The sun hung low over the skyline of Neo-Alexandria, casting long shadows across the polished obsidian streets. Today was not just another day; it was the day the world stopped for teenagers everywhere. It was Awakening Day.
In the grand hall of District 3's Secondary Academy, the atmosphere was electric. Thousands of students, all around the age of thirteen, stood in neat rows, their hearts pounding with anticipation. The air itself seemed to shimmer with latent energy, a tangible pressure that came from the collective hope of the future.
"Silence!" The voice of Principal Garen echoed through the hall, amplified by the resonance stones embedded in the walls. He was a tall man with a beard streaked with grey, his eyes sharp and knowing. "Today, you shed the shell of childhood. Today, you connect with who you were, to become who you are meant to be!"
Around Anthony, students were already beginning to glow. Auras of different colors erupted like miniature supernovas. Some radiated the cold, sharp light of swordsmen; others glowed with the soft, intellectual luminescence of scholars or engineers.
There was Marcus, Anthony's closest friend, who suddenly floated an inch off the ground. A golden aura wrapped around him like armor.
"I... I feel it!" Marcus shouted, his voice deeper than before. "Knowledge! Battle tactics! The flow of Qi!"
"You have awakened the soul of a Grand General!" The examiner announced, his voice booming. "Class A talent! Welcome to the path of the Martial Sovereign!"
Cheers erupted. Girls swooned, boys congratulated him. Everyone was changing. They were no longer just children; they were becoming reincarnations of legends.
Anthony stood in his spot, trembling slightly. He closed his eyes, gripping his fists until his knuckles turned white. He focused every fiber of his being, searching deep within his chest, looking for that spark, that voice, that memory.
Come on... he thought desperately. I don't need to be a king or a god. Just give me something. Anything.
But there was nothing.
Only silence.
As the minutes ticked by, the glow around him faded from the others, leaving him standing in a pool of darkness. The whispers started soft, then grew louder, like buzzing insects.
"Look at him. Nothing?"
"Is he broken?"
"He's just an orphan anyway. Probably didn't have any past lives worth remembering."
"Useless. What a waste of space."
Principal Garen walked over, his expression sympathetic but firm. He placed a hand on Anthony's shoulder. "Son... the ritual is complete. There is no energy signature. It seems... you have not awakened."
The words hit Anthony harder than a physical blow. He looked at Marcus, expecting comfort, but saw only awkwardness and a hint of superiority now that Marcus was a chosen one.
"Anthony..." Marcus started, but couldn't find the words.
Anthony pulled away, his face burning with shame. He ran. He ran out of the hall, past the towering statues of past awakened heroes, and into the streets where the rain began to fall, mixing with his tears. He was Anthony. Just Anthony. No past. No power. No future.