The mansion grounds were unusually calm the next morning. Germaine stepped outside, the chilled dawn air brushing her skin in a way that felt sharper than before. Ever since her late awakening, her senses buzzed with a quiet alertness she couldn't yet control. Every rustle of leaves, every flutter of mana in the air, every distant footstep… she felt them, like faint ripples brushing against her consciousness.
It wasn't overwhelming—not yet—but it reminded her that she was no longer the same girl who used to slip through hallways unnoticed. Something inside her had shifted. Awakened.
She adjusted the satchel slung over her shoulder, making sure the ancient book was tucked securely inside. She didn't dare leave it in the library anymore. Even though no one else knew what it truly was, she felt protective of it—like it was a part of her. Or worse… connected to her.
Germaine took a steadying breath and stepped down the stone stairs toward the courtyard. She had a plan for the morning: test her mana control somewhere safer, somewhere far from prying eyes. Her brother's warning echoed in her mind—"late awakenings are either incredible or dangerous"—and though she didn't want to admit it, a sliver of fear threaded through her determination.
Still, she had to understand what she was becoming.
The courtyard was empty except for the faint glow of the early sun brushing across the floating islands beyond the estate's boundaries. She paused for a moment, staring at the massive sky-bridges in the distance—colossal stone paths anchored to enchanted pillars, connecting one continent shard to another. Travelers often crossed them to reach the inner territories, where the strongest factions and greatest treasures lay.
One day, she would go there. She knew it instinctively. But not yet.
For now, she needed control.
She positioned herself at the center of the courtyard and settled into a stance she had seen her siblings use during training. Her feet grounded, her posture straight, her breathing steady.
"Focus… just like yesterday," she whispered.
She envisioned her mana core—a small, golden ember pulsing faintly in her chest. The moment her mind reached out to it, warmth spread through her ribs, delicate and curious. Almost like the core was responding to her call.
She raised her hand, palm upward.
"Light."
A faint shimmer appeared, flickering uncertainly like a candle trying to ignite in the wind. Germaine exhaled slowly and tried again. The warmth in her chest intensified, flowing into her arm. This time, the orb formed instantly—steady, warm, and brighter than the day before.
Her lips parted in a soft gasp. She could feel the mana threads now, weaving from her core into her hand, guided by her intention alone. The orb floated upward, drifting slightly in the morning breeze but staying solid.
Control was easier today. Much easier.
Her fingers twitched, and the orb responded, gliding gently in the direction she imagined. She guided it in slow arcs, shaping its movement with nothing but thought and instinct. It felt natural. Too natural.
She wasn't training this. She was remembering something.
"Is this instinct… or something else?" she murmured.
Her physique hummed with quiet strength, her muscles responding with a lightness and precision she had never possessed. Yesterday's reflexes weren't a coincidence. Her entire body was aligning itself with her awakening.
She lowered the orb and let it fade out, brushing her palms against her thighs.
"Not bad for someone who was unawakened a few days ago," a voice called from behind.
Germaine startled, spinning around. A tall figure stepped out from behind a pillar—her cousin, Elric. His expression was unreadable, but his eyes were fixed intently on her, sharp as ever. He was already at Adept-Peak rank, his mana presence solid and disciplined.
Germaine swallowed. She hadn't expected anyone to be awake at this hour.
"Elric… good morning."
"Morning," he said without smiling. "You're up early. And training alone?"
"Yes," she admitted.
"Hm." His gaze flicked to her hand. "I saw that orb. You're progressing fast."
She tensed. Compliments weren't something Elric gave. Ever.
"I'm just practicing," she said carefully.
"For someone awakened only days ago, that's more than practice." He stepped closer, studying her with the same intensity a researcher gave a rare artifact. "Your mana flow is unusually smooth for a beginner. Too smooth."
Germaine looked away, gripping her wrist. "I'm just doing my best."
"That's not what I mean."
He circled her slowly, inspecting her aura—she felt it, the way a soft pressure touched her skin. His eyes narrowed.
"You don't feel like a Beginner-Early. And your physique… it's shifting already."
Germaine stiffened. "Is that bad?"
"Not… bad. Just strange." He folded his arms. "Your awakening feels incomplete."
"Incomplete?"
"Yes." He glanced at her chest, where her mana core rested deep inside. "Almost like something else awakened with you. Something you haven't stabilized yet."
Her hand instinctively pressed against her sternum. She felt that warmth every time she touched the book. The whisper. The pulse. The calling.
"I'm fine," she insisted.
Elric raised a brow. "Are you?"
She couldn't answer.
His expression softened slightly—only slightly. "Listen. Awakening late is unpredictable. You need guidance. A mentor. Preferably someone who understands mana anomalies."
"I don't want anyone to know yet," she said quickly, maybe too quickly.
"That's exactly why you worry me." He stepped closer, lowering his voice. "If you hide this and something goes wrong—if your mana destabilizes—no one will be able to help you."
She hesitated. He was right. But she couldn't reveal the book, or the vision of the shards. Not yet.
"I'll be careful," she said quietly. "I promise."
Elric sighed. "Fine. But if anything feels… wrong, come to me. A late awakening isn't something you handle alone."
She nodded, though uncertainty tugged at her chest. As he turned to leave, he paused.
"Oh, and Germaine?"
She looked up.
"Not everyone will be happy about your awakening. Some will question it. Some will fear it." His eyes darkened. "Stay alert."
She watched him walk away, her pulse unsteady. The world was already beginning to change around her.
---
Later that afternoon, she returned to the library. The quiet welcomed her, wrapping her like a familiar blanket. She closed the doors behind her and pulled the ancient book from her satchel. Its cover shimmered faintly, the runes shifting like ink stirred by unseen hands.
Germaine placed it on a table and exhaled.
"You… you're connected to me, aren't you?" she whispered.
The runes pulsed once.
She wasn't imagining it.
Slowly, she opened the book. The pages unfurled with a soft glow, revealing diagrams of mana cores, pathways, and techniques she had never seen in any family scroll. These weren't beginner teachings. They weren't even advanced.
They were ancient.
She traced her finger over a diagram showing two overlapping cores—a human core and something else… something foreign. The script beneath it read:
"When power awakens from beyond the mortal sphere, a second presence will rise. Guide it, temper it, or lose yourself to it."
A chill ran through her.
"Second presence…" she murmured.
Was that what Elric sensed?
She flipped another page. More runes blossomed, forming symbols of traits, soulbonds, shards… each connected by intricate lines pointing to a central sphere of light.
Her breath caught.
A depiction of the Eternity Shard.
The same one from her vision.
She leaned closer. The text beneath it glowed to life:
"Those chosen by the Shards shall awaken not by age, but by destiny. Their cores shall reshape, their traits shall multiply, and their physique shall evolve to house the power of creation."
Her heartbeat thundered in her ears.
Chosen… by the shards? Her?
She pressed a trembling hand to her chest again.
No wonder her mana felt different.
No wonder her awakening was late.
No wonder the book responded to her alone.
"If this is true… then what am I supposed to do?" she whispered.
The book responded again—not with words, but with images flashing in her mind: floating continents cracking, factions warring, a glowing shard falling from the sky, and a silhouette of a girl standing before it.
Her silhouette.
She gasped and grabbed the edge of the table until her knuckles whitened. The vision faded, leaving her breathless.
She wasn't prepared for this.
She wasn't strong enough.
Not yet.
But the path ahead was clear: she had to temper her core, increase her cultivation rank at least to the ruler rank, strengthen her physique, and uncover the truth behind her awakening before the world discovered her connection to the shards.
And she needed a SoulPet.
A proper soulbond partner would stabilize her evolving mana. Without one… she could become exactly what Elric warned: unstable. Dangerous.
Germaine closed the book slowly, determination solidifying in her chest.
"Fine," she whispered. "If destiny wants me, then I'll face it. But I'm doing this on my terms."
She stood, clutching the book. Tomorrow, she would go beyond the estate. She would start searching for a soulbond companion—something strong, something rare.
Her journey was beginning.
Quietly, but undeniably.
And once the world learned of the girl who awakened late—
it would never overlook her again.