The meal was unlike anything Kael had ever experienced. It wasn't just food; it was an attack on the senses. He was taken to a smaller dining room, still grander than anything he could have imagined, where a table was covered in plates of food. There was roasted meat that fell off the bone, soft bread that was still warm, strange, colorful vegetables that tasted sweet, and a simple glass of clean, clear water that was the most wonderful thing he had ever drunk.
In the Sump, food was fuel. It was gray, tasteless paste, chewy fungus, or if he was lucky, a tough piece of rat meat. He had spent his whole life being hungry, a dull ache in his stomach that never went away.
Here, that ache was gone. Kael ate quickly at first, like an animal, worried the food would be taken away. But Valerius just sat across from him, eating slowly and watching him with a kind, sad smile. No one rushed him. No one tried to steal his food. Seeing this, Kael slowed down, trying to copy his grandfather's manners. He savored every bite. It was the first time he had ever felt truly full.
After the meal, Thorne showed him to a room. It was Kael's room, a concept so foreign he could barely understand it. It had a bed with soft blankets, a window that looked out over a garden, and a private bathroom with hot, running water. Kael spent an hour in the shower, washing away fifteen years of Sump grime. As he watched the dirty water spiral down the drain, he felt like he was washing away his old life.
He slept better than he ever had before, in a bed that felt like a cloud. There were no strange noises, no fear of being attacked in the night. For the first time, he felt completely safe.
But even in his sleep, his body was changing.
He woke up just as the first light of dawn touched the window. And then, it happened again. The now-familiar warmth spread through his body, but this time it was much more intense. It was not just a pleasant heat; it was a roaring fire. He felt his bones get denser, his muscles tighten like steel cables. The feeling of power was so strong it was almost painful. It was like his body was a small cup being filled with the entire ocean.
He sat up, his teeth clenched. The feeling passed after a few seconds, leaving him breathing heavily. Then, the cold, familiar text appeared in his mind.
[System Message]
[Sunrise Escalation Complete.]
[Strength Coefficient has been multiplied by a factor of 6.]
[New Strength Coefficient: 216.0]
Kael stared at the number. Two hundred and sixteen. Yesterday, it had been thirty-six. He felt a cold knot of fear in his stomach. The number was growing so fast. He couldn't even understand how strong he was anymore.
He swung his legs out of bed and stood up. His feet hit the soft rug on the floor. At least, he meant for them to. But with his new strength, the simple act of standing up had too much force. His feet went through the rug and the wooden floorboards beneath it as if they were made of paper. There was a loud CRUNCH.
Kael froze, looking down at his feet, which were now standing in two neat holes in the floor of his brand new room. Panic seized him. He had been here for less than a day and had already broken something.
Carefully, he pulled his feet out of the holes. He tried to move slowly, gently. He felt like a giant made of stone, trying to walk through a house made of glass. Every small movement felt like it could cause a disaster.
He walked over to the closet to get dressed. He reached for the handle of the closet door, a simple wooden knob. He tried to be careful, using only his fingers. But the moment his skin touched the wood, his immense strength transferred. The knob didn't turn; it crumbled into dust and splinters in his hand.
Kael pulled his hand back like he had been burned, staring at the dust in his palm. This was impossible. How was he supposed to live like this? He couldn't even open a door without destroying it.
A soft knock came from his room's main door. "Kael? Are you awake? Your grandfather is waiting for you." It was Thorne's voice.
"I... yes! I'm awake," Kael called out, his voice shaking a little. "I'll be right there."
He looked at the broken door handle and the holes in the floor. He couldn't hide this. He quickly put on the simple clothes left for him, moving as if he were walking on eggs. He went to the main door and paused. How was he going to open it?
He decided not to touch the handle. Instead, he placed the tips of two fingers on the door itself and pushed. He tried to use the smallest amount of force possible. The door swung open silently and smoothly. Kael let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding.
Thorne was waiting outside. He was a tall man who always looked serious, but when he saw Kael, he gave a small, rare smile. "Did you sleep well?"
"Yes, thank you," Kael said, trying to act normal.
Thorne's eyes glanced past Kael into the room, and he saw the holes in the floor and the destroyed closet handle. His smile disappeared, replaced by a look of understanding and concern.
"I see," Thorne said quietly. "The morning Escalation."
Kael looked down, ashamed. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to..."
"Do not apologize," Thorne said, his voice firm but not unkind. "This is not your fault. This is the reason we must hurry. Your power is growing faster than your control. Come. Your grandfather is waiting."
Thorne led him not to the dining room, but down a different set of hallways, deeper into the mansion. They went down a spiral staircase made of white stone that seemed to glow with a faint inner light.
"Where are we going?" Kael asked.
"To the Chamber of Awakening," Thorne replied. "It is a special place, built to contain great power. It is where every Kaelen for the last thousand years has been officially Awakened."
They arrived at the bottom of the stairs, in front of two massive doors made not of wood, but of a solid, silver-colored metal covered in glowing blue lines, similar to the beacon Kael had used.
Valerius was standing there, waiting for them. He was dressed in long, formal robes of dark blue. He looked at Kael, and his eyes immediately went to Kael's hands, which he was clenching and unclenching nervously.
"You feel it, don't you?" Valerius asked. "The weight of your own power. Like you are wearing armor made of lead."
Kael nodded. "I can't... I can't control it. I break everything I touch."
"That is because your body is not yet used to this power," Valerius said calmly. "The Awakening will fix that. It will settle the power within you and give you the tools to control it. But we must do it now. Your power is growing at a dangerous rate. It could start to hurt you if it remains untamed."
Valerius placed his hand on the metal door. The blue lines glowed brighter, and the massive doors swung inward without a sound, revealing the room inside.
It was a large, circular chamber. The floor was a dark, polished stone, and the walls were covered in the same glowing blue symbols as the doors. In the very center of the room was a simple, raised platform made of white stone. The air inside felt different, humming with a quiet energy that made the hair on Kael's arms stand up.
"This chamber will contain your power when it is released," Valerius explained. "It will be intense, Kael, but you must not fight it. You must accept the power. Let it become a part of you."
Kael looked from his grandfather's serious face to the empty platform in the center of the room. This was it. The moment that would change his life forever. He was scared, but he was also filled with a new feeling: excitement. He was finally going to get some answers. He was finally going to understand what was happening to him.
"I'm ready," Kael said, his voice stronger and more confident than he thought it would be.
Valerius nodded, a look of pride in his eyes. "Good. Step onto the platform. Your new life is about to begin."