"Atreus, you failed...! You don't have the capability for Awakening...!"
The judge's stern and loud shout felt like it pierced my heart.
My breath stopped for a moment, my chest tightening amidst the cheers of those watching me in the arena where the Awakening auditions were being held.
In this world, Awakening is the highest social class above civilians.
Many aspire to Awakening at a young age because it gives them the chance to become the much-vaunted Ranger.
Hundreds of years have passed since the depths of the ocean opened, becoming a gateway for giant monsters whose combined size almost exceeded the entire ocean itself.
Billions of humans died amidst the emergence of these giants, but at the same time, a new hope emerged: Awakening.
No one can explain the source of Awakening, but after hundreds of years of research, scientists believe that a select few humans are born Awakened and have the opportunity to develop their skills and status within their Awakening into a job class filled with powerful abilities that can combat monsters—often referred to as Rangers.
I knew being a Ranger wasn't easy because my life was at stake, but only by becoming a Ranger could my destiny change from poverty to success and wealth.
However, the audition judges had already passed judgment.
The large crystal stone used to measure the Awakening of 18-year-old men and women didn't detect any potential for awakening in me.
And that meant I only had a chance as a civilian.
I was ashamed.
I would be utterly ashamed if I failed and turned against my parents, who had truly hoped for me to become an Awakened.
They had high hopes because I had diligently trained physically and mentally for years in preparation for this Awakening test.
I knew my parents weren't from a wealthy family, so I aspired to become an Awakened to elevate their status.
Even though I was my parents' adopted child, I didn't want to disappoint them because I wanted to make them happy by becoming an Awakened.
But with this failure, everything felt meaningless.
"S-sir...can I have a reassessment...? I-it seems there's wrong, sir..." I pleaded with the judge, but he shook his head dismissively.
"You failed, and now you've been selected as a civilian, kid. Just accept it. Don't reject it. Not everyone can experience Awakening and become a Ranger."
"But, sir...I-"
"Take this boy away...!"
"Sir, wait...!"
Ah, it felt so embarrassing when the two Rangers in long black coats rushed to grab me from behind and forcefully dragged me away from the audition room.
"Go away...! There are still many others to be tested...!"
"If you fail, don't bother the others...! You idiot...!"
I could only lower my head to the jeers of the people watching me in this arena.
As I walked to the edge of the arena, a 17-year-old girl with long black hair tied in a slightly wavy ponytail stood at attention at the edge of the arena.
Wearing all-black tactical clothing and a special jacket, anyone would assume she had been training regularly to awaken her Awakening potential.
Of course she's trained a lot.
I bought her the all-black tactical clothing and special jacket with my part-time job savings because I wanted her to succeed in Awakening.
And the girl wasn't a stranger, but my half sister, the biological daughter of my parents—Kayla Kaine.
"Kayla Kaine...! Please go to the center of the arena...!"
The judge's shout immediately made Kayla stand upright toward the center of the arena with a calm and cold gaze.
She glanced at me as she walked past, but for some reason, her gaze felt cold and cruel.
In the past, Kayla and I had always fought together, training our physical and mental abilities to awaken our Awakening potential.
Kayla and I shared the same goal: to change our family's destiny by becoming Rangers.
I even spent most of my savings from working part-time for months on a special tactical jacket and clothing that would help her develop her Awakening potential.
Kayla and I supported each other, but when the judge declared me a failure in the Awakening Test, her demeanor suddenly turned completely cold.
Her once sweet smile was replaced by a blank, stiff expression—it felt like I was seeing a different person.
With just one push, the large crystal in the center of the arena finally emitted a blue-white light, and that was when her smile widened.
"Kayla Kaine passed the Awakening Test…! Your job class is Assassin…!"
"Ohhh…!"
"The Assassin job class is so rare…! That young lady is definitely talented and will be sought after by many Guilds…!"
The audience immediately erupted in applause, welcoming Kayla Kaine's success.
I smiled happily, grateful for my sister's success.
Before I could go forward to congratulate her, two people behind me suddenly lunged toward Kayla, nearly knocking me down.
They turned out to be my parents, Mister and Mrs. Kaine.
They both immediately hugged Kayla, smiling proudly and moved by her success in Awakening, which meant she would eventually become a Ranger.
I should have been happy to see Kayla smiling and laughing with Mister and Mrs. Kaine, but my heart couldn't feel the joy.
I watched the three of them chat with each other, then walk back to the edge of the arena.
But they didn't greet me at all, not even bothering to look at me.
I was stunned, unable to believe they truly didn't care about me.
Was it because I failed to Awaken?
My body suddenly trembled, not expecting my failure to leave me so frozen and drained of energy.
The sound of the judges' declare announcements of success and failure, along with the cheers of the audience in the arena, felt like they were gradually fading away.
Perhaps it wasn't my ears that were deaf, but rather the voice inside my head that constantly haunted and filled my thoughts.
"You failed, Atreus...!"
***
In the waiting room, I sat a little way behind Kayla, who was sitting with Mr. and Mrs. Kaine.
They were still chatting, waiting eagerly for a Guild to invite Kayla to join.
They didn't even notice that I was sitting about two lanes behind them.
"Kayla Kaine... am I bothering you?"
A tall, muscular young man approached Kayla, wearing his elegant Ranger's coat, exuding an aura of extraordinary luxury.
Kayla immediately smiled at the handsome and dashing young man, knowing he wasn't just ordinary young Ranger.
The young man was Gerald Lazarus, son of the elite Lazarus Ranger family.
With his privileges, Gerald had the authority to recruit Rangers he deemed to have outstanding talent, and Kayla knew that the Assassin job class was a rare and sought-after job class for many guilds.
"No, you're not bothering us, Sir Gerald," Kayla said politely with a beaming smile.
"Oh, you even call me sir... how amusing..."
"I suppose that's an appropriate title, since you're well-known, SirGerald Lazarus."
"Heheh... then I won't have to explain myself further, Kayla Kaine. I'd like you to join the Lazarus Guild... on one condition, of course."
"One condition, sir...?"
Gerald suddenly pointed at me, who was sitting behind Kayla.
"The Lazarus Guild is a ranger guild that doesn't accept people who fail their awakening test, Kayla. I've already profiled you, and I know you have a half-brother who failed the awakening test. Banish him from your family because I don't want any Lazarus Guild members affiliated with ordinary people who failed their awakening test."
I froze at his unreasonable demand.
Why did you have to go so far to corner and insult me?
Even if I did fail, why force Kayla to fail too?
"Kayla, you'd better find another guild that can develop your unique job class. This Lazarus Guild is truly strange," I warned.
But Kayla, along with Mr. and Mrs. Kaine, didn't respond to my advice.
In fact, they just stared at me coldly and flatly.
"H-hey…why are you so quiet? I'm just saying that there are still good guilds that are better than the Lazarus Guild! Don't listen to Gerald…!" I said in surprise.
Kayla, Mr. Kaine, and Mrs. Kaine looked at each other, then nodded wordlessly.
The three of them walked over to me with cold, blank expressions.
"Brother…ah, no…Atreus…from now on, you are no longer part of the Kaine family."
"W-what did you say?"
I felt like something had fallen from my heart when Kayla suddenly said that, banishing me from the Kaine family just because I wanted to join the Lazarus guild.
"Kayla is right, Atreus. Starting this afternoon, you must pack all your belongings and move out of our house," Mr. Kaine confirmed, and that silenced me even further.
"H-haven't we lived together for decades, Mr. Kaine…? Am I not allowed to—"
"Your time is up, Atreus. We adopted you from the orphanage when you were little because someone said you had the potential to Awaken, but it turns out that at eighteen years old, the results are nothing. You were born to fail at awakening, and because of that, we no longer need you in the Kaine family."
My world felt like it had collapsed upon hearing those cruel words from Mrs. Kaine.
My memory of her as my mother seemed to fade and disappear into something that betrayed me.
And not only Mrs. Kaine, but also Mr. Kaine and Kayla had become complete strangers in my eyes.
Even though since I started high school, I rarely misbehaved or did anything strange.
I diligently took part-time jobs to meet Mr. and Mrs. Kaine's needs, as did Kayla.
Almost all my savings were wiped out to fulfill their desires, but all my sweat, my money, my hard work, over decades, was instantly forgotten because of my one failure: my failure to Awaken.
"Atreus...now you understand your position. From now on, you are no longer part of the Kaine family, and neither is your brother."
Kayla said that lightly as she turned away, no longer looking at me, no longer smiling politely at me while calling me brother.
Mr. and Mrs. Kain did the same, discarding me like a piece of trash, without any regard for the memories and decades of struggle.
From afar, I saw Gerald Lazarus smiling broadly as he greeted Kayla with Mr. and Mrs. Kaine.
He was so pleased that his plan to dispose of me had succeeded that he even glanced at me with a condescending smile.
Ah, damn it.
My decades of training had all turned to dust, with nothing but humiliation, reproach, and a shattered self-esteem.
And now… I was forced out of the house penniless.
Damn it.
Why did my life turn out like this?