Iris Valemont — POV
Iris stood at the edge of the plaza long after the Awakening Ceremony ended.
The crystal fragments were still being cleaned. Officials whispered nervously. Nobles gathered in tight circles, voices low but sharp.
And at the center of all that chaos—
Lucien Vale.
Why him…?
She clutched her book tighter to her chest.
She had expected the usual results. Talents measured. Futures decided. Lucien Vale was supposed to be forgettable—a loud noble boy with nothing to back it up.
Yet when his hand touched the crystal—
The world reacted.
Not loudly.
Not violently.
But inevitably.
What unsettled her most wasn't his S-rank talent.
It was his expression.
He hadn't looked surprised.
He hadn't looked greedy.
He had smiled.
As if the result merely confirmed something he already knew.
When he clapped for her awakening earlier, she thought it was kindness.
Now, she wasn't sure.
It felt like he was watching fate… not participating in it.
And yet—
When their mana resonated earlier, she felt warmth instead of pressure.
That scared her more than power ever could.
Elara Wynford — POV
Elara stood with her friends, pretending to gossip.
In reality, she was watching Lucien.
He changed, she thought.
Not today.
Not suddenly.
Gradually.
The Lucien Vale she remembered was sharp-tongued, impatient, always angry when things didn't go his way.
This Lucien?
He laughed easily.
He joked with commoners.
He didn't look down on anyone.
And now—
Now even the older nobles were looking at him cautiously.
"Did you see the crystal react?" someone whispered.
"That shouldn't be possible…"
Elara swallowed.
She remembered when Lucien had greeted her days ago.
Her heart had jumped for no reason.
Now she understood why.
He doesn't feel like someone bound by rules.
That kind of person was dangerous.
And irresistible.
Alden Graves — POV
Alden didn't care about nobles.
He cared about strength.
And what he saw today disturbed him.
The Awakening Crystal didn't measure ambition.
It measured potential.
And Lucien Vale's potential had forced the formation to respond beyond its limits.
That wasn't luck, Alden thought grimly.
He had awakened a solid Earth affinity. A respectable physique. Enough to walk the path of a warrior.
But Lucien?
He had skipped steps.
Not recklessly.
Precisely.
Alden clenched his fist.
If he trains seriously… he'll become a monster.
And monsters didn't appear this early in the story.
Seraphina Aurelion — POV
Seraphina watched from the shadow of the imperial stand.
She had awakened with grace. Light affinity. High mental endurance. A future clearly defined.
Yet for the first time—
She felt uncertainty.
Lucien Vale's awakening had caused something ancient to stir.
She felt it in the flow of mana.
Something sealed.
Something watching.
The gods will notice him, she realized.
And when gods noticed mortals, calamities followed.
What unsettled her most was his attitude afterward.
No arrogance.
No hunger.
Just calm curiosity.
As if this world were a puzzle he intended to solve.
She whispered softly:
"Dangerous…"
But not with fear.
With interest.
Duke Alaric Vale — POV
From the imperial balcony, Duke Alaric Vale remained silent.
Other nobles congratulated him.
He accepted politely.
Inside—
He was unsettled.
That awakening wasn't natural.
Not because it was strong.
But because it felt incomplete.
Like a gate opening—not fully, but enough to let something breathe.
Alaric remembered ancient records.
Records of individuals who didn't fit the world's scale.
Those who changed eras.
Those who attracted disasters.
Lucien… what did you become?
For the first time since his son's birth—
The Duke felt something close to unease.
UNSEEN — A DISTANT GAZE
Far beyond mortal perception—
A presence stirred.
"The thread diverges."
"The villain refuses his role."
"Interesting…"
Eyes older than empires turned.
Not to the hero.
But to Lucien Vale.
BACK TO THE PLAZA
Lucien laughed as someone congratulated him.
He looked… normal.
That was the most frightening part.
Iris watched him go, heart beating faster than it should.
The academy hasn't even begun…
And yet—
Every main character present felt it.
The story had already changed.