Officer Bart finally snapped out of his daze as the blazing light receded and the Awakening Center slowly returned to normal. The crystal dimmed, the oppressive heat draining away like water pulled back by the tide.
He took a deep breath.
"C-Congratulations, Miss Sarah Ardent," he said, forcing firmness into his voice despite the faint tremor in his hands. "For awakening the highest-rank talent."
Even as he spoke, the words felt unreal.
"Please wait at the designated area," Bart continued quickly, falling back into habit. "I'll inform the Beast Tamer Agency immediately so your registration can be processed without delay."
He didn't wait for acknowledgment.
Turning sharply, Bart strode away, already pulling out his communicator. An S-Rank was not something you stalled. And certainly not something you handled casually.
Sarah remained where she stood.
Her hand had long since left the crystal, but the rest of her hadn't caught up yet. The world felt distant—muted, blurred, like she was listening through water.
An S-Rank?
Me?
Her thoughts refused to arrange themselves into anything coherent.
Then instinct finally took over.
She turned her head—and met Kael's eyes.
He was smiling.
Not stunned.Not disbelieving.
Just calm. Warm. As if this outcome had been inevitable.
That expression broke her.
Before anyone could react, Sarah stumbled down the steps and threw herself at him. Kael caught her without hesitation.
"There, there," he said softly, steadying her as she shook. "It's okay. You're fine."
He rested a hand on her head, patting it gently.
That was all it took.
"I was really scared…" Sarah sobbed, her voice cracking as she pressed her face against his chest. "I—I thought… what if it wasn't good… what if I let everyone down…"
"It's alright," Kael murmured, rubbing slow circles against her back. "You did great. Really."
Inside, he sighed.
She really is emotionally volatile.
Around them, the Awakening Center finally recovered enough to notice what was happening.
And no one knew how to react.
The girl who had just awakened an S-Rank—something most people never even witnessed—was crying openly in a boy's arms, while he comforted her with the ease of someone far older.
Some girls watched with softened expressions.
"He's really gentle…"
"They look good together…"
Some boys didn't bother hiding their resentment.
"Who does he think he is?"
"That should've been me…"
And just like that—without warning or consent—a label settled over Sarah.
Not just an S-Rank.
Not just a beast tamer.
Something more dangerous.
A symbol.
A goddess.
She had crossed the line—from reckless tomboy to untouchable existence—in a single awakening.
And Kael?
He stood at the center of it, holding the crying miracle, oblivious—or perhaps indifferent—to the quiet storm of envy and misunderstanding forming around him.
----
It didn't take long for the Head Officer of the Beast Tamer Agency to arrive personally.
Her presence alone changed the atmosphere. With calm authority, she escorted Sarah away—along with Mara and the two boys who had awakened beast-affinity talents. Priority channels were opened. Instructions were whispered. No one questioned it.
Sarah hesitated.
She looked back, eyes searching the crowd until they found Kael. "Come quickly," she said, reluctant to leave.
Kael nodded, letting out a small breath. "I will."
Only after they disappeared did the tension in the hall finally loosen—though it never fully faded.
Officer Bart stepped forward, cleared his throat, and forced his voice back into its official cadence.
"Ahem. Alright," he said. "We'll continue."
The ceremony resumed.
This time, the first name called was Kael's.
Every eye turned to him.
Kael drew in a slow breath and stepped forward. He had never liked attention, but at least this wasn't a performance. No speeches. No expectations beyond a single touch.
He climbed the stairs at a steady pace.
The crystal waited—smooth, quiet, faintly glowing.
He placed his hand against it.
And waited.
Let's see if my luck really changed, he thought.
The Awakening Center fell silent.
Then—
Something was wrong.
A chill swept through the hall, sudden and invasive. Breath caught. Hearts skipped. It wasn't anticipation.
It was awareness.
Officer Bart stiffened.
It felt like being noticed.
Not by people—but by something else.
Something vast.Something indifferent.
Something that did not see them as individuals.
Only as prey.
The realization struck everyone at once. Students froze mid-breath, palms slick with sweat. Some felt their legs weaken. Others felt the urge to run—but no one moved.
And yet—
Kael felt nothing.
From the crystal, an unseen presence began to rise. Not darkness in color—but absence. Light dulled. Sound felt distant. The hall was submerged in something that couldn't be seen, only endured.
It pressed against the mind.
Against the heart.
Fear—raw and instinctive—wrapped around every soul present.
Except one.
Kael simply stood there.
Then—
The panels appeared.
And everything snapped back.
The pressure vanished.Air rushed back into lungs.The presence withdrew.
People swayed slightly where they stood, sweat clinging to their clothes, hearts pounding as if they had brushed death itself.
[ Congratulations ]
[ You have awakened an F-Rank Talent ]
[ Talent: Grave Compatibility ]
[ Affinity: Beast / Self ]
Kael stared at the panel.
F-rank…?
A flicker of disappointment crossed his face—brief, restrained.
At the same time, something felt wrong.
Information settled into his mind, heavy and unsettling. The sensation didn't match the rank.
Why does this feel… heavier than it should?
His instincts disagreed with what he was seeing.
Still, lacking deeper knowledge, he let it go.
Maybe it really is that low, he thought. Not everyone can be Sarah.
Around him, no one spoke.
Too quiet.
Officer Bart's expression was rigid, his gaze fixed on Kael as if he were seeing him for the first time.
Kael noticed.
He glanced around. Pale faces. Tight expressions. Eyes filled with something he couldn't quite place.
Guess an F-rank really is bad, he thought dryly.
He smiled—a crooked, self-aware thing—and looked back at Bart.
"…So," Kael said calmly, breaking the silence, "do I get a Beast Tamer ID, or a normal one?"
Bart jerked.
"Y-Yes," he said quickly, straightening. His heart still hammered violently. "Please wait to the side. You'll be escorted later."
Kael exhaled. "Okay."
He stepped down and joined the others, posture relaxed.
Bart swallowed and forced the ceremony onward.
Everything after that felt rushed.
Candidates came and went quickly, as if the room itself wanted it over.
And all the while—
Kael felt eyes on him.
Dozens of them.
He sighed quietly.
Looks like I'm going to complicate Sarah's reputation, he thought.
What Kael didn't realize—
Those gazes weren't filled with pity.
Nor disdain.
They were filled with fear.
Fear of the presence they had felt.Fear of what they couldn't explain.
Fear of the thing they suspected had stood among them—
And might still be there.
----
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