Far away in some backwater galaxy, on a small, almost insignificant blue planet, the fate of thousands would be decided today.
In a large hall adorned with bright steral lights, a group of students stood in perfect lines. Around a thousand eighteen-year-olds were lined up, each waiting for their turn. Each person's face showed similar emotions—some happy, some sad, some anxious. A few showed nothing at all. Stone cold and emotionless.
Today was the day each and every one of these young adults would learn their fate. Some fates far better than others.
Today was the Awakening Ceremony. A day where these young teenagers would awaken to mana and subsequently awaken their latent potential and powers. But not all would awaken. Some would be left behind, named failures and wastes. A fate nobody wanted. Yet some would be.
In the back corner of the hall, sitting in a single chair, were two people.
A girl and a boy.
The boy had short black hair that framed his handsome, unblemished face. His eyes were two bright baby blue orbs that seemed to reflect the light in the room. He wore a pristine black suit that fit him perfectly, and a content smile rested on his lips as he stared into the eyes of the girl sitting on his lap.
The girl had long snow-white hair that reached down to her butt, cascading like a waterfall of silk. Her skin was pale and unblemished, almost ethereal in appearance. Her beauty was undeniable—enhanced only by her two crimson eyes that locked onto the boy's sky-blue gaze. Both sets of eyes were darkened with obsession, a deep affection that spoke of years spent together.
This was Noah and Rosalyn.
Two eighteen-year-olds who had been dating since they were fifteen.
"Ara~ are you nervous?" Rosalyn's melodic voice asked as she nuzzled into the crease of his neck, her breath warm against his skin.
Noah laughed slightly. "No? Why would I be?" He said with a slight edge of arrogance in his tone.
"Oh~ well, we shall see," she said, pulling back just enough to look at his face. "When do you think they'll start?"
"What do you mean? They're already here." Noah's eyes moved toward the stage.
"Wha—"
Rosalyn's voice was cut off.
"Young and aspiring teens, I'm Inspector Grey, and I'll be helping with your awakening today," a gruff, manly voice sounded throughout the hall. The man on stage was tall and imposing, with scars running down his left cheek. "Today will decide your fate. Some will fail and be sent home to live sad, normal lives. Some, however, will ascend. Ascend and become more. But I doubt any of you will, though." He added the last part mockingly, his eyes scanning the crowd.
Many students frowned at his words. Most of them were from high society, much like Rosalyn and Noah. The difference was that those two weren't even listening.
"Ara~? This guy's got a stick up his ass," Rosalyn whispered in Noah's ear, still sitting on his lap despite everyone else standing up.
Noah smiled as he stroked her hair, causing her to let out soft purrs of contentment. "Hmmm, he's not wrong though. Most of the people here will walk away disappointed," he said, his view of things slightly cynical.
"Darling~ you'll regret saying that if you fail~"
"But I won't~" he whispered in her ear, sending delightful shivers down her spine.
"Oka—"
"Are the two lovebirds done?" Inspector Grey's voice rang out, pulling Noah and Rosalyn's attention back to reality. They both blushed furiously before coughing awkwardly.
"Ah ha, come on, Mr. Grey. We were just talking about the weather," Noah said, flashing a charming smile that had worked on people countless times before.
"Yes! A nice day isn't it, Mr. Grey?" Rosalyn chirped, her voice dripping with innocence.
"…"
That was their excuse? everyone thought simultaneously.
"Ah, well. Noah, if the weather is more important than your future, you wouldn't mind coming up and going first?" He said, flashing a mocking smile that made several students snicker.
This caused Noah's smile to tremble slightly. But as usual, he smiled confidently. "Ah, Mr. Grey, you took the words right out of my mouth!" he said, feigning composure. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't slightly nervous now.
Quickly, Noah picked Rosalyn up, earning a yelp of surprise from her, before putting her down gently on the chair. He gave her a quick peck on the lips—earning a few awws from nearby students—before walking up to the stage. As he walked, all the eyes in the large hall turned to follow him. All two thousand eyes bored into him.
Each eye showed a different emotion. Though the most prominent was envy. Despite never acting like it, Noah was a part of high society—the highest level there was, thanks to his parents. So he was used to being the target of such envy.
Finally making it to the top of the stairs, Noah stood next to Grey. In front of him sat a multicolored crystal called the Awakening Crystal. It glowed softly, pulsing with an otherworldly light that seemed to shift through every color imaginable.
"Put your hand on the crystal. At first, it will feel like thousands of tiny bugs crawling under your skin. But don't fret—it will be over in around three minutes," Grey said calmly, his scarred face showing no expression.
Noah nodded before raising his hand and placing it upon the crystal.
Instantly, just as Grey said, Noah shivered in dread as he felt tiny bugs crawling under his skin. The sensation was unbearable, like a million ants marching through his veins. Instinctively, Noah began to pull back.
"Don't," Grey's voice was cold and sharp.
His voice was like cold water to Noah, snapping him out of his panicked state. He forced himself to calm down and took a deep breath.
In front of his eyes, glowing panels began to appear, floating in the air like transparent windows.
Shit, hurry up. Noah cursed internally, his heart pounding in his chest.
D-DIVINE?! Noah screamed internally, his face morphing into pure shock. His body stiffened as the weight of what he had just seen hit him. A Divine class? They exist?.
W-what the hell? Each skill was more powerful than the last. This didn't make sense.
A unique skill too? Noah's mind was reeling.
Instantly, Noah's body began to be encased in an ethereal cocoon made of silver thread. The cocoon permeated a deep, crushing pressure that made sure nobody tried anything. Not that they could—people had tried before. They learned such a thing was indestructible.
Silver light enveloped Noah completely, hiding him from view.
Seeing that Noah had begun his evolution, Grey moved him away to the side so as not to disturb him. After that, he turned toward the hall, his scarred face emotionless. "Alright, everyone, let's continue," he said as the crowd began moving forward, each student going up and undergoing their own awakening.
Rosalyn was last, still sitting in the back, standing at the very edge of the crowd.
Worry and anticipation were evident in her crimson eyes as she watched the silver cocoon that held her beloved.
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~END~