Two days after the investigators' visit, Alex stood in the private training courtyard behind Ashford Manor, trying to make sense of the system that had apparently saved his life. The morning sun caught his white hair, making it seem to glow with an inner light that drew stares from every servant who passed by.
[Daily Quest Available] [Physical Conditioning: 0/100 push-ups, 0/50 sit-ups, 0/1km run] [Purpose: Strengthening body to handle awakened abilities] [Reward: 50 exp ] [Time Limit: 24 hours]
"A fitness regimen," Alex muttered under his breath. "The system wants to make sure this body can actually handle whatever powers are locked away."
'Great. So not only am I stuck in someone else's body with abilities I can't access, but I also have to play personal trainer to myself. At least it's straightforward—no moral dilemmas about whether accepting these quests makes me complicit in some cosmic game.'
It made sense, though. If his abilities were powerful enough to render the Classification Stone useless, Kael's body would need to be physically prepared to channel that kind of energy without burning out. The alternative was probably spectacular self-immolation, which wasn't high on Alex's list of preferred ways to die again.
But as he attempted his first push-up, he realized just how much Kael's three-day coma had weakened his body. His arms trembled after just five repetitions, and sweat beaded on his forehead despite the cool morning air.
'This is pathetic. Three days in a coma shouldn't have left me this weak. Either Kael was already in terrible shape, or whatever happened during my awakening took more out of this body than I realized.'
"Young Master?"
Alex looked up to see a young man about his age approaching—tall, lean, with the easy confidence of someone born to wealth. Auburn hair, green eyes, and an expensive sword at his hip. From Kael's memories: Damien Blackthorne, son of Marquess Blackthorne and supposedly his best friend.
'Supposedly. Because nothing about this situation suggests I should trust anyone's supposed loyalties. Even best friends can betray you when the stakes get high enough.'
"Damien." Alex pushed himself to his feet, grateful for the interruption. "I wasn't expecting you."
"Your father sent word that you'd awakened. I came as soon as I could." Damien's eyes went immediately to Alex's transformed hair, and his expression shifted to something more serious. "The whole capital is buzzing about what happened at your ceremony. I've heard everything from divine blessing to ancient curse. Hell, Lady Pemberton swears you're the reincarnation of some legendary hero."
[Individual Analysis Complete] [Damien Blackthorne - C-rank Air Manipulation]
'C-rank. That's respectable for nobility, though not exceptional. More importantly, the system just analyzed him without me asking. Useful, but also concerning. What else is it doing that I don't know about? And how much of what I'm seeing is being recorded or transmitted somewhere?'
"What do you think it is?" Alex asked, genuinely curious about his friend's opinion.
Damien was quiet for a moment, studying Alex's face with an intensity that made Alex wonder what he was looking for. "Honestly? I think whatever happened, you're not the same person who walked into that ceremony three days ago. The hair... it's not just cosmetic, is it? There's something different in your eyes too."
'Perceptive. Kael's memories suggest Damien was always sharp, but there's something in his tone that makes me think he's fishing for information. Question is whether it's friendly curiosity or something else entirely.'
Alex shrugged, offering nothing more. Let Damien draw his own conclusions. In Alex's experience, people revealed more when they were trying to fill uncomfortable silences.
"Fair enough. You never were one to spill secrets easily." Damien seemed to accept Alex's silence, but his tone carried a hint of disappointment. "I've been thinking about the academy enrollment. We're supposed to report in ten days for the new term. All the awakened nobles from this ceremony cycle."
'Ten days. That's not much time to figure out how to access my abilities, let alone understand what they actually are. Or to develop enough physical conditioning to survive whatever they throw at us.'
Alex nodded. The Royal Academy was mandatory for all awakened nobility—a way to ensure proper training and, more importantly, keep potential threats under close supervision. With his unclassified status and distinctive appearance, he'd be under intense scrutiny from day one.
'It's not training, it's a leash. They want to control what we become before we become powerful enough to challenge them. The question is whether I can fly under the radar long enough to figure out what I'm actually capable of.'
"Have you been able to manifest anything yet?" Damien asked, attempting casualness but failing to hide his curiosity. "I know it's early, but with everything that happened..."
'There it is. The real reason for this visit. He's not just checking on his friend—he's gathering intelligence. Whether for himself, his family, or someone else entirely.'
"Nothing I can control," Alex replied carefully. It wasn't technically a lie—he hadn't successfully manifested anything yet, just felt the potential locked away behind his body's current limitations.
Damien nodded, his expression becoming more sympathetic. "I get it. My air control is still all over the place. Yesterday I tried to cool down my tea and ended up launching it across the room. Nearly took out a priceless vase." He laughed, but it sounded forced. "Sometimes I wonder if the awakening is more curse than blessing."
'Is he being genuine about his struggles, or is this a ploy to get me to open up about my own situation? Trust is a luxury I can't afford right now.'
"Growing pains," Alex offered, drawing on Kael's memories of similar conversations with other noble children. "Everyone says it takes time to adjust."
"Right, but you..." Damien gestured at Alex's white hair, his voice dropping. "Whatever happened to you wasn't normal. The instructors at the academy are going to be very interested in figuring out what you can do. Some of them have been asking questions already."
Alex felt a chill that had nothing to do with the morning air. "What kind of questions?"
"The kind that suggest they're not entirely convinced you're as powerless as you appeared at the ceremony. Professor Valdris has been particularly vocal about wanting to conduct his own tests."
'And here's the real problem. I need to be strong enough to protect myself, but not so strong that I become a threat they need to eliminate. It's a razor's edge, and I'm walking it blind.'
"I should probably focus on physical conditioning before then," Alex said, gesturing at the barely-started exercise routine. "Three days unconscious didn't do my stamina any favors."
"Mind if I join you?" Damien asked, his demeanor brightening. "I could use the training too. The academy's combat courses are supposedly brutal. My older brother still has nightmares about Professor Thorne's endurance tests."
Alex considered this. Having a training partner would provide good cover for his conditioning requirements, and Damien's presence might make his activities seem more normal and less suspicious. On the other hand, it would mean less privacy for figuring out his abilities.
'But maybe that's not entirely bad. If I'm going to maintain the facade of struggling with my awakening, having a witness to my physical weakness might actually help sell the story.'
"Sure," Alex agreed. "Though I should warn you, I'm starting from basically nothing right now."
"That makes two of us. I spent most of last week in bed with what my mother called 'awakening fatigue.' Apparently, that's a real thing."
As they began a basic exercise routine, Alex found himself grateful for the mundane normalcy of physical training. Push-ups, sit-ups, running laps around the courtyard—simple, straightforward actions that didn't require him to reveal anything about systems or locked abilities or his increasingly complicated situation.
'At least sweat and muscle fatigue are honest. They don't lie or scheme or have hidden agendas. They just are.'
[Daily Quest Progress: 23/100 push-ups, 15/50 sit-ups, 0/1km run]
"So," Damien said during a brief rest between exercises, wiping sweat from his brow, "any idea what you're going to tell the academy instructors about your classification? Or lack thereof?"
'The million-gold question. What do you tell people when you don't understand your own situation?'
Alex wiped sweat from his forehead, buying time to think. "What can I tell them? They already know what happened at the ceremony. They saw the same thing everyone else did—absolutely nothing."
"That's what worries me." Damien's voice dropped to barely above a whisper. "They're going to want answers you don't have. And when powerful people don't get the answers they want..."
'Exactly. They'll already have reports about the Classification Stone incident, my physical transformation, everything. The real question is what conclusions they've drawn and what they plan to do about it.'
"I know," Alex replied quietly.
"They might put you in remedial classes. Or worse, assign you to an individual study track with Professor Valdris." Damien's expression darkened. "My cousin went through that program. He came back... different. Quieter. Like they'd taken something out of him."
'Individual study track. That sounds ominous. Damien's tone suggests it's not as benign as it sounds, but I don't have enough context from Kael's memories to know what that really means. Another gap in my knowledge that could bite me later.'
"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," Alex said, standing up. "Come on, we still have laps to run."
As they jogged around the courtyard, Alex's mind raced faster than his feet. Ten days until academy enrollment. An unknown amount of time needed for his body to safely handle his abilities. Investigators who would return for follow-up testing. And now the added pressure of academy instructors who would want to classify and control him.
'Every choice I make from here determines whether I live as Alex or die as Kael. The original Alex got cocky and trusted the wrong person. I won't make that mistake.'
'But I also can't become so paranoid that I push away everyone who might actually help me. The trick is figuring out who's who before it's too late.'
[Daily Quest Progress: 100/100 push-ups, 50/50 sit-ups, 1/1km run] [Quest Complete! Rewards: 50 exp][Physical conditioning improving. Continue daily regimen for optimal results.]
As the system notifications flickered in his peripheral vision, Alex felt the subtle changes in his body—muscles responding more readily, breathing coming easier despite the exertion. The improvements were minor but real.
'One day at a time. Get stronger, learn more, reveal less. When I walk into that academy, I'll be ready for whatever game they want to play.'
"Not bad for someone starting from nothing," Damien commented, genuinely impressed by Alex's completion of the full routine. "You sure you haven't been secretly training? Because that was... surprisingly good."
Alex just nodded, not trusting himself to say something that wouldn't reveal too much. 'Because the truth is, I am starting from nothing—nothing but the willpower to survive in a world that has already killed me once.'