Kalen stepped toward the metallic door as it slid open with a sharp hiss. Beyond it, a corridor stretched out — lined with glass partitions and faint white lights that buzzed softly overhead. Several rooms came into view, each occupied by candidates undergoing strange examinations.
A burly man with a scar running across his jaw stood by a metal table, clipboard in hand. His voice was deep and cold.
> "Candidate number?"
Kalen raised his form. "Forty-seven."
The man gave a brief nod and pointed toward the far end of the corridor.
> "Room seven. Move."
As Kalen walked, he caught glimpses of others through the translucent walls — applicants connected to machines, their blood being drawn, strange instruments scanning their bodies. Though he couldn't fully understand what was happening, it reminded him of an old-world medical evaluation. The air carried a faint sterile scent, mixed with something faintly metallic… and unsettling.
At the end of the corridor, he stopped before a door marked R-07. The steel surface gleamed faintly under the dim light. As he approached, the panel slid open with a low mechanical hum, revealing a small, shadowed room bathed in minimal light.
Inside stood a woman in her late thirties — calm, composed, her gaze sharp but not unkind. She lifted a hand slightly, a subtle gesture of invitation.
"You may enter."
Kalen took a steady breath and stepped inside, the door sealing shut behind him with a muted click.
The room was small, lit only by a single overhead light that cast pale reflections on the metallic surfaces. A woman in a clean white uniform stood beside a sleek table filled with instruments. Her expression was calm yet sharp, her eyes assessing him with quiet curiosity.
"You must be Candidate Forty-Seven," she said, her voice even and professional. "I'm Dr. Sharry. I'll be conducting your first-stage evaluation."She gestured toward the examination chair.
"Please, sit down — and try to relax."
Kalen nodded silently and took his seat, though the stiffness in his shoulders betrayed his unease but his eyes show the determination as he is prepared for what comes next. Dr. Sharry noticed immediately and, instead of starting the test, offered a faint smile.
"You seem tense," she remarked gently. "Let's start with something simple."She moved closer, her tone shifting to something more casual.
"What's your name?"
"Kalen," he replied quietly.
"Hmm… Kalen," she repeated, as if testing the sound. "Tell me, when you walked in and saw the other rooms — what do you think we're doing here?"
Kalen paused for a moment, glancing down at the metal floor, still slight nervous like first time talking to stranger.
"I read in an old-world article once… they used to conduct medical evaluations regularly — to check health, stability, even body composition. I thought it looked a bit like that."
For a moment, Dr. Sharry blinked in mild surprise — then a small, genuine smile curved her lips.
"Not many people your age know about that. The old world has become a forgotten chapter for most."
Her voice softened as she turned to the equipment beside her. Hearing her came yet soft tone he begins to came down.
After brief movment, "Since you seem calm now, let me explain the process. Today's test focuses on blood and physical evaluation — we'll analyze your body's compatibility with awakening resonance. Think of it as checking whether your body can adapt to the energy that grants awakening."
She met his gaze, her tone turning serious.
"This stage doesn't determine your power… only your potential. So breathe steady, Kalen — the real test comes after this."
Saying this, Dr. Sharry turned to the console and tapped through a series of screens, her expression gradually shifting as she reviewed Kalen's profile.
Name: Kalen
Age: 15
Resident: Hope Children Orphanage and Retired Military Residency — funded by the Military and Martial Association
Location: Main City, Sector 4 — adjacent to the Artifact and Medicine Association
Her eyes lingered on the screen, a flicker of emotion breaking through her composed demeanor. There was a glint of excitement—perhaps at the potential she saw in the boy before her—but it was tempered by something softer, almost mournful. Children raised in facilities funded by the Military and Martial Association were no strangers to discipline. From the moment they could walk, they were molded—trained to serve, to endure, to carry burdens far heavier than their years. Kalen was no exception. The determination in his eyes were not a coincidence; it was the result of a system that forged soldiers from orphans and expected greatness in return. Dr. Sharry exhaled quietly, then turned back to him with a steadier gaze.
After reviewing his profile, Dr. Sharry gave a quiet nod and gestured toward the chair. "Lay back, Kalen. Try to relax your body." He complied, settling into the contoured seat as it adjusted to support him. She moved with practiced efficiency, connecting a series of slim cables and sensors to his arms, neck, and chest—each one designed to capture physical data in real time. A soft hum filled the room as the instruments activated, scanning his vitals and mapping his internal rhythms. Then, with a steady hand, she drew a small vial of blood from his arm and placed it into a transparent glass container. From a nearby drawer, she retrieved a nail-sized object—dull gray, slightly translucent, and shaped like a stone. She ground a portion of it into fine powder, then carefully sprinkled it into the blood sample. For a moment, nothing happened. But as the powder dissolved, the liquid began to shimmer faintly, shifting in color and texture. The reaction was subtle but unmistakable—ripples of light danced within the vial, and the blood thickened slightly, pulsing with a strange energy. Dr. Sharry leaned in, her eyes narrowing with focus. That's ..."Interesting," she murmured. "Your body... responds well. That means you're suitable for awakening."
After reviewing the blood analysis and physical data, Dr. Sharry compiled the results into Kalen's candidate file. With a few swift commands, she uploaded the information to the Tower Database—a central system used to track all awakening candidates. Then, from a compartment beneath the console, she retrieved a sleek, watch-like device and handed it to Kalen. "Wear this from now on," she said, her tone gentle but firm. "It will monitor your vitals and resonance patterns continuously. The next phase depends on how your body adapts." Kalen took the device and fastened it around his wrist, its surface lighting up with a soft pulse as it synced with his profile. Dr. Sharry offered a faint smile, her eyes briefly warm. "You've done well today. Now, step outside and meet the soldier waiting in the corridor. He'll guide you through today's assignments and explain what comes next." With a quiet nod, Kalen rose from the chair, the door sliding open once more as he stepped into the hallway—his journey into the unknown just beginning.