"No one truly knows why humans possess this power to awaken. It has existed for as long as our history has been recorded, and even beyond that, for thousands of years," Caelivisa said, her voice calm, almost detached.
"Numerous biologists, scholars, mages, and martial artists had tried to find the answer for thousands of years but to no avail. Right now, the Temple of Life, the Temple of Reason, and the Temple of Time, which appeared after 'The War Without Echoes' that took place thousands of years ago, are widely believed to be the Awakening powers that were given by Gods to fight against the Demonic Species in the olden era."
"Oh, I know that famous legend!"
Caelrisu's eyes lit up with excitement, her small hand shooting into the air as if she were in a classroom.
"This war was started when the Eastern continent invaded the Western continent, going around declaring themselves to be the ruler of everything under the heaven. Western continent humans, along with demonic species, when they were still our allies, fought bravely against Eastern continent warriors.
Western humans were led by the Hero and Demonic Species by Demon Lords while Eastern humans followed the Heavenly Master. Sometimes we had an upper hand. Sometimes they were the ones.
But one incident flipped the war completely; demonic humans betrayed us, and as the east and west both drained due to war, they were both weaker than the Demonic Species. And Hero extended his hand to the east and united humanity under one banner. It caused the West and East to be united, and we fought bravely against them.
Maybe it was due to our love and sacrifice towards each other, or maybe just their whim, but all three deities awakened and descended on the 13th day of the year with evident rage and sadness, unwilling to see their children shed rivers of blood any further.
The Lord of Life cleansed all the Demonic Species on the 13th day of the year, and the Lord of Time sealed the Demon Lords in a never-ending loop for them to reflect on their sins on the 14th day while the Lord of Reason and Truth protected humanity's psyche after seeing a god's wrath for three days.
And on the 15th day, three gods gave humans a mission. A mission to protect the world from defiled and demonic creatures and left for the heaven.
Wishing to carry on their duties, humans started gathering around each other and thus birthed the Religion of Life, Religion of Reason, and Religion of Time.
That war, which started with cruelty and death, ended in peace and coexistence between the two continents, an exchange of knowledge, resources, and ways of life. From them, we learned martial arts and formations. From us, they received magic, spells, and the art of sorcery."
"Correct," Caelivisa replied with a faint nod. "This is the famous legend that is written in all the Books of Temples despite their differences in recent times and their hatred towards anyone who doesn't believe in their gods."
"Especially Non-Believers."
Caelrisu interjected, which was met with a nod and praise from Caelivisa.
"Humanity's history is vast and tangled, full of triumphs and tragedies. Yet through all of it, there has never been a proper reason as to why Awakening exists."
This time, Lunaris was the one who spoke.
"Since we awaken our potential between the ages of thirteen and fifteen, an age tied to the God's descent, by diving into the Heavenly Pond, the first gift the Gods granted to humanity, it makes sense to believe that Awakening itself was bestowed upon us as a divine gift to fight against the Demonic."
"Yes," Caelivisa replied with a gentle smile. "Your statement could be correct. But many records and marks say that Awakening existed at least thousands of years before the war.
That's the contradiction to this theory. In fact, pretty much nothing is known about the 'War without Echoes' except for why it started and how it ended.
Like, what made the Demonic Species betray us? Why did East even invade this land? And much more."
Caelrisu turned her gaze toward her brother. The two exchanged glances, silent for a moment as the weight of her words sank in.
Finally, Caelrisu asked, her brows scrunched together,
"Then… what makes one person's awakening different from another's? Is there a pattern or something?"
"A good question," Caelivisa said, her eyes glimmering as if pleased. "The truth is, I can't tell you. You just have to fight.
Depending on the fight, you can live, you can die, you can become a hero, or you can become a monster."
Lunaris tilted his head, intrigued.
'So even if I read a hundred books, depending on the so-called fight, I could end up with the power of… throwing rocks? Hm. That doesn't sound very fair.'
"So, effort means nothing?" he asked.
"Not nothing," Caelivisa corrected softly, her voice carrying the patience of a teacher. "Awakening is nothing more than raw metal. You are the forge. And everything you learn—martial arts, magic, discipline, even willpower—those are the flames that shape the metal into a weapon. Without the forge, the metal is useless. Without the flame, the forge grows cold."
"I think I understand," Lunaris said quietly, though inside he wasn't so sure.
'Metal, flames, forge… does that mean I'm a weapon? But for whom?'
"So… are there any exceptions?" Caelrisu asked, leaning forward, her curiosity burning brighter than fear now.
"Yes. Although it must stay a secret between us, as you don't really have rights to know this."
Hearing this, both children nodded profusely.
Caelivisa's tone changed, less instructive and more soft. "There are what we call Hero Awakenings."
Both children turned to her, Caelrisu's eyes wide open with curiosity and numerous questions and Lunaris with a calm look.
Caelivisa did not say anything, her gaze drifting toward the window as if she were contemplating something.
And then she continued.
"There are eight Awakenings that appear in every generation. No matter the era, no matter the land, they will always be born anew.
The Seer, who reads what others cannot See.
The War Artist, who bends every Tool of War to their will.
The Sovereign, who can bend even the wisest of sages to their knees.
The Saint, whose hands wield Luck.
The False Sun, who can create Life itself.
The Ghost, who walks where No One should.
The Whisperer, who dominates the Mind.
The Analytic, one who can decipher everything."
Her voice grew quieter, almost solemn.
"These eight are not chosen by effort, nor by bloodline. They are woven into the loom of fate itself. Wherever humanity walks, they will appear, whether as saviors, tyrants, martyrs… or catastrophes."
Lunaris stared at his toes, thinking something deeply.
Caelrisu, meanwhile, puffed her cheeks.
'War Artist' sounds fun! I'd look so cool swinging a hundred weapons at once. May [Time] bless me.'
But then a doubt surfaced in her mind.
"But what truly makes them different, Mother?"
At this question, Caelivisa looked at both of them and said,
"I don't know. I am not a Hero Awakened."
The children sat in silence for a while, their small faces scrunched in thought as they tried to keep up.
Caelivisa gave them a kind smile. "Putting aside Hero Awakening. Now, let me tell you about how Awakening grows, step by step."
Their eyes lit up, and they answered together, ""Please do!""
"First, think of it like climbing a great staircase. The first rank is called Verdant Souls, which is divided into three stages: low, mid, and high," she began gently.
"Imagine a tiny plant sprouting from the ground. At first, it is weak and fragile, but if cared for, it grows taller and stronger. Most people spend about five years to reach middle and about twenty years from middle to high."
Both children nodded quickly, picturing themselves as little sprouts. Caelrisu immediately imagined herself as a flower with sparkling petals, while Lunaris imagined himself as a tall tree that no wind could bend.
"After that are the Silent Judges. At this stage, a person becomes steady, like a great tree with roots deep in the earth. They don't just grow wildly; they choose their path carefully, weighing every step. This stage is only divided into two parts, Rooted Way and Uncarved Way. Our clan elders are here."
Lunaris tilted his head, imagining the elders with leaves instead of hair, their robes blending into bark. Caelrisu couldn't help but giggle softly at the thought of Elder covered in moss.
"I would love to explain more on this, but you both won't be able to understand Ways, at least not yet. Then,"
Caelivisa continued, her voice lowering as though blending in with the atmosphere, "Come the Aethersages, also divided into two parts. These are the masters of knowledge. They can easily live for about a thousand years and carry wisdom far beyond our reach. Your father and your grandfather were one of them, though your father had only just begun."
Their eyes widened, a spark of pride flickering inside them.
'Dad was like a thousand-year-old sage… maybe that means we can live that long too,' Caelrisu thought, her heart filled with guilt and pride.
'I'd bully him for a thousand years straight!'
"And beyond that are…" She paused, her tone more solemn now. "Thrones and Anathema. But no one truly knows what they are. Just that they existed, or some say that they still do.
With every major rank, you would receive a new ability that is speculated to merge when you reach Aethersage and take a different form."