Silas stood frozen in the middle of his room, eyes were fixated onto the blue screen which hovered in front of him.
For a few seconds, he couldn't even think about what was going on around him. The world around him slowly started to blur out, hands started to tremble as sweat formed up on his temple.
Then, all at once, his knees gave out. He dropped onto the floor as the knife in his hand slipped, a loud thud echoed in his room as it made impact with the ground.
He let out a low laugh—low, shaky as he slowly fell onto the ground. His hands trembled like crazy as he covered his face with his palms, his shoulders quivering. For a moment, tears started to dwell from his eyes—it almost looked like he was crying.
Then the laugh started to grow louder, rougher than before. It came out of his throat like madness breaking free after years of silence.
"Finally..." he whispered under his breath, voice cracking. "Finally!"
He raised his head, face pale and sweat was glimmering on his forehead—eyes were wide in shock, shining like molten glass. "I'm going to be the best... in the world," he muttered, almost disbelieving the reality. "The strongest in the whole damn universe."
He pushed himself back up on his feet, half stumbling, a grin slowly curled up on his lips. His hands shook, pulse started to pound harder.
"This whole fucking world is going to bow to me." Silas's voice came out, deep—filled with excitement.
He nearly tripped over the coffee table, the old TV which was no less than an antique, painting its shadow across the walls.
"I need to get my awakened card," he hissed under his breath, voice high—filled with desperation. "Where the hell is my damn card!?"
He rushed himself to the living room first. Cushions flew off the couch, receipts, crushed ramen cups, and comic pages were scattered everywhere. His breath came fast and shallow.
He started checking through every single drawer of his room, found nothing in there, slammed it shut. Sweat started to roll down his temple.
"Come on, come on, come on..." He muttered under his breath, voice filled with desperation.
He sprinted into the kitchen, checked each and every drawer, opened and slammed shut—utensils clinking, plastic cracking. The place looked like a storm had just hit it.
Still, he found nothing.
Panting hard, he leaned on the wall, running a shaky hand through his hair. His grin shifted into a half-crazed smirk, he was about to go crazy.
"I'm about to be the strongest awakened alive and here I can't even find my stupid fucking card."
His gaze scanned the room once again—as it stopped on the overflowing trash bin beside the counter.
He froze. "No fucking way..."
In three long strides, he was there—standing next to the bin. He leaned in as he put both hands into the trash bin, peeling through crumpled boxes, greasy cans, and old receipts. The stench of it hit him like a loud slap, but he didn't care.
His fingers brushed something hard as he grabbed it and pulled it out.
A plastic card — scratched, dented, and half-covered in grease. The faded holographic seal of the Awakened Association shimmered faintly under the dim light.
Silas stared at it, chest heaving, eyes wide. Then a shaky smile spread across his lips.
"Found you, bitch." he whispered as he let out a big cocky grin.
"I'm going to advance to the SSS-Rank now," he said, laughing softly as he stared at the card. "The top of the top, the best in the world. This world is going to remember my fucking name."
He turned towards the old cardboard wardrobe in the corner of the living room. The thing was barely standing, patched together with duct tape. He opened it and searched through the faded jeans and old T-shirts until his hand closed around something dark.
A black coat. The fabric was worn thin, edges frayed, but when he slid it over his shoulders, it fit him perfectly.
His reflection in the cracked mirror almost startled him. The coat hung low. His eyes were wild. His grin looked sharper than ever.
He straightened himself a bit, breath steadying.
'It's finally time.'
The Taxi Ride
The storm outside the city had now stopped, but the streets still shimmered under the reflection of the bright lights. The air smelled like rain and asphalt.
Silas slowly stepped out of his building, the coat was flaring slightly in the wind. His boots splashed in small water puddles as he waved down a taxi which was coming towards him.
The car stopped in front of him with a small screech and he got inside it without any hesitation.
"Awakened Headquarters," he said. "Fast."
The driver glanced at him from the side view mirror—and he froze for a second.
Silas's face was completely pale and drenched with sweat. His eyes burned with an intensity that didn't belong to a normal man. His lips were curled up in a grin that looked both excited and dangerous.
The driver quickly shifted his gaze from him as he pressed the accelerator.
'Now I can do anything. Anything. No one's going to laugh at me anymore.'
His fingers clenched around his knees, grabbing the fabric of his jeans. 'Nathan Cross. That smug bastard who used to mock me at the Association training center... I will make him be on his knees and beg me for forgiveness.'
'Money. Fame. Power. Women. Everything's mine.'
The driver peeked into the rearview mirror again. Silas was still smiling, silent yet focused.
The man pressed harder on the pedal.
The Headquarters
Fifteen minutes later they reached the Awakened Association headquarters, the taxi rolled to a stop in front of the massive glass building which was lined with glowing blue sigils. Letters were shimmering with light across its entrance:
AWAKENED ASSOCIATION — NEW AVALON BRANCH.
Silas reached out for his pockets as he pulled some cash out and put it onto the front seat and stepped out of the car. The rain had stopped, but the air was still damp and heavy. His coat clung to him as he looked at the tower.
Inside, the lobby gleamed with white light. Floating displays listed dungeon clear rates, emergency gate alerts, and the ranking of top hunters. The place was clean, cold, and alive with the hum of power.
Silas walked up to the front counter, his steps were slow yet firm, expression unreadable.
Behind the desk sat a beautiful young lady in a tight uniform, her hair tied neatly in a bun, tapping lazily at a holographic keyboard. She slowly looked up as he dropped his battered Awakened card on the counter with a loud thud.
"I want the permission for the clearance of an E-Rank gate," Silas said. "Solo."
The woman blinked once, then twice. Her eyes flicked between his card and his face.
A faint smirk appeared on her lips. "Are you even qualified for that?" she asked as she scanned Silas.