Volume 1: Path – [Academy Arc]
Chapter 21: Lesson: Awakening
Caelus sat near the window on his left side, while Aiv sat beside him on his right. As they settled in, more students filled the room until all the seats were taken, leaving only a few spots in the last and middle rows. Most students gathered in small groups, chatting about their life experiences. Some already seemed to be forming friendships through their conversations, and a few couples had taken seats together.
"It seems those two aren't in our class," Aiv said to Caelus.
"Yeah," Caelus replied, a little dejected but quietly relieved. If she had been in the same class, he would have been distracted by her presence, and those feelings he was trying to bury might have resurfaced. Since she was already with someone else, he didn't want to stir up emotions that could disrupt her life or his.
In this life that lasts only five years, his only goal is to live without regrets and to see how strong he can become during that time. He wants to experience the wonders of this magical world by traveling its many corners. Since he must study at the academy for the first three years, he plans to spend the final two years journeying across the globe. With the incredible technology this world possesses, travel is much faster and more accessible.
He has no desire to fight anyone, no ambition to dominate the world, and no intent to take lives. All he wants is a peaceful life—to live quietly and fully until the very end.
As he thought about these future plans, the classroom door opened once more, and the instructor stepped in just before the bell rang. He was a tall, broad-shouldered man with sharply defined features and a commanding presence. His uniform was pristine navy blue with silver trim, and the academy's hourglass emblem was stitched neatly onto his chest. He wore a tightly knotted black tie over a crisp white shirt, and in one hand, he held a thick-bound book while the other rested on his silver wristwatch. His short-cropped gray hair and stern expression radiated discipline and authority.
He entered the classroom calmly and placed the thick-bound book on the table with precision. Then, in a deep and clear voice, he addressed the class, "Hello, everyone. I am your instructor for Leym Foundation Theory I, Tarell Ornon. I'll be teaching you all the basics of Leym, as well as the proper process of awakening. Even if some of you already know parts of it, academy policy requires we go over it again, so we'll be doing just that."
He glanced across the rows, his sharp blue eyes scanning the students. "Now then, before we begin, I want each of you to introduce yourselves. You don't need to go into unnecessary detail; your name will do. You have one minute."
One by one, the students spoke their names.
"Mira Lin."
"Devrik Allar."
"Sera Vun."
"Kallan Drex."
"Lyra Mevelle."
"Juno Vale."
"Rellen Kaine."
"Elyen Sol."
The list continued, voices clear but nervous, until it came to the final two.
"Aiven Serel," Aiv said confidently.
"Caelus Thorne," Caelus followed, finishing the line of introduction. Tarell nodded silently with each name, committing their faces to memory with a trained gaze.
Tarell nodded silently with each name, committing their faces to memory with a trained gaze.
"Now that you are all done, we will start with the awakening topic."
"You all are awakened, and everyone here is awakened under different circumstances. For example, you, boy. What is your name?" he asked, pointing to a student sitting at the middle bench of the first row.
"Kallan Drex, sir."
"Now, Kallan, tell the class how you awakened?"
"I awakened my Dew Water affinity after a bike accident early one chilly morning. The air was heavy with moisture, and dew clung to every blade of grass and leaf at that time. I slipped, crashed hard, and hit the ground, which was cold, wet, and painful. I passed out from the impact, and when I woke up, I was told by someone that I had awakened."
"Sit. Next you," he said, pointing to the student beside Kallan.
"I awakened my orange fire affinity with the help of a ritual my family passed down."
"Good. Sit down."
"Now then, as you can see, those two students were awakened through completely different methods. One awakened naturally, and the other artificially."
"Artificial awakening isn't fake. It simply refers to using a known ritual to trigger awakening. But whether natural or artificial, every awakening is tied to a ritual, even if the person isn't aware of it. There are countless rituals in the world. Many nobles know them. Many don't."
"And just like rituals, no two awakenings are alike. Someone with a water affinity might manifest holy water, or even poisonous water, or like this boy Kallan, dew water. Fire might be red flame, orange flame, or even a holy flame."
"Due to these endless variations within each affinity, researchers at the Awakeners Association concluded there are limitless awakening rituals. As someone who took part in that research, I agree with their findings."
"But manifestation is different from affinity. Manifestation is what grants abilities, which is not affinity itself. Affinity is like the base element, like fire or water. Manifestations are the specific forms of those affinities, such as Dew Water or Orange Flame. From what I know, Dew Water tends to grant healing abilities, meaning it's usually more suited for support rather than combat. Orange Flame, on the other hand, is more combat-oriented, even though it doesn't produce as much heat as Red Flame."
"But even Kallan's Dew Water manifestation can be used differently it could become combat-suitable too. Here's the thing: just because someone says a manifestation is only good for support doesn't mean it can't be used for offense. You need to use your brain and work hard to discover how to make your manifestation work for you. So don't be discouraged by what kind of manifestation you have. Just having abilities like this means you're already luckier than most normal humans. Think about it, do regular humans even get the chance to wield powers like this?"
"No, right? So when you have that power, use it to its fullest. Try every possible way to adapt and overcome. I'm telling you this now because I don't want any student in my class feeling disheartened just because their manifestation isn't what they expected. Everything is in your hands. Whether you use it correctly or not, that's your choice." Tarell ended his speech.
"Yes, Sir!" the class responded in unison.
"Next is a crucial part everyone who doesn't complete the ritual process becomes a half-awakened. In natural awakenings, if the process is interrupted due to an unfortunate event, it halts their progress completely. These half-awakened individuals have a significantly higher chance of turning into demons."
Hearing those words, the students grew nervous, some even frightened, and whispers spread through the room.
"But the chances of becoming Half-awakened are as low as 0.0001%. And why are you all panicking? Do you think you're here to enjoy being awakeners? No, you were granted these awakenings as a gift from the gods. And with that power comes a responsibility, and that responsibility is to fight back against the demons. Demons are monsters that hunt and devour humans to satisfy their hunger. Not every half-awakened becomes a demon; many still have a chance to awaken fully. But if they fail to do so within a certain time limit, they will inevitably become one."
"You, however, are all fully awakened. So there's no need to worry about becoming demons."
At the top row, Aiven glanced at Caelus, who wore an awkward expression.
"The other thing is half-awakened individuals can't use their affinity; they can only use Leym energy. The reason for this is that Leym is an energy source, like a form of life essence. Without it, no living being can survive. When someone awakens, whether it's a half or full awakening, their core, which is located in the heart, is going to be activated. And this grants them access to Leym energy.
However, in order to gain access to their affinity, one must fully complete the ritual process. That's why half-awakened individuals can only manipulate Leym, not the actual element or affinity.
So, if you ever come across a half-awakened, report it to the Church. Failing to do so can result in severe consequences."
"Do you all understand?" Tarell said loudly to the whole class.
"Yes, sir!" all the students responded in unison. Even Caelus responded with the words despite being half-awakened himself. A small pit of fear stirred in his chest. The instructor's words about half-awakened turning into demons rang in his mind. He didn't want that fate not just for himself, but for the people it could hurt. All he ever wanted was a peaceful life. And if he truly had only five years left, he wanted to live them without becoming a threat to the world he had grown to admire.
"Now that you all understand awakening and awakeners, let's move on to the main topic: Leym."
[End Of Chapter 21]