"Father, I'm coming in..." Vicente announced before opening the door to Andrew's room, as he often did.
Upon entering, he ignored the stench and looked at the man who currently resembled more like a human skeleton than a living being.
Andrew was sitting in an armchair, staring out at the dark sea, with a bottle of alcohol clutched in one hand. He was shirtless, revealing his prominent ribs to Vicente.
The hair on Andrew's abdomen had grown a lot in the past months. However, what was most striking about him was how thin his skin appeared right now, a clear sign of just how low the fat percentage on his body had become.
But that wasn't all. His muscles had atrophied, and he now looked rather sickly, appearing much older than he should be at his current age.
"What is it, Vicente? I told you that whatever you decide is fine," Andrew spoke in a quiet, low tone, akin to the voice of a man who had lost his heart.
His heart had died. Ever since he lost Kate, this world didn't seem to have any more joy for him.
Taking care of his children was still a concern, but as Vicente proved to be getting more and more capable and Lauren was progressing towards becoming a woman, his worries about them diminished.
Perhaps if he died, he would become less of a burden to his children.
Who knows, maybe he was getting in their way. They were already able to live without him. At least, this was something Andrew had noticed in the last few weeks.
These thoughts had been going through his mind recently, so when he saw Vicente approaching him, he couldn't help but wonder what his son wanted.
Vicente eventually said, "Father, tomorrow is Lauren's 14th birthday. Won't you be attending her Awakening?"
"Birthday?" He looked over, noticing how much his son had grown over the past few months.
Vicente would be 11 in a short time and currently stood 1.65 meters tall and weighed 57 kilos. He bore a striking resemblance to Kate's father when he was younger.
Seeing this, Andrew recalled the first time he had met Kate and closed his eyes, "Tomorrow Lauren will be going through her Awakening... Time does go by fast," his eyes were filled with nostalgia and regret.
Vicente clenched his fists behind his back but refrained from saying anything to his old man.
Despite everything, he respected this man a lot and didn't think it was fair to berate him in the current situation when Andrew was at rock bottom.
Was it right for a son to raise his voice to his father?
Perhaps neglecting his children was terrible, but at least Andrew was not hindering them or causing them harm with his actions. He was merely destroying himself.
But then Vice saw his father get up and paid attention to what he was doing.
"All right, I have to get ready for tomorrow. After Kate has Awakened her powers, we'll go back," He said.
'Kate?' Vicente heard that and was taken aback as his eyes narrowed. 'Are you just drunk or...'
Gulp!
"Lauren, Father. It's Lauren's Awakening."
"Yes, exactly. We'll come home after that. So I'm counting on you to get everything ready, son," Andrew smiled at Vicente before going into the bathroom.
...
The next day dawned a foggy day in Saltstar City.
Despite the current season having a warm climate, the skies of this coastal city dawned gray with heavy clouds, showing signs of an approaching storm.
The sea was rough, and the waves were much higher than usual.
The wind coming from the sea was strong and chilly, and the inhabitants of this city were leaving their homes while being wrapped in warm clothes, along with the silence of the cold days.
Amidst this, Vicente departed from the resort along with his family, carrying Nina in his arms while walking alongside Lauren.
Andrew stood before them, dressed in a nice suit, which looked out of place on his current frail frame due to the considerable weight loss he had experienced.
On the other hand, even in her normal mood for recent months, Lauren was dressed in a beautiful yellow dress, a gift from her mother when they had left Martell Village.
She looked very good in it, as the dress accentuated her well-defined curves and practically flawless skin.
She didn't want to wear this dress today. However, her brother had convinced her. As much as her mood did not match the warmth of her mother's chosen outfit, Kate had chosen this dress for this moment, and wearing it was a way to honor her.
So the group boarded into a carriage, and without delay, they set off on their way toward the Awakening Temple that was located in the central area of this city.
"Big sister, are you ready? Eager to awaken your abilities?" Vicente asked Lauren on the way there.
"No. I'm looking forward to going home." Lauren replied dryly.
Lauren was well aware of her parents' talents, so she had no expectations of achieving anything different from them.
On the other hand, her magical powers were likely to be similar to her parents, so she would probably get a Magic Gem that would give her powers over common elements. Thus, she saw no reason to create lofty expectations for this moment!
Vicente understood his sister's perspective and chose not to question her.
'Awakening connects us more deeply to our affinities, bestows us with an innate ability that comes through the first Magic Pentagram and enhances all our senses... However, that is in proportion to our talents.' Vice mused while closing his eyes.
A great talent would attract a better-ranked Magic Gem and naturally lead the magician to a more spectacular fate.
The Magic Pentagram that would form alongside the absorption of the Magic Gem would be of the best possible quality, and its abilities could develop in harmony with that of the magician.
But this was for a magician who had a good talent.
In contrast, a poorly talented one would merely achieve the bare minimum, not enough to generate euphoria in someone like Vicente or Lauren.
So when they arrived in front of the Awakening Temple, only Nina was interested in the surroundings, her curiosity evident as she observed the area.
She noticed a building that appeared like a grand coliseum, rising five stories high, with a striking combination of red and black hues, adorned with various golden symbols here and there.
Vicente and his family followed the directions indicated by signs in the surroundings, joining a group of a few dozen people there who were also here for the Awakening of their relatives.
Only the individual undergoing the Awakening was permitted to enter the Awakening Platform. Still, family members, friends, and even the onlookers could follow this moment from the temple galleries.
The Awakening was very special, so everyone around seemed to be filled with jubilation and anticipation. The only exception was Vicente's group, their expressions far from cheerful.
When they arrived at the temple entrance, there lay two distinct pathways to enter. One led to the entrance for the young people who would undergo the Awakening. At the same time, the other was the entrance to the galleries where observers could watch.
Some temple attendants stood in front of the entrance, directing the various people to their required places.
"Which one among your group is going to awaken their magical abilities?" one of them inquired to the group in front of Vicente's group.
"My son, senior," A middle-aged man beamed, grinning from ear to ear.
"Has he already turned 14, or will he be later today?" the temple attendant asked.
For some reason, the Awakening occurred in the middle of the day. Only those people who had reached a full 14 years could go through the Awakening.
So if a person was born after 12 o'clock, they had to awaken their abilities the next day. Only those born before that could awaken on this day.
"Yes, he is already a full 14 years old," that middle-aged man proudly stated.
"Very well, he can follow that direction," the temple attendant indicated with his fingers, showing the path the young man would have to follow.
Then, it was the turn of Vicente's group.
"My daughter is the one who will awaken her abilities," Andrew announced. "And she has already reached her full 14 years."
"Then she can proceed this way," one of the temple attendants there directed. However, Vicente asked.
"Senior, my sister is blind. Can I accompany her during the Awakening? I promise not to walk away at the appropriate time," he added, drawing attention from the people in the vicinity.