The sun was already setting when the news spread through the village like wildfire—or at least that was the moment I started thinking clearly again. Two newly awakened born in the village, me and Luke, who, uh, I might not even have known until a few hours ago—but most importantly, me!
The square was far more crowded than usual, with adults whispering among themselves and casting glances in our direction as if wings and a pair of horns might sprout from us at any moment. Luke sat in a corner trying to look older than his twelve years, probably praying his parents would arrive soon.
As for me… well. I was thinking, as usual, about important things: what my adventurer nickname would be.
After Daren explained how his artifact worked and it was confirmed that it also indicated the position of other awakened, Lyra was the one who spoke to the village chief.
"I understand your concerns," she said in a warm, professional tone. "But if they really are close to awakening, bringing them to the city for official verification is in their best interest. And in yours as well."
The village chief didn't look convinced.
"It's a long journey," he muttered. "And they're both children."
"We were already heading to the city, and adding two children won't change much—as long as they bring enough supplies for the trip. As for security, Daren here is a two-star and a member of the Adventurers' Guild."
Everyone turned toward Daren, who stepped forward toward the village chief.
"Here," he said, handing him a plaque with the letter D engraved on it.
The village chief examined it for a moment and touched it; a faint blue glow came from the piece of metal. Then he looked again at the Merchants' Guild documents Lyra had given him earlier.
"It's all authentic. No doubt about it," he murmured.
I had already been convinced for a while. With a two-star awakened around, there was no need to fear possible attacks during the journey, and if they had really wanted to kidnap us, with someone as strong as Daren, would they really need to ask permission? He could've knocked us out and run. Lyra took back her documents.
"Of course, the documents are in order. Furthermore, even if it's rare, there have been cases where complications occurred during the Union; in the city there are well-equipped facilities to prevent fatal outcomes. And if one of them becomes an adventurer in the future… I'd be pleased if they remembered who gave them a hand at the beginning," she said, giving me a wink.
The part about fatal consequences sent a small shiver down my spine, but I had never heard of it before, so the risk had to be low.
Besides, this was already the second time I had ended up indebted to her, and I had only known her for a few hours!
The village chief remained silent for a few seconds longer than necessary.
His gaze slid briefly toward the square, toward the village's low houses… and then back to us.
"…I'll speak with Luke's parents; they will make the decision. As for Kian, he belongs to the village orphanage, so I give my permission for him to leave."
Right. Even though the village had an orphanage, it didn't have a proper director. The person who came closest to that role was the village chief, so it made sense that he would take responsibility as my guardian. After hearing his final words, I didn't wait any longer and immediately said I would join Lyra and Daren on the journey.
With that done, I slipped away toward the usual hill.
The old man was always there, sitting outside his little house with his pipe lit and his cane resting against his knee.
"You're late today," he said without looking at me.
I stopped in front of him, my heart still racing.
"Old man… I think I'm about to awaken!"
At last, he raised his gaze.
I told him everything in a rush—the artifact, Daren, the glowing dot. The more I spoke, the more unreal it sounded, and the more excited I became.
When I finished, the old man stayed silent for a few seconds, slowly drawing from his pipe.
"…an artifact, huh."
"Well," he muttered, "if that's really the case, then you'll have to stop sleeping under trees all afternoon and start training for real."
I snorted at his response.
"Yeah, yeah, you'll miss me too, old man."
"…when do you leave?"
"Tomorrow at dawn."
The old man nodded slowly.
"I see."
He said nothing else. He had always been a man of few words, but I'll miss him. I don't know how I'll manage without his dramatic speeches about how big the world was and how small I was.
But when I stood to leave, his voice stopped me.
"Kian."
I turned.
"Kid… listen carefully.
The world out there isn't a story with a happy ending. It's unfair and irrational, and sometimes it will hit you even when you've done everything right. You'll meet people who will use you, roads that will seem closed, and days when you'll want to give up.
When that happens, don't think it's the end. Grit your teeth, learn quickly, and keep moving forward. You don't have to be invincible, the strongest, or the smartest… you just have to be the last one still standing. "
"Thank for everything... old man" I finally answered after a long silence.
He made a face that might have been a smile.
"Good luck kid."
That night the village organized a celebration, but nothing too big. A fire in the center, a bit more food than usual, and lots of well-wishes from people I didn't even know. One woman even told me she had changed my swaddling when I was little. I want to emphasize that this statement was made in the middle of a group of people and, yes, I wanted to find a hole deep enough and never come out again. So embarrassing.
While people celebrated and congratulated Luke and his parents as well, I sat near the fire, my mind already far away.
What element would I awaken?
Fire?
Wind?
Something rare?
Anything was fine except dust; how much must fate hate someone to make them awaken with dust affinity? What was I supposed to do with that? Make my enemies die from sneezing?
I kept staring into the flames, imagining the future.
Huge cities, powerful monsters, my name carved into the rankings, maybe even a statue somewhere.
How strong would I become?
How high would I rise?
When the celebration ended, the hardest part of all this began: the goodbyes.
Rita pulled me into a hug that made my bones creak, putting my departure at risk.
"Come back in one piece."
"I'll try."
Arthur gave me a much more controlled pat on the shoulder. He smiled.
"When you become famous, I'll be able to brag about beating you in an imaginary blade duel."
"I'm still not entirely convinced I lost, though."
"You didn't lose? I clearly disarmed you!… safe travels Kian."
"Thanks."
Rayan, on the other hand, looked at me with that thoughtful expression.
"I'm a little jealous, but I'm still happy for you, Kian. Good luck."
"Thanks, Rayan."
He nodded slowly and walked away with the others. Now came the hardest part.
She was already there.
As if she had been waiting for me.
I stopped in front of her, suddenly less sure of myself. I had never been good at comforting people.
"Hey, Viola."
Her lips trembled and her eyes were already watery.
"Do you really have to go…?"
"Yes. But I'll come back. The old man put a curse on me—if I forget this place, he'll haunt me for the rest of my life."
She laughed for a moment, but I could see she was still very sad.
I felt really bad seeing her like that because of me. I had to do something to lift her spirits, even just a little. A brilliant idea came to me and I started rummaging through my tunic, pulling out the book.
Without hesitation, I placed it in her hands while she was still looking down, avoiding my gaze.
"Hold onto it for me until I return."
She looked at it in surprise for a moment.
"…really?"
I nodded.
"It's a promise. I'll come back to take it."
A tear slid down her cheek, then another, until she started crying. She hugged me tightly, as if that way I would never leave.
"…promise… please come back soon."
"I will."
At dawn the next day, we departed.