NULL
BY NIKLUAS VERMONT
Cold, empty.
The wind howled loudly, humming as it tugged gently on jaeger's clothes. Jaeger stood in the middle of the abyss, looking into the far darkness, the cold chiseled down his spine, "where am I ?" The same thought came flying into his head. He could hear echoes of his own heart beating, from the darkness emerged a spark of light- as if a spark of hope, the darkness itself answered with words that held unbearable weight. "I AM NULL".
I slowly opened up my eyelids, birds perched on my window - chirping, the sun high in the sky smiling at the city below, sweat poured out of my face- it was a dream, I hesitated to stand up, but after a while I finally did. I reluctantly stood up, and then - bam! It hit me, today was the Awakening ceremony and I was going to be late. I rushed to the bathroom dragging my towel with me from the towel rail, I hurriedly took my shower and stormed out. Like a cheetah I quickly put on my best-loved clothes and dashed out of the room. I hurriedly descended the stairs. I picked up my shoes, swiftly wore them and barged out of the house.
"Morning, Mom" I hurriedly greeted her as she was drying the clothes.
"Morning J, you forgot.." she said softly, seeing I was in haste she smiled and added "good luck"
I waved her goodbye and stormed off.
With a grin plastered on his face, Jaeger cracked his knuckles and said with a determined tone -
"Awakening ceremony here I come".
***********
SOMETIME LATER,
After hours of running, I finally reached the awakening ceremony hall and I was exhausted. It was definitely a stupid Idea to pass through an unknown shortcut - I got pursued by a dog all the way here.
"Haha", I panted heavily, after a while, I finally took a good look around the hall and I was completely mesmerized - the hall was huge with large pillars supporting the four corners, rows and rows of chairs followed each other, in the center of the hall was a pulpit and on it an oddly glowing orb with rays of light orbiting around it. It was truly breathtaking. The hall was filled with a lot of candidates, some were from prestigious families, others were like me- from a poor background, All in all, they were teenagers around my age or older and every single one was staring at something, "what could've possibly drawn their attention? I thought.
Was it me?, I wondered. But the look on their faces weren't of disgust - like the usual look I got, but rather amusement, so it couldn't have been me, could it?. I slowly turned around and I was caught in amazement - it was a girl, no older than my age, she was very slender, with sharp starry eyes that showed both kindness and quiet strength, her long silky hair framed her beautiful face perfectly. And though she wore fine apparel decorated with fine gold, she carried herself without pride, like she was not only born to be admired but to lead - it was none other than the prime minister's daughter "Elowen le Baskerville " and after her came my worst nightmare, who also turned out to be her brother, walking majestically behind her with a keen sense of pride "Michael van Baskerville". I instantly regretted my actions of making my rival's sister this beautiful. They both walked gallantly and took a seat, I followed timidly behind them and sat next to them.
As I was minding my own business, Elowen came up to me with a handshake and a gentle smile.
"Hey, my name is Elowen. What's yours?" She stuck out her hand.
I was shocked—the Prime Minister's daughter giving me a handshake! I looked around to see if it was some kind of joke meant to make me look even more cowardly than I already was.
"You do know that in some countries, leaving people hanging is considered rude," her voice snapped me out of my thoughts.
"Umm… sorry, Your Highness. My name's Jaeger." I stuck out my hand and returned the handshake.
"Good to know you, Jaeger. I'm looking forward to seeing your Awakening," she said delightfully, then went back to her seat. My face instantly turned red—I was blushing.
Then suddenly, I felt a stare. It was Michael, giving me a cold glare.
"Sheesh, what a sister complex," I moaned.
********
After a while, a black tall man climbed up the pulpit - his hair was in contrast with his complexion, it was grayish white.
"Ahem," the man cleared his throat, silencing the noise in the air. He continued
"Distinguished guests, esteemed mentors, and candidates,
Today marks more than a ceremony—it marks a beginning. An awakening of not just abilities, but of purpose, courage, and the potential that lies within each of you.
For years, you have trained, you have studied, and you have prepared yourselves for this very moment. And now, as you stand on the threshold of your awakening, you are called to step into the light of your own strength, to face challenges with unshakable resolve, and to embrace the responsibilities that come with power.
This ceremony will not only reveal what you are capable of, but also remind you of who you are. Strong, determined, and ready to make your mark on the world.
Today is the day your true selves are unveiled. Today is the day you awaken!"
He took a quick pause to look around, then continued
"Now I will call on your names one at a time,when you hear your name, make your way to the pulpit and place your hand on the this awakening orb"
He took another pause and proceeded
"This orb will measure the amount of voidblood you have and assign you into your different levels ranging from 9-0,as most of you already know, since this is your first awakening you cannot awaken higher than a descended, some of you may even awaken your "true name". Silence ruled the atmosphere and there was a good reason why - "True name" the name given to an awakened who has embraced his/her inner self, simply put the true name were the names of your inner self. 80% of awakeners never unlock their true names and some even died that way, so it was very rare to see people with their true name, if you had one you would be held in high esteem for the rest of your life".
Another pause, then he continued
"Plus, the orb will grant each and everyone of you an awakening board, though it is similar to your dashboard - the awakening board displays your various "Techniques and Resonance". And now I will proceed to calling your names".
.....
Tension filled the air instantly, I looked around and I could see some kids shaking anxiously others like Elowen were quite relaxed. The black man continued
"First candidate, Miss Lady Elowen le Baskerville"
Everybody's gaze shifted to Elowen who was walking calmly to the pulpit, some whispered to each other as she made her was down. She got to the pulpit and gazed at my direction. "What's she looking at me for?" I thought and it seemed like the whole congregation was thinking the same thing too. After gazing at me for a while, with a cunning smile she placed her hand on the orb.
Boom!
A swirl of lightning instantly surrounded her, her eyes were shining bright, her long silky hair gradually lifted up. She slowly elevated the ground floating in mid air.
The whole congregation was silent, every one eager to see what she awakened. And then a system status appeared
_________________________________________
Awakening Board
Name : (Elowen le Baskerville)
True name : (Morning star)
Voidblood: 28%
Level 0. Descended
Resonance :[ CELESTIA ]
Description:[You have risen beyond the mortal realm, your soul now woven into the tapestry of the night sky. Among the glittering constellations, you shine with a light that rivals the dawn itself. The whispers of the cosmos bend to your will, and in your hands rests the brilliance of countless stars—each pulse, each flare, a testament to the power now coursing through you. You are no longer merely of the world; you are a child of the heavens, a beacon that even eternity cannot dim.
You are THE MORNING STAR]
Techniques:
Stellar flare
Aurora veil
Luminescent strike
Orbital bind
Gravitational pull
_________________________________________
A wave of shock filled the entire hall, whispers everywhere. Even though I was the writer of the novel i also felt goosebumps.
What the hell was i seeing?
"True name, level 0". I looked around and everyone had the same expression on their faces. I turned to look at the prime minister and I could see a small grin on his face. One thought ruled over my mind.
"She was truly a prodigy"