A month passed, and the day Avince had both dreaded and anticipated had finally arrived—his nineteenth birthday.
It was a Saturday, and the house was buzzing with excited energy. The sun streamed in through the kitchen window, casting a warm glow over the breakfast table where the family sat together. Ashna was busy preparing a special meal, while Erwin sat back with a cup of coffee, grinning at his son.
"Still no fireworks?" Erwin teased. "You sure you're turning nineteen today, Avince?"
Avince chuckled, rolling his eyes. "It's not even noon yet, Dad. You know I was born at around noon."
Amyra, sitting across from him, smirked. "Yeah, maybe you'll turn into a giant firework at the time of your birthday. You know, like how I summon ice monsters, but you'll explode into a big, sparkly mess!"
"Or just go up in smoke," Erwin added with a grin, clearly enjoying the playful ribbing.
Avince shook his head, though he couldn't help but laugh along. "Thanks for the confidence, everyone."
"Just imagine it, though," Amyra continued, leaning forward with a twinkle in her eye. "You could be the first person to explode in colors and then have all of us get buried under a pile of your glittery remains!"
"Sounds like a birthday celebration gone wrong," Ashna chimed in, setting down a plate of pancakes in front of Avince. "But if anyone can manage it, it would be you." She ruffled his hair affectionately.
Avince grinned, nudging her hand away playfully. "I'd prefer to keep my limbs intact, thanks."
"So, are you nervous?" Ashna asked, her expression shifting to one of concern.
"A little," Avince admitted, trying to sound nonchalant. "It's just… this is a big deal. What if I can't control whatever it is?"
Erwin leaned forward, his voice reassuring. "You've trained for this. You've had us by your side every step of the way. And remember, no matter what happens, we're proud of you."
"I'll be right there cheering you on!" Amyra added, bouncing in her seat. "Maybe I'll even summon an ice monster to celebrate your awakening!"
"Just not during the actual process, okay?" Avince replied, laughing. "I don't need an ice giant crashing the party."
The warmth of the moment was palpable, but Avince could still feel the undercurrent of anxiety tugging at him. The Special Awakening Chamber was designed to safely contain any uncontrolled bursts of power that can happen during the awakening process, but the fact that they felt the need to go there made the whole situation feel a lot more real.
After breakfast, they stood in front of the imposing glass doors of an Awakening Chamber. The building was sleek and modern, designed with reinforced walls and advanced mana dampening systems. People with known destructive ability came here when they were about to awaken, just in case something unexpected happened.
Avince stared at the entrance, his heart racing. He could feel the weight of his family's presence behind him—Erwin's hand resting on his shoulder, Ashna's gentle smile, and Amyra bouncing on the balls of her feet just like before, as excited as if it were her own awakening.
"You ready for this?" Amyra asked, nudging him playfully.
"As ready as I'll ever be," Avince replied, taking a deep breath.
They entered the chamber, where a technician greeted them and guided Avince into the awakening room. The room itself was bare, except the awakening matrix at the middle that is used to send out mana pulses designed to trigger an awakening.It has smooth metal walls that hum faintly with mana suppression tech. It was designed to keep the sudden bursts of energy contained.
"You'll feel it when it happens," the technician explained. "Unstable Awakenings usually go unnoticed by others, but you'll know. It'll feel like a part of you just… clicks into place."
Avince nodded, stepping into the center of the room as the door sealed behind him. His family watched from a viewing window just outside, their faces calm, though Avince could tell they were as anxious as he was.
"Don't forget to breathe!" Amyra called out, her voice bright and encouraging.
He stood there in the stillness, waiting. Minutes passed, and nothing seemed to change. His heart pounded in his chest, the anticipation almost unbearable. Then, just as he began to wonder if anything would happen at all—he felt it.
A strange warmth spread through his chest, like a spark that ignited and flowed through his veins. It wasn't painful or overwhelming, just... new. Like discovering a limb he never knew he had. His mind instinctively knew what to do with it, how to control it. He could feel it, the mana swirling inside him, just waiting to be tapped into.
He looked through the window at his family, a wide grin breaking across his face. "I think it's happening!"
Ashna smiled warmly, while Erwin gave him an encouraging nod. Amyra pressed her face against the glass, eyes wide with excitement. "What is it? What can you do?"
"I don't know yet," Avince replied, the thrill of the moment coursing through him. "I want to test it outside!"
The family followed Avince out to the training grounds behind the Awakening Chamber, a wide open space designed for ability testing. Avince could feel the new energy pulsing within him, his fingers tingling as if they were charged with electricity.
"Alright," Erwin said, crossing his arms and watching his son closely. "Let's see what you've got."
Avince grinned, excitement bubbling in his chest. He stretched out his hand, instinctively reaching for the mana inside him. It responded immediately, flowing outward as if he had been using it his whole life. For a moment, he thought he saw a shimmer in the air, like the space around him was bending.
But then, without warning, the world around him shifted.
The training grounds, his family, everything disappeared in an instant. His breath caught in his throat as he found himself standing in a completely different place—a dense forest with towering trees, their leaves glowing faintly with an ethereal light. The air felt thick with mana, more intense than anything he had ever experienced. It was like being submerged in a sea of raw energy.
"What the...?" Avince muttered, spinning around in confusion. He was completely alone.
His pulse quickened as he tried to make sense of what just happened. One moment, he was about to test his ability, and the next, he had been transported to another world. This wasn't just some hallucination—everything felt too real. The smell of the forest, the soft earth beneath his feet, the distant sound of strange creatures moving through the underbrush.
He reached out with his mana again, but this time, he realized with horror that his reserves were empty. Whatever ability he had awakened, it had drained all of his mana in an instant. He couldn't feel the familiar flow of energy inside him anymore.
"What have I done?" he whispered to himself, panic rising in his chest.