Aeron regained consciousness—
with a sharp burst of light.
A faint wave of pain surged behind his eyelids. His head felt heavy, as if something was pressing down on it from the inside, testing him.
"Ugh…"
A low groan escaped his lips.
His breathing was heavy. His chest rose and fell, yet his body felt distant—almost as if it no longer belonged to him.
"He's awake."
That voice—
Aeron slowly opened his eyes.
A white ceiling. Rough stone walls. A faint medicinal scent lingered in the air. Sunlight filtered in through a window, gently warming the room.
He was lying on a bed.
His fingers twitched. His body felt weak, but he was alive.
"I…"
His throat was dry.
"…Where am I?"
The man standing beside him was middle-aged, his face marked by experience. He wore the official uniform of the Hunter Association. A silver badge gleamed on his shoulder.
C-Rank Hunter.
"You're in the medical wing of the Qualification Center," the man replied calmly.
"You were unconscious for three hours."
Three hours.
Aeron stared at the ceiling.
Fragments of memory surfaced in his mind—
Blood…
The ground…
That terrifying pressure—
"The elf…?"
he whispered.
The hunter smiled faintly.
"Alive. His condition was critical, but he survived."
Aeron released a breath he hadn't realized he was holding.
"That's good…"
But in the next moment—
Everything came rushing back.
Darkmaw.
Its crimson eyes.
That strange sensation erupting from his chest.
And then— darkness.
"You know,"
the C-Rank Hunter said gravely,
"what you did?"
Aeron remained silent.
"You killed a monster officially classified above D-Rank,"
the man continued,
"and you did it… alone."
A heavy silence filled the room.
"You're thirteen years old,"
his voice hardened,
"and according to the records— you were considered Inactive until now."
Aeron's fingers clenched the bedsheet tightly.
Inactive.
Weak.
Useless.
"So…?"
he asked quietly.
At that moment—
The door opened.
A new presence entered the room.
A woman.
Her eyes were sharp— those of a hunter. With every step she took, the atmosphere of the room shifted.
A golden emblem gleamed on her chest.
B-Rank Hunter.
"So this is the child,"
she said, looking at Aeron.
Her gaze felt as if it pierced straight through him.
"I've read the report,"
she continued,
"but I wanted to see you myself."
She stopped in front of him.
"Tell me your name."
"Aeron…"
he swallowed.
"Aeron Ashford."
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"Ashford…"
she murmured.
"Interesting."
She extended her hand.
"Don't be afraid,"
she said.
"This is only for confirmation."
Aeron hesitated for a moment, then reached out.
The instant their fingers touched—
The air in the room trembled.
Brrrr—
That same pressure surged back into Aeron's chest—
clearer, deeper than before.
The woman's eyes widened in shock.
"This—!"
She pulled her hand back instantly.
The two hunters exchanged looks.
"What happened?"
Aeron asked, his voice trembling.
The woman took a deep breath.
"Your awakening… is not incomplete."
Aeron's heart began to race.
"Then… what is it?"
She straightened.
"This is not a Latent Awakening,"
she said,
"nor is it a normal awakening."
Her voice carried weight now.
"It belongs to a category we call—"
She paused.
"An Irregular Awakener."
The room felt frozen.
"Irregular…?"
Aeron repeated.
"People like you,"
the woman said,
"awaken outside the rules. Their power does not fit within any fixed framework."
The C-Rank Hunter added quietly—
"And their existence… often changes history."
Aeron looked down at his hands.
Was this the reason…?
That power…?
"I…"
his voice wavered.
"I just want to save my sister."
A faint smile appeared on the woman's lips.
"That's exactly what makes you dangerous, child."
She turned away.
"Your qualification trial will not be postponed."
Aeron's eyes widened.
"Instead,"
she continued,
"you will be placed under special observation."
Movement echoed outside the door.
And far away—
Within Luminark,
and far beyond it—
Certain powers felt the name
Aeron Ashford
for the very first time.
And at that moment—
The end of a peaceful life
and the beginning of a dangerous journey
had already begun.
— To Be Continued