The Day of Awakening
"Hey, you are not nervous, are you?" Luc asked while they were on a subway heading toward the Awakening Center where their future was about to be decided.
The metal walls of the carriage vibrated under the speed, carrying dozens of young people whose faces were marked by palpable tension.
"I guess so," Ken replied calmly, without looking at him.
His eyes remained fixed on the fast moving urban structures through the window, searching for a stability his heart could not find.
"For someone who is nervous, you are pretty calm," Luc said, smiling almost awkwardly.
He was not wrong. Ken had to keep his head up and not show that he was truly afraid of becoming useless in this new society.
The fear of failure was a poison that spread everywhere, especially when you knew this day would define the rest of your existence.
It had been two centuries since humanity experienced what is now called the Great Shift, an event that changed everything.
It was a phenomenon that literally shattered all the old laws of the world, plunging humanity into an era of absolute terror.
With the appearance of monsters, twisted and bloodthirsty creatures, humanity was pushed almost to total extinction.
Survival became a distant concept in the face of predators that knew no mercy.
But fortunately, there were men to whom entities now called and worshiped as Constellations had granted their power.
These protectors possessed strength beyond human comprehension, a celestial gift to counter the invasion.
There were five of them, and together they protected the rest of humanity for more than fifty years.
During those decades of war, they became the pillars on which every survivor's hope rested.
But after that time, Earth was no longer habitable, ravaged by battles and the corruption of monsters.
Thus, thanks to the Constellations and their power, humanity was sent to another planet called Stoyde.
On this planet, illuminated by the constant glow of the constellations, civilization rebuilt itself piece by piece.
It was reborn through five empires, each representing one of the five ancient heroes who saved the human species.
The Bergham Empire where Ken lived, named after the great hero Jacob Bergham, was the first of these strongholds.
Then came the Novaris Empire, legacy of the famous and powerful Ortha Stalonne Novaris.
The Maclonne Empire, of the great hero William Mysth Maclonne, also stood as an undeniable power.
The Groundhutt Empire, founded by the great hero Christopher Groundhutt, held a major place in this new hierarchy.
And finally the Ice Empire, of the great ice heroine Stella West Ice, closed the line of these sovereign nations.
"We are arriving at Grunder Slow, passengers at this stop are required to prepare, exit calmly."
That was the announcement from the subway's mechanical voice.
It was their stop, the moment to face their destiny, and they stepped out with hesitant movements.
Today would be the day everything was decided for Ken and his friend Luc, an irreversible turning point.
It was their sixteenth birthday, the required age to finally become Awakened, the threshold into adulthood.
In this society, although many preferred to wait until they were ready, social pressure often pushed for early awakening.
But in Ken's case, he could no longer wait. The anticipation had become unbearable torture.
His father and grandfather had both been Cleaners, brave men who cleared dungeons on Earth.
After his grandfather's death, his father followed the same path, carrying the burden of the family lineage.
Becoming a Cleaner… but for him, it was not something he initially wanted, because he saw the suffering it caused.
His mother wanted him to avoid this dangerous work, fearing he would meet the same fate as the other men in the family.
She worried every time his father left, living in constant anxiety, never knowing if he would return from combat zones.
And her fears had come true.
During an expedition, her husband lost his life.
It was a terrible shock for her and for Ken, breaking the fragile balance of their home.
But one year later, his mother also died.
According to official medical reports, she had been severely overworked, her body collapsing under fatigue and grief.
It was a devastating blow for Ken, who from that day swore to annihilate every monster to the very last.
Today represented a major step forward, a chance to turn his hatred into real power.
"Even a D rank is enough," Luc murmured as they already spotted the Awakening Center.
The building was immense, open at the top, resembling a colossal stadium capable of holding thousands.
"A D rank is enough, you say, Luc?" Ken thought inwardly, gritting his teeth.
Even though his grandfather and father had both revealed a D rank potential, he intended to surpass that mediocre threshold.
He wanted a higher rank to ensure no monster could ever take away what he loved again.
He had prepared for this day with iron discipline. He would become the nightmare of those damned monsters.
They arrived at the main entrance where a dense crowd pressed in, likely coming from all corners of the Empire.
"Show your ID," an agent at the door asked, his gaze tired and his tone flat.
The ID was an identifier made of twelve digits assigned at birth and engraved into the palm of the hand.
This unique code contained all personal information and served as a permanent identity card.
After a long wait under the dim light of the constellations, their turn finally came.
After a quick scan by magnetic sensors, they were allowed to enter the sacred grounds.
Inside the large plaza, they were lined up in perfect rows like soldiers awaiting inspection.
At the center stood what everyone called the Revelation Artifact, a mystical technological device.
At its center was a blue crystal above a large black screen where their judgment would soon appear.
"When we call your name, step forward and touch this crystal," a middle aged man announced.
He held a small screen where names were recorded in alphabetical order, managing the line with natural authority.
His eyes scanned the crowd with professional indifference, having already seen thousands of youths pass through this stage.
In the dark stands overlooking the arena, Ken noticed still and mysterious silhouettes.
They were likely guild members from the Empire, here to recruit the best talents.
They remained in the shadows like predators observing future prey, waiting to see which jewel would emerge from the mass.
The man called the first name, breaking the heavy silence that had settled in the arena.
A boy stepped forward, legs trembling with fear, and placed a shaking hand on the crystal.
Upon contact, the mineral analyzed the identifier hidden under the skin to unlock latent energy.
A blue light suddenly erupted, enveloping the boy's hand in an electric glow.
Ken watched the process with fascination, his heart beating rapidly.
On the back of his hand, a small geometric mark began to form with surgical precision, the chip.
This would now store all Cleaner information, skills, attributes, and potential rank.
On the upper screen, the verdict appeared in glowing letters, Rank E.
The boy stepped down, disappointed and head lowered, while some in the crowd already swallowed their fear.
Names followed one after another and a routine set in, monotonous and merciless to the hopes of the youths.
Results ranged between Rank E and Rank D, revealing mediocre potential that would only be background noise.
"Clara Magnir." The name echoed clearly.
Clara was someone Ken knew, a girl of striking beauty who left no one indifferent.
She had long jet black hair cascading down her back like a river of night.
Her walk was confident, almost regal, showing a level of self assurance few possessed at that moment.
She showed no hesitation as she placed her hand on the crystal, even before the man gave the order.
The scan began, far more intense than the others, the blue light turning almost pure white.
Information appeared and a low wave of agitation shook the previously silent stands.
"What? A Rank A potential? That is extraordinary," a recruiter exclaimed, his voice betraying barely contained excitement.
"Finally a gem," he added, quickly scribbling in his notes so as not to miss such an opportunity.
Clara withdrew her hand and stepped down from the stage with absolute confidence, chin raised.
As she passed the rows, she turned her head and fixed her gaze on Ken, a glint of challenge shining in her eyes.
Ken felt his cheeks slightly warm under her persistent stare, unable to look away.
The situation was uncomfortable, especially since several people around had noticed this silent and tense exchange.
A month earlier, that girl had confessed her feelings to him and he had coldly rejected her, preferring to focus on his training.
"You see, I told you you should not have rejected her," Luc whispered into his ear, sighing for his friend.
Ken did not answer, simply watching the examiner.
"Luc Grendher." His friend's name was finally called by the examiner in the middle of the arena.
He flinched violently, threw a desperate look at Ken, then walked onto the stage with fear in his stomach.
His fingers trembled so much he struggled to touch the cold and smooth surface of the blue crystal.
Light burst again, brighter than average, then the verdict finally appeared.
Rank C potential. Luc's eyes widened in shock and he almost cried from joy in front of everyone.
Whispers rose through the crowd. "It seems the lucky ones keep coming."
Luc stepped down, looking around in disbelief, then walked toward Ken.
"You see that, Ken, I got a C even though I wanted a D."
Ken looked at him for a moment with a mixture of affection and inner jealousy, before his own name was finally called.
It was his turn. His moment of truth had arrived under the gaze of hidden guilds.
He waited a second, taking a deep breath to steady himself.
His heart was pounding violently, threatening to burst from his chest, but his face remained calm.
He stepped forward and firmly placed his palm on the artifact, feeling the cold mineral penetrate his skin.
Blue light enveloped him completely, analyzing every fiber of his being and searching for his cultivated potential.
He had worked for years in the shadow of his father, hoping for a reward equal to his effort.
"If Luc got a C rank, then I will get an S," he thought with a faint smile, carried by arrogance born from pain.
The blue light vanished, replaced in an instant by a black light before disappearing.
The result appeared on the giant screen, cruel, final, and absolutely dark. Rank F potential.
The silence that followed was more deafening than a scream, a heavy pressure falling over the entire arena.
It was the first Rank F of the ceremony, a statistical anomaly no one had foreseen.
The lowest level in the hierarchy of power.
Equivalent to trash, to dead weight in this new world where only strength allowed survival.
"Impossible," he repeated internally, his mind frozen by the violence of the information.
He quickly lifted his hand, then placed it again on the crystal, hoping for a malfunction, but nothing changed.
No error corrected the humiliating symbol now burning on the back of his hand.
"Step down, young man," the middle aged man ordered, his voice now devoid of interest.
Ken turned mechanically, his limbs heavy and his mind drowned in nameless despair.
He walked straight toward the exit without looking at Luc or Clara, while all eyes remained fixed on him.
In a fraction of a second, he had become the object of general ridicule, the first Rank F of the awakening ceremony.
Luc watched his friend leave, his back bent under the weight of total failure, and simply murmured with a small smile.
"Look at that, this is hilarious."