The second horn blast still rang in my ears.
The heavy iron gates groaned as they pulled open, their hinges screeching like something long forgotten by oil or mercy. The morning mist from the forest spilled into the courtyard, curling around our ankles like smoke.
I stood beside Kairen near the edge of the yard, both of us watching as a column of people assembled by the gate — some in mismatched armor, others in worn leather or tattered rags that barely passed for uniforms.
Most looked to be in their early twenties, though a few were teenagers like me. There were even smaller figures among them — kids, barely old enough to lift a sword, tightening belts and strapping dull blades to their sides.
The guards at the gate didn't look at them with sympathy. Just boredom.
"Who are those people, and what are they getting ready for?" I asked the boy next to me — my supposed new cellmate, or whatever this place considered us.
"They're the Hunters," he said, his tone flat, almost routine. "They go out to hunt monsters — bring back food, mana stones, sometimes materials the orphanage can sell. Most of them are trained fighters, or…" He paused, glancing at me. "…awakeners."
"Awakeners?" I repeated. "What do you mean by that?"
Kieran looked at me like I had just announced I'd been living under a rock. "You don't know what an awakener is? Did you get hit too hard in the head or something — end up with amnesia?"
Hit in the head?
I blinked, then decided to play along. Maybe I could learn more if he thought I was clueless.
"Yeah… amnesia," I said. "The only thing I really remember is my name — Cael."
Kieran let out a dry chuckle. "Cael, huh? Well, buddy, you sound like you've got the worst luck around."
You have no idea.
"Look," he continued, crouching by the window to get a better view of the Hunters. "It's a long story — like, really long. I don't know all the details myself. But from what I've heard, a long time ago there was this… calamity. Monsters, portals — they started appearing everywhere. The world went to hell overnight. People died by the millions. No one could stop it."
His voice lowered a little, almost reverent.
"But then something changed. People began awakening — gaining supernatural powers out of nowhere. Some could fly, others could shoot fire, or move things with their minds. No one knew how or why. We called them Awakeners. Thanks to them, humanity survived. The world's been rebuilding ever since… though they like to say it's peace now."
He shrugged. "I don't really buy it."
Wow, I thought, watching the Hunters line up before the gate. Just like those web novels I used to read.
"What do you guys find in those portals?" I asked. "Anything special?"
Kieran shook his head. "Sorry, man. That's above my pay grade. I'm just a commoner. Never been to one of those big schools or fancy guilds. You'd have to ask someone from Valefort for that kind of knowledge."
"Valefort?" I tilted my head. "What's that?"
Kieran stared at me for a moment. "Wow, you really don't know anything, huh?"
What part of amnesia does this idiot not understand?
He sighed and crossed his arms. "Valefort is the academy. The number one institution for Awakeners — trains the best of the best. Every big-name awakener you've ever heard of came from there. Graduates usually go on to become nobles, generals, or guildmasters. Some say even world-ranked awakeners train there before making their debut."
His eyes drifted toward the forest again. "They say the academy's built on ancient ruins that still hum with mana. If you're strong enough to survive there, you're strong enough to survive anywhere."
I leaned against the cold wall, letting the information sink in.
There was so much more to this world than I'd realized — history, power, entire hierarchies of people who could bend reality. But the part that gripped me most wasn't the danger or the legends.
It was the magic.
Magic. Real magic.
I finally get to live it. Maybe even master it.
Of course, that depended on one thing—
If I could even awaken in the first place.
I exhaled, watching the mist fade as the last group of Hunters disappeared through the gate.
Of course, that depended on one thing — if I could even awaken.
Damn, I'm getting excited.
I hid a small grin and exhaled slowly. First things first, I thought. I need to learn more about this place — this world — then I'll figure out my next move.
⸻
Later that morning, the yard was quiet again. The Hunters were gone, the guards were at ease, and the rest of us were herded into lines for assignments.
The man in charge — a hulking guard with a crooked nose — barked orders without looking up from his clipboard.
"Kitchen detail. Laundry. Yard duty. You two—" his finger jabbed toward me and Keiran "—upper floor cleaning. Don't make me come down there again."
Keiran muttered something under his breath. I didn't catch it, but from the look on his face, it wasn't a compliment.
⸻
The upper floor was colder than I remembered. The air felt heavier—thick with the smell of damp wood and something metallic underneath.
Blood still clung to the wall like a shadow that refused to fade.
So this is where I woke up… I don't know if it's because I was groggy earlier, but this place looks nastier than I remember.
We picked up buckets and rags from the corner and got to work.
For a while, the only sound was the scraping of cloth against the floor. The boards were warped, sticky with grime that no amount of scrubbing could erase. Water sloshed, echoing softly in the hollow room.
I could feel Kairen glancing at me now and then, like he was trying to decide if I was worth the breath to talk to.
Finally, he broke the silence.
"You're new," he said, wringing out his rag. "You should know the rules if you wanna stay alive."
I glanced over, still scrubbing. "Rules?"
"Yeah. There's five of 'em." He held up a hand, his tone flat but practiced, like someone reciting scripture. "Simple enough to remember."
He began counting them off, one by one.
"Rule One — The strong eat first. If you can't hold onto what's yours, someone else will. Food, bed, even your clothes—it doesn't matter. If you want it, you fight for it."
He dipped the rag back into the murky water.
"Rule Two — Never cross a Hunter's claim. Every Hunter group owns something here. There are five main groups, each led by a captain—and every captain's an Awakener. The Warden trusts them more than the guards."
"I guess being a captain gets you privileges, huh?" I muttered.
Kairen snorted. "You have no idea."
He didn't pause long before continuing. "Rule Three — You refer to each guard by their rank. There's six ranks in total: Recruit, Guard, Senior Guard, Lieutenant, Head Enforcer, and Warden. Mix them up, and they'll make sure you regret it."
"Are the guards awakened too?" I asked.
"Most of them," he said grimly. "Powerful ones at that. That's why—even with the Hunters and their captains—we still can't fight our way out."
"So there's really no way of escaping?"
Kairen gave me a sidelong look. "Unless you become a Hunter… no. You're stuck here. Trust me—I've been here a while. Some have been here more than ten years."
His voice dropped lower, like the walls might be listening.
"Rule Four — Never make a deal you can't keep."
I looked up. "A deal?"
"Yeah. Promises, trades, secrets… anything. This place runs on favors, and if you break one—doesn't matter if it's with a kid or a guard—you're done. People remember debts here. And they collect."
A chill slid down my spine.
He raised his last finger. "Rule Five — Work or rot. Everyone does something—clean, haul, hunt, fix. You refuse, they throw you in the basement. No food. No water. No light. A week down there, and you'll wish you were dead."
I leaned back against the wall, staring at the floorboards. "That's all?"
Kairen gave a hollow smile. "That's enough. The rest you'll learn the hard way. Just make sure you listen to the guards and the captains. They run this place. The Warden?" He shrugged. "He's barely ever here."
"Why wouldn't the Warden be here to supervise his own prison? Where does he go?"
"I don't know, man," Kairen said, wringing out his rag again. "You'd probably have to be a Hunter to find out."
He went back to cleaning, and the room fell into the same tired rhythm as before.
⸻
The hours dragged by.
Between the silence, Kairen talked—never much, just small pieces. About how long he'd been here. About the kids who used to clean this floor before me. About the Warden, who ruled the place like a god no one ever saw but everyone feared.
It wasn't an orphanage.
It was a factory. A market for bodies that could fight or serve.
"They say the Warden sells the strong ones," Kairen said quietly. "To nobles, to guilds… sometimes even to the army. The weak just fade away."
The more I learned, the more the air seemed to rot in my lungs. This place is hell wrapped in the shape of a home.
By the time we finished, the sun had sunk low enough to paint the cracked walls orange. My hands were raw. My head throbbed.
And then—
{Quest Complete — Information Gathered.}
A glowing message appeared in front of my eyes, silent and perfect.
{Rewards Granted:
+1 Strength
+1 Intelligence
New Talent Unlocked.}
I blinked. The blue light shimmered in the puddle at my feet.
A new talent? So I completed the quest.
I looked up. Kairen was still scrubbing the far corner, unaware of what just happened.
"I guess I'm really the only one who can see this," I murmured under my breath.
The letters flickered once—and vanished