Aeron was asleep.
But it was not a normal sleep.
Suddenly—
Everything turned black.
There was no ground.
No sky.
No sense of direction.
Just endless darkness.
Aeron felt as if his body no longer existed.
He tried to speak, but no sound came out.
Then—
He felt someone's presence.
"W-Who's there…?"
His thought echoed into the void.
From the darkness, an outline appeared.
No face.
No eyes.
No clear form.
Just a vague, human-shaped figure.
It was speaking.
Its lips were moving.
But Aeron couldn't understand a single word.
The voice felt broken—
as if it didn't belong to this world.
Fragments of sound reached him, distorted.
"…not ready yet…"
"…remember this…"
The figure slowly raised its hand.
At that moment—
Cracks spread through the darkness.
And—
Suddenly—
Aeron's eyes snapped open.
He gasped for breath.
His heart was pounding violently.
Cold sweat soaked his back.
"Are you okay?"
The voice was clear.
Real.
Aeron looked up.
Standing in front of him was the B-Rank Hunter.
Her eyes were fixed on him—not just watching, but sensing something.
"I…"
Aeron inhaled deeply.
"I think I just had a strange dream."
The woman frowned.
"That wasn't just a dream," she said quietly.
"I'm feeling something… different inside you."
She stepped closer.
"Your energy is unstable.
It's not behaving like a normal Awakener's."
Aeron stayed silent.
The B-Rank Hunter reached into her coat and pulled out a black crystal.
It was unlike any Awakening crystal Aeron had seen.
No glow.
No color.
Just deep, consuming black.
"Take this," she said.
"Hold it."
The moment Aeron's fingers touched the crystal—
The air in the room became heavy.
Text slowly appeared on the crystal's surface.
[Name: Aeron Ashford]
[Status: Awakened]
[Type: Irregular]
[Awakening Level: Unknown]
[Threat Potential: Unmeasurable]
Aeron's eyes widened.
"Unmeasurable…?"
His voice was barely above a whisper.
The woman exhaled slowly.
"It's confirmed," she said.
"You are an Irregular Awakener."
Before Aeron could respond—
The woman's eyes suddenly glowed.
Strange symbols formed within her pupils.
"I'm using my Eye-Type Skill," she said.
"To directly observe your existence."
Then—
Her body trembled.
"What… is this—!"
She staggered backward.
Blood began to flow from her eyes.
"Stop!"
Aeron shouted.
The woman immediately shut her eyes.
The skill deactivated.
She took several deep breaths.
"This is the first time," she said quietly,
"that my skill has forcefully shut itself down."
She looked at Aeron.
"Your existence lies outside this world's limits."
Aeron felt his head spin.
"Then… where does power in this world come from?"
The woman remained silent for a moment.
Then she spoke.
"What I'm about to tell you—
only a handful of people know."
She sat down slowly.
"All power in Aredia once came from a single source."
"A primordial tree."
Aeron looked at her sharply.
"A tree…?"
"Yes," she replied.
"Its name was—"
Verithral, the World Tree.
"The origin of life, power, and souls."
She continued:
"Verithral existed long before the seven continents.
Every normal Awakening—directly or indirectly—
was connected to it."
"But one day—
it disappeared."
Aeron froze.
"Disappeared…?"
"Yes," she nodded.
"Some believe someone attempted to destroy it."
"But Verithral cannot be destroyed."
"So instead—
it split into nine fragments."
Aeron's breathing grew heavy.
"No one knows where those nine fragments are."
"But one thing is certain," she said gravely.
"If those fragments are completely lost—
all Awakening in this world could end."
She paused.
Then her voice dropped.
"However—Irregular Awakeners do not receive power from the World Tree."
Aeron lifted his head.
"Then… where does our power come from?"
She answered slowly.
"That is the mystery."
"And that is why Irregulars are feared."
"A single fully awakened Irregular—
has the potential to destroy an entire continent."
Silence filled the room.
"In this world," she continued,
"there are so few Irregulars
that they can be counted on fingers."
"And they…"
She shook her head.
"Serve no one."
"No one knows where they live.
What they do."
"They don't obey kings, associations, or gods."
Aeron felt overwhelmed.
"Then… what should I do?"
The woman met his gaze.
"First—tell no one."
"Some will try to kill you."
"Others will try to use you."
"This information is restricted to
high-ranking officers
and a few select races."
Aeron lowered his head.
Memories surged within him.
His previous life.
"All of this…"
he muttered.
"The future will change so much…"
"When I was a captain…
I never had power like this…"
He closed his eyes.
"And that person…"
"Who appeared in my dream…"
"Who was he?"
The woman didn't answer.
But her silence—
was more terrifying than any reply.
To Be Continued…