"And so, two hundred years ago, the first Constellation from our realm was born. He mercifully offered assistance to the other Ascenders, built more houses on the lands he reclaimed, and created new schools with curriculums to teach and train the Ascenders of the next generation. Our school is one of those sch—"
"What a load of crap."
Along the side of a tall and wide building — with incredibly white walls and taintless windows — was a young, pale boy dressed in what others wouldn't even consider rags. The boy scowled at the windows as he muttered to himself:
"If the Constellation or any of the Ascenders were so great, then why do people like me have to roam the streets, going days — sometimes even weeks — without food?"
As if in response to the mention of food, his stomach let out a slight rumble. The boy grimaced. Only then did he realize just how long he had been starving.
The boy, who stared into the window of the large and luxurious school, was short in stature. He had onyx-black hair and eyes that seemed to stare through the world itself. He looked small — yet his eyes held the tempering of someone who had lived through hell. And in a sense, he had.
Lastly, there was his skin. Visible through the torn rags he wore, it was so pale it could easily be mistaken for white. Everything about him suggested he had not lived a pleasant life — from the ribs visible through his skin to the dark bags under his eyes.
After heaving a gentle sigh, the boy — Kalon — got up from the stairs he sat on and headed away from the school. Soon, he arrived at an Awakening Report Center towards the middle of the city. The looks people cast at him on his way made it obvious that people like him were not welcome in these parts, but he had long grown impervious to them.
Kalon walked into the ARC. At first, the two officials on standby ignored him, paying no mind to his presence, as though he were nothing more than an insect. But after he claimed to have gotten his enlightenment, they scowled, showing their disdain. The officers, of course, did not believe him, but after Kalon continuously argued, defending himself, an ascender was called in to confirm the situation.
After waiting a few minutes in an empty room, a middle-aged man walked in. He was tall and muscular, with a bald head and scars on his arms, visible beneath the short sleeves of his casual t-shirt. Kalon had once heard that the awakened could always recognize each other instantly, instinctively. At the moment the man stepped into the room, he knew it wasn't just a rumor. From the mere intensity of the pressure leaking out of him, Kalon realized this wasn't like the bloodlust from thugs in the outskirts, nor the aura of superiority the wealthy seemed to carry, but a more natural and terrifying presence. He instinctively knew that this man could kill him in an instant.
The man walked up to Kalon and introduced himself as Nicholas. Since he didn't bother confirming whether Kalon had really experienced enlightenment, Kalon assumed that all those with awakened powers could sense each other's aura the way he could sense the man's.
"What's your name?" Nicholas asked, a seemingly practiced smile plastered across his face.
"Kalon," he answered, his head bowed toward the tiled floor.
"Hmmm… from your looks, I'd assume you're from the outskirts, correct?" the man mused.
Kalon stayed silent as the man handed him a map of the city showing various academies, training grounds, and places the enlightened could go to seek assistance. Nicholas described what Kalon's options were from that point on.
Since Kalon had gone through his enlightenment, he had two options: continue living a poor and painful life in the outskirts without any guarantee of surviving to see the next day, or become an ascender — though that, of course, wasn't exactly easy. To become an ascender, he would need to attend an ascender academy or training facility to prepare for his first journey into the Tower of Ruin, where he would fully awaken his abilities.
About thirty minutes later, Kalon walked out of the ARC with a satisfied expression on his face. He had obviously chosen to become an ascender, so the middle-aged man, Nicholas, directed him on what to expect and helped register him at an ascender training academy.
On his way home to the outskirts, he ran into a group of ascenders. He had seen them many times, but they had always ignored him. However, this time, as soon as they saw him, their eyes widened, and bright smiles spread across their lips.
"Kid, it seems you've been enlightened. Congratulations — you just got your ticket out of this damned life," one of the men said, reaching for his bottle of beer on the stool in front of him.
"Yes, I just registered at an academy on my way here," Kalon replied, his head lowered, eyes fixed on his toes.
At the mention of the academy, a few of the men scowled, causing Kalon to shiver with fear.
Then suddenly, one of the men spoke again, his voice calm.
"Listen, kid. Your life from now on is gonna be real hard. After all… you're stepping into HELL."