The night stretched on, dark and silent, as Aurel continued his grim work. The knife lay in his hand, its blade glinting faintly in the dim light of his apartment. The cuts on his arm were shallow but deliberate, each one slicing across his skin, blood welling up only to be wiped away and replaced by another.
He had been at it for hours. The clock on his wall had ticked past midnight long ago, and the city outside had gone quiet, the hum of distant traffic fading into nothingness. Aurel's arm was crisscrossed with faint scars, each one a testament to his resolve, each one a step toward his goal.
Regeneration.
It had to work. He had felt the difference after the first cut, the way his skin had started to knit itself back together. And as he continued, as he pushed his body further and further, he could feel it adapting. Each cut healed faster than the last, the pain fading more quickly, the wounds sealing almost before his eyes.
Aurel set the knife down, breathing heavily, his forehead slick with sweat. His arm tingled; the skin still flushed where the cuts had closed. He could feel something deep inside him—something shifting, changing, like a puzzle piece sliding into place. His body was adapting, evolving, becoming more than it had been.
The sun was beginning to rise, the first light of dawn creeping through the narrow window of his apartment, painting the walls in pale gold. Aurel looked down at his wristwatch, the screen flickering to life as he tapped it. He needed to see if it had worked.
He stared at the display, his breath caught in his chest as the notification flashed across the screen.
New Trait Unlocked: Regeneration (Rank: Rare)
Description: Grants the user the ability to heal injuries at an accelerated rate. Recovery time for wounds, bruises, and other physical damage is significantly reduced.
Aurel let out a shaky breath, a grin breaking across his face. He had done it. The Regeneration trait—it was his. He could feel it, the way his body hummed with energy, the way the fatigue from hours of self-inflicted wounds seemed to melt away, replaced by a sense of strength, of power.
But that wasn't all. Another notification appeared, the screen of his watch flashing once more.
New Trait Unlocked: Strong Will (Rank: Common)
Description: Enhances the user's mental resilience and ability to withstand pain, fear, and external influences. Provides increased resistance to mental fatigue and emotional distress.
Aurel blinked, staring at the words, his grin widening. Strong Will. It made sense. He had spent the entire night pushing himself, cutting into his own flesh, enduring pain that would have broken most people. His body had adapted to that as well, his mind becoming stronger, more focused, more unyielding.
He flexed his fingers, feeling the strength in them, the steadiness of his grip. His arm no longer ached, the scars fading until they were nothing but faint lines. He could feel the Regeneration working, mending his body, restoring him. And deep inside, he felt a calmness, a certainty that hadn't been there before. The fear, the hesitation—they were gone, replaced by a determination that burned bright and unyielding.
Aurel stood, rolling his shoulders, feeling the tension ease from his muscles. He needed to consolidate this new power, to see just how far he could push himself now. And there was only one place for that—the gym.
The sun was fully risen by the time Aurel arrived at Citico Fitness, the streets of the city bustling with people starting their day. He walked through the gym's glass doors, the familiar scent of sweat and rubber hitting him immediately. The place was busier now than it had been the day before, filled with people moving through their morning routines.
Aurel made his way to the lockers, dropping his bag off before heading to the treadmill. Today, it wasn't just about strength—he needed to test his stamina, his flexibility, see how far he could go now that his body had the Regeneration trait.
He set the treadmill to a high speed, the belt moving beneath his feet in a blur. He started running, his breath steady, his strides long and powerful. The burn that would usually come after the first few minutes—the ache in his legs, the tightening of his chest—it never came. Instead, he felt his body adjusting, his lungs filling easily, his legs moving fluidly, each stride effortless.
An hour passed, then another, the treadmill counting the kilometers as Aurel ran, his mind focused, his body adapting. He pushed the speed higher, feeling the rush of air against his face, the hum of the machine beneath him. His heart pounded, but there was no fatigue, no pain—only a steady rhythm, his body responding, growing stronger with each step.
He finally stepped off the treadmill, his breathing barely accelerated, his heart rate already beginning to slow. He felt... good. Energized. Like he could keep running for hours if he wanted to. The Regeneration trait was working, his body healing almost as quickly as he pushed it, the fatigue fading before it could even set in.
He moved to the stretching area, his eyes scanning the gym as he found a space. He needed to work on his flexibility—another aspect of his physical abilities that could be improved. He stretched his arms above his head, bending down to touch his toes, feeling the muscles in his back and legs loosen.
He was midway through a series of lunges when someone bumped into him, a soft "Oof" escaping as they collided. Aurel turned, his eyes landing on a girl—tall, athletic, with striking blonde hair pulled into a ponytail. She looked up at him, her green eyes widening slightly.
"Oh, sorry about that," she said, her voice smooth, her gaze flicking over him briefly. Aurel recognized her immediately—Emma, one of the most popular girls from his school. She was smart, talented, and known for being one of the top-ranked pre-awakened students.
But there was no recognition in her eyes as she looked at him now. She didn't know who he was.
"Uh, it's fine," Aurel said, stepping back slightly, giving her space. He could see her studying him, her eyes narrowing slightly, as if she was trying to place him. Her gaze lingered on his face, then traveled down his body, taking in his physique.
"Right, well... sorry again," she said, a slight flush coloring her cheeks. She turned away quickly, but not before Aurel caught the look in her eyes—a brief flicker of interest, quickly hidden behind a polite smile.
He watched her walk away, his mind churning. She hadn't recognized him. He had changed that much in just a day. The thought sent a thrill through him, a reminder of just how far he had come, of what he was becoming.
Aurel returned to his stretching, his movements controlled, precise. He could feel his body responding, the muscles loosening, the flexibility increasing with each stretch. His joints moved smoothly, no stiffness, no pain. The Regeneration trait was at work, healing even the smallest strains, allowing him to push further, to go beyond what he had been capable of before.
He spent hours in the gym, moving from cardio to flexibility training, then back to strength exercises. He worked his body relentlessly, testing every limit, every boundary. The other gym-goers came and went, their workouts ending while Aurel kept pushing, kept adapting.
The sun had begun to set by the time he finally stepped out of the gym, his muscles still thrumming with energy, his body feeling stronger, more capable than ever. Ten hours—he had spent ten hours pushing himself, and he still felt like he could do more.
But now it was time for the next step. He had Regeneration, he had Strong Will, but there were still more traits out there, more ways to make himself stronger, faster, better. He had seen what was possible, what others had achieved, and he knew that he could go even further.
Aurel walked through the streets of Citico, his mind focused, his body humming with power. The university exams were coming, and he wasn't going to be just another face in the crowd. He was going to stand at the top, to show everyone what he was truly capable of.