The morning was gently awakening, bathing the city in a golden light. A light breeze caressed the deserted streets, but an unusual presence disturbed the tranquility. In front of a modest house, a young man with fiery red hair stood, one hand resting on the doorbell. His hair, covering part of his face, hid his left eye, giving him an enigmatic look. A mischievous smile spread across his lips as he pressed the doorbell several times, playing with the incessant noise.
Inside the house, Ryan was still sleeping deeply, lulled by the memories of the previous day. But his rest was brutally interrupted by the relentless ringing. At first, he groaned, trying to ignore the noise. But the ringing persisted, piercing the silence of the house with an annoying regularity. Finally, he opened his eyes, irritated.
— "Who could be so unbearable this early in the morning?" he mumbled as he sat up, still groggy.
The doorbell continued, unrelenting, as if challenging his patience. Ryan, now fully awake, felt anger rising inside him. He got up abruptly, his heavy steps echoing through the house as he made his way to the front door. Clenching his jaw, he opened the door with a crash, ready to vent all his frustration.
In front of him stood Veilhot Draxe, an amused smile on his face. His bright eyes betrayed a certain satisfaction at having succeeded in annoying his friend.
— "Veilhot! Are you messing with me?" Ryan roared, fists clenched. "Are you serious with this doorbell? Do you want me to throw it at your head or what?"
Veilhot raised his hands in a peace gesture, his smile widening even more.
— "Relax, buddy. It's just to wake you up. Unless you want to miss the big day?"
Ryan narrowed his eyes, still irritated.
— "What are you talking about?"
Veilhot raised an eyebrow, surprised that Ryan hadn't figured it out yet.
— "The awakening, idiot. Today's the day you take your awakening test. Did you forget or what?"
Veilhot's words hit Ryan like a cold shower. His eyes widened, and his heart started to beat faster. How could he have forgotten? Today was the day he would finally discover his rank, the day everything could change.
— "Shit! The awakening!" he exclaimed, rushing inside without waiting.
Veilhot burst out laughing as he watched Ryan disappear into the house.
— "Always so predictable, this Ryan."
Inside, Ryan dashed to the bathroom. He turned on the faucet, quickly brushed his teeth, and took a quick shower, the cold water fully waking him up. His thoughts were already focused on what awaited him—the awakening test. The moment he had been waiting for years.
Once clean, he quickly put on clothes, grabbed a piece of bread from the living room table, and headed for the front door, still chewing.
— "I'm ready," he declared between bites, throwing a determined glance at Veilhot.
Veilhot, still relaxed, nodded.
— "Let's go. Destiny doesn't wait."
Ryan, his heart pounding, followed his friend. The walk to the awakening center was short, but every step felt like a march toward the unknown. Today, he would finally discover what destiny had in store for him.
The awakening center loomed before them, massive and imposing, like a monument dedicated to both hope and fear. The crowd gathered outside overflowed onto the sidewalks, each person waiting their turn with a mix of impatience and nervousness. Ryan froze for a moment, surprised by the sheer size of the human mass. He had never imagined so many people could be there at the same time.
Veilhot, by his side, gave him a friendly pat on the shoulder.
— "Well, buddy, I gotta go. Work calls. Good luck with your awakening. I'm sure you'll do fine."
Ryan nodded, his friend's words getting lost in the ambient noise. He watched Veilhot walk away, his figure quickly blending into the crowd. Alone now, he took a deep breath and headed for the entrance.
Inside, the bustle was even more palpable. Rows of chairs filled the main hall, and people were seated or standing, some talking quietly, others nervously watching the clock on the wall. A long line snaked to the counter where participants received their waiting number.
After several minutes, it was finally Ryan's turn. He approached the counter, sweat beading on his forehead despite the cool air conditioning. The assistant handed him a ticket with the number "28,998" printed on it. Ryan felt his heart sink in his chest. The number was astronomical.
He made his way to an empty chair and sat down, gripping the ticket between his fingers. The room buzzed with the constant movement of participants, each one called up by a monotone female voice echoing through the loudspeakers.
— "Number 2,567, please step forward."
Ryan watched a young man stand, his face tense, and disappear behind a door. The process repeated relentlessly.
— "Number 3,441, please step forward."
Time passed slowly. Ryan watched each person called, trying to guess their rank even before they took the test. There were bright smiles, tears of joy, but also despondent faces and vacant looks. Every result seemed to reverberate in the room like an echo of everyone's hopes and disillusionments.
Hours passed, and the numbers piled up. Ryan mentally noted the statistics he heard.
— "Number 5,555, please step forward."
Of the first 25,000 people called, he had heard that more than 20,000 were normal humans without powers. Among the Awakened, the majority were ranked F to C. A few rare individuals reached ranks B or A, and only five had the fortune to be ranked S. Each announcement of an S rank caused a wave of murmurs in the room, and Ryan couldn't help but dream of that moment.
He clenched his fist, determined. He couldn't fail. Not after everything he had endured.
Finally, after hours of waiting, the voice sounded again.
— "Number 28,901, please step forward."
Ryan turned his head and saw Luna stand up. His heart raced as he watched her head toward the door. She was calm, confident, and beautiful. When she disappeared inside, Ryan held his breath. A few minutes passed, which felt like an eternity, before the voice returned.
— "Rank A. Fire power."
A murmur of admiration swept through the room. Ryan felt an immense pride for Luna. She had succeeded. Rank A. An exceptional power. But it also added to the pressure he felt. Would he measure up?
His moment had finally arrived. The voice echoed again.
— "Number 28,998, please step forward."
Ryan stood, his heart pounding in his chest. He stepped forward determinedly, his eyes fixed on the door ahead. Inside, a simple room awaited him. At the center, a large crystal sphere shimmered, radiating a soft and mysterious light.
The assistant greeted him with a professional smile.
— "Place your hand on the sphere and wait for the analysis."
Ryan nodded and slowly approached the cold, smooth surface of the sphere. This was the moment of truth. The moment when he would finally discover what destiny had in store for him.
Ryan slowly placed his hand on the crystal sphere, feeling its cold surface under his trembling fingers. A soft glow emanated from the object, dimly illuminating the room. He closed his eyes, holding his breath, waiting for the verdict that would define his future.
Seconds passed, each one stretching into an eternity. Then, the mechanical, impassive voice of the assistant echoed in the room.
— "Rank F. No power."
The world seemed to collapse around Ryan. The words echoed in his head like thunder. Rank F. No power. It was like a guillotine falling on his dreams and hopes. Despair overwhelmed him instantly. He would have preferred to be a normal human, rather than carrying the humiliation of being an Awakened with no power.
His legs wobbled, and he had to hold onto the table to avoid falling. Tears began to well up in his eyes. Shame, pain, disappointment... everything blended into an overwhelming tide. He tried to swallow his emotions, but a single tear slid down his cheek. Quickly, he wiped it away, trying to compose a stoic facade.
He left the awakening room, his steps heavy and hesitant. As soon as he passed through the door, he felt the gazes fall on him. Whispers spread through the crowd like wildfire.
— "It's him, the one without power."
— "An Awakened with no power? I've never heard of that."
— "What a shame..."
The whispers were like needles piercing his mind. He lowered his gaze, unable to bear their looks. Every word felt like a knife wound, reopening the pain he tried to contain.
Suddenly, a loud, mocking voice pierced the ambient noise.
— "What a shame!"
Ryan raised his head, his heart tightening as he recognized the voice. His worst enemy, Jared, made his way through the crowd, a cruel smile on his lips. Jared was the embodiment of everything Ryan despised: arrogant, cruel, and always ready to crush others to feel superior.
Jared approached, his eyes gleaming with undisguised malice.
— "So it's true. You really are trash, huh? An Awakened with no power? Seriously? Pathetic."
Ryan felt a lump form in his throat. He tried to respond, but no words came out. Jared continued, his voice dripping with contempt.
— "You're less than nothing, Ryan. Even normal humans have more value than you. Look at you, unable to do anything. You're a disgrace to all Awakened."
The crowd around them remained silent, some looking away, others watching with morbid curiosity. Ryan felt the weight of every gaze, every word from Jared breaking him even more.
— "Seriously," Jared continued, "how can you still stand here? You should be ashamed. Even your sister, the great Rayna, won't be able to save you from this humiliation."
Ryan clenched his fists, his nails digging into the palms of his hands. Every word from Jared rang like a cruel truth he couldn't deny. He felt trapped, unable to fight back, overwhelmed by a sea of despair.
— "You are and will always be trash," Jared concluded, a victorious smile on his face. "And now, everyone knows it."
With those final words, Jared turned on his heel and walked away, leaving Ryan alone in the middle of the crowd. The whispers resumed, but Ryan no longer heard them. He was immersed in an abyss of pain and shame, unable to move, unable to think.
The world around him seemed blurry, distant. All he could feel was the crushing weight of his failure. He wanted to disappear, to fade into nothingness, but he remained there, frozen, under the impassive gazes of the crowd.