As the hours slipped by, the once quiet corridors of the facility began to stir with a low, restless hum. Candidates gathered near the Awakening Chamber, their faces pale beneath the cold lights that buzzed faintly overhead. A group of officials stood waiting by the entrance, silent and watchful, while rows of numbered doors lined the walls behind them each leading to a small, dimly lit room equipped with a single chair and a strange device whose faint glow pulsed like a heartbeat. One by one, names were called, and each candidate vanished behind those doors, the metallic hiss of sealing locks echoing down the hall. Excitement and fear tangled together in the air, sharp enough to taste. Three hours passed before the speaker crackled again — "Number 47, Kalen."
He rose, feeling the weight of every heartbeat as the murmurs around him fell silent. It was his turn.
The door sealed behind him with a faint hiss, shutting out the murmurs from the corridor. The chamber was dim, its silence alive with the quiet hum of dormant machinery. A faint silver light seeped from the veins of the awakening device, coiling across the floor like streams of living mercury.
Dr. Sharry stood beside the central console, her white coat faintly illuminated by the glow of the monitors. "Take a seat, Kalen," she said quietly.
He obeyed, lowering himself into the cold alloy chair. The metal was strangely alive pulsing faintly under his touch, as though aware of the life it was about to change.
Dr. Sharry tapped the side of her tablet, and a diagram of human anatomy flickered into view, webbed with glowing threads of energy. "Before we begin, you should understand something important," she said. "The energy that fills this world isn't just power it's a catalyst for evolution. Over time, it reshapes everything it touches. Slowly, it's changing us changing humanity itself."
Her gaze lingered on the glowing image. "Right now, our bodies aren't yet capable of absorbing energy on their own. We rely on artificial methods external materials, injections, or guided transfers. But as generations pass, this will change. The bodies of those born to awakened parents will naturally adapt, inheriting the ability to absorb energy through bloodline resonance. Even ordinary people will eventually sense the world's energy — faintly, weakly, but naturally. That will be the next step of human evolution."
Kalen's eyes widened slightly. "So one day… awakening won't be necessary?"
"In a way," she replied. "But until that day, we still have to force our bodies to awaken."
She stepped closer to the console, her tone deepening. "Normally, awakening is achieved through special materials monster blood, beast cores, or other wild resources found beyond the safety zones. They contain immense energy, but it's tainted, unstable. If you use them directly, your body and soul will resist violently. Some survive and evolve. Others… don't."
Kalen's throat tightened. "And the pain?"
"It's not just pain," she said softly, almost with pity. "It's rejection. When impure energy enters, it disrupts your blood's natural rhythm, your cells' pattern, even your mind's structure. Your instincts fight back a defense coded into your very being. Think of it like when your mind rejects a reality too painful to accept. The body does the same. But once you push through that rejection… the body accepts the change, and the energy becomes part of you."
She paused, letting the hum of the machinery fill the silence. "For beginners, we don't use unpurified materials. Even the weakest monster core could destroy your consciousness before your body adapts. We refine the substances, removing the impurities and leaving only the pure essence. It's safer though the pain remains."
"And if we don't use materials?" Kalen asked.
"There's another method," she replied. "A high-level warrior can act as a conduit transferring purified energy directly into your body. It's efficient and powerful, but dangerous. If the conduit bears malice or hidden intent, that energy can twist or kill you from within. Only those we completely trust can perform it."
The soft hum deepened as the chamber's lights brightened, threads of light coiling through the floor. Dr. Sharry's tone softened.
"When the process starts, you'll feel your body rebel your heart will race, your vision blur, your mind tremble as if splitting apart. Don't fight it blindly. Breathe. Deep, steady, controlled. The breathing technique synchronizes your blood and consciousness, allowing the energy to flow without shattering you. Continue it even after awakening; it'll help your body stabilize and your mind recover faster."
Her eyes met his. "Pain isn't your enemy, Kalen. It's the language of change. Listen to it. Endure it. Let it teach you."
He nodded slowly, hands tightening on the armrest. "I'm ready."
"Good," she murmured, pressing a sequence on the console.
The chamber dimmed only the silver veins of the machine remained glowing.
"Then," she whispered, "let's begin your awakening."A low hum filled the chamber as the machine came alive. Tubes along the wall began to glow faintly, the light flowing toward the injector fixed into Kalen's arm. The air thickened, vibrating with quiet tension.
Dr. Sharry's voice was calm, but her eyes stayed fixed on the monitor.
"Energy injection starting. Stay conscious. Whatever you feel don't resist."
A click echoed.
Something cold entered his veins cold enough to burn. The sensation started in his arm, creeping slowly upward like ice turning to fire. Then, in a single heartbeat, it rushed straight to his chest.
His heart lurched.
A deep, pounding throb echoed through his ribs, each beat pushing the new energy deeper inside. He could feel it spreading through arteries, merging with blood cells, racing toward his fingertips and toes.
At first, it was warmth.
Then it became fire.
It was as if molten glass had been poured through his veins. His back arched against the restraints, a sharp cry escaping before he could stop it. The fire kept spreading, burning from the inside out searing muscle, bone, and marrow.
He gasped for air, vision blurring.
His mind screamed at him to stop, to make it end but he remembered her words. Don't resist.
So he forced himself to breathe. One ragged breath at a time.
And slowly, something began to change.
The fire stopped devouring it started flowing.
Each pulse of pain was followed by a strange warmth, a deep vibration that ran through his chest. The energy wasn't destroying him anymore. It was becoming part of him. His blood shimmered faintly beneath the skin, glowing veins spreading from his heart outward like living threads of light.
The pain dulled. The trembling stopped.
He could feel his heartbeat again strong, heavy, alive.
Then came the stillness.
The burning turned into heat, then into warmth and then into something… good. His body felt light, his breathing deep. The pain faded like a nightmare slipping away. Every nerve hummed quietly, alive with new strength.
Kalen opened his eyes.
The world looked different. Sharper. Clearer.
He could see dust floating in the air each tiny particle shimmering with faint energy. The hum of the machine wasn't just sound anymore; he could feel it vibrating in the air, like invisible ripples brushing against his skin.
And beneath that, something faint a pulse that wasn't his own.
The world itself seemed to breathe.
He let out a shaky breath, half-laughing, half-trembling. His body was sore, his mind blank but alive.
For the briefest moment, when everything had gone still, he thought he saw something a small white light deep in the darkness behind his eyes. It flickered once, soft and pure, then vanished before he could understand what it was.
Dr. Sharry's voice cut through the quiet.
"Good… your body's responding better than expected."
Kalen sat there, sweat dripping from his chin, chest rising and falling. The warmth still pulsed gently inside him like the world had finally let him in.