria," Seliora said, her sincerity unwavering. "Knowledge is its own form of power. Ms. Myrr, how about you?"
Selene's usual smirk was replaced by a more thoughtful expression. "My grandparents live on the southern agricultural continent. It's quiet there. My grandfather doesn't have a flashy ability—he has a subtle form of weather sense. He can feel pressure changes and humidity shifts in his bones. He told me the key wasn't the power itself, but learning to listen to it. He said most people are too busy shouting with their abilities to ever hear what they're whispering back."
The room was quiet, absorbing her story. It resonated deeply with Kael, who normally didn't care much about Evolutionaries. He looked at Tarin's excitement, Ria's intellectualism, and Selene's quiet wisdom. There were so many dreams and so many paths to follow. As other students began sharing their own, simpler stories—of hiking trips in the Crystal Mountains, of family gatherings, of learning to pilot a hover car—Kael felt a little ashamed for not having much to share. The future was still a terrifying, undefined expanse, but for the first time, he felt that maybe, just maybe, he should have some stories of his own.