When the glass doors of the Hunter Association slid open, warm afternoon air rushed in to replace the cool, mana-filtered atmosphere inside. We had barely stepped onto the front steps when a familiar voice called out.
"Liam," said the receptionist—a middle-aged woman with silver streaks in her hair. Her eyes softened when she saw me. "Congratulations on your awakening. It's… good to finally see you outside that room."
I nodded politely, a gesture that still felt new. "Thank you."
A young trainee sweeping near the entrance lifted his head. "Dual affinity, right? That's… pretty awesome." He tried to hide his excitement but failed miserably.
Before I could respond, Rin jumped in front of me like a miniature guard dog. "Of course it's awesome! He's my big brother!"
Arin flicked Rin's forehead. "You awakened early too. Stop pretending you're not proud of that."
"I AM proud! I'm proud of both of us!"
Behind them, a low-rank hunter jogged up to Father. "Sir Arden," he greeted respectfully. "Your boy… he's got talent."
Father didn't speak—he rarely did in public—but the slight lift at the corner of his mouth said enough.
Mother ushered us down the steps. "Don't block the entrance, all of you."
As we walked, a few more Association staff nodded our way. Not crowding. Not overwhelming. Just small acknowledgments.
My fingers brushed the camera hanging around my neck.
It wasn't bought today. It wasn't new from a store.
Father had placed it in my hands last night.
"It's yours," he had said simply. "I bought it ten years ago… for your birthday. You never got to use it."
I still wasn't sure whether I felt grateful or guilty for that.
But now, as Rin tugged my sleeve and shouted, "Take a picture, Big Brother!" I lifted it and snapped a photo of him mid-pose, cheeks puffed, thumbs up.
Arin groaned dramatically. "Delete that. He looks like a mutant frog."
"I look COOL!" Rin insisted.
The street was busy as always—hovercars drifting above lanes, vendors calling out about grilled mana-snacks, and teenagers in Academy uniforms rushing by in groups. The city smelled like concrete, heat, and sugary street food.
We blended into the crowd, moving toward the tall blue dome of Azure Square Mall.
Father walked ahead, the crowd parting slightly just from his presence alone. Mother stayed close to me, occasionally checking if I needed support. Rin darted around like an excited puppy. Arin held onto his hoodie to prevent himself from getting swallowed by people.
I clicked a few quiet photos:
A shot of Mother's smile when she wasn't looking
One of Rin balancing badly on a curb
One of the Association emblem shining behind us
And a blurry one of Father's profile—sharp lines softened by sunlight
My steps felt lighter than they had in months.
"Are you excited?" Rin asked, running backwards in front of me.
"I guess."
"You GUESS?!" He gasped dramatically. "It's your first time out! After a coma! After awakening! After—"
Arin yanked him by the back of his collar. "Stop narrating his entire life."
I huffed a quiet laugh.
Mother adjusted my hair gently. "It's a good day."
And for once, I didn't doubt her words.
Azure Square Mall towered above us, its glass dome shimmering like a frozen ocean.
We were finally here.
Azure Square Mall rose in front of us like a giant blue bubble dropped into the middle of Silvaria City. The glass dome shimmered under the sun, reflecting streaks of white light, and the wide automatic doors opened and closed in a steady rhythm as people flowed in and out.
Rin ran ahead immediately.
"LOOK! THEY HAVE NEW DECORATIONS!"He spun in place like a malfunctioning wind-up toy.
Arin grabbed the back of his shirt before he crashed into a woman carrying shopping bags."Slow down, genius."
"I am slow!" Rin argued as he continued speed-walking like a penguin.
I lifted my camera and clicked a photo of them—Rin's excited blur, Arin's irritated expression, and the mall lights behind them.The image felt alive.
Mother smiled as she walked beside me. "You can take pictures inside too. There's a lot to see."
Father placed his hand lightly on my shoulder as we stepped into the cool, air-conditioned lobby."Stay close," he said quietly.His tone wasn't strict—just habit.
Inside, the mall was a wide circle with three floors of shops arranged like petals. A floating fountain hovered in the center, water forming shapes midair—birds, spirals, and glowing droplets.
Rin's jaw dropped."WOAH—THEY CHANGED THE FOUNTAIN!"He ran toward it. Arin followed, half chasing, half supervising.
I took a picture of the fountain. Then there was one of Rin trying to catch falling droplets—he failed, obviously—and Arin pretending not to know him.
People passed by with bags, drinks, and laughter.A group of Hunter Academy trainees walked past, talking about dungeon assignments.A pair of old men argued over mana batteries.A mother dragged her toddler away from a toy shop.
It all felt… normal.
I had never realized how much normal mattered.
Father slowed down beside me and asked, "You okay?"
I nodded. "Yeah."
He didn't say anything else, but his hand briefly squeezed my shoulder before letting go.
Mother tapped her bracelet screen."Clothes first," she said. "You need something decent before you meet people."
Arin snorted. "He's already decent."
Rin raised his hand like a student. "I vote clothes too! I want to see the red jackets!"
"No red jackets," Arin warned.
"Yes, red jackets!"
Father sighed softly.
I clicked a picture of the chaos and kept walking.
As we approached the row of clothing stores, Mother's steps slowed.She looked around the mall—the bright lights, the crowds, the families—and then at me.
"Does it feel overwhelming?"
"No," I said truthfully. "Just… new."
She smiled and tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear."You're doing well."
Rin was already at the clothing store entrance."BIG BROTHER, HURRY!"He waved both arms."I FOUND A T-SHIRT WITH A DRAGON!"
Arin corrected him instantly."That's NOT a dragon. That's a lizard with wings!"
"It's a dragon!"
"It's a lizard!"
They argued their way inside.
I photographed the moment and followed after them.
As I finished taking a picture of Rin nearly falling into the fountain, Arin suddenly stepped in front of me.
"Here," she said, snatching the camera from my hands before I could react. "Your turn."
"Huh?"
"Stand still," she ordered. "You took like ten pictures of us. It's only fair."
Rin immediately jumped beside her."YES! YES! Take one of Big Brother! He looks SO COOL with the camera!"
"I don't—" I began.
Too late.
Arin raised the camera, Rin posed beside me like a gremlin, and Mother straightened my hair with quick fingers.
Click.
Arin lowered the camera and stared at the preview."Oh," she said softly."You look… good."
Rin leaned over her shoulder."SEE?! I TOLD YOU! His eyes look like ruby gems!"
I felt heat touch the back of my neck.Not embarrassment—just unfamiliarity.
Arin took another one—me holding the book I had tucked under my arm.She tilted her head."This one is even better."
She handed the camera back.
I looked at the pictures.Quietly.Carefully.
For a moment, the world around me blurred into background noise as I stared at my own face—calm, standing under soft mall lights, eyes reflecting red like glass.
It didn't look like the starving boy from before.It didn't look like the lonely adult I used to be.
It looked… normal.Alive.Here.
Rin nudged me."You like it, don't you?"
I didn't answer.But the tiny, involuntary curl at the corner of my mouth must've been enough.
Arin saw it.She didn't tease.She only smiled and said, "Let's go, or Rin will buy the wrong size clothes."
Rin shouted, "I HEARD THAT!"
We walked into the clothing store together.
The moment we stepped into CloudWear Casuals, Rin burst forward like he had been launched.
"BIG BROTHER! BIG BROTHER! LOOK AT THIS DRAGON SHIRT!"
Arin didn't even look up."That's not a dragon. That's a winged lizard."
"It BREATHES FIRE!"
"There's literally a sticker saying 'Lizard King—Fire Variant.'"
"IT'S A DRAGON."
Their argument dissolved into background noise as I walked deeper into the store, running my fingers over soft fabrics. The shop smelled faintly of detergent and new cotton—something strangely comforting.
Mother joined my side."You can pick anything. Practical, fancy, simple… just something that feels like you."
I nodded."Simple is enough."
She smiled knowingly.
I moved toward the basics—plain shirts, clean colors.A white T-shirt caught my eye, then a black one.Black jogger pants.A slightly dressier black-and-white outfit.All clean. All comfortable.
Click.Arin took another picture of me holding the clothes.
"What are you doing?" I asked.
"Documenting your transformation," she said with a straight face.
Rin popped between us."I FOUND SHOES!"He held up a pair that had glowing soles.
"No," Arin said instantly."Yes," Rin insisted."No.""YES.""No, Rin."
Rin wilted dramatically, then spotted something else and sprinted away.
Mother checked the sizes and placed the chosen clothes in a basket."They'll fit after a wash. You've gotten healthier."
I glanced at my reflection in a nearby mirror.It still felt strange to see a boy who wasn't skin and bones anymore.
Arin appeared beside me, checking the same reflection."Hmm," she said, squinting."You do look good."She flicked my chin lightly. "Don't let Rin inflate your ego though."
Rin shouted from across the store, "BIG BROTHER HAS AN EGO?!"
"No," Arin shouted back, "but YOU think he should."
I turned away to hide the laugh.
We paid for the clothes—white shirts, black shirts, black pants, black joggers, shoes—and stepped out of the store.
Rin tried to grab one of the bags and promptly almost dropped it.
"Careful," I said.
"I AM CAREFUL," he said loudly, before proving the opposite.
I took a picture of the moment.
Arin peeked at the preview."You're honestly becoming like those artsy-type Academy students."
I raised a brow. "Is that bad?"
"No," she said with a shrug."It's… surprisingly fitting."
We walked toward the tech floor.
Rin sprinted ahead to point at the giant holo-sign: Digital Flare.
Arin grabbed the back of his hoodie again.
Mother sighed."We haven't even reached the second store, and he's already out of energy."
"No, I have infinite energy!!" Rin declared.
Father muttered, "That's the problem."
I clicked a picture of that, too.
We stepped toward the next shop.
We stepped out of the store with three medium-sized bags—my new clothes neatly folded inside. Rin tried to grab one. Arin tried to stop him. Mother tried not to laugh. It was the usual chaos.
Then Father lifted his left hand, and the faint shimmer of his dimensional ring activated—an elegant black band with a subtle red glow.
In one smooth motion, the bags vanished into a soft ripple of mana.
Rin gasped."WHOOAAA—Dad used the ring!"
Arin rolled her eyes. "It's literally what it's for."
I blinked. "Dimensional ring?"
Mother explained gently, "They're rare. Very expensive. Only high-rank hunters or wealthy nobles usually have one."
Arin added, "Dad earned his during an A-rank dungeon campaign. Mom bought hers later but gave it to him when… well… he stopped taking missions."
Rin announced proudly, "We're not rich rich, but we can afford one! Because Mom and Dad were A–rank and B–rank!"
Father corrected absently, "A– and B+. Not that it matters."
I understood what he meant—rank didn't matter anymore.But the ring did.
It meant he used to carry entire squads' gear.It meant he used to walk into dungeons with confidence.It meant he used to prepare for war, not shopping trips.
He closed his fist, the glow fading."We'll keep the bags safe," he said simply.
Rin tugged my sleeve."Dad only uses the ring on important days," he whispered loudly, as if sharing a national secret.
Arin facepalmed."It's just shopping, Rin."
"No!" Rin insisted. "TODAY is important!"
I quietly took a photo of the ring on Father's hand.The light caught on the red gem embedded in the band—like a heartbeat.
Then I took another picture of Rin trying to imitate Father's serious pose.He looked like a baby penguin trying to be a knight.
Arin laughed.Mother smiled softly.Father pretended he didn't see any of it.
We started walking toward the tech floor.