Horus divided the packed hallways of the Awakening Hall without a word. The stagehands carrying heavy boxes slowed down, stepped aside and muttered with amazement in their eyes.
Their voices irritated his already anxious mind.
The family servant led the way silently. Finally, he stopped at a closed black door and turned forward, putting his hands out.
Reluctantly, Horus took off the crescent-shaped blade at his hip and handed it to the man.
Then he ran his hands through his midnight black hair for a second, unconsciously wasting time because he didn't want to enter.
But that would just anger his father.
He pushed the door open and walked in. It was a simple storage room, packed with boxes and ropes.
Horus' father, Enji Abe, stood with his back facing the door. He wore a simple black suit and red tie, and his black hair was tied into a ponytail.
When he turned, and his grey eyes landed on his son, Horus could immediately tell he was angry.
"What did I tell you?" Enji asked calmly.
"Do not enter the dungeon."
"Then why are you still making plans?"
Because you won't let me give Wally the money he needs to pay for the academy's tuition.
It's not like Horus needed the money. He had nothing to buy, nothing he desired. But even Wally didn't want the loan for some reason. Even though it was the most efficient way.
"I-" Horus wasn't very used to lying to his father. "He needs my help. I want to help."
"No," Enji said with a slight tone of annoyance. "You want someone to praise you. Your pet project doesn't need your help. Where you are needed is at home, preparing to travel with the rest of Twilight's forces."
Horus felt his nervousness melt away as anger rose. "Wally isn't a pet project, he's my—"
Enji's hand flickered between a table and Horus's hand. A sharp crack filled the air as the wooden baton he picked up split in half.
Despite his blurring vision, Horus clenched his teeth and remained standing. He stared back at his father calmly.
"Have you forgotten your training? Have you forgotten who you are?" Enji stood face to face, and he searched for a shred of defiance in Horus' eyes.
"What are you, Horus?"
"A sword."
Enji stayed for a long breath, then he stepped away. "You are the finest sword Twilight has crafted in a hundred years, the first sword of the Outer orbit considered to become swordmaster, and, to you, the fabled sword of Mundanes apparently."
Walking past him, Enji added, "But your mother has greater expectations for you. Don't rely on your desires, your superiors are far wiser. Return to the manor as soon as you are teleported."
The door snapped shut with a bang. The room's silence tightened around Horus.
His calm breath grew stronger, his body trembled. Anger and confusion clouded his vision. The instilled nature of obedience fought against the spirit of who he was.
His fist snapped forward, burying itself in the wall with a heavy thud and a spray of wood.
Maybe it was time he learnt a lesson from Randall.
It's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission.
●–—●
Back in the awakening hall, everyone was lined up. When it reached their turns, they climbed onstage and awakened.
All of his friends knew better than to ask Horus why he was so quiet. But John was so high he invaded Horus' space, wrapping an arm around his shoulder.
"Hey, it's Wally's sister." John pointed down the line of intrepid youth, where a couple of girls stood.
Horus looked him up and down irritably before studying the girl in question.
She had Wally's fiery red hair and the same silvery eyes, but they looked so different they might have been strangers.
She wore ornate round glasses, a long skirt and a turtle neck under a grey coat. She didn't look ready to fight for her life.
The girls all caught Horus' stare and straightened up stiffly, whispers and giggles dying away. But Wally's sister met his eyes nervously and offered a crooked smile.
Wally glared. "Why do you know June?"
"Ulrich fancies her," John answered, waving his hand. "I told him that helping you would get him on her good side."
The look of horror on Wally's face transcended simple brotherly care. He looked like he was watching a lion stalk a child.
It made Horus uneasy. Ulrich wasn't… he wasn't always the best person, but he wouldn't be terrible to June.
"They might not be that bad together," Horus comforted.
Wally glared at him. "You barely knew she existed before today. I've known Ulrich for seven years."
Horus flinched, but conceded.
Thankfully, people they knew started awakening. It started with Ulrich, who was already walking up the stage.
Once the crowd's applause died down, the announcer pointed at the pure black awakening stone surrounded by sensors and screens.
"You first, Sir Marikos," he said with an awkward smile.
Ulrich's expression grew more sour before tentatively placing a hand on the stone, and it began to glow an icy white. He gasped, and his misty breath confirmed what everyone guessed.
But the Announcer read out the results of the control pane, regardless. "Epic class! Argent mage!"
A loud applause rolled through the hall. Horus could hear some boos mixed in, but they were drowned out.
At least Ulrich almost smiled; his lips tugged up slightly and his eyes brightened. As he came down, Randall and the others surged forward to congratulate him. He met Horus's eyes, and they both smiled.
The awakening went on, and the others awakened Adept or Elite classes. Which was to be expected, but being able to start at Elite was already a big boon.
Upgrading your class requires lots of resources and dangerous quests.
Someone in the Elite class could reach Master and maybe even try for Epic one day.
The Announcer's eyes widened reading Randall's result. "Master class! Siege Knight!"
A heavy round of applause broke out. Randall paused briefly, a tear running down his face, before hugging Shiv tightly.
"Good luck," he whispered as she walked to the awakening stone.
Her slender brown hand brushed the stone, and ethereal blue hands filled the air, mimicking her. The announcer looked from the screen to the shaking girl in disbelief.
"Epic class! Projection Conjurer!"
The hall was on its feet with a powerful applause. Two Epic classes were completely unexpected. Shiv jumped into Ulrich and Randall. Their celebration was not graceful, but it came from something they all feared.
Shiv's parents both awakened common classes that, if she got too, wouldn't allow Shiv to continue training and being close to her friends.
Horus also offered a hug to her. "That was amazing. Bloodhaven's blessed to have someone as hardworking as you get this class."
Shiv looked down, blushing. Her reply was barely audible: "Thank you."
"Horus Twilight," the announcer said solemnly. The entire hall grew silent, and every eye fell on him.
"Will you do us the honour of witnessing your awakening?"
He moved through the weight of the world like it was nothing. Everyone did their best to restrain themselves, but he could hear even the lowest whisper.
"Legendary class, legendary class…"
"Grow in kindness, as you grow in strength…"
"He'll change everything…"
Maybe he should feel nervous, but getting an Epic class had always been destined.
Some days, he imagined what skills his mother's Legendary class had and how he would use them.
People like him were called Inheritors because they were trained from birth to get a particular class.
So, Horus grabbed the stone firmly, unburdened by fear.
Nothing happened.
He knew the signs of awakening [Crescent swordsman]; he watched every single one of his siblings awaken it.
The announcer didn't say a word. His eyes were glued to the screen in front of him. A shudder ran through Horus as the mana in his soul bloomed.
A black screen with golden bezels appeared in front of him.
[Welcome to the system, Horus. Outlined below are your basic stats that can be improved with hard work and quests.]
[Once you reach the common tier limit in one skill, you will gain access to the Trade feature and the party feature.]
[Once you reach the Adept tier in two skills, you will gain access to the Arena feature and Reputation rankings.]
◇—Status—◇
Name: Horus
Title: Lonely Moon
Class: Common Swordsman
Attributes:
[Endurance] > 17 (Common)
[Tolerance]> 20 (Common) [Skill limit reached]
[Physicality]> 20 (Common) [Skill limit reached]
[Perception]> 20 (Common) [Skill limit reached]
[Reflexes]> 18 (Common)
[Basic Swordsmanship]> 20 (Common) [Skill limit reached]
[Basic Archery]> 8 (Common)
[Shelter building]> 13 (Common)
[Cooking]>13 (Common)
[Striking proficiency]> 17 (Common)
[Twilight Swordsmanship]> 15 (Common)
[Trap disarming]> 2 (Common)
Weapons slot (4):
Quest(s): None
His heart nearly stopped. The common class.
The silence in the awakening hall was suffocating. Horus's hand slipped off the awakening stone, and he stepped back.
The announcer stumbled through the words. "C-common class. Common Swordsman."
Voices scattered in confusion, shouts rose in defiance and disbelief. Horus came down from the stage slowly, looking from face to face.
Enji trembled silently, his eyes were wide, unaware of the people speaking to him. Then he turned away, staring down at his hands.
Randall had a small smile on his face, like he couldn't believe his eyes. Ulrich muttered to himself, refusing what he had just heard.
Shiv was frozen, just staring. Like the world was falling apart around her and there was no escape.
Wally tried reaching out to him, but Horus marched out of the hall, his heart hammering like a drum.
I'm going to throw up.