After knocking out the criminal, the police arrived swiftly. They began evacuating everyone and treating the injured. The school grounds became a flurry of activity as paramedics moved between students, administering first aid and transporting the more severely wounded. The sheer number of injuries was overwhelming, but with our current medical technology, they would heal rapidly and, hopefully, without long-lasting effects. Unfortunately, there were a couple of casualties. A grim reminder of the event's severity. Where was our Tier 1 Regalia protector when we needed him?
As paramedics treated my sister, I hovered nearby, asking repeatedly if she was okay. She looked pale and visibly shaken, but she kept reassuring me she was fine. The medics, clearly frustrated by my presence, finally told me to move so they could treat her in peace. I guess I was being too overbearing, but can you blame me? She's my sister; it's my duty to protect her.
I moved off to the side, my mind racing, and waited until my sister was discharged. As I waited, a police officer approached me, his expression serious but kind.
"Do you have a minute, bud?" he asked.
"Yes, sir. What do you need help with?" I responded, trying to keep my voice steady.
"Well, you see, there are some people saying you were the one who stopped the criminal. Is that true?"
"Yes, sir. I was the one who knocked him out."
"I see. Well, in that case, can we take you down to the precinct for questioning?"
"Ummm..." I hesitated, glancing back at the ambulance where my sister was being treated. I didn't want to leave her right now.
"I understand you just went through a traumatic experience. We can do this some other time. Just give me your name and contact us when you feel ready to talk." The officer's understanding and patience were palpable. My respect for the police grew from this single interaction. It goes to show how one person can affect the reputation of an entire organization.
"Thank you, I will take you up on that. My name is Natsuya Kiyotaka."
"Great, thank you, son." He seemed to be inputting my name into his tablet. After a moment, he looked up at me with wide eyes. "Son, it says here you are a Tier 5 with only an ocular Regalia. If I may ask, how did you stop him?"
"I don't know. When I saw my sister in trouble, I guess I wanted to stop him so badly, and suddenly I had a bat in my hand, so I took him out. It all happened too fast, and I was too scared; I don't remember."
The officer was in awe. "Son, you stopped a Tier 2 Regalia user. I understand that you may have caught him by surprise, but no Tier 5 should ever be capable of that. He took down two armed cops before entering the school." He paused briefly, studying me intently. "Son, I think you awakened. You should go rescore your Regalia immediately."
My eyes widened at the officer's words. Had I really awakened? Excitement surged through me as I started thinking about what it could mean, but then I remembered my sister and grounded myself again. "Right, I will do that, officer. Thank you."
"You should be happy, son. You may be able to make a living out of your Regalia. Most young men would be ecstatic about the news. Well, I'll leave you be for now. Please do not forget to contact us. We will be waiting for your call, Natsuya."
"Will do, officer." With that, the officer left, leaving me alone with my thoughts and the newfound possibilities of my awakening.
•
After my sister was discharged, we began walking home. No words were spoken; we simply walked in silence, each lost in our own thoughts. I wanted to ask Aiko so many questions, to make sure she was okay. I wanted to reassure her, but I knew she didn't want any of that right now. All she wanted was to be left alone. Once some time passed, I would drown her with my worry, but for now, I'd let her be.
On our walk home, I began to think about my supposed awakening. An awakening is pretty rare, occurring in only about 5% of the population. Some scientists argue that everyone is capable of it and they just need to meet the prerequisites to activate an awakening, but I'm not sure I believe them. I guess I'll ask Aiko her thoughts on the matter. She reads research papers; she may know a thing or two about awakenings.
Even so, if I awakened, what could my power be? Truth be told, I don't remember much about what happened at school today. I'm guessing my extreme stress made me forget everything. All I know is that I had a bat in my hand. Maybe my awakening gives me bats. But that really doesn't make sense; I have an ocular Regalia. How can it awaken to make bats?
And even if my awakening is making bats, what good would that do me? Maybe I should be more creative and think of useful powers instead of useless ones. I can let my imagination take over and be happy for a couple of days until I actually figure out what I can do.
Once we arrived home, I ushered Aiko to take a shower while I began cooking dinner.
I went to my room first and laid down for a bit before starting. Truth be told, I was exhausted. More so than ever before. I did not want to cook, but it was my duty. Aiko can rest so she can help the world with her science, and in the meantime, I will support her as best as I can.
"BUT I'M SO TIRED!" I screamed under my breath. I really didn't want Aiko to hear me, but I had to let my thoughts out.
After a few minutes of rest, I went to the restroom to wash my hands and begin cooking. I started washing my face too; it felt oily. I had built up a sweat waiting for my sister outside the school. As I washed my face, I looked into my blue eyes and let my mind wander about what powers I could have.
"What are you capable of?" I asked my blue eyes as if they could answer. No one in my family has blue eyes. Not my parents, nor grandparents, or any uncles. Everyone suspects I got these eyes due to my Regalia.
I began touching my face around my eyes. "Please, awaken into something strong," I said. I guess deep down, I always did want to be a powerful Regalia user.
I got back on track and went to cook dinner for me and Aiko.
We were eating silently, but halfway through the meal, Aiko finally spoke. "Natsuya," she said in a low voice.
"What's up, Aiko?" I answered.
"I don't really want to talk about today."
"Don't worry, we can talk about it whenever you're ready."
"Ever."
"Oh. I see. That's okay, Aiko. We don't need to talk about it. Just rest for today, and everything can go back to normal tomorrow. There will probably be no school for a while, so rest up, okay?"
She gave me a small nod, and we continued to eat in silence for a while. Then she spoke up again. "Natsuya, how did you stop the attacker?"
Although I wanted to say I thought we weren't going to talk about this, I knew now was not the moment to joke around, so I simply answered honestly. "Truth be told, I don't know. The officer thinks I awakened. All I remember is having a bat suddenly and hitting him with it."
"Oh. That's really cool, Natsuya!" she said, giving me a small smile. I was happy to see her smile, even though it was a bit forced. She was clearly trying to be supportive even though she was not herself today. "Maybe you will be a higher tier now and can join a Regalia academy."
"Maybe. I'm going to get my Regalia rescaled, see if I moved up, and then I'll figure out what to do next."
"Right, I hope you awakened into a super strong user!" She then put her fork down and said, "Well, I'm going to go to bed now, Natsuya. I'm tired. Goodnight."
This was the first time I'd seen her go directly to sleep after dinner. She usually stayed up late to study. "Goodnight, Aiko. Sleep well."
She headed off to her room, and once again, I was left alone with my thoughts. I finished my meal and cleaned up. Finally, I took a shower and headed to bed.
"I guess I will call the police tomorrow and schedule an appointment to rescale my Regalia," I said to myself while laying down. I tended to plan out my day at night as I tried to fall asleep. But tonight, that was as far as I got before I started feeling sleepy. I guess I was way more tired than I originally thought. Usually, it took me 30-60 minutes to fall asleep. This time, it was nearly immediate.