The place where the council met was very modern with large windows that provided a bird's eye view of the vast city below. The walls were filled with the latest technological equipment, which were glowing with information and holographic images of the current events. A large metallic table was placed in the middle of the room, and the high-backed chairs around it were occupied by the rulers of the awakened society of the city.
Sitting at the head of the table was the Chairman Voss, a man who was as cold as ice and as calculating as a computer. His eyes narrowed and he scanned the room to ensure all the council members were ready. Beside him, to his right, sat General Silas, dressed in his military attire, the uniform clean, the medals shining under the cold, artificial light. Beside Silas, there was Lieutenant Graves, a man with a strict appearance and a well-known sadist.
After everyone had taken their seats and the room had grown quiet, Chairman Voss started the meeting. "Today we are here to talk about the case of Rex, the boy who did not awaken properly today This is very unusual and it requires our intervention."
Standing with his arms folded behind him, General Silas moved forward a little. The boy's awakening was something that we have never seen before, the stone reacted but no power came out of it, it seemed to be sucking the boy's energy He is not an ordinary defect.
Lieutenant Graves sat forward, his hands drumming on the table in front of him. 'Uncontrolled power is a liability, General,' He said out loud, 'Our society cannot afford anomalies. If this boy's awakening failed, it is possible he is more dangerous than any of us.'
"That is correct," Director Simmons, the head of the city's intelligence division, concurred. Her tone was cold, her face a blank. "We have seen cases like this before, it really isn't something new, those who cannot awaken properly are either erratic or dangerous to others, we have to think about the safety of our people."
General Silas, who was a man of few emotions, could not help but feel a slight discomfort. "I have been watching the boy. Though he awakened in a different way, I think there is more to it. Killing him without knowing what is going on would be a mistake."
Chairman Voss looked at Silas and arched an eyebrow, his expression growing more serious. 'Are you implying that we should take chances, General? Our laws are very clear. Defects, particularly those of uncertain nature, have to be eradicated.'
The General did not back down, but he also understood that there was no point in trying to reason with the Chairman. "I am proposing that we look at all the possibilities before coming to a conclusion. If there is something new here, we have to know it."
Lieutenant Graves frowned and shook his head. "We don't have the luxury of time, Silas. This isn't a research experiment. It's about order. If Rex's awakening has failed, he's a defect, and defects don't live in our society. It's cruel, but it's true."
Chairman Voss looked at him and nodded, his words sharp and final. "These rules are the foundation of our society, General," I said, "If we let an unpredictable factor stay alive, the consequences could be disastrous."
General Silas could feel the pressure building up in him as a result of the decision they had made. He had seen the look in Rex's eyes, the glint of something different, something special. But here, in this room, those details didn't matter. The council's focus was on stability and Rex was a destabiliser.
"The council is unanimous," Chairman Voss said in a voice that did not allow for any debate. "Rex must be eliminated. This is the only way to protect our society."
General Silas looked at the man before him and slowly nodded his head in agreement, not showing any of the internal struggle he was going through. "Very well," he said, his tone unwavering. "I will personally supervise the operation.
The meeting ended with the members standing up from their seats, each going back to his or her work with a serious look on the face. General Silas stood there for a moment, staring out at the city through the glass. The decision had been made, and he would follow the order that had been given to him to the letter. But as he walked out of the room, a small voice at the back of his head began to nag at him.
The door to the council chamber closed behind him with a sound of a hiss, and Rex's future was decided by those who ruled over the lives of people in their society.
**
"No way! No way! I can't accept it" Rex rubbed his teary eyes as he ran home. He had failed again to awaken, why was it just him? Why was the world so cruel? Why?!" He lost his parents at a tender age and he vowed to never lose anyone he loved again but now..... The only thing that could help him keep his vow was nowhere to be seen.
Rex kept on running ignoring the never-ending teardrops that were falling off his cheeks, ignoring the horns of cars on the road, he couldn't care less about them, so he continued running, even ignoring the summoned animals on the road...
"Wait, summoned animals? He questioned as he turned around to observe his environment. There was an ability like summoning, which according to the user's strength allowed them to summon different creatures but the government banned users from summoning their beasts on the road to avoid commotion.
"What the?!"
Rex skidded to a stop, his breath hitching in his throat as he turned to see the chaos erupting around him. The streets, once filled with the usual hustle and bustle of the city, were now in complete disarray. Massive creatures, beasts of nightmare proportions, rampaged through the city, their roars echoing through the air, shaking the very ground beneath Rex's feet. The summoned animals were not just on the road; they were everywhere.
"What the hell is going on?" Rex whispered, his voice barely audible amidst the cacophony of screams and destruction.
Panic gripped the streets as people fled in all directions, trying to escape the onslaught of creatures. Cars were overturned, buildings were being torn apart, and the sky itself seemed to darken as more and more beasts poured into the city. These weren't ordinary summoned creatures, these were monsters, larger and more ferocious than anything Rex had ever seen.
A colossal serpent, scales glistening with an eerie light, slithered through the streets, crushing anything in its path. Nearby, a massive wolf-like creature howled, its fangs dripping with venom as it lunged at fleeing civilians. Winged beasts circled overhead, their screeches piercing through the air, diving down to snatch up anyone who couldn't find cover in time.
Rex's heart pounded in his chest. He had seen these kinds of monsters in books and on the news, but never like this. Never this close. He was powerless, utterly powerless, and the realization hit him like a ton of bricks.
"No…no, no, no!" Rex screamed, his voice raw with fear and frustration. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. The city, his city, was under siege by creatures that were supposed to be under control, supposed to be tamed.
Suddenly, an explosion rocked the street just ahead of him, sending a shockwave that knocked him off his feet. Rex tumbled to the ground, his ears ringing, vision blurred. He struggled to get up, his body aching, but when he looked up, his blood ran cold.
Standing before him, in the middle of the chaos, was a figure. Tall, cloaked, and holding a staff that radiated a malevolent energy. This was no ordinary summoner. The figure's eyes glowed with an unnatural light, and the beasts around seemed to move in response to their will, as if they were mere extensions of the summoner's dark intent.
The figure pointed the staff toward Rex, and for a brief moment, their eyes locked. Rex felt a surge of terror, paralyzing him where he stood. It was as if the figure could see right through him, could sense his weakness, his failure.
But just as the figure began to chant something, the air around Rex shimmered, and a barrier of light suddenly erupted before him, deflecting whatever dark spell the figure intended to cast. Rex looked around in shock, trying to comprehend what had just happened.
"Get up!" a voice shouted from behind him. Rex turned to see a group of soldiers, led by a man who seemed to be the general rushing towards him. The General's face was set in grim determination, his blade flashing as he cut down a beast that dared to cross his path.
"boy, move!" The General barked, grabbing him by the arm and hauling him to his feet. "This city is under attack. We don't have time to waste!"
"But what's happening?!" Rex stammered, still dazed.
"Someone's broken the seal on the monster vaults," The general growled. "We're under a full-scale invasion. You need to get to safety, now!"
"Monster vaults? Ever since when did the city store monsters?" He pondered
"I said get to safety" The general shouted
Rex hesitated, his mind racing. Safety? Where was safe? The city was falling apart around him, and he was powerless, useless. But as he looked into the General's eyes, he saw something else a glimmer of expectation, a hope that maybe, just maybe, Rex could do something, anything.
Before Rex could respond, a thunderous crash echoed nearby, and one of the towering beasts, a massive, armored creature broke through a building wall, heading straight for them. The General pushed Rex out of the way just in time, raising his sword to meet the beast in a clash of steel and fury.
"Go!" the General roared, but Rex couldn't move. He was rooted to the spot, watching as the battle unfolded, feeling more helpless than ever.
The city was being torn apart, and all Rex could do was watch. He was no hero, no awakened warrior. He was just a boy who had failed, again and again.
But then, something inside him stirred. A deep, burning anger, he was angry at his own powerlessness, anger at the world for being so cruel, anger at the monsters for destroying everything he held dear. His hand instinctively reached for the stone in his pocket, the same stone that had refused to grant him an ability. He clutched it tightly, feeling its cold surface against his palm.
"Please…" Rex whispered, his voice trembling with desperation. "Please, if there's anything you can do…help me."