Seiya lay motionless in his bed, staring at the ticking clock. Half the day had already passed, yet he hadn't stirred, nor had he felt the surge of power that should have awakened within him. Each minute weighed heavily, sinking him further into despair.
It was said that on the fifth birthday of the chosen, they would awaken to their Abilities, feeling the change within them instantly. Yet, Seiya felt nothing. No stirring, no awakening.
His eyes, once bright with anticipation, were now dull and vacant—like a lifeless doll incapable of emotion. Reality had begun to settle over him like a suffocating shroud.
This was the day he had longed for, the moment he had dreamed of. But now, as the hours slipped by, nothing had changed. All remained the same, except for the frantic knocking on his door and the desperate voice of a woman.
"Sei, please, that's enough. The day isn't over yet, there's still time. Open the door for mama. Let mama see you, please."
Though Seiya heard his mother's voice, it was distant, like the wind brushing past his ears. His thoughts were consumed by a singular focus—to feel the sign of his awakened power. But her voice persisted, accompanied by the sound of her gentle but insistent knocks.
Seiya had locked himself in his room since morning, and now, as evening approached, he had yet to emerge.
He hadn't eaten or spoken a word. His mother, knowing how important this day was for him, had allowed him space. But now her worry had turned to fear. Her son had been locked away for hours, and the thought of what might be happening behind that door gnawed at her.
"I'm sorry, Sei," she whispered, her voice trembling with emotion. "But I have to come in."
With a heavy heart, she closed her eyes and formed a triangle with her thumbs and index fingers. A translucent barrier shimmered into existence on Seiya's door, and she stepped through it, entering his room.
There, she found her five-year-old son lying on the bed, tears streaming down his face, soaking the space around his neck and matting his hair.
The sight broke her heart into a thousand pieces. Her eyes welled with tears as she watched him, helpless, crying silently, his small body shuddering with each quiet sob.
"Dad was right," Seiya muttered through his tears, his voice hoarse and raw.
His mother could not speak. She stood there, shaking her head in silent disagreement, unable to find words to comfort her son, shattered by his own disappointment.
"He was right," Seiya repeated, his tears flowing without end.
The day was slipping away, and though it had not yet ended, Seiya felt as though his fate had already been sealed. Though physically whole, inside, he was broken—splintered into countless pieces.
He had wanted to make his father proud, to be of use, to be the son his father had always wanted. But fate had denied him that dream. More than his own shattered hopes, it was the thought of disappointing his father that filled him with unbearable pain.
"I'm sorry," Seiya whispered, his voice barely audible.
"Gomen-nasai… Gomen-nasai… Gomen-nasai…" he repeated, over and over, until his mother could no longer bear to listen. She rushed to him, gathered him into her arms, and held him tightly.
As soon as he felt her warmth, Seiya broke down completely. He wailed, his small body trembling in her embrace as he let out all the pent-up emotions that had been tearing him apart.
"Eo..mma!" he cried, his voice cracking with the weight of his grief. "Eomma!"
"It's okay," his mother soothed, rocking him gently. "Let it all out, mama is here."
She didn't know what to say to make it better. She couldn't promise that everything would be fine by the end of the day. What if it wasn't? She didn't want to give him false hope, so she let him cry. Better for him to release his pain now than to hold onto hope, only to be crushed when the day ended without an awakening.
So she held him, patting his back, murmuring words of comfort, as he cried in her arms.
---
Later that evening, Seiya sat on his mother's lap at the dining table, eating the food she fed him. His tears had subsided, and though he was quiet, worry lingered.
His mother had promised to stay with him until midnight, just in case, as Seiya had requested. There was no harm in hoping until the day truly ended.
But their fragile peace was soon disturbed by the sound of the car pulling into the driveway. Seiya's heart skipped a beat. His father had come home.
The front door opened, and Mr. Sanio walked in.
Immediately, the tension in the room thickened. He glanced at his son, then at his wife, and the situation became clear.
With a sharp click of his tongue, he stormed past them, his disapproval evident.
Seiya felt the weight of his father's disappointment settle over him like a heavy blanket, but in his mother's arms, he found a small comfort.
That night, Seiya and his mother waited together until midnight. When the clock struck twelve and nothing had changed, Seiya quietly crawled into her arms and fell asleep, exhausted from the day's emotional toll.
---
The next day, Seiya woke late in the afternoon to an empty house. A simple note from his mother was stuck to the television: Back soon.
Worry gnawed at him. His mother often left after arguments with his father, and Seiya couldn't help but wonder if they had fought over him again while he slept.
His eyes drifted to the telephone. Hesitantly, He went back to his room, grabbed something and came back to the telephone to dial a number.
The phone was answered almost immediately by a voice filled with concern.
"Sei~. Seiya" A breath of relief sounded on the phone.
"Seiya, are you alright? Are you hurt?" his older sister, Hye Rin, asked, her voice trembling.
"Née-chan…" Seiya whispered, his voice small and fragile.
Hye Rin's breath hitched. Normally, she preferred being called big sis the Korean way, but now was not the time to correct him.
After their mom called and told them everything, they were both devastated, not because their little brother isn't an Awakener but because they knew just how much he'd been anticipating this day. Their hearts broke for their little brother.
"Née-chan I…I couldn't-"
"Seiya," she said softly, "I know you must be feeling terrible right now. But I need you to understand, life doesn't always go the way we plan. Sometimes, even when we want something with all our heart, it just doesn't happen. But that doesn't mean it's the end."
Seiya remained silent, listening intently.
"Sei, do you know what's braver and better than being an Awakener, hmm?"
"No"
"It's when life is harsh to you but you don't give up and continue living. You didn't get what you want and you might never get it but not letting that weigh you down and giving up in life is an ability not just anyone but the bravest can accomplish". Hye Rin preached, hoping and praying that her words would somehow reach his brother to lift his burdens.
"You don't have to be an Awakener to be strong, Seiya. What matters is how you handle the things life throws at you.You can still be the hero you want to be even if you're not an Awakener. Being a hero is being brave and what matters most is whether our Seiya is brave or not"
"I'm brave," Seiya replied, a spark of determination lighting up his voice.
"That's right," Hye Rin encouraged. "You are brave. You don't need an Awakening to be a hero."
"I've decided," Seiya declared. "I'm going to get stronger, no matter what. I'll be a hero even if I'm not an Awakener."
A smile spread across Hye Rin's face. "That's the spirit, Seiya. You're already so strong. You're special, just the way you are."
"Thank you, Née-chan. I love you."
"I love you too, Seiya. We'll come see you tomorrow, okay?"
"It's okay. I'm alright now and I know you're busy so you don't have to come. I'm brave."
"Are you sure?"
"Mn"
"Alright, I'll have Ozai call you later so you can talk to him as well"
After their conversation, Seiya felt lighter.
His sister's words had lifted some of the weight from his shoulders. Later that evening, his mother returned, and they had dinner together.
That night, she told him the story of a late Awakener—a boy who Awakened his Abilities at age seven. The story rekindled hope in Seiya, and though he knew the chance was slim, he clung to the possibility.
---
Three years come by. Seiya was now eight, and though he hadn't awakened, he had grown stronger in other ways.
He trained diligently, swinging a stick in the yard every day, much to his father's dismay. But Seiya no longer really sought his father's approval nor care for what people said about him.
One particular day that Seiya returned from school, he met not his mom but his dad at home.
Of course he went to greet him and announce his arrival as usual but to his surprise, his father greeted him back with a gentle expression—one never shown to him before.
Seiya was overwhelmed by that, leaving his eyes wide and mouth hanging open.
Was it his eyes? Were they getting worse or is that just not his dad? Seiya couldn't believe his eyes nor ears.
"Why are you so shocked? Go change up and eat because there's somewhere I want to take you today"
Seiya was even more shocked but he obeyed and went to change.
"Get something to eat first" His father requested and Seiya went to the kitchen to get food that was still warm causing him to glance back at his father.
"I reheated it for you" The father smiled at him and Seiya was left even more dumbfounded.
"What's with that expression of yours? Isn't this how a father is supposed to act with his son?"
Every word that left his mouth by the minute plunged Seiya deeper into confusion and shock but he obeyed.
As he ate, his father started.
"I realised the way I'd been treating you wasn't so good of me as a father so I decided to change that"
"....."
"Or don't you want me to change for the better?"
The question almost made Seiya choke on his food.
He shook his head vigorously to his father's question and Mr Sanio smiled.
"Alright eat up let's leave"
Seiya finished his food and like his father said, they both walked out to the car and he got in.
It was Seiya's first time entering his father's car or even going anywhere with him so he was very nervous but despite that, he was bubbling with well concealed joy inside him.
As they drove out, Seiya wanted to ask his father where they were headed but couldn't bring himself to ask as he was still afraid and nervous around him.
"You must be curious where we're headed huh?" His father chuckled softly and Seiya gave a single nod while looking down out of nervousness.
"Well, it's just my workplace. You're my son so I'll like to show you these things and teach you some things if I can"
Seiya gazed at his father with eyes full of surprise and mixed feelings before turning away.
After a while, Seiya spoke up.
"I'm sorry" he said guiltily.
His father knew Seiya was apologising because he felt incompetent that he couldn't Awaken and make his father proud.
He gave Seiya a warm smile and continued driving.
They arrived at a vast area, and before them stood an enormous, factory-like building. It was so immense that Seiya couldn't help but stare in awe.
"This is where I work. Let's head inside," his father said.
The moment Seiya stepped inside, he was captivated by the sight before him. The interior was brilliantly lit, expansive, and filled with an array of equipment and materials Seiya had never encountered before.
Workers bustled about, skillfully managing the machinery and tools.
As Seiya and his father ventured further into the building, they entered another large space, where workers and children dressed in uniform were gathered. The children stared at Seiya with curious eyes.
Noticing their gazes, Seiya turned to his father, silently seeking an explanation.
"These are sick children, brought here by their parents so I can find a cure for their illnesses. They're very kind kids," his father said with a warm smile.
Seiya saw nothing unusual in his father's words. After all, his father was a renowned scientist.
"Let's introduce you to everyone," his father added.
Seiya felt a surge of joy. It was the first time his father was formally acknowledging him as his son.
His father stepped up to a podium and gestured for Seiya to join him. There, he delivered a heartfelt speech, proudly proclaiming Seiya as his beloved son. The workers applauded and cheered, but the children remained silent.
"Now, Seiya, I have a special surprise for you. Come with me," his father said, smiling, as he led Seiya to a private room filled with strange, unfamiliar equipment.
The room resembled a surgery suite or a laboratory more than anything else.
Seiya couldn't fathom what surprise his father had planned or how this room factored into it.
"There's something I want to show you, so please, lie down on the metal table," his father instructed.
Curious and slightly anxious, Seiya did as he was told and climbed onto the table.
"You don't need to be nervous. This is for your own good, alright?" His father reassured him with a gentle smile.
"You've grown so much," his father began, as he started to unbutton Seiya's shirt.
Lying there, Seiya wondered whether he was sick and needed treatment, but his thoughts were more preoccupied with how much his father had changed though he did listen intently as his father continued speaking.
"Given how things have been between us, I wasn't sure how to approach you when I made this decision," his father said. "But in the end, I didn't have to try too hard, knowing who you are."
Seiya couldn't fully grasp what his father was saying or where this conversation was headed, but he continued to listen, his mind wandering, a growing unease tugging at his heart.
He remained calm, lost in thought, until he suddenly felt something on his skin—on his belly.
Instinctively, Seiya arched his back to look.
Shock washed over him. His face was drained of every colour. His eyes, wide with shock, lost their light and his pupils dilated as he gazed in disbelief at his belly, which had been slit open, blood pooling around him.
Nothing but a muffled gasp could escape his mouth at the nightmare unfolding in front of his eyes.
"Eh?!"