Yanah Franshire shouldn't have entered the damn Awakener's Guild. She shouldn't have taken the re-examination for awakening.
She had hoped for a normal life, blending in seamlessly with the bustling student body of Yire University. But fate, it seemed, had other plans.
The grand, ornate doors of the guild loomed before her, a foreboding reminder of the choice she had made just a day after her 21st birthday.
Her footsteps echoed in the cavernous hallway as she approached the examination chamber, her mind swirling with doubts and regrets.
Born to a pair of civilians, Yanah had always cherished the simplicity of her life. Her parents, a fate AO pair, had led a quiet, unremarkable existence, far removed from the chaos that the appearance of cracks and dungeons had wrought upon the world.
As a second-year college student, Yanah had focused on her studies, hoping to carve out a peaceful future for herself. But the world was unpredictable, and those hopes now seemed like distant dreams.
Cracks had first appeared even before Yanah's birth, splitting the fabric of reality and unleashing monsters that terrorized the land.
With these cracks came the Espers, individuals with powerful, often violent energies capable of combating the monstrous threats.
However, the immense power that made them formidable also made them volatile, prone to destructive rampages.
To balance this, Guides emergedâindividuals who could calm and direct these violent energies, often through skin contact or, in more severe cases, through sexual intercourse.
Yanah had always assumed she would remain untouched by this chaotic world. Her initial awakening at 10 had revealed nothing extraordinary, and her second at 15 was equally unremarkable.
She had hoped her 21st birthday would pass without incident, allowing her to continue her studies and maintain her peaceful existence.
But as she stood in the glowing rune circle of the examination chamber, she felt the stirrings of a power she hadn't anticipated.
"Yanah Franshire," The awakener intoned, her voice echoing through the chamber, "Are you prepared for the reexamination?"
Her heart pounded as she nodded, her resolve wavering. She had come this far; there was no turning back now. "Yes, I am ready."
The runes flared to life around her, casting an eerie glow that seemed to seep into her very being.
Yanah felt a surge of energy, unlike anything she had ever experienced. It was as if her entire body was being rewritten, every cell infused with a potent, overwhelming force.
The examination seemed to stretch on for an eternity, every second a battle to retain her sense of self.
When it was over, Yanah collapsed to her knees, gasping for breath. The Awakener approached, her expression a mix of curiosity and awe.
"Ms. Yanah," She said softly, "You have awakened as a Guide. But not just any Guideâan SSS-class, the first of class."
The weight of their words settled over Yanah like a suffocating blanket. An SSS-class Guide. The highest caliber.
Yanah had hoped for a normal life, and instead, she had become something unprecedented, a beacon for every volatile Esper in need of guidance.
As Yanah left the guild being guarded by security, her mind raced with the implications of her new reality.
Her peaceful life was over, replaced by a destiny she had never wanted. The world of cracks, dungeons, and volatile Espers awaited her, and she would have to navigate it with powers that could change the fate of many.
Yanah couldn't help but wonder what lay ahead. How could a go with the flow girlie like her ever mingle with the dangerous world of dungeons and Espers?
Yanah couldn't help but massage her aching forehead. God forbid her parents would make a big fuss once she told them. Her father is delicate but is a big nagger, and her headstrong mother is just as severe.
How could she tell those two sweet, caring, and nagging people of her reexamination results?
The car door opened and Yanah calmly sat inside. She was being guided home and guarded like a treasure by the Awakener's Guild staff members.
But of course, who wouldn't? A person like her managed to awaken the highest caliber of the most important class Espers needed.
The spies inside the Awakener's Guild might have already got their shadowy claws on her information and is now spreading it around to their own bosses. Yanah knew how these guilds work, after all, her uncle is in the same line of work.
Yanah even thinks that it wouldn't be too long before she gets kidnapped.
This was too much. Yanah grumbled as the car started to drive along the familiar highway.
Guides were in high demand, especially those with higher rankings who are far to few to count.
Yanah could already imagine the Espers that would be clamoring for her attention, needing her to calm their volatile energies.
And given her newfound status, she'd likely be dealing with the most powerful and dangerous of them all.
'I'm fucked.' Yanah blankly thought as she watched the passing scenery.
'What am I going to do? Should I just hole up inside my apartment?' But even then, Espers probably would just destroy her door and then kidnap her.
Yanah also has college to attend to. It's irresponsible to abandon something you started because a problem has cropped up.
'But this is no ordinary problem though.' Yanah rationalized, the idea of just suddenly vanishing entertained her idle thoughts. She closed her eyes and heaved a soft but deep sigh.
"Ms. Yanah." An attractive voice stole her focus, calling out her name. It's the kind of voice that carries an effortless confidence, each word delivered with a slow, deliberate cadence that draws you in.
It was the Esper who was sent to protect her, holding the stirring wheel and occasionally glancing at her at the rear mirror.
"Is there something wrong, Mr.?" Yanah asked respectfully since the man was much more of an elder. And a respectable omega Esper.
"You do not need to worry too much, Ms. Yanah. The Awakener's Guild will do our best to ensure you and your family's safety against those who might plot against you."