Chapter Eleven: Right to Awaken

  The appearance of the Awakening Orb never failed to astonish the crowd.

  No matter how many times the people of Degan Town had witnessed it over the years, the sight of the massive, gleaming sphere resting atop its wooden cradle always drew gasps and hushed murmurs. It was as though the orb carried a presence of its own—ancient, silent, and absolute.

  "Before the orb, have the children line up in the appropriate order," the town head instructed.

  Five adults stepped forward to oversee the process. With practiced efficiency, they began organizing the children into a straight line directly before the podium where the Awakening Orb rested. Parents lingered at the edges, eyes sharp and hands clenched, each silently praying for their child's future.

  The line stretched long—more than twenty children in total.

  At the far end of it, a sudden commotion broke out.

  "What the hell do you think you're doing?" a large adult man spat as Adrian attempted to take his place behind Carrera. "This is no place for something like you."

  Adrian stiffened but did not retreat.

  "I'm thirteen," he said, keeping his voice steady. "The same age as the others. I have the right to be here."

  "Right?" the man scoffed. "My foot."

  Without warning, the man shoved Adrian hard.

  Adrian staggered, nearly losing his footing. But he forced his legs to hold, core tightening as he barely managed to steady himself. He did not fall.

  The man's irritation deepened when he saw Adrian still standing.

  "You trying to act tough with me, uhu?" he snarled, stepping forward and clenching his fist threateningly.

  By then, the attention of the crowd had begun to shift. Eyes turned. Whispers spread. Parents and children alike watched the confrontation unfold between the bulky, muscular man and the half-blood boy who refused to back down.

  Carrera opened her mouth to speak—but Adrian raised his arm slightly, stopping her.

  He couldn't let her get dragged into this. Not for his sake.

  "I am Adrian Chase," he declared loudly, his voice carrying across the square. "A hybrid."

  His words echoed.

  "The human part of me deserves to stand on that line and participate in the awakening program like any child my age."

  For a brief moment, the crowd listened in silence.

  Then laughter erupted.

  "How dare the monster call himself human!"

  "Has he ever seen his own reflection?"

  "This is what happens when lust rules the mind!"

  Mocking voices flew freely now, sharp and merciless. Soon, demands followed—calls for the man to throw Adrian out so the ceremony could continue without delay.

  "You heard them," the man said smugly. "You're an abomination pretending to be human. Now get the hell out of here before I make you."

  He slammed his fists together, the sound heavy and threatening.

  Adrian lifted his chin.

  "Make me," he muttered.

  A vein bulged across the man's forehead.

  With heavy steps, he advanced until he stood directly in front of Adrian. Slowly, deliberately, he raised his fist.

  "Not only are you a freak," he growled, "you're also a stubborn degenerate—"

  His fist stopped midair.

  "What were you about to do to my nephew?"

  The voice cut through the square like steel.

  The man froze.

  Aunt Mira stood before him, her grip firm around his wrist, holding his raised fist effortlessly in place. Her eyes burned with fury.

  The man swallowed hard as recognition struck.

  "Cr–Crusader Mira…" he stammered. "I—I was just—ahh!"

  His words broke into a cry as Aunt Mira tightened her grip, twisting just enough to send pain shooting through his arm.

  "I asked you a question," she said coldly. "What were you about to do to my cousin?"

  She applied more pressure.

  The man dropped to his knees with a strangled yell.

  "Scram."

  One word. Nothing more.

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  The look in her eyes was enough.

  The man bolted, fleeing through the crowd as though chased by a starving beast.

  Aunt Mira turned slowly to face the square.

  "And for the rest of you," she said, her voice calm but dangerous, "Adrian is a member of my family—the Chase family. One of the founding families of Degan Town."

  Silence fell.

  "As such," she continued, "he has every right to participate in this ceremony just like any other child."

  She spread her arms wide, almost welcoming.

  "And if anyone here has a problem with that—by all means," she said evenly, "I am open to the challenge."

  No one moved.

  The crowd stiffened under her gaze, then collectively turned toward the town head, seeking intervention.

  The town head swallowed nervously.

  "Th–The half-blood will be allowed to participate," he announced. "As she said, he is a Chase. That gives him the same right as any child present."

  He glanced toward Aunt Mira.

  She nodded.

  "You couldn't have said it better," she said, then turned sharply toward Adrian. "Get on the line."

  Adrian did.

  As he walked back to stand behind Carrera, he flashed Aunt Mira a discreet thumbs-up. Pride swelled in his chest like never before.

  "Are you okay?" Carrera whispered.

  "Never been better," Adrian replied with a grin, his slightly elongated canine catching the light.

  Whatever had happened didn't matter anymore.

  He was on the line.

  He would take the trial.

  And when he awakened—he would prove them all wrong.

  As long as he awakened.

  "Now, now," the town head said, raising his voice, "enough murmuring. It's time to begin the ceremony."

  The crowd stirred but gradually settled as order was restored. The adults overseeing the process took control, ensuring everything proceeded smoothly despite the earlier disruption.

  At last, the moment arrived.

  The first participant stepped onto the podium and stood before the Awakening Orb.

  Chapter Twelve: The Light That Answers

  The girl was instructed by one of the ceremony overseers to place her hand upon the Awakening Orb.

  She nodded stiffly, swallowed, and stepped forward. With visible caution, she lifted her arm and gently pressed her palm against the smooth surface of the orb.

  A second passed.

  Then the orb responded.

  A soft glow bloomed beneath her hand—gentle, pale, and fleeting. It shimmered briefly before fading just as quickly as it had appeared. The reaction was clear and unmistakable to anyone present. It was proof of her human heritage and the successful awakening of her soul core.

  Nothing more.

  The faintness of the glow spoke volumes.

  The organizer announced her name, confirming the success of her soul core awakening—and the failure of a Bearer awakening. Another child was immediately ushered forward to take her place.

  The pattern repeated.

  A boy followed her, his palm trembling as it touched the orb. The glow appeared, then vanished. Soul core awakened. Bearer potential—absent.

  Another child. Then another.

  Each time, the orb reacted only briefly, producing nothing beyond racial proof. One by one, the children stepped down from the podium, faces carrying a mix of disappointment, relief, or quiet resignation.

  No one was surprised.

  The odds were cruelly stacked.

  The chance of producing a Bearer was said to be one in a thousand. Many parents wished desperately that the numbers were kinder, but reality was not shaped by hope. Degan Town, small and unremarkable, had never been favored by fortune.

  As more children were tested, the expressions of the adults darkened. Whispers spread, subdued and heavy. With each failure, the possibility of producing even a single Bearer felt more distant.

  It began to seem inevitable.

  Degan would once again produce none.

  Then Edward's name was called.

  The boy stiffened.

  Thirteen years old, tall for his age, with blond hair neatly combed and confidence that usually came easily to him—yet now, it wavered. The long list of failures before him weighed heavily on his mind. For the first time, uncertainty showed clearly on his face.

  Still, Edward stepped forward.

  His heart pounded violently as he ascended the podium. The crowd quieted, eyes fixed on him. He stretched out his hand, fingers stiff, and pressed his palm to the orb.

  The glow appeared.

  At first, it was no different from the others.

  A familiar murmur passed through the crowd, some already turning away, assuming another failure.

  But then—the glow did not fade.

  Instead, it intensified.

  Light spilled outward from the orb, crawling across the bark that housed it, flowing like living veins along the wood. The leaves surrounding the cradle began to shimmer as the glow traveled upward, brighter and stronger.

  Gasps erupted.

  Then it happened.

  A sudden, radiant light burst forth from Edward's chest, piercing through the fabric of his clothing. The brilliance was unmistakable.

  "He—Edward Don bears the mark of a Bearer," the announcer declared, stunned.

  Edward stood frozen.

  "I… awakened," he muttered, as though testing the words.

  A heartbeat passed.

  "I awakened!" he shouted, realization crashing over him. "I—Edward Don—have awakened as a Bearer!"

  The crowd exploded.

  Cheers, gasps, envious whispers, and cries of disbelief filled the square. Edward's parents, somewhere within the mass of people, made themselves known without ever needing to call his name. Their joy was unmistakable.

  "Indeed," the town head proclaimed, his voice carrying pride, "this is an event worth celebrating. A Bearer exists among us."

  Degan Town had earned new respect.

  Producing even one Bearer elevated the town's standing. Five in a single awakening would have brought the attention of the Conrad Imperium itself—an achievement capable of changing Degan's future entirely.

  But even one was more than enough.

  Last year had yielded none. The year before that—none. And the years before that as well.

  Soul core awakenings were common among humanity. But Bearers? They were rare miracles.

  Edward stepped down from the podium, overwhelmed, replaced by another child.

  Failure followed failure.

  At last, only two names remained.

  Carrera Gabe.

  And Adrian Chase.

  Carrera swallowed hard.

  "Here I go, Adrian," she said quietly before stepping forward.

  Her heart hammered against her chest, and her legs felt weak as she climbed the steps. She hadn't expected the fear to be this intense. Her breath came shallow as she stood before the orb.

  Closing her eyes, she reached out.

  The tip of her middle finger touched the orb.

  The glow appeared.

  Like the others, the orb lit up—but then, like Edward's, the light refused to fade. It spread into the bark, flowed into the leaves, and gathered with growing intensity.

  Then it settled.

  A radiant glow blossomed from Carrera's chest.

  She had awakened.

  "Ca—Carrera Gabe," the announcer stammered, shock clear in his voice. "Success on soul core awakening. Success on Bearer awakening."

  Her parents screamed with joy.

  The town head moved to congratulate her—but Carrera didn't wait.

  She bolted down the steps.

  "Adrian!" she shouted. "I awakened! I awakened as a Bearer!"

  She leapt—

  And Adrian caught her.

  He wrapped his arms around her and rolled with the momentum, lifting her effortlessly before spinning her around three full times. Laughter burst from him, unrestrained.

  "You awakened," he said, staring up at her in disbelief. "You really awakened."

  "I did," she replied breathlessly, smiling down at him. "I really awakened."

  "That's my nephew," Aunt Mira said proudly from where she stood with Carrera's parents.

  Mrs. Gabe crossed her arms, frowning. "Can you tell your nephew to let go of my daughter now?"

  The crowd, too, shifted uncomfortably. Many watched with displeasure, anger simmering at the sight of Carrera being so openly close to Adrian.

  But for a moment—

  None of that existed.

  Only silence remained between them.

  Adrian looked up. Carrera looked down.

  The world seemed to fade.

  "Ahem," Adrian cleared his throat softly. "I should probably go up there now."

  "Y–You should," Carrera replied, her eyes still locked onto his yellowish pupils.

  Slowly, he lowered her until her feet touched the ground. Even then, he hesitated before finally letting go.

  "Off I go then," Adrian said with a smile. "Wish me luck."

  She smiled back.

  And watched as he turned toward the podium.