It had been raining the whole morning, light but steady, as if the sky itself was unable to decide whether to grieve or to wash. Shaun lounged at the edge of the broken concrete roof of his school, hanging his legs over the side, gazing blankly out over the city below.
It was the same city he'd grown up with—chaotic streets, whizzing traffic, neon signs flashing between English and Japanese—but today, it was strange. Alien. Every yell from down below, every beep of a horn, every sigh of the wind past his ears weighed on him like a physical burden.
Because today was different.
Today, his body resonated with something that wasn't his own.
It began in the morning at assembly. One minute, Shaun was waiting in line, half-hearing the principal's drone of a lecture, the next his whole body was shaking as if struck by unseen lightning. It wasn't agony, per se—it was pressure, crushing and constricting, as if all the bones and muscles were being pressured into waking from a sleep of centuries.
The world was quiet. The students, the teachers, even the whispers of the wind were gone. Everything except a heartbeat.
Thump.
Not his own heartbeat—no. This was slow and heavy and ancient. It reverberated down his veins, shook along his ribs, and called to him.
Awaken.
It wasn't said, but it was etched into Shaun's cranium.
And suddenly, as if it would never happen, the silence was broken. The assembly hall erupted in noise—students shrieking, teachers shrieking, somebody yelling about a "mana flare." Shaun had only just managed to stand, the air around him rippling with heat, light distorting abnormally like a mirage.
He was pulled to the guild examiner standing nearby, the man's eyebrows knitted together in shock as his scanner flashed wildly.
"Rank… C," the examiner whispered, voice hardly audible. Then, louder still, in awe: "Rank C at age fourteen!"
The audience gasped.
For Shaun, it was worse than terrifying.
Now, hours afterward, Shaun relived the episode repeatedly on the rooftop. His fists clamped and relaxed as if to determine if the unexplained surge remained present. It did. The energy vibrated within him like a wild animal, crying out to be released.
"C rank… um," Shaun grunted softly, the words feeling like something he'd never say. A week before, he'd been just another kid, average grades, average pace, average existence. Now? He was ranked among individuals who could, by rumor, level whole cities.
The door at his back creaked open.
"Shaun!"
He spun around, surprised. It was Reina, his friend from childhood. Her black, cropped hair clung to her cheeks from the outside drizzle, and her school dress clung to her body ever so slightly. She was out of breath, as if she'd rushed all the way up here.
"Here you are!" she cried, striding towards him with flames in her eyes. "Do you know what's happening? Everyone at school's talking about you! A C grade, like that! At the age of fourteen!"
Shaun averted his eyes, feeling embarrassed all of a sudden. "I didn't request it."
Reina came to a halt in front of him, arms crossed. "Nobody asks for it, idiot. You think the world cares about what you desire? This is enormous. Do you realize how unusual it is for someone of your age to wake up that high? Do you realize what this implies?"
Shaun scowled. "That I'm a freak?"
Her hand flashed out before he could move, catching the back of his head.
"Ow! What was that for?!
"For being stupid." Reina's voice softened. "You're not a freak, Shaun. You've been given a chance. A dangerous, terrifying chance, yeah. But also one that could save lives. People would kill for this power."
Shaun opened his mouth to retort, but stopped. Because he could still feel it—the energy swirling inside him, restless and alive, like a storm chained in his veins.
Reina knelt next to him, her voice softer now. "Shaun… you've always wanted to save people, haven't you? Your mom, your little brother, everyone you love. This is your moment to do that."
He glanced at her, actually looked at her. Her eyes weren't laughing or scared like the others in school. They were firm, nearly… proud.
And for the first time since morning, the pressure pushing against his chest eased a bit.
Then, however, the rooftop trembled.
It wasn't an earthquake. No—the noise was different, heavier. The sky above grew dark unnaturally, clouds churning into a whirlpool as a piercing, high-pitched shriek tore across the city.
Reina's face paled. "No… not here…"
Shaun rose, thudding heart. "What is it?"
Her reply was drowned by a bellow that shattered the heavens.
From the whirlwind above, a huge beast clawed its way out—grayer skin mottled with imperfections, wings like torn canvas, glowing-ember eyes. A ghoul-beast. Rank unspecified, but the mana-wracked air from its presence sent Shaun's knees crumbling.
Individuals screamed below, alarms sounding throughout the district. Guild alarms let out shrill unisons.
Reina tugged Shaun's wrist. "We must leave—immediately!"
But Shaun couldn't budge. Not because he didn't want to, but because the energy within him exploded wildly, responding to the monster. His vision clouded, his ears ringing, and for a fleeting moment, the world slowed down.
The ghoul's eyes fastened on him.
Shaun's wind was cut.
Fight.
The word wasn't said out loud, but he felt it again—within his chest, his bones, his very soul. Same order from the morning, only stronger, louder.
Fight.
His fists clenched on their own. Sparks of light flickered around his arms, faint but real. His heart thundered in sync with the monstrous heartbeat echoing in the sky.
"Shaun?!" Reina's voice was panicked now. She tried pulling him away, but he didn't budge.
Because for the first time, Shaun wasn't thinking of running. He was thinking about the words Reina had spoken.
"You've always wanted to protect people."
He swallowed, looking up at the oncoming ghoul.
Then he whispered, as much to himself: "Guess this is my chance."
And when the beast swooped, jaws open and claws shining, Shaun advanced to meet it.
The ghoul-beast dove as a comet, wings tearing through the air, its scream shattering every window blocks away. The rooftop shook beneath Shaun's feet as Reina tugged frantically at his sleeve.
"Shaun! What do you do?! Run!"
Shaun's gaze, however, had become fixed on the creature, his heart keeping time with the unfamiliar heartbeat pounding in his veins. Fear was no longer what drove him—it was pressure. Blazing, liquid pressure that ached to be unleashed.
The beast's shadow overwhelmed him. Its claws fell.
Time slowed down.
Every thing came into focus: the torn edges of its wings, the fiery coals in its gullet, even the acidic reek of its breath. His body urged him to escape, but the tempest within him raged louder.
Fight.
Shaun's fist balled, flames erupting across his flesh. Shards of golden light spread outward, shattering the air around his arm. Reina cried out, covering her face from the burst of light.
Then Shaun acted.
He didn't think. He didn't strategize. His body simply responded.
With a snarl of rage, he struck upward.
His fist made contact with the monster's claw—and the world exploded.
A shockwave traveled over the rooftop, tiles shattering and splintering into the windy storm. The ghoul screamed, its flight arrested, hurtled sideways into a nearby building with a deafening crash. Debris rained down upon the streets below, people running in terror.
Shaun gasped back, hand shaking, looking at his own shaking hand. His knuckles radiated faintly, smoke curling off his skin as though fire itself had licked across it.
"Wha… was that?" he breathed.
Reina, even now protecting herself from the aftershock, gazed up at him with wide eyes. "Shaun… you activated. You're creating mana in the physical sense."
He shook his head, his heart pounding. "I have no idea what I did."
But the ghoul wasn't done.
With a deafening roar that split the air, it came up from the wreckage, wings spreading like rent sails. Its chest expanded as light concentrated in its throat—a blazing sphere of molten energy, hissing and unstable.
Shaun's own breath caught. "It's powering up… something huge."
"Get down!" Reina shouted.
The ghoul launched its assault.
A beam of searing crimson light carved through the sky, tearing apart the rooftop in a blinding arc. The world dissolved into fire and smoke. Shaun felt himself thrown backward, his ears ringing from the explosion. Dust choked the air.
He coughed violently, forcing his body up. "Reina?!"
"I'm fine!" she shouted back through the haze, her silhouette crouched behind the stairwell doorframe.
Relief washed over him for a single moment—then his blood went cold.
The ghoul was coming down a second time, eyes blazing brighter, its huge claws ready to complete what it had begun.
Shaun's body protested wildly, fatigue already tugging at his muscles. He had no training, no weapons, no clue what he was even doing. But when he looked at Reina—her shaking form, her frantic eyes—something inside him snapped.
Running wasn't an option.
Not anymore.
He stamped his feet, disregarding the shaking of his legs. The tempest within him burst into flame, burning hotter and more wildly, filling every inch of his body with flame. The heartbeat thundered in his ears.
Thump.
Thump.
Awaken.
The golden sparks from before exploded out in a blaze, encircling his fists like fire gauntlets. Light glinted on his shoulders, tracing a shadowy outline of armor, fleeting but shining.
Reina's voice cracked through the chaos: "Shaun… your aura—it's—"
She didn't finish. The ghoul lunged.
Shaun roared back, charging forward.
The rooftop shook as man and monster collided. Shaun ducked beneath its sweeping claws, the movement instinctive, his body lighter than it had ever felt. He drove his fist upward into its gut, light exploding on impact. The ghoul howled, its massive frame staggering backward.
But Shaun didn't stop.
He pushed on, punches flying in a burst of radiance strikes. Every blow resounded like thunder, shockwaves shattering concrete and shaking the air. The ghoul let out a scream of rage, slapping with its tail. Shaun turned, the blow glancing off his shoulder and shooting pain shooting through his nerves—but the flame within overwhelmed it.
The roof turned into a battleground of light and darkness. Each strike Shaun made lit the storm clouds, each growl of the ghoul echoed through the city. Sirens screamed below, but no one yet came to the rescue—the battle was his own.
The ghoul stumbled, wings collapsing in desperation. It let out a guttural scream and leapt into the air, energy again building up in its throat.
Shaun's chest constricted. If it fired once more, the city below would not live.
He couldn't let it.
He steadied his legs on the shattered rooftop, pouring all his energy into his fists. The flame within roared wildly, on the verge of consuming him, but he clung, teeth clenched, sweat mixing with the rain.
The ghoul's chest was a hot glow, brighter, hotter—
Shaun sprang.
He burst upward, driven by sheer force, his body little more than a flash of golden light. For an instant, breathless as a held one, the city below him seemed to drop away, its place taken by the stunned quiet of the storm clouds.
The ghoul's eyes flew wide in shock.
Shaun's fist collided with its throat before the blast could build.
BOOM.
A flash of light and thunder exploded across the sky. The roar of the ghoul was cut short, its body convulsing wildly as golden flames erupted across its chest. Its wings tore apart, its body collapsing as it crashed toward the remains of the rooftop.
Shaun came down hard, knees folding, the blow shattering the concrete under him. His vision blurrmed, ears ringing from the blast. His fists continued to glow softly, the flames flickering like dying fire.
The ghoul jerked, attempted to stand—then fell, motionless, smoke wisping from its shattered frame.
There was silence.
Shaun lurched, heaving chest, every muscle shrieking. The tempest within him finally subsided, leaving behind only fatigue. He sank to one knee, managing to support himself mere seconds longer.
Reina dropped to her knees beside him, her hands clasped to his shaking arms, hesitant to touch him.
"Shaun…" She was panting, stunned. "You… you killed it. On your first waking—you actually killed it."
Shaun's head slumped, his weary smile pulling at his mouth. "Yeah… guess I did."
Then his world went black, and the last thing he sensed was Reina's arms wrapping around him as he fell.
The storm itself was gone, but its wounds remained.
The roof where Shaun battled was a shattered wreck—smoldering debris, splintered antennas, gouges deep in the metal carved by claws and bursts of tainted energy. The body of the ghoul-beast lay across the wreckage, its wings torn to shreds, its eyes fogged with death. Smoke drifted sluggishly from its blackened corpse, the smell of burned meat mingling with rain and ozone.
Far below, sirens wailed, their cries echoing through the streets of the city. Citizens had congregated in the distance, fingers pointing upward, gossip spreading like a wildfire.
"Did you see that light?"
"Something blew up on the roof!"
"No way that was a regular hunter—who was that?"
The city stirred, shaking with rumor.
Reina knelt beside Shaun's fallen body, trembling hands feeling for his pulse. Reluctant relief washed over her when she felt it—weak, but steady.
"Don't you go and die on me, Shaun…" she cursed, sweeping away rain-drenched hair from his forehead.
Her eyes moved to his hands. Even while he was out cold, weak glimmers of golden light danced along his knuckles, like embers struggling to be extinguished. She shivered.
She had heard of this in instruction manuals, rumors from instructors, but it was one thing to be told, another to see for herself. Aura manifestation on initial awakening? Impossible—or so they claimed.
She whispered under her breath, almost to herself, "You're not just awakened… you're something else."
The creak of shifting rubble pulled her attention. Reina tensed, readying herself, but it wasn't another beast.
It was them.
Figures emerged from the smoke at the far end of the rooftop. Cloaked, armed, their footsteps steady and deliberate. Hunters—professionals, not academy trainees. Their coats bore insignias: a crimson phoenix wrapped in chains.
Reina's heart tightened. Crimson Vultures Guild.
Of all the guilds to show up first, it had to be them.
Their leader, a tall, scar-faced man, approached. His eyes scanned the battlefield, rested on the corpse of the ghoul, and then fell upon Shaun. He smiled, or rather, smiled.
"Ah, ah," he drawled. His tone was smooth, but deadly. "Looks like we discovered our little fireworks show."
Reina stepped in front of Shaun, her arms open wide. "Stay back. He's out. He needs medical help."
The man's eyes narrowed, intrigued. "Easy, girl. We're not here to harm him. Far from it. Do you have any idea how valuable he is? First waking up and taking out a ghoul-class aberration? That level of talent doesn't stay under the radar for long."
Reina's mouth hardened. "He doesn't belong to you.
The man chuckled, tilting his head. "Claim? Oh, sweetheart, you're still thinking like a student. Out here, power doesn't belong to anyone. Power belongs to the guild that nurtures it… and keeps it leashed."
The word leashed twisted in Reina's stomach.
In the background, the rest of the guild were already examining the ghoul corpse, complaining about cores, bounties, and resource claims. Reina's fists clenched. She recognized the vultures by name—mercenaries posing as guardians, preying on every awakened they could get their paws on.
She needed to get Shaun out of here.
But before she could say anything else, there was another noise on the rooftop—a booming hum, mechanical and piercing.
Searchlights beamed down from above. A massive airship descended slowly, emblazoned with the crest of the Central Authority. The official government force that regulated awakenings and ranked hunters.
Reina nearly collapsed with relief.
The guild leader clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Tch. Looks like the hounds got here quicker than expected." He flicked a glance at Reina. "Lucky you. For now."
He let out a whistle. His men withdrew into the smoke, disappearing like ghosts.
Reina let out a sigh, her own body finally relaxing. She looked back at Shaun, stroking her fingers along his cheek. His skin was hot with fever, his body shivering ever so slightly even as he lay unconscious. The fire within him was not yet finished.
By the time the Authority medics lifted him off the roof, Shaun was hardly conscious. His dreams were flames and tempest, bursts of light, voices speaking in mouths that didn't know his language.
When he awoke, it was to cold white light.
A hospital room.
His throat was parched, his muscles leaden, but he lived. He rolled over, flinching at the rigidity, and saw Reina drowsing in a chair next to his bed.
For an instant, he simply stared at her, relieved that she was present. And then the recollections of the rooftop exploded into his mind all at once—the burning in his veins, the beast, the boom in the air.
His hands shook. He raised them slowly, looking. They were normal. No fire burning. No glow. Just his hands. But he could feel it, deep in the flesh. Something waiting.
The door groaned open.
A man entered—not a doctor. His black uniform had the Central Authority insignia: a silver shield surmounted by a sunburst. His presence dominated the room, calm but authoritative.
"Shaun Miller?" His voice was firm, official.
Shaun swallowed. "Y-yeah. That's me."
The man's eyes were piercing, if not unkind. "You stirred last night. Your actions saved catastrophic civilian lives. But they also resulted in mass destruction, and your power signature… is unprecedented in anything we've ever recorded."
Shaun squirmed under the weight of those words. "I… I don't even know what happened. I didn't mean to—
That is why you will require training," the man cut in smoothly. "Left on its own, power such as yours is more lethal than the monsters themselves. You have a choice, Shaun. Attend the Authority's academy and be trained… or risk becoming overwhelmed by what you've awakened."
Shaun's heart was racing. He looked at Reina, who still slept, then at the officer.
"I don't even know what I want," Shaun confessed.
The officer looked at him for a lengthy moment, then nodded. "You don't have to make the decision yet. But understand this—since what transpired on that rooftop, the guilds will pursue you. Not all of them with best intentions. Be very careful who you trust."
He turned to exit, but hesitated by the door. "Rest. You'll need it. This is merely the beginning."
When Reina woke up later, Shaun was still gazing at his hands.
She sat up dazed, then smiled when she saw his eyes flicker open. "You're awake. Thank god."
He could only manage a feeble smile. "Thanks… for not leaving me."
She rolled her eyes, but her voice was softer. "Like I could, idiot. You almost burnt yourself to death out there."
They sat there in silence for a moment, the whir of machines filling the room. At last, Shaun spoke softly, "Reina… what if I can't manage this? What if I'm a greater threat than the monsters?"
She leaned in, her eyes steady, unflinching. "Then I'll see that you don't break apart. You're not alone, Shaun. Not anymore."
His chest constricted with her words, something warm struggling past the fear. Perhaps, perhaps, he might be able to meet whatever came his way.
But beyond the cold hospital walls, the city hummed. Guilds spoke in hushed tones of the youth who had killed a ghoul on his first rising. Rumors traveled faster than flame, every one larger than the last.
Some said he was a prodigy.
Some said he was a threat.
And in the darkness, out of sight, darker powers took notice.
Shaun was unaware yet—but his fight on that rooftop had already altered everything.
Shaun's discharge from the hospital was quick, too quick. The Authority wasn't going to waste any time—when a power as unstable as his materialized, it needed to be probed, evaluated, contained.
Two days since the rooftop fight, and he was standing within a vast chamber many stories down in the Central Authority headquarters.
The Resonance Hall.
Its walls were covered in alloy stone and barrier runes, made to hold up even top-tier awakeners. Concentric circles glowed softly across the floor, pulsing in time like a heartbeat. Onlookers sat on the balconies above—scientists, officers, hunters—all gathered to witness what the boy who had killed a ghoul on his first night could actually do.
Reina stood with him, but only as a witness. She was serene, though her eyes gave away the tempest of worry she was hiding.
Shaun swallowed hard, cold sweat prickling his palms. His hospital gown had been substituted with a slip of a black training suit, infused with heat-resistant fibers.
This is like being tossed into the lion's den, he thought.
An Authority teacher emerged, his wordsechoing through the chamber. "Shaun Miller. You have been brought here for your first resonance test. The task is straightforward: call your power, keep it under control, and focus it on the target areas. Don't resist. Don't hold back."
The final words hit him like a boulder. Don't hold back?
Reina's eyes met his, lips forming silently: Breathe.
He nodded, taking a deep breath.
The lights faded.
Throughout the room, armored drones flickered to life, their crimson eyes glowing. The first to fall.
Shaun relaxed his fingers, uncertain. The ability was there, deep within, but how to summon it? Last time, it had burst forth like a tempest. Could he… will it awaken?
He shut his eyes. Recalled the rooftop. The roar of the beast. The blaze that had responded to his desperation.
And then—
A spark.
It began in his chest, pounding down his arms. His hands tinged with a soft glow, gold filaments curling from his veins. The onlookers above leaned forward, their whispers.
The light grew brighter. Heat churned about him, air distorting. A hum sounded deep in the room.
Shaun's eyes opened. They blazed with light.
The drones approached.
Instinct grabbed hold. He thrust out his hand.
A blaze of fire burst out—no, not fire, but something hotter, cleaner. A column of molten light shot across the room, piercing one of the drones and vaporizing it to molten shreds.
Gasps broke out from the balconies.
Shaun stumbled, eyes wide with what he'd just accomplished.
"Concentrate!" the teacher yelled. "Next wave!"
More drones flocked in. Shaun clenched his teeth and flung both arms up. The power burst eagerly, hungrily, outward. Blazing arcs of golden flame lashed through the air, cutting through steel like paper.
The hall trembled at the force.
Reina clutched the railing, her knuckles white. She could see it—the way the fire wanted to grow, beyond Shaun's control.
And then, it did.
The radiance in his veins burned too hot. His body wracked, flame erupting from his back in wings of light. The chamber's runes creaked, cracks webbing across the strengthened stone.
The teacher's eyes went straight. "He's breaking containment—!"
Shaun screamed, gripping his chest. It felt as if his heart were aflame, his own soul attempting to rend itself in two. He couldn't halt it—he was burning alive within.
Reina shouted, her voice cutting through the chaos. "Shaun! Look at me!"
Through the haze, his gaze found hers.
"You're not alone," she said, her voice trembling but firm. "Breathe. Control it. It's yours, not the other way around!"
Her words hit something inside him, a fragile thread he hadn't realized he clung to.
Shaun drew in a breath. Slowly, agonizingly, he forced the flames back inside. The wings flared, the flames retreating like a wave. The fractured runes stabilized, shining again.
At last, with a shiver, the light went out. Shaun fell to his knees, gasping.
Silence.
Then, applause.
The onlookers burst into applause, voices rising in wonder. "Incredible output!" "He came close to breaking the containment barrier!" "Unrecorded resonance levels!"
Shaun hardly noticed them. He was shaking, covered in sweat, every muscle screaming. Reina came to his side and assisted him in standing.
The instructor drew near, his face a blend of wonder and hard calculation. "You have incredible potential, Shaun. But you are unstable. Unpolished. With training, you can become a force beyond measure."
Shaun winced at the term weapon.
The teacher went on, his eyes narrowed. "The Authority will provide you with resources, protection, a place to learn to control this. But know—your life won't be your own anymore. You will be monitored. Directed. Utilized, if need be."
The heaviness of the reality settled upon him. Was this what it cost to have power?
Reina's fingers dug into his shoulder, anchoring him. "You don't have to choose today," she breathed.
But Shaun knew—even if he never made a choice, the world did.
That evening, in his dormitory room, Shaun lay awake, looking at the ceiling. His body hurt, but his mind screamed louder than ever.
His eyes fell on fire, wings, ruin whenever he closed them.
Am I in charge? Or just playing it out?
A soft knock interrupted his thoughts. Reina crept into the room, carrying two hot mugs of tea. She sat at the foot of his bed, offering him one.
"You needed this, I guess," she said gently.
He could muster a smile and accepted it. "Thanks."
They silently sipped for a bit. The tea was hot, earthy.
And finally, Reina spoke. "I know what you're thinking. That you're dangerous. That people will get hurt if you lose control again."
Shaun remained quiet, gazing into the cup.
"But listen," she went on, her tone firm. "You're not the only one carrying something heavy. Everyone awakened has a burden. The difference is… you don't have to carry it alone."
Shaun looked at her. In her eyes, he did not see fear. He saw belief.
Something relaxed within him.
"Thank you, Reina," he whispered.
For the first time since waking, he felt perhaps—perhaps alone—he might walk this road.
But far from the halls of the Authority, in a darkened room candlelit, other eyes observed.
A crystal orb glowed with the preserved vision of Shaun's trial, reliving the moment his wings of flame threatened to shatter the Resonance Hall.
The maimed leader of the Crimson Vultures relaxed in his seat, lips twisting into a thin grin.
"Well, well… The boy's even more deadly than I imagined."
At his side, his lieutenants whispered among themselves, anticipation building.
"He may be the key."
"Or the tool."
"Either way… we can't allow the Authority to have him."
The guild leader's eyes sparkled with avarice.
"Shaun Miller," he whispered. "Soon, you'll learn the world doesn't care if you're a hero or a monster. It only cares who holds the leash."
And so, as the city slept under its quiet veil of night, Shaun's path branched unseen. Between the Authority that sought to mold him, the guilds that wanted to claim him, and the shadows that whispered of something darker still—
—his flames were just starting to blaze.