William twitched mildly as he stood, fidgeting with the bottom of his shirt. The line shortened as names were called, yet it felt larger with each passing moment.
25%.
Those were his odds of being selected. Yet, then, why had at least half of all students so far walked out slouched and depressed?
Behind him was a tall young man with short brown hair and deep blue eyes. A crooked smile remained fixed on his face, but William recognized the anxiety hidden within.
"Twenty-five percent, huh. Sure seems like it." His voice was rough, scraping against his throat.
William didn't look back again. "Yeah, I noticed too."
There was nothing more to be said.
The line thinned gradually, speed countered with the scale of the school. The students were silent, perhaps irked by the uniformed men at all corners of the building.
The Evolvers Army.
Soon, his name was called. "William Hunter."
He stepped forward, approaching the sitting officer without delay. Her long blonde hair escaped her small red hat, draping over her shoulders. Despite the casualness of her posture, her eyes were deathly silent— almost piercing.
"Place your hand into the box and take out a single card."
Anticipation weighed on him as his right hand entered the box, pressing it down slightly. Without feeling around, he simply grabbed the first piece of plastic he felt and lifted it out.
It was red.
"You have been drafted into the Evolvers Army. Please report to your nearest outpost for further instructions the day after the Golden Moon. Sign here, please," she spoke.
Shakingly, William signed a sheet of paper and walked out without pause, other than passing a short gaze to Jamie as he left.
He was selected.
The ride home was short. Buildings passed in a blur, and sounds within the bus faded away.
When he stepped off at his stop, the air was warm–almost hot. His house was quiet when he entered.
His mother was in the kitchen, waiting with a gentle smile, preparing a meal for his return. As he walked into the living room, she gazed towards him expectantly.
"It was red. I have a week."
A heavy pause lingered over the home, but it was broken almost immediately. His mother brought him into a short embrace, comforting him. "It's alright. We'll manage."
William nodded absentmindedly.
"Dinner's almost ready. As soon as your father gets here, help me set the table, and we'll eat. It's your favorite too~" She added with a smile.
In the hour before the meal, William grabbed his phone and texted his classmates. Their results weren't so great either.
Jamie: drafted.
Oliver: drafted.
Silvia: drafted
All three of them were. Four, including him.
Something was off. The odds were clear and deliberate, a known twenty-five percent. So then, how had more than half the school been selected?
Oliver would be alright. His family had plenty of resources and connections, so they could make sure he'd be safe.
But what about the rest of them?
Their last hope lay with the Golden Moon. As sixteen-year-olds, this golden moon would bring about their first evolution.
William only hoped his ability would help him survive, if anything. It would be great if it could do more than that, too.
Ding~
"William! Drafted like your father was, aye?" A voice rang out from the door as it clicked behind.
The man was tall, his hair short and black, his eyes a gray void. The way his clothes strained against his skin did little to hide his well-kept shape.
"Dad," William muttered, taken into a tight hug.
"Haha! Don't worry, young man, you'll do great." He scraped his knuckles against William's head, then patted his back as he broke the embrace.
William managed a small smile.
His father always sounded confident when it mattered, as though doubt was something that could be kept outside the house if the door was shut firmly enough.
"Wash up," his mother called from the kitchen. "Food's ready."
Dinner passed with the same energy it always had. His father talked about work in the Tower, how he'd met a Golden Mage at lunch. His mother smiled throughout, offering a few comments here and there.
Eventually, though, the table grew silent.
James Hunter. William's father was, in William's eyes, a great man. There was no doubting that.
He may not have killed as many as a Commander, nor was he as strong as a Golden Mage, but he was a determined man who knew what to do and when to do it.
So as his father stared towards the outside, gazing past a framed window near the ceiling, William respected the quiet. But he also knew what was coming.
"The outpost will sort you," he said. "They won't just throw you into the woods. A training camp will be the start of it, then you'll be assigned based on your performance."
Then, James Hunter looked directly at his son. "If you do well, you will make it, son. And I have no doubt that you will."
Silent, William offered a short nod.
The days passed without anything happening. William believed his friends needed the silence to talk with their families, to sort things out. He did too.
But eventually, the night came.
William sat with his family on New Year's Eve. His father stood silent, gazing towards the changing moon. His mother sat with a steady posture, sharing her gaze.
William was slouched on the couch, gazing as well, though without much interest. James noticed his son's apathy, but didn't comment.
The moon shifted hues, from a gentle silver to a rough bronze. Finally, a mirror to the sun, it took on a golden radiance.
At once, a subtle feeling changed the air. Sounds become crisp, feelings better felt.
And William noticed something else in particular. A sudden drowsiness, strong and overpowering.
His father looked towards him, a grin on his face. "So, my boy's awakened now?"
But William didn't respond. He stood up, dazed, and measured his steps. "Sorry, I'm feeling a bit sleepy."
His father and mother did not comment, allowing him his space.
William walked towards his room, leaning on the walls towards the end. He collapsed in bed, without changing clothes, and succumbed to a powerful force drifting his consciousness away.
***
Those aged sixteen around the world awakened their trait on this faithful day. The first evolution, a milestone in any human's life, and the day that marks adulthood.
Standing in a public park, within a field of grass, a tall young man smirked as his hands weaved flames.
In a restaurant, watching as the moon turned gold, a woman with flowing violet hair and gentle brown eyes left her seat, a sudden clarity befalling her mind.
Near a manor, surrounded by family, a short young man was silent, the dogs nearby growing more obedient with his gaze.
And William Hunter, surrounded by mist in his very subconscious.
'What is this?'
The mist parted, then gathered. It formed a pillar that extended to the plain white sky. On the pillar, a message formed, carved into the ethereal marble.
[Call out, Lord of the Pillar]
'Lord? How do I even call out?' William thought, his mind hazy.
'How about… heed my call!' A pause followed; no change occurred. 'Maybe then… status?'
The Pillar shifted, a tremor echoing outward without slowing. The carved words were rearranged, some letters added, and some removed. A new message formed.
<> – – – <> – – – <>
[Sleep Points: 1]
Skills:
F)
D)
<> – – – <> – – – <>
'What…?'