Chương 33: Awaken

Within a dark, silent void, a boy drifted. His eyes were wide open, but his mind felt empty and hollow, as though something inside him was desperately fighting to be erased. He clung to the fading fragments of memory with all the strength he had left. He did not want to forget. He wanted to remember. He wanted to remember everything, his struggles, his deaths, everything he had learned. And most of all… He wanted to remember the chained man. No. He wanted to remember Kealix. The boy still wore his black armor.

Small pieces of metal were embedded into the leather, but most of it remained flexible, tightly fitted around his body. Nearly all of him was covered, except for his right metallic arm, which glinted faintly even in the darkness. His body had changed too, larger, stronger, more defined. The body of a warrior, A survivor. His new form reflected everything he had endured. But even as his mind fought to hold on, even as memories strained against the pressing void, a strange sensation washed over him. He was waking up.

Soft fabric pressed beneath him. A blanket? He felt it before he truly understood it. His eyelids twitched, and then snapped open. Panic surged through him. He rose abruptly into a seated position, both hands flying to his head as he tried desperately, to think, to grasp at the fading threads of memory. But the harder he tried, the faster they slipped away. Eventually, he even forgot why he had been trying so desperately to remember anything in the first place. After a long moment, he let out a slow, defeated sigh.

He had simply… forgotten. His gaze fell to his lap. A small wyvern lay curled there, breathing softly. Its scales were pale white, and when its eyes opened, they flared with bright ember-light. The boy stared for several seconds before whispering, almost breathless:"Ember…" He hadn't forgotten the small wyvern, not at all. But confusion twisted inside him. Ember had once been a reptilian creature with dull scales and sharp features. Why the sudden change? Why this new form? He didn't know.

As he continued to observe, more differences revealed themselves. He was no longer half-naked, his armor remained exactly as before, though he could not recall when "before" even was. And on his left arm… A bone-like pendant was embedded directly into his skin. It didn't hurt. The armor somehow parted around it, as though acknowledging it. It felt like a part of him, like his metallic arm did, but at the same time, not truly his. Questions stirred within him. Dozens of them.

Just as he once questioned his metallic arm, now he questioned this fragment of bone. But just like then, no answers followed. Then, a voice spoke. A gentle, feminine voice.

"Well, Vale… I'm a little hurt that you didn't notice me." Vale turned sharply. Rose sat beside him. He had not forgotten her, not even slightly. Her face remained crystal clear in his mind, shining through the fog that had swallowed everything else. Near the window stood a short, black-haired woman, the same one who had dragged Rose away before. Vale looked between them, curiosity flickering in his eyes. He opened his mouth to speak, but the short woman cut in first.

"It seems his connection is quite unique," she said, staring out the window.

"Though I shouldn't be surprised. He is an anomaly, after all." Vale didn't focus much on her words. Instead, he stared at them, at Rose, at the short woman and as he did, he felt something. A strange sensation. Not sight, not sound, but something deeper. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Energy. The short-haired woman looked unassuming at first glance, yet Vale could feel a massive reservoir of energy within her. And when he looked back at Rose.

His eyes widened. Rose held even more. Vastly more. It was overwhelming, enough to make his breath catch. He didn't know what it meant. Maybe the energy was tied to strength. Maybe power. Maybe something else entirely. Vale swallowed, then asked quietly, voice filled with curiosity:"Who… are you?" He directed the question at the short-haired woman. Though her energy was smaller than Rose's, it felt denser, compressed and controlled. The woman gave him a strange look.

"Me?" She paused, sighed, and continued.

"My name is Evelyn. Happy now?" Vale simply nodded. She seemed annoyed by the question, though he didn't understand why. After that, he fell silent. Shock, confusion, and fragments of emotion swirled inside him. Ember nudged his hand gently, trying to comfort him as he stared toward the mirror across the room. But no reflection stared back. Before he could process that, Evelyn's voice broke the quiet.

"Do you think that…?" Vale didn't pay attention at first, too lost in his own haze. Rose, however, answered immediately.

"Yeah." She hesitated before adding:"Vale's plane is likely one of those." The words snapped Vale back. He looked at Rose, confusion etched clearly across his face.

"One of those?" he asked. His voice trembled with curiosity, and a rising, uneasy sense of dread. The two women turned their gazes toward Vale, their expressions tightening with something between unease and caution. Neither spoke at first. The silence lingered long enough for Vale to feel the heaviness of it. Finally, Rose exhaled slowly, as though releasing a burden.

"Don't worry about it too much, Vale. It doesn't affect you negatively," she said gently. She hesitated, then added with a faint grimace, "It's just… a pain to deal with." Vale opened his mouth, ready to ask what she meant, but Rose was already speaking again, faster this time, as if trying to avoid the topic.

"However, I have a question I'd like to ask you." Her tone sharpened, becoming formal.

"You see, Vale… you're new to this world. We have no record of you in any database, not a single trace of your existence. And you're a young, promising anomaly." She paused, then continued, "So I'll ask this once: would you like to join the Rosemary Academy?" The question was simple. Vale's confusion was not. He blinked, staring at her. He didn't even know what she was offering. So instead of answering, he countered with a question of his own.

"What exactly is Rosemary Academy?" Rose's eyes lit up instantly, a spark of enthusiasm flaring within them. Evelyn, meanwhile, rolled her eyes and muttered:"Oh, here we go…" Her voice dripped with annoyance. Rose, ignoring her, launched into an explanation with bright excitement.

"Rosemary Academy is the only academy in the world built specifically to train young Visorians like yourself. We teach them how to handle their abilities responsibly, how to develop their strength, and how to keep a proper moral compass." Her voice grew livelier as she continued.

"Of course, we also teach normal academic subjects, language, mathematics, sciences, and more. Students can choose from several pathways: the Combat Class, the Research Class, or the Standard Track for Visorians who want peaceful lives after graduation." She finished with a hopeful smile, leaning forward slightly.

"So, Vale… will you join?" Vale looked at her, a complicated expression forming on his face. He had nowhere else to go. He had no memories, no home, and no one except Ember, yet these people hadn't harmed him. They seemed willing to help, and Rose had been nothing but kind. There was no reason to refuse. After a moment's silence, he nodded.'' Yeah… I'll join." His voice was soft, almost gentle, as he continued to absently stroke Ember's head. The small wyvern purred. Rose, however, reacted very differently.

Her entire expression lit up with a burst of excitement.

"Wonderful!" she exclaimed loudly, clapping her hands together. She celebrated for a few seconds before clearing her throat and continuing with renewed energy.

"However, since you're not caught up on our current curriculum, I recommend you spend four months with a private mentor. They'll teach you the basics. Our school year just started, so you'll be able to join halfway through." She smiled warmly.

"This also gives you time to decide which class you want to join." Vale tilted his head slightly.

"A private mentor? Who would that be?" This time, Rose didn't answer. Evelyn did. Her voice was calm, almost emotionless.

"Me." She paused, then added softly, "I will be your mentor." Vale stared at her, a strange look settling onto his face. He couldn't quite imagine this sharp-tongued, quietly intense woman as a teacher, but then again, they had only just met. First impressions were often misleading. And Rose seemed to trust her, which was enough for him. So he nodded lightly and let the matter rest. Suddenly, Rose clapped her hands once more.

"Well, now that we're all acquainted, shall we go?" Vale looked at her with mild confusion.

"Go where?" Rose blinked, then frowned playfully.

"Didn't I tell you? I said I'd let you meet the one who saved you once you recovered." The memory snapped into place. He did remember her saying that, back when he had first awakened. And now, he truly did feel recovered. More than recovered. Stronger, somehow, though he didn't know why or how. Vale rose from the hospital bed, gently lifting Ember and placing the small wyvern on his shoulder. Ember curled comfortably against his neck, wings folded neatly.

"All right," Vale said softly.

"Then… shall we go?" In truth, excitement stirred within him, quiet but undeniable. He was finally going to meet the one who saved him. He was finally going to meet the Leviathan mentioned in his file. And now… he was about to find out who, or what that being truly was. (image of evelyn)