The town square transformed into a place of destiny. At the center stood an old man draped in robes of royal purple and gold, clutching a staff that looked like it had been carved from the bones of a hero. Beside him sat a massive crystal, humming with a faint, rhythmic pulse.

  ?One by one, the children stepped forward.

  ?The test was simple: Touch the crystal. If it glowed with a pure white light, you were Awakened. If it stayed cold and dim... your life would take a very different path.

  ?The line moved steadily. Those who glowed were ushered to the right; those who didn't were sent to the left. The air was thick with both joyous shouts and muffled sobs.

  ?Just ahead of Comet stood a boy with striking purple hair and piercing red eyes. It was Robin, the son of his father’s friend, Jackie. When Robin placed his hand on the glass, the white light flared brightly. He turned back to Comet, flashing a confident grin and a wave. Comet felt a surge of relief—it was good to have an ally on the other side.

  ?Then, it was Comet’s turn.

  ?As his small fingers touched the cool surface of the crystal, the white light erupted. But for Comet, the experience was anything but simple.

  ?The energy didn't just glow; it surged into him like a tidal wave. It raced through his veins, heat blooming under his skin before every ounce of power constricted into a single, burning point in the center of his chest.

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  ?His vision snapped.

  ?Suddenly, Comet wasn't in the town square anymore. He was floating in a void of absolute, crushing darkness. He had no body, no weight—only his consciousness remained. Then, in the heart of the blackness, something bloomed.

  ?An illusion of a glowing Lotus appeared, its petals shimmering with an ethereal light. Before he could process the sight, the Lotus folded in on itself, shrinking smaller and smaller until it became a tiny, dense white sphere.

  ?Comet reached out, trying to touch the bead of light, but his hand passed through it like smoke.

  ?“Move along, young boy. Don’t disturb the others.”

  ?The old man’s raspy voice pulled Comet back to reality. He blinked, his breath coming in short gasps as he realized he was still standing in the square, his hand still on the crystal.

  ?"Sorry!" Comet scrambled toward the line of Awakened children, his mind still reeling from the vision of the Lotus.

  ?Nearby, Medan watched his son with a complicated expression. He nodded slowly to himself, his lips moving in a whisper so low even Jackie couldn't hear him.

  ?"...Looks like the brat can take care of himself now," Medan muttered, his eyes fixed on the horizon. "So... finally... I can..."

  ?"Congratulations, Medan!" Jackie interrupted, clapping him on the back with a boisterous laugh. "Looks like neither of our boys embarrassed us today! Hah!"

  ?Medan’s somber mask vanished instantly, replaced by a loud, easy laugh that perfectly hid whatever he had been thinking seconds before.

  ?The Town In-Charge stepped back onto the platform, his voice booming over the crowd. "Listen well! Whether you have Awakened or not, you are all required to attend the Academy for the next twelve years. Tomorrow, the transports will arrive to take you. Prepare yourselves!"

  ?As Comet and Robin walked back toward their parents, the crowd began to buzz with a single question: Why force the non-awakened to go to the Academy? In a world of monsters and black fog, shouldn't there be a divide?

  ?The answer to that was something the children of Green Orio would learn soon enough—and it was far more dangerous than they imagined.