It was the middle of the night, yet the discussion showed no sign of ending.
The room glowed dimly under the faint light of holographic displays as the commander and his officers exchanged words deep into the night. Only when the first light of dawn crept through the blinds did the meeting finally conclude.
The commander rose, his expression composed but weary. "Continue the preparations," he said curtly before leaving for his next set of duties.
Dr. Elen and Sergeant Drake exchanged a quick nod. Both of them knew what awaited at sunrise—the final test. Without wasting a moment, they began arranging the equipment and clearing the hall for the morning's examination.
As time passed, the tower began to stir.
Candidates emerged from their quarters, some rubbing the sleep from their eyes, others quiet and tense. The aroma of freshly cooked rations filled the hall as they gathered for breakfast. A few trainees, those who had failed earlier rounds, silently made their way out of the tower heads bowed, steps heavy.
When most had finished eating, the hall doors slid open with a soft hiss. Sergeant Drake entered, followed by Dr. Elen. Conversations stopped. The air grew still.
Drake's usual grin was gone; instead, a firm resolve marked his expression. He stepped forward and raised his voice.
"First of all," he began, his tone steady and commanding, "congratulations to all of you for passing the endurance test. You've proven your strength and determination. But today is different. If you pass today's test… you'll officially become Awakeners."
A murmur of anticipation swept through the hall.
"Before we begin," Drake continued, gesturing toward the woman beside him, "allow me to introduce someone. This is Dr. Elen, head scientist of the Tower and the overseer of many of our awakening operations."
Elen gave a polite nod as Drake resumed.
"Today's session will explain the tests you've gone through, the purpose behind them, and what it truly means to be an Awakened."
He took a brief pause before pacing in front of the recruits.
"The first test," he said, "was a blood compatibility check to see if your body could adapt to the transformation required for awakening. I'll let Dr. Elen explain that part later."
"The second test evaluated your physical and mental capabilities. Awakening places tremendous strain on both body and mind, so we needed to ensure that none of you would collapse under that pressure."
Drake turned toward Elen. "Doctor, the rest is yours."
Elen stepped forward, her white coat catching the light as she addressed the hall.
"Good morning, everyone. I'm Dr. Elen," she said calmly. "To understand the changes that occur during awakening, you first need to understand how the world itself has changed."
She clasped her hands behind her back.
"After the Great War ended, strange phenomena began to occur phenomena that altered the very fundamentals of reality. To put it simply, the laws of nature shifted."
She smiled faintly. "Let's take fire as an example. In the old world, fire depended on external resources like fuel, oxygen, or chemical reaction. Once the fuel was gone, the flame died. But after the Great Change…"
Elen raised her hand. A flicker of crimson light shimmered above her palm then burst into a small, vivid flame floating in midair.
Gasps rippled through the crowd. Some recruits stared in disbelief, while others those who had seen such power before remained still, their expressions unreadable.
Kalen's eyes widened. He'd heard rumors, but seeing it with his own eyes felt surreal. The flame vanished with a simple gesture, leaving a trail of warmth in the air.
"As you can see," Elen said, lowering her hand, "we no longer rely on external elements. We can create, control, and wield energy directly. But to truly grasp how this is possible, you must first understand the deeper change that reshaped our world."
Elen let the flame fade from her palm, the faint shimmer of light dissolving into the air. The hall was utterly silent no one dared even to breathe loudly.
Then she spoke again, her tone slower now, measured, as if she were explaining the weight of creation itself.
"When this Energy first entered our world," she said, "it was wild untamed, boundless, without form or conscience. It seeped into everything air, earth, water, and eventually, into life itself. Many organisms couldn't handle it. Their structures collapsed. But humanity… we adapted, though not without a price."
A faint projection appeared behind her a magnified image of human blood under a scanner, glowing faintly with golden threads weaving through it.
"This," Elen continued, pointing to it, "is what we call mutation in blood. When Energy first touched humanity, it rewrote our foundation the blood. It changed how our cells breathe, how they interact with the world. It made the blood capable of absorbing and storing Energy directly."
She paused, letting the recruits absorb her words.
"Before the Change, humans depended on food, air, and rest for survival. Now, there's something else Energy Assimilation. Every breath you take draws in a trace amount of the world's Energy. But your body doesn't always accept it. The unawakened body leaks most of it away, unable to store or refine it. That's why, without awakening, this Energy is just a presence felt, but unused."
The hologram shifted again, showing a comparison: one human outline dull and faint, the other glowing with streams of light pulsing through its veins.
"When your blood mutates completely," Elen continued, her voice calm but powerful, "your body becomes a vessel a living conduit. The blood absorbs Energy, the heart refines it, and the soul guides it. The stronger the synchronization, the faster your body evolves. Muscles strengthen, senses sharpen, wounds heal faster, and even aging slows."
She took a breath, her expression thoughtful.
"But power always comes with balance. The Energy doesn't just empower, it transforms. It seeks harmony. If your body's constitution, your mind, or your spirit cannot align with the Energy's flow, it will consume you from within. The body overheats, the blood burns, and the soul fractures."
A few recruits swallowed hard, faces pale under the weight of her words.
Elen smiled faintly not out of cruelty, but respect.
"The process of Awakening is to let this Energy choose you to let it rewrite your blood completely. Once that happens, your body becomes part of the new world. You will no longer just breathe air you will breathe Energy itself."
Drake stepped forward, arms crossed.
"So, in short," he said, his voice cutting through the awe, "if your blood accepts the mutation, congratulations you become an Awakener. If it doesn't… your story ends there."
The recruits exchanged uneasy glances. Some trembled. Others clenched their jaws in determination.
Kalen sat quietly, his eyes reflecting the golden hologram. His heartbeat echoed in his ears. Mutated blood… absorbing Energy from the world itself.
Something in that idea stirred a deep instinct inside him, something ancient and powerful.
Elen's gaze drifted toward him for a brief second as if she sensed something unusual before turning back to the crowd.
"Soon, each of you will stand in the Awakening Chamber. There, the Energy will enter your veins. If your body resonates with it, your blood will mutate completely, and you will awaken. From that moment on, your journey truly begins."
The holograms vanished. Only the morning light remained.
Drake's voice rang across the hall.
"Prepare yourselves. You have one hour before the Chamber opens."
The recruits rose in silence. Some left to meditate, others to pray. But Kalen remained seated, staring at his trembling hand.
Kalen remained seated, his gaze fixed on the empty stage where the hologram had been moments ago. His heart beat steadily not from fear, but anticipation.