The doctor raised her head, her sharp eyes scanning the long, anxious line of students waiting for their turn. The silver badge on her coat glinted under the bright ceiling lights as she called out calmly:
"Next."
Arrogant, confident, and born with a noble air, Leon Vex stepped into the awakening chamber. His uniform was perfectly pressed, his brown-red hair neatly styled, and his expression screamed I already know I'm better than you.
The NSS-9 machine hummed the moment he entered, energy threads rising like smoke around his body.
A bright hologram flashed above him.
[Awakening Power Level: A — Flame Titan]
[Spiritual Energy: A]
[Potential: High]
The doctor nodded, satisfied. "Good. Very good. Next."
Leon smirked as he stepped out, soaking in the admiring whispers around him.
---
Alex's Anxiety
A few steps away, Alex tried to swallow the knot in his throat. His palms were sweaty, his heart pounding against his ribs.
Please, God… I don't need a strong ability. I don't want to be dragged into military service. Just give me an E rank… even an F rank is fine.
He closed his eyes, breathing shallowly.
He didn't want glory.
He didn't want trouble.
He just wanted a quiet life.
"Hey…"
A soft voice snapped him out of his spiraling thoughts.
He turned—and froze.
Standing beside him was a girl with smooth brown hair, warm brown eyes, and a soft, comforting aura. Her uniform was neat, and her expression radiated kindness.
"You okay?" she asked gently. "You look like you're about to pass out."
Alex blinked. He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out.
She tilted her head. "Hello…? Can you hear me?"
He finally snapped back to reality.
"Y-Yes. I'm fine. Thank you for worrying about me."
The girl smiled—bright, warm, and unexpectedly reassuring.
"I'm Riya," she said softly. "Don't worry too much, okay? Awakening is different for everyone. Believe in yourself."
Alex felt his heartbeat thump harder than before.
She's… too cute.
He tried to stabilize his breathing, but a strange warmth began to circulate inside his chest, spiraling like a small cyclone.
It scared him.
---
Whispers and Jealousy
The doctor's voice echoed again.
"Next!"
This time, all students turned toward the white-haired boy—Alex.
His snowy hair and golden eyes immediately drew attention.
"Whoa… who's that boy?"
"He looks really cool."
"Does he have a girlfriend?"
"If he awakens anything above C, I'm confessing!"
Alex, nervous, instinctively pulled Riya's chair forward for her to sit.
A small, respectful gesture.
Riya blinked in surprise.
"Oh—thank you."
But someone else did not appreciate it.
Leon Vex.
His jaw tightened. His eyes darkened with fury. The atmosphere around him felt like it was heating.
Riya belonged to a prestigious family: Stoneheart.
Leon came from the Vex family—another elite lineage.
Seeing Riya paying attention to a random white-haired boy made his pride crack.
Leon muttered under his breath, voice filled with venom:
"How dare he talk to my girl… He will regret this."
Alex didn't even notice the murderous gaze behind him.
---
Entering the NSS-9
Alex stepped into the NSS-9 chamber.
Instantly, the entire hall shifted.
The lights dimmed.
The air trembled.
And the machine released a low, monstrous hum.
A faint heat tickled Alex's skin.
Then the vibration struck his chest—heavy, deep, frightening.
Thump. Thump. Thump—
His heartbeat synced with the machine's rising hum.
The screens around the chamber flickered violently, static crackling.
The doctor frowned, tapping her tablet. "This… isn't normal."
Students leaned in, confused and uneasy.
A soldier near the entrance tightened his grip on his rifle.
"Is the system again malfunctioning?"
"No…" the doctor whispered. "It's reacting. It's responding to him."
The special forces officer stepped forward.
"Run an emergency diagnostic. Now."
But before she could—
---
The Machine Breaks Reality
The NSS-9 lights burst—then died.
For a full second, the entire testing chamber fell into absolute darkness.
No sound.
No breathing.
Nothing.
Then—
CRACK!
The lights snapped back on with a blinding flash.
The NSS-9's hologram jumped to life, glowing ten times brighter than normal—so bright some students shielded their eyes.
Lines of unreadable data streamed across the projection at lightning speed.
The doctor stared, horrified.
The soldier whispered, "W-What is that…?"
The machine released a mechanical gasp.
Then the final results are locked in.
The hologram shifted—and the entire hall fell into stillness.
---
The Impossible Result
[Awakening Level: UNKNOWN (U)(DIMENSION CORE)]
[Spiritual Energy: ???]
[Potential: ??? — Hidden / Special Class]
A silence deeper than death settled over the hall.
No one moved.
No one breathed.
No one dared blink.
Even the machine itself emitted a low, trembling whine—as if exhausted by the reading.
Someone finally whispered:
"…Impossible."
Another student gasped:
"What kind of power is that?"
Riya's eyes widened, her heart dropping into her stomach.
Dimension… Core? What does that even mean?
Leon clenched his fists so hard that blood dripped from his palms.
The doctor's hands shook.
She had been working with awakeners for 18 years.
She had never seen this.
The only words she managed were:
"…Call the director. Immediately."
The entire hall erupted—fear, awe, shock spreading like wildfire.
Alex stood frozen inside the machine, confused, terrified…
…and holding a power no one understood.
---
Author's Note:
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