Today was the much-anticipated day of awakening. The school buzzed with excitement, but Dave Walker was anything but thrilled. He shuffled through the morning, haunted by the events of the previous night.
His mind wasn't with him today.
Daniel, too drained to get up, had stayed home. If not for the ceremony, Dave wouldn't have come either. His sleepless night had left him on edge, the same maniacal laughter kept ringing in his ears as he trudged all the way to the bus station.
At the bus station, Yasmine noticed his pale face and quiet demeanor. "Where's Daniel?" she asked.
"Home," Dave mumbled without looking up.
Yasmine frowned. "He must be nervous about the ceremony. Poor guy, I'll let him be today," she thought, stepping back to give him space.
The bus ride was lively with chatter, but for Dave, it was all muffled noise. By the time they arrived at school, his ears felt as though they were ringing louder than before.
The school grounds felt like a carnival. Students lined up in the assembly area, chattering and laughing.
"Haha, I'll be a hero after today!"
"Man, I want a beautiful girlfriend after awakening!"
"Girlfriend? You can create fairies to worship you in your world!"
"These boys are all ho**y monkeys, I'm not like them, you know that right Sophia."
"Shit shit shit if I don't awaken, I will be whipped by my father."
"Haha.. don't worry I will keep you as my slave if you fail to awaken."
"You don't need to worry too much, we had awakening last year.. It wasn't much" said a senior with confident smile.
"Senior, do you have beautiful girls in your world, can you introduce some to us?"
"Cough cough.. Ok ok no more nonsense. I need to attend to some business"
"Chee... so stingy"
The banter carried on.
Yasmine's friend, Sophia, spotted her in the crowd. "Yasmine! Over here!"
"Coming!" Yasmine called back, running toward her friend.
"Where's your shadow?" Sophia teased, looking around for Dave.
Yasmine sighed, glancing over her shoulder. "He was just here. Probably wandered off somewhere. Let him be, I will deal with him later"
Unbeknownst to her, Dave was hiding in the bathroom. The noise and anticipation of the day had amplified the torment. Every laugh, every cheer sounded like a Roger's mad twisted laughter.
Inside the bathroom, Dave huddled in a corner, shivering. He pressed his hands to his ears, but the noise persisted, clawing at his sanity.
Hu…. sniff.. huhu…" He sobbed softly. Tears streamed down his face as the emotions he had bottled up finally overflowed.
He tried to stay strong in front of his family yesterday, but now that he was alone, he let go of his emotions.
He didn't know how long he sat there, but the weight in his chest slowly lightened. After a while, he stood up, washed his face, and glanced at the mirror. His reflection looked as hollow as he felt.
"Damn… I look awful," he muttered, running his fingers through his messy hair.
Despite the dark circles under his eyes, he forced himself to leave. He couldn't miss the ceremony.
Dave slipped into the back of the line at the assembly, unnoticed amid the sea of excitement. Moments later, the booming voice of Principal Peterson silenced the crowd.
"You all look very excited today," Peterson began with a smile. "I know many of you are anxious but let me assure you—this is your moment. You won't fail here. We're here to guide you every step of the way."
His words steadied some of the students, especially the younger ones.
"Ok ok.. You young people might get bored if I speak anymore," he laughed, "let's begin the ceremony. Grade Four students, please step onto the stage. Teachers, help maintain order."
Guided by their teachers, Dave and his classmates ascended to the platform. A giant mandala, etched into the stage.
The design was intricate, glowing faintly in the morning sun. As the students sat cross-legged in meditative poses, teachers took their positions at the edges of the mandala. Among them was Yasmine's father, Gaius, his imposing presence adding to the ceremony's gravity.
Principal Peterson, Vice-Principal Gaius, and two other teachers stood at four corners of the mandala, channeling their energy into it. The air vibrated as the sacred design came to life, its lines glowing a bright gold.
The mandala began to spin, radiating warmth and light. Students closed their eyes, feeling a surge of something unfamiliar yet exhilarating. It was as though a dormant part of them had been stirred awake.
The Awakening had begun.