I sat leisurely at the back of the auditorium where the conference would soon be held. Beside me was Ryder, seated properly like an obedient grade school student, who would think this man was already in his thirties? And Serin, the unbothered top student in the class, stares at the ceiling with boredom.
Hah…I'm bored, too. Her blank and dull look is getting on me. My fingers won't stop spinning around because the habit of playing with a pen shows up whenever my hands are free.
As if on cue, or maybe the heavens pitied me, they sent a staff carrying stacks of paper and pens, to give out to the attendees.
"Please, fill up the papers. And hold onto it until someone comes and gathers them. Thank you."
My face brightened. Ryder threw me an amusing look. No, dude. I don't like filling up papers, especially one that requires an essay. I was happy because of the pen…I can keep it, right?
As I was in the farthest corner next to the aisle where the staff was, I took an inch-thick stack of paper, kept one for myself, and then passed the rest. I sighed in relief after seeing that I only needed to fill up one page.
I took a handful of pens from the staff who looked at me as if I stole something, then I passed the rest after stuffing one in my pocket. I read the document. It was an application form for the Awakeners' Organization.
I filled it up in silence. Not long after, a different staff came and gathered them. Then, the shrill sound of a microphone screeching caught our attention.
Ryder looked ahead and said, "Is it starting?"
So, he's the kind of person who asks who's knocking behind the door to someone he's with inside the room, huh?
"Maybe," I answered him. Then, I focused on the stage. A tall man in his early thirties walked up on stage and went on the podium, then he began speaking, at the same time, the crowd went silent and all were focused on him.
"I'm Dr. Eugene Cardinal of the Research and Development Institute. I will discuss here today the information, results, and findings we achieved after a week of research and study about the awakening phenomenon.
"This occurrence isn't widely known yet, we received news that people in the rural and suburban areas aren't aware that they have awakened. Because this topic is only being discussed privately before, to not cause panic and confusion to the public. Our team, from the RDI, will be handling all relevant research about this.
"With that said, this conference is being recorded in real-time and is played in every corner of our country. We will explain the symptoms or the indications that you might have experienced an awakening. To those who are, please contact the hot-line," Dr. Eugene pointed out the screen behind him, "so, the team gathering the awakeners will come to you."
"They're gathering the awakeners and not the civilians?"
"I think there is a team assigned to gathering survivors, this one is about the awakeners."
"Oh, thank goodness. It felt unfair that only the awakeners receive this privilege."
Ryder lowered his head. Did he feel guilty as well?
"With great power comes great responsibility," Ryder looked at me, baffled because I just suddenly blurted some overused quotation. "It means there is no need to feel guilt. Why do you think they're gathering us? Soon, they'll be creating a team and sending them out to fight the monsters outside as a trial, to see what awakeners are capable of doing. We have this privilege because one of our feet is already pulled in a grave."
I might have said too much and spoken louder since the ones talking in front and behind me went quiet. The atmosphere became awkward.
Dr. Eugene explained the changes in the anatomy of an awakened human, comparing it to an unawakened one.
The doctor said, "There is not much of a difference in terms of appearance. However, the difference was found inside the body. See here," Dr. Eugene pointed out on the brain, "An awakened brain was compressed by 5% percent to accommodate space for an unidentified sac in the frontal lobe of the brain. We named it the 'awakened core'."
I unconsciously touched my head as I saw the circular black spot in the model's brain.
Dr. Eugene continued, "Right now, there has been an explanation of how this sac appeared, but we're certain it has something to do with the changes that occurred in an awakener's body. Their behavior, judgment, emotions, and other things related are affected. For instance," the screen swiped and showed a body, "the circulatory system of an awakened body mildly different, a span of 5% percent occurred to the veins and arteries of the body, and an unidentified fluid travels throughout that expanded area and circulates the body."
Dr. Eugene looked to the audience, "In the name of research, we bled a volunteer, but the fluid's count and mass did not decrease, meaning, it didn't flow with blood out of the body, but rather stayed inside. For now, the RDI is doing extensive research about the 'awakened core' and this fluid."
The doctor gestured at someone below the stage. A man climbed up and stood in the middle. Dr. Eugene continued, "We will show you the difference the core and the fluid make on an awakened body."
The man whose body was lean, took off his shirt. Then, he balled his fist and posed, spreading his lean muscles. When the man harrumphed, at the same time, his muscles bulged and veins popped all over his body.
The man's lean physique changed into that of a bouncer or a bodybuilder. I almost didn't see his head as it dangled backward, because it was the only part that didn't grow large. The man didn't turn green or whatever color, but his pants ripped so he quickly reverted to normal and gathered the bits of his clothes to cover his front.
The audience broke into murmurs and amazement. Those who looked amazed, probably haven't tried to use or weren't yet aware of what they can do. As for me, I already have the system.
I froze upon realization. Wait. Has the RDI already found out about the system window…or not?
My face paled. I wrote down in the application about the system window. If the RDI hasn't discovered it yet, then, I might end up spending my days in the research facility. Dammit.