The Awakening Center was louder than Jiwon expected.
People crowded the entrance—students, office workers, parents, and reporters. Some laughed nervously, others stared at the ground in silence. Everyone was pretending to be calm.
Jiwon stood in line, hands in his jacket pockets.
"So many people," someone behind him muttered. "What if I don't awaken?"
"You'll still be normal," another replied bitterly. "Which is worse."
Jiwon didn't turn around. He had heard the same conversation a hundred times before.
Inside the hall, large crystal pillars stood in a row, glowing faintly. Each person would place their hand on a crystal. If they were lucky, the crystal would react.
If not… nothing would happen.
A staff member called out names one by one.
"Kim Seojun!"
A young man stepped forward confidently. The crystal flashed red.
"Class: Warrior. Level 1."
Cheers erupted from one side of the room. The man bowed repeatedly, his face bright with pride.
Next.
"Park Mina!"
The crystal glowed blue.
"Class: Healer. Level 1."
Applause again. Parents hugged their children. Reporters snapped photos.
Jiwon watched quietly.
Minjun's words echoed in his mind.
*You won't disappear like Dad, right?*
"Han Jiwon."
His name echoed through the hall.
Jiwon lifted his head and stepped forward.
The crystal was cold when he placed his hand on it. For a moment, nothing happened.
A few people whispered.
"Another failure?"
"Wait…"
The crystal darkened.
Not black. Not red. Not blue.
It turned deep gray.
The air shifted. The glow dimmed, as if the light itself was being swallowed.
The staff member stiffened. "That's… unusual."
A symbol slowly appeared inside the crystal. Thin, sharp lines. Something ancient.
Then the words formed.
"Class: Necromancer."
The room fell silent.
Someone laughed nervously. "Is that even real?"
"A necromancer…?"
"That's a cursed class, isn't it?"
Jiwon felt his chest tighten. Necromancer. He had heard the word before. Everyone had. It was rare. Too rare.
And feared.
The staff member swallowed. "Level… Level 1."
The crystal stopped glowing.
No applause.
No cheers.
Only whispers.
Jiwon stepped back slowly, his legs feeling heavier than before.
As he turned away from the platform, something strange happened.
His vision blurred for just a second.
Then—
A faint message appeared in front of his eyes.
It wasn't loud. It wasn't flashy.
It felt… quiet.
[Welcome, Han Jiwon.]
[You have awakened.]
Jiwon blinked.
The message disappeared.
He looked around. No one else seemed to notice anything.
His heartbeat quickened.
*Did I imagine that?*
He exited the hall and stepped outside. The cold air hit his face, grounding him.
His phone buzzed.
A message from Minjun.
> Hyung! How did it go?!
Jiwon stared at the screen for a long moment.
Necromancer.
He typed slowly.
> I awakened.
The reply came instantly.
> Really?! What class?!
Jiwon hesitated.
Then—
[Basic Information Available.]
The message appeared again, clearer this time, hovering just at the edge of his vision.
[Class: Necromancer]
[Status: Stable]
[Note: Power grows through death.]
Jiwon's fingers tightened around his phone.
He typed.
> I'll tell you at home.
He put the phone away and looked up at the sky.
Clouds drifted lazily, unaware of what had just changed.
Jiwon didn't smile.
He didn't panic either.
Instead, a single thought settled in his mind—heavy, but clear.
*If this power exists… then I'll learn how to use it.*
Behind him, the Awakening Center buzzed with noise again.
But Han Jiwon had already stepped onto a different path.