In a dimly lit room, a boy lay on a white bed. Even though his hair was dirty, nothing could dull its snow-white color. His body was thin — dangerously so.
Outside the room stood a young man with wild red hair, speaking to a nurse.
"How is the kid, Sara?" the man asked.
"Good enough to survive. The kid has a… special body, to say the least," Sara answered with a solemn voice before continuing. "Which noble family is he from? And why is he so skinny?"
"Sara, the kid's from the slums," the man replied, his voice lacking emotion.
"W-what? Eric, don't you see his features? White hair, special physique — he reeks of nobility! His body alone is proof. He'll surely awaken a Body-Type Aspect," Sara said, skepticism in her voice.
"I thought the same at first," Eric said, "but then I remembered something. A friend of mine in Ages told me about a kid with devilish features… supposedly it's this one."
"What? What's devilish about him? He doesn't have horns or anything like that," Sara said, curiosity creeping into her voice.
"It's his—"
Before he could finish, a groan came from inside the room.
Sara rushed in — and froze.
Her body jerked instinctively into a defensive stance.
The kid… he had the eyes of a demon.
—
As I woke up, I was surprised to see two people standing in front of me. A tall man with weird red hair, red eyes, and a spear in his hand — and a woman with short brown hair and eyes, staring at me with her guard raised.
I guess he's the one who saved me…
As I tried to sit up, a sharp pain shot through my shoulder.
A small groan escaped me, snapping the nurse out of her daze.
"Don't move," she said, hesitating for a moment before adding, "kid."
"Easy there," Eric said calmly. "What's your name?"
A name, huh? I thought to myself for a moment before answering.
"I don't have one."
An awkward silence filled the room. Sara and Eric exchanged a glance, but neither pressed further.
"We should let the kid rest. He's been through a lot," Sara said softly, pulling Eric toward the door.
Eric hesitated, then stopped just before leaving.
"…Actually," he said, turning back to me, "I need to ask you something. It's part of my report. What happened out there?"
My eyes shifted toward the window. The alleyways. The beast. The chase.
Should I lie?
If I told them too much, I might get dragged into something worse. If I stayed silent, they'd grow suspicious. Either way… I needed a way out of this place.
My mind raced, searching for an escape — a loophole, a weakness, anything.
But the man's gaze didn't feel hostile. It felt almost like he wanted to… help me.
…Fine.
"I was sneaking out from the slums," I muttered. "Trying to steal some rations."
Sara's eyes softened slightly.
Eric didn't interrupt.
"I was lied to about the police being busy today and got accidentally caught by a patrol," I continued. "They saw me. Started chasing. Then… the gate break happened."
The room fell quiet.
Eric crossed his arms, studying me carefully. "You ran straight into a beast and still survived," he said. "That's not something a normal kid does."
I paused, looking into the man's eyes before answering.
"Living in the slums teaches a thing or two, I guess," I said as I studied their faces.
It was weird. Those two were weird.
Why were they looking at me like this?
—
As the kid said those words, Sara and Eric exchanged looks before both of them turned toward him with pity.
"Hey kid," Eric called, getting my attention before continuing, "how about getting tested?"
—
Those words felt strange… heavy… almost unreal.
Getting tested? Me?
For a moment I thought I had misheard him.
Mistaking my silence for ignorance, the man asked, "Do you know what that means?"
Of course I knew what it meant. Who didn't? There were literally big screens streaming the test every year in the center, and I had been there many times.
"…Tested?" I muttered under my breath, my brows knitting together. My voice came out hoarse. "Why… would you do that for me?"
Eric didn't answer immediately. His red eyes studied me quietly, as if weighing something I couldn't see.
Before he could respond, Sara's head snapped toward him.
"Eric— are you serious?" she asked, shock clear in her voice. "You know what that means, right? Are you looking for trouble with your family?! You know that every legacy family only gets three recommendations a year!"
"It's fine, Sara. I will handle it," Eric said with confidence. "So what do you say, kid?"
"Eric, are you serious?!" Sara snapped before I could answer. "No — you can't be serious. The awakening is in a week, and your family probably already has three candidates—"
Eric raised a hand, cutting her off mid-sentence. His gaze never left me.
"What do you say, kid?"
The room grew quiet again.
Tested.
Awakening.
Recommendation.
Words that didn't belong to someone like me.
My throat felt dry.
Why me?
My fingers tightened against the bedsheets as I looked between them — Sara's worried expression, Eric's calm but unwavering eyes.
"…Why?" I finally asked, my voice quieter than before. "I'm just a slum rat."
Sara's expression flickered, guilt flashing across her face, but Eric didn't react.
"Let's say it's a hunch of mine," Eric said.
A hunch?
That answer only made things more confusing.
My eyes narrowed slightly as I watched him. He didn't look like he was lying… but he wasn't telling the full truth either.
No one helped someone like me because of a "hunch."
People helped when they wanted something back.
"…You're weird," I muttered under my breath.
Sara let out a frustrated sigh. "Eric, this isn't something you decide on a whim. Recommendations aren't toys. If the elders hear you used one on a—"
"I know," he replied calmly.
His gaze shifted back to me, sharp and unreadable.
For a brief moment, I felt like he wasn't just looking at me… but through me.
It made my skin crawl.
"…So?" he asked again. "Do you want the chance?"
The word chance echoed strangely in my head.
My chest tightened.
Was this another lie?
Or was this the first time someone actually saw something in me?
"…And what happens if I fail?" I asked quietly.
For a moment, Eric didn't answer. His lips curled into a faint smirk — not mocking, but certain. He didn't answer me… but in a way, he did.
Sara shot him an incredulous look, but he ignored it, his red eyes still locked onto mine.
"There are people who run from chances," he continued calmly. "And there are people who grab them even when they're scared. Decide which one you are."
His words hit harder than I expected.
The room felt smaller.
Quieter.
He wasn't forcing me.
He wasn't begging me.
He was waiting.
And for the first time in a long while… someone looked at me like I wasn't just a problem to be thrown away.
My fingers tightened around the sheets.
Chance to leave the slums.
Chance to stop running.
Chance to become something else.
I swallowed.
"I'll do it"