Chapter 19 - Awakening 1
In the months that followed, life settled into a steady rhythm.
I trained every day after awakening preparation began. Sometimes I learned cooking in the kitchen under the head chef’s guidance, and other times I simply spent time with Amy and my mother whenever they were free.
Mother wasn’t always present. Most of her time was still consumed by family duties and responsibilities, but whenever she had even a small gap in her schedule, she made sure to spend it with us. Occasionally, she would even come to the training ground herself, silently observing our progress before offering short, precise corrections.
Those moments mattered more than I expected.
It wasn’t loud affection.
It wasn’t constant presence.
But it was real.
And slowly, it became part of my life.
Until finally...
The day I had been waiting for arrived.
Tomorrow was my awakening.
Just thinking about it made my chest tighten slightly.
Excitement was there.
But something else was stronger.
Fear.
What if my talent was low?
What if I awakened without an element?
I knew my family wouldn’t abandon me. I knew that better than anyone. But still... deep down, I wanted to meet expectations—not for them, but for myself. For the future I wanted to build.
After a long moment of silence in my room, I pushed those thoughts away and headed to the dining hall.
⸻
Mother was already seated when I arrived.
As usual, she looked calm and composed, her presence quietly dominating the room even without saying a word.
Amy arrived shortly after and sat beside me.
The three of us were together again.
Like always.
My mother glanced at me first.
"Are you excited about your awakening, son? You’ve been waiting for this day for a long time."
Amy followed immediately after.
"What about you, Gray? Tomorrow is your awakening. How do you feel now?"
I hesitated for a moment, then answered honestly.
"I’m excited... but also a little scared."
I looked down at my hands briefly.
"If I awaken a low talent, my future will be harder. I know I can still grow, but... I want a strong foundation from the start."
In this world, talent wasn’t guaranteed.
It was partly influenced by lineage, but not controlled by it. There were cases where children of weak families awakened extraordinary abilities... and cases where strong bloodlines produced average results.
It was unpredictable.
Luck and genetics mixed together in an uncertain balance.
I didn’t say all of that aloud.
I didn’t need to.
My mother watched me quietly for a moment.
Then she spoke.
"It doesn’t matter what talent you awaken."
Her tone was calm, but firm.
"You are my son. Even if your talent is low, I trained you to become strong. No one will be able to easily stand against you under my protection."
A brief pause.
"Hard work doesn’t betray you. Remember that."
Amy nodded immediately.
"Yeah. No matter what, you’re my brother. Even if your talent is low, I’ve got your back too."
Her voice was bright, but sincere.
Hearing them both say that... something warm settled in my chest.
The tension didn’t disappear completely.
But it softened.
I looked at them and smiled slightly.
"Thanks... mom. Amy."
Amy just grinned, and my mother gave a small, quiet nod.
After that, we continued eating.
⸻
Halfway through the meal, Amy suddenly leaned forward.
"Oh right, Gray. What about your cooking?"
I blinked. "What about it?"
"When are you going to let me taste it?" she asked immediately. "You’ve been practicing for a month already, but I haven’t eaten anything you made. I even heard the head chef praising you."
She narrowed her eyes slightly.
"And didn’t you ask me to be your taste tester?"
Before I could respond, my mother also chimed in.
"I’m curious as well. How is your progress?"
A rare faint smile appeared on her face.
That made things worse.
I sighed dramatically.
"Don’t tease me. I’m still learning. I’m practicing techniques and understanding dishes properly. I haven’t made a complete meal on my own yet."
I pointed at them lightly.
"Once I can actually cook something fully by myself, then I’ll let you try it."
Both of them laughed.
"Alright, little chef," my mother said teasingly.
Amy followed immediately. "We’ll wait for your masterpiece then."
They were clearly enjoying this.
And somehow... I didn’t mind.
⸻
After dinner, we returned to our rooms.
The night felt unusually quiet.
When I lay down, I tried to sleep, but my mind refused to settle.
Awakening.
Tomorrow.
That single thought kept repeating itself.
What will I become?
What will I gain?
What will I lose?
Eventually, exhaustion caught up with me, and I drifted into sleep.
⸻
I woke up early the next morning.
6:15 a.m.
I took a shower, changed into clean clothes, and stepped out of my room. The maids handled everything else, so I didn’t need to worry about preparations.
When I reached the dining hall, both my mother and Amy were already there waiting.
I greeted them and sat down.
My mother looked at me calmly.
"Are you ready?"
I nodded.
"Yes."
She stood up.
"After breakfast, we begin. Follow me."
Amy also stood up, clearly excited.
"I’m coming too. I want to see it."
We finished breakfast quickly.
No unnecessary conversation.
Just quiet anticipation.
Then my mother led us through the manor.
We arrived at a separate room.
It was not a training hall.
Not exactly a meditation room either.
It was something in between.
At the center stood a single object placed on a pedestal.
A smooth, round stone.
The Awakening Stone.
Rare, valuable, and controlled tightly by powerful organizations and noble families. Most people had to travel to guilds or temples to awaken, but my family had one privately.
Of course they did.
My mother turned toward me.
"Place your hand on it. Then call your status."
I nodded and stepped forward.
My fingers touched the stone.
Instantly—
A surge of energy flowed into my body.
Warm.
Then cold.
Then something heavier underneath it all.
It spread through my veins, into my chest, into my mind.
My breathing changed.
My senses sharpened.
For a brief moment, I felt like my entire body was being rewritten.
Then—
I spoke.
"Status."
A glowing blue screen appeared before my eyes.
Floating.
Clear.
Real.
Information began to form.
My rank.
My talent.
My elements.
Everything.
I scanned it quickly.
And for a moment—
I decided to play a joke.
I lowered my head slightly.
"...It’s not good."
Amy immediately panicked.
"W-what? It’s okay! Even if it’s low—"
My mother’s expression shifted slightly, just a fraction.
Then I raised my head and smiled.
"I’m kidding."
A pause.
Then—
"I got SS+ talent. And three elements."
Silence.
Amy stared at me.
Then suddenly smacked my head.
"DON’T SCARE US LIKE THAT!"
But she was smiling.
My mother sighed lightly... but even she looked relieved.
"Stop playing around," she said calmly.
I chuckled softly.
"Sorry."
Amy crossed her arms. "So what elements did you get?"
I focused and demonstrated one.
A small snowflake formed in my palm.
Amy’s eyes lit up.
"Hey! I have that one too!"
My mother nodded. "Good affinity. What about the others?"
I tried to activate the second element.
But the moment I did—
Something went wrong.
A sharp metallic taste filled my mouth.
Then—
Blood.
It spilled out before I could react.
My vision blurred instantly.
My body lost strength.
And everything went dark.
The last thing I heard was my mother’s voice.
"Gray—!"