Talon took a deep breath, his heart hammering in his chest as he stepped into the awakening chamber. The excitement of the crowd outside seemed to vanish the moment the heavy door shut behind him with a dull thud, sealing him off from the world. It was just him now.
Almost.
Mira followed close behind, her footsteps soft but deliberate. She leaned against the wall, arms crossed, her sharp eyes locked onto him. Even in her silence, her presence felt like a weight pressing down on him.
"Are you nervous?" she asked, breaking the quiet. Her tone was casual, but he caught a trace of curiosity in it. "I remember my turn. Got the red glow, and that was that. Not even close to all this excitement you've got going on."
Talon glanced at her, his brow furrowing slightly. "Didn't realize you'd gone through the acadamy aswell."
Mira smirked faintly, shrugging. "Yeah, well, the Graves don't exactly advertise the ones who don't make it, do they? I might not have a Super gene, but I've done just fine without one."
"Guess I got lucky," Talon said, his tone light but his nerves still palpable.
Mira raised an eyebrow, her smirk turning into something sharper. "Luck's only part of it. Let's see what you do with it."
He turned to the orb, its polished surface gleaming under the chamber's stark light. It looked cold, almost indifferent, a silent judge of his potential.
Right beside it, the button waited, its purpose clear.
With one press, the wall would turn transparent, showing his rank to everyone outside. Everyone who mattered.
He stared at it for a moment, his mind racing. The choice was his alone.
Closing his eyes, Talon drew in a deep, steadying breath, forcing the noise in his head to fade.
This is it. No turning back.
Under his breath, barely audible, he whispered, "I'm ready."
Then, his hand met the orb's surface.
...
'this is... kinda underwhelming.'
He expected some magical epiphany right at that moment, but it did not seem so amazing. The process began slowly, the orb drawing a trickle of energy from him. He felt a faint tug, like a thread being pulled from deep within.
'This isn't so ba-'
VHOOM.
The tug became a tidal wave. Energy roared through his arm, crashing into his chest before rushing back outward.
His breath hitched as the sensation exploded through him, every nerve alive with electricity. It was overwhelming, like standing in a storm and realizing you were the lightning.
A thrill shot through him as he grinned wildly. His cells buzzed with an intensity he couldn't describe, like his body was a dam about to burst.
Heat radiated off him, not painful, but fiery and alive, as if he could punch through walls or leap into the sky.
'This is... insane.'
His fingers tried gripping the orb tighter as the rush continued, his mind swimming in the sheer magnitude of it. It wasn't just adrenaline, it was power.
Pure, unfiltered, boundless power.
BOOM
The orb flashed, shifting through colors rapidly.
Gray.
Then green.
Then blue.
"What the..?" Talon's voice cracked, his disbelief spilling out as his heart pounded in his chest.
The colours didn't stop. The energy pouring into him felt endless, unrelenting.
He barely registered the transition as the orb wavered on purple for a breathless moment, the glow intensifying as the room pulsed with its brilliance.
His entire body buzzed, each cell alive with raw power. Seconds stretched into what felt like eternity as the orb continued to channel energy, refusing to stop.
Mira's composure shattered. The professional detachment she'd carried into the room was gone. Her eyes widened, her mouth hanging open as the colors kept shifting. Pride flickered in her expression, but it was overwhelmed by shock and disbelief.
Her arms fell to her sides as she muttered under her breath, "This… this can't be happening."
Talon couldn't hear her over the roar of energy surging through him. His vision blurred as his senses felt sharper than ever before.
The orb wasn't just glowing; it was alive, reacting to something deep within him.
'Is this normal?!' he yelled in his mind, he was struggling to keep up with what his body was feeling.
Mira began saying something, but before she could get the words out...
BOOM
The orb blazed GOLD, the energy flow increasing even further. Talon gasped, the world sharpening around him.
He could see every detail of the chamber, each crack in the wall, each flicker of the lights above.
His muscles felt ALIVE for the first time, ready to unleash strength he'd never known. His mind raced with newfound clarity.
It was Euphoric
But it wasn't the end.
The orb's glow intensified further, growing blindingly bright, turning the entire chamber into a sea of white light.
Talon squinted against the glare, barely able to make out Mira's wide-eyed expression.
'Why does she seem panicked?'
CRACK
He felt something deep within him crack, an invisible shackle shattering as if he'd broken through some unseen barrier.
the light changed.
It wasn't gold anymore.
SILVER.
Pure, radiant silver, with colors dancing within like a living aurora.
Talon's mind went blank for a second. He staggered, staring at the orb in disbelief.
MYTHICAL.
He was one of the rarest beings in existence, free from the chains that had held him. He was beyond the expectations of his family, beyond anything they could control.
"Holy... shit."
He felt a surge of triumph, a smile breaking across his face as he reached for the button.
He could already imagine the chaos that would follow, the rush of offers, the frantic attention from factions eager to win his favor.
They'll see. They'll ALL see.
He would be free.
Mira's shock turned to something closer to fear as his hand drifted to the button, and for a moment, her gaze locked with his.
He could see the realization in her eyes, the urgency.
She took a step toward him, as if to stop him.
"Talon, STOP!"
But it was too late. His finger pressed the button, and the wall behind him turned transparent.
Mira's voice rang out, raw with panic. "NO! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!"
She spun back toward the wall, her face pale as she watched the scene unfold on the other side.
Talon's smug smile faltered as he realized the reaction wasn't what he'd expected. He knew she would be upset for leaving, but that?
He turned toward the crowd. The silence was deafening.
The crowd outside stood frozen, staring through the transparent wall at the SILVER light engulfing him.
Silence. Eyes wide in shock.
...
It started to sink in.
The air in the hall seemed to vibrate, heavy with the tension of the moment.
"A- A FUCKING MYTHICAL?!" a random cadet shouted, their voice cutting through the stunned silence like a crack of thunder.
That was all it took. The hall exploded into chaos.
"LOCK IT DOWN! LOCK EVERYTHING DOWN! I WANT A FULL INFORMATION BLOCK IMMEDIATELY!" the Concord representative roared, his voice commanding but lost amidst the cacophony.
Soldiers scrambled to follow orders, their boots pounding against the polished floor as they moved to secure the room.
But no one was listening, not really.
Talon could barely process the chaos erupting around him. Cadets surged forward, trying to get a better look, their whispers turning into shouts.
Representatives from major factions shouted into their comms, their voices frantic as they barked orders, their eyes locked onto Talon like predators circling prey.
"Move, move!" soldiers barked, trying to herd the cadets back, but the crowd surged against their commands. Holopads flashed as students captured the moment, eager to broadcast the first mythical in centuries to anyone who would watch.
One soldier lunged at a cadet mid-recording, snatching their pad and slamming it to the ground with a resounding crack.
But it was pointless.
The damage was already done.
Rumors, images, and clips were already streaming out. Talon's face and the radiant silver light were no longer confined to the room.
They were out in the galaxy, for all to see.
Talon caught sight of his mother. A soldier restrained her, forcing her to her knees. She fought back, her voice sharp and filled with venom. "GET YOUR HANDS OFF ME! DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?" Her words pierced the chaos, but the soldier didn't falter.
Across the room, Jason tried to break through the crowd. "TALON!" he shouted, his face pale, his voice barely audible over the uproar. Before he could take another step, a soldier intercepted him, pinning him to the floor.
Then it hit him.
An instinctual understanding of his power. Every Super felt it during their awakening. A flame user would feel heat coursing through their veins. A speedster would feel the world slow as their body surged with energy. Every power came with clarity, a sense of purpose.
But not his.
Talon staggered, gripping his head as a singular word echoed through his mind. It wasn't a command or a revelation. It was an all encompassing feeling.
Die
The feeling grew louder, resonating with a terrifying certainty.
His vision swam, the room blurring as if the word itself was tearing at the edges of his reality.
Why? Why was this all he heard? Why was this his power's call?
His chest tightened, and his breath came in short gasps. Around him, the chaos seemed muted, distant, like he was standing at the center of a storm.
"What have I done?"