The sky was tinged with red. A strange light filtered through the clouds, as if the entire world was holding its breath. Since the Awakening… nothing was the same anymore.
Rays stood at the edge of a rooftop, his eyes fixed on the horizon, his heart heavy with a fatigue greater than hunger or lack of sleep. His clothes were dirty, his sword rusted, and it thudded softly against his thigh with each gust of wind. The world had awakened… but he had been left behind.
He clenched his fists.
He hadn't been chosen.
No power. No blessing. Just a crushing feeling, as if the Awakening of others had made him a dead weight.
— Rays!
He turned slowly. Ethan was running toward him, out of breath, his face anxious despite the forced smile on his lips.
— I told you to come back… Are you planning to watch the world crumble from here, or are you finally going to fight?
Rays lowered his eyes. His voice was barely a whisper.
— I wasn't Awakened, Ethan. I'm trash now. A useless pawn.
— You think I care? Ethan replied harshly. The world has changed, yeah. But not you. And certainly not me. So come on. We've got a raid tonight. And I refuse to do it without you.
A silence. Then Rays nodded.
They descended together, the streets of the city now silent ever since the dungeons began appearing. Their footsteps echoed on the cracked pavement. Every unlit streetlamp seemed to signal a danger. And Rays already felt his body trembling, not from the cold, but because he knew what awaited them.
An E-rank dungeon.
A miniature hell.
— You know I have no chance in there, he murmured.
— You've got me, Ethan answered. And tonight, that's enough.
When they arrived in front of the dungeon entrance — a gaping crack in the concrete, as if the world itself had torn open — they found other hunters waiting. All better equipped. All stronger. All Awakened.
— Is this the dead weight you were talking about? one of them whispered.
— Why are you still bringing him along? another one asked, mockingly. He's going to die before even getting inside.
Rays gritted his teeth. He was used to it. But tonight, every word felt like a thousand tons. The Awakening had left him behind, and everyone knew it.
— Rays, come on, Ethan called, not even glancing at the others.
They entered. The air grew heavy. The walls were covered in mold. The smell of rotting flesh hung in the corridor. And then, the sounds. Scratching. Growling. The goblins were here.
The fight erupted quickly. Ethan moved like a shadow, his sword singing death with every strike. But Rays… he fought like a man with no hope. Every blow cost him an eternity. His sword trembled. His arms refused to obey. He barely dodged, struck randomly. He wasn't a hunter. He was a target.
Then came the blow.
A goblin larger than the others charged at him, its mace crashing down with inhuman force. Rays felt his breath crush in his throat. The world wavered. He fell heavily to the ground, the taste of blood flooding his mouth.
— RAYS!
Ethan's figure cut through the air. In an instant, the goblin was on the ground, decapitated.
Ethan crouched beside him, his face tense.
— Are you holding up?!
— Why… do you keep saving me…? Rays groaned. I'm a burden. A fucking burden.
Ethan paused, his gaze locked with his. Then he simply replied:
— Because you haven't yet understood what the Awakening means. It's not just a light or a power. It's a decision. A decision to rise. Again. And again. And I… I'll be here until you can stand on your own.
Rays said nothing. He no longer had the strength. But in his eyes, clouded with pain… something had begun to awaken.
Not a power.
Not a blessing.
Just a spark.
The will to rise.