Raze drifted off into sleep before he even realized it. When he opened his eyes again, he noticed that he was no longer in his dorm. The sky was torn, half gold, and half back, like it couldn't decide whether to be day or night. The ground was pitch black, only lit by the cracks of purple light.
Somewhere ahead stood a figure with his back turned. His outline flickered between shadow and light. He stood with his hand clasped behind his back, his presence calm but heavy, like the weight of a storm held still. His face was half-shrouded in shadows with no clear features or details of his face.
"Who are you…?" Raze asked, hesitantly.
The man didn't answer right away. Instead he turned around to face him, tilted his head slightly, as if studying him.
"Your name…it ends with Zaden, doesn't it?"
Raze blinked, completely caught off guard by his question. "Yeah…how did you know that?"
A faint smile tugged at the man's lips, though it wasn't warm.
"That name still carries echoes. I didn't think any of you remained…or so I hoped one of you remained."
"What do you mean by that?" Raze asked, taking a step forward.
The ground cracked beneath his foot, releasing faint wisps of black and white light that wrapped loosely around his legs before fading. The moment Raze saw the light he froze.
"Long ago," the man continued, his tone quiet but filled with something else, "that name belonged to those who faced something beyond the stars. People who wanted to kill the stars for something they did to all the humans on earth."
Raze's brows furrowed. "What do you mean by something beyond the stars? And what did the stars do to every person on earth?"
The man let out a bitter chuckle. He ignored Raze's question and continued.
"The stars…they hold many lies, truths and secrets—things that the human mind can only dream of understanding."
The air began to hum, low at first, then rising in pitch. Behind Raze, shadows began to swirl and stretch, black and white tendrils spiraling outward from his body. They danced slowly, faintly glowing, moving like living smoke.
"W-what's happening to me?!" Raze shouted.
The man didn't answer right away, he watched like he had seen these things play out hundreds of times.
"It's not happening yet," he finally said. "But it will. The system you carry is merely the key that unlocks what your blood has long forgotten."
"You know about the system?" Raze asked.
Raze was confused about everything that was happening right now. First, somehow the man knew his last name, and most importantly the system.
'If he knows about the system maybe I can ask him for answers and about the guy that gave this system to me.'
A faint flicker of light rippled through the man's eyes, sharp and too aware.
"I know more than it will ever tell you," he said softly. "But you're not ready to hear it. The truth always demands something in return."
"Wait!" Raze shouted, stepping forward, the tendrils coiling tighter around his body. "Tell me more about the system! About this Theodore Clockwork person!"
The world around him began to shatter like glass. The man's form began fading, the cracks in reality swallowing him piece by piece.
"When the time comes," the man said, his voice echoing as the dream collapsed, "the truth will begin to unravel, continue your journey and who knows if you'll be back here again."
Then everything went black.
Raze jolted awake, gasping for air. His heart was racing and his sheets were damp with sweat. For a moment, he could've sworn he still saw faint traces of black and white mist curling around his hand. But when he blinked, they were gone.
He sat up, breathing heavily, trying to make sense of what he'd just seen.
"Who the hell was that?" he whispered.
Then, suddenly–
[New Quest received: Reach Level 10]
[Reward: ???]
Raze stared at the quest screen, then looked around him. He saw that his friends were still asleep and when he checked his wristwatch, the time was 5:40am in the morning.
"At least they're still asleep." he whispered.
Raze began to think back to the first day when he got this system. At first, he thought the system would be like an awakening book, but the more he learned about his halfling body, the more he began to think that this system isn't granting him an awakening. It's changing him.
Now he was thinking about the words that Theodore said.
"Consider it a gift… or a burden," Raze whispered.
"As of right now, I don't even consider this a gift…"
Raze checked the time on his wristwatch again.
"Maybe sleeping some more will help with my thoughts."
The next morning Raze woke up to the sound of the morning bell ringing through the dorm hall. His head felt heavy, like the dream had followed him out of sleep.
Sunlight filtered through the blinds, streaking across his bed and painting thin gold lines over his face. He groaned quietly and sat up, running a hand through his hair. For a moment, he thought he saw something. Faint black and white haze curling at the edge of his vision.
And when he blinked, it was gone.
"Raze, you good?" Felix's voice cut through his daze. He was already dressed, fastening his jacket.
Liam was stretching by the window, half-awake, while Beatrix was sitting cross-legged on her bed, scrolling through her wristwatch display.
Raze looked up. "Yeah… just didn't sleep well."
Felix narrowed his eyes slightly. "You look like you didn't sleep at all."
"I said I'm fine," Raze muttered, trying to sound casual as he swung his legs off the bed. But even standing made his balance falter for a second, like the floor had tilted under him.
Beatrix glanced up, her usual calm expression softening. "Are you sure you're okay? You've been out of it since yesterday."
"Yeah. Probably just from what happened yesterday," Raze said, forcing a small grin that fooled no one.
Liam yawned. "Guess we're all gonna be dragging today then. C'mon, breakfast. I'm starving."
They left the dorm together, and made their way towards the canteen as usual. The morning sun poured through the academy windows. Raze squinted as the light hit him directly and for a split second, the brightness twisted. The white glare shimmered into something else, faint tendrils flickering in his peripheral vision.
He blinked again and they were gone.
'What the hell…' he thought.
When they reached the canteen, the smell of food, eggs, toast, and that strange nutrient porridge the academy served filled the air. Students crowded the lines, laughing, and talking over each other. It was almost normal, but Raze couldn't shake the unease gnawing at him.
They grabbed a table by the window. Beatrix was the first to break the silence as they began eating.
"So," she said, stirring her drink with a spoon, "yesterday was insane. I thought I'd be paired with one of the weaker teams, but nope, got stuck with three hotheads who couldn't even agree on a formation."
Felix chuckled. "That's what you get for standing out. Everyone assumes you can carry them."
She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, well, I nearly did. One of them almost got crushed by their own awakening. The instructor had to stop the match."
Liam let out a small laugh through a mouthful of food. "Guess it could've been worse. At least you didn't get gravity-thrown around like Raze."
Raze looked up from his tray, forcing a laugh that came out weak. "Yeah…but how did you know?"
Beatrix frowned slightly. "You're sure you're okay though? You've been spacing out since morning."
"I'm fine," Raze said again, though his hand trembled slightly as he reached for his drink.
The moment sunlight reflected off the glass, that faint flicker of black and white light rippled again at the edge of his vision, almost like something inside him was responding to the light itself.
Felix leaned back, still watching him carefully. "If you're pushing yourself too hard, you need to take it easy."
"I said I'm fine," Raze repeated, this time firmer. He didn't mean to sound sharp, but the tension in his chest wouldn't let up.
Silence hung between them for a few seconds before Beatrix sighed, deciding to change the subject.
"Anyway… they're supposed to announce the new training assignments after breakfast. I heard something about inter-division sparring this week."
Liam perked up. "Seriously? Between divisions? That's gonna be brutal."
Felix smirked. "Guess we'll find out soon."
Raze tried to listen, but his thoughts kept circling back to the dream. The man's voice and the things that he said.
The system you carry is merely the key that unlocks what your blood has long forgotten…