..
Awakening Day arrived with celebration.
Banners fluttered across Saint Academy's central plaza, their colors vivid, their magic humming softly in the air. Floating platforms were arranged in a wide circle around the stage, each marked with glowing runes. At the center sat the Awakening Orb...a crystalline sphere suspended midair, pulsing like a living heart.
Students gathered early.
Too early.
They laughed. Boasted. Compared expectations.
"Father says I'll awaken fire." "I'm guaranteed at least a B-rank." "If it's below A, I'll request a retest."
Alex stood among them, silent.
Elara's hand rested on his arm.
Not gently.
Possessively.
"Smile," she murmured without looking at him. "People are watching."
Alex forced his lips upward.
He felt like livestock being prepared for auction.
The Headmaster stepped forward, raising a hand. The plaza quieted instantly.
"Today," he announced, "you will learn your true worth."
The words echoed.
"Step forward when your name is called. Place your hand on the orb. The Academy will record your ability and rank."
Names began to ring out.
One by one.
"Marcelion Vane!"
A boy strode forward confidently.
The orb flared crimson.
"B-rank! Flame Manipulation!"
Applause.
"Selene Frostwhisper!"
Blue light surged..
"A-rank! Cryokinesis!"
Cheers.
Each awakening sent ripples of excitement through the crowd. Power was celebrated openly here. Weakness was entertainment.
Alex's name hadn't been called yet.
His heartbeat grew louder with every passing student.
Elara leaned closer. "Don't disappoint me," she whispered.
His fingers went numb.
Then…
"Alex."
No family name.
No honorific.
Just Alex.
The crowd turned.
Whispers erupted immediately.
"That's him." "The commoner." "Elara's pet."
Alex stepped forward.
The distance to the orb felt impossibly long.
Each step was heavier than the last.
He placed his hand on the crystal.
It was cold.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then...
The orb flickered.
Once.
Twice.
A faint, unstable glow crawled across its surface...murky, colorless, wrong.
The plaza fell silent.
The projection rune activated.
Letters formed in the air.
Ability: Weakling's Luck
Rank: F
Silence.
Then laughter.
Not all at once.
At first, it was a snort. Then a chuckle. Then a wave of mocking amusement swept the plaza like a disease.
"F-rank?" "Did the orb break?" "Weakling's Luck? What kind of name is that?"
Victor's laugh rang loudest.
"I told you!" he shouted. "Useless!"
Alex's hand slipped from the orb.
His vision blurred.
He heard Elara inhale sharply.
Then she laughed.
Softly.
Disappointed.
She leaned down, her lips brushing his ear.
"Oh, Alex," she whispered. "You've embarrassed me."
Her hand tightened around his wrist.
The warmth from her earlier kindness was gone.
Replaced by something sharp and cold.
"I thought you'd be interesting," she continued quietly. "But this?"
She exhaled.
"How unfortunate."
The Headmaster glanced at the projection.
His expression didn't change.
"Record it," he said flatly.
The rune solidified.
Alex, F-rank.
Permanent.
Students stared openly now. No need to pretend anymore.
Someone tossed a coin at his feet.
"Buy better luck next life," they joked.
Elara pulled him closer.
"Stand straight," she hissed. "You're still mine."
The words twisted in his chest.
The ceremony continued.
Alex barely noticed.
He felt hollow.
Empty.
He had hoped...foolishly...that this would be different.
That his father's sacrifice would mean something.
Elara leaned down again.
Her voice was sweet.
"Don't worry," she whispered. "I'll still keep you."
His stomach dropped.
"As what?" he asked weakly.
She smiled.
"My pet."
The word crushed him.
The ceremony ended.
Students dispersed, already losing interest. He wasn't worth mocking for long.
Elara released his arm.
"Go clean yourself," she said. "You look pathetic."
She walked away without another glance.
Alex remained standing long after the plaza emptied.
The projection rune still hovered faintly in the air.
Weakling's Luck.
F-rank.
A shadow fell across him.
"You should get medical clearance," a calm voice said. "Abilities like that can be… unstable."
Alex looked up.
A girl stood there.
Golden hair. Soft eyes. A presence that felt warm instead of crushing.
"I'm Sophia," she said. "I saw your awakening."
"I'm sorry," Alex muttered.
She frowned slightly. "For what?"
"For existing."
She studied him carefully.
"No," she said after a moment. "For surviving."
He didn't understand what she meant.
But as she walked away, Alex felt it.
A strange sensation.
Like something inside him had shifted.
Like his so-called useless ability had noticed her.
And smiled.
From a balcony above, Elara watched.
Her fingers trembled...not with disgust, but irritation.
She hadn't planned for witnesses.
And she hadn't planned for Alex's power to feel so… hungry.