?"I never imagined my death would look like this..."
?Wren mutters the words, staring blankly at the pack of goblins rushing straight toward him. He leans his back against a cold stone wall, barely able to catch his breath.
?Haah...
?Aah...
?He gasps, taking quick, heavy breaths as his chest heaves up and down. How much time do I even have left? Come on, you ugly monsters...
?He is too weak to even speak out loud anymore.
?Wren looks down at his own body. One of his arms is completely cut off, blood pouring heavily from the wound, and deep, painful cuts cover his legs. He knows there is no way he can survive this.
?Today really is the worst day of my life... and the very end of it.
?[ A Few Hours Before ]
?Today is the most important day for every young person.
?The day of the Awakening Ceremony.
?People all over the world believed that a person’s future depended on the power they unlocked. Some gained amazing abilities, others got normal talents, and a lucky few received powers that could change the world.
?Those who unlocked strong powers were meant for greatness.
?Those who didn’t...
?Were forgotten.
?Inside the huge hall of Starfall Academy, hundreds of students stand in straight lines. All eyes are locked on a giant crystal pillar right in the middle of the stage.
?The crystal shines with a soft, glowing golden light.
?One by one, students walk up and place their hands on the smooth, cold glass.
?"Student 121, Wren Extenguard. Report to the stage."
?Hearing the instructor call his name in a loud voice, Wren immediately starts walking toward the stage with calm, steady steps.
?He has messy, ink-black hair, and his clothes are made from expensive, high-end brands. His face is calm, but his golden eyes show a hint of excitement.
?Unlike the other students, Wren isn’t nervous at all.
?He has spent his whole life dreaming about this exact moment.
?He always imagined unlocking a super-strong power, joining a famous academy, and one day becoming one of the most powerful people in the world.
?Maybe he would unlock an S-rank ability.
?Maybe even a power that no one had ever seen before.
?He is completely confident in himself. And the main reason is simple: he is an Extenguard.
?As soon as Wren steps onto the stage, the students start whispering to each other.
?Isn’t that the fourth son of the Extenguard family?
?Yeah, I’ve seen him online at big events.
?True... but why is an Extenguard at a normal school like this?
?I know, right? I’ve never even seen him in class before today.
?Hey, keep your voice down! Do you know who we’re talking about? The Extenguards don’t even need regular schools—
?Wren completely tunes out their whispering. In his mind, these people are nothing more than annoying bugs wasting his time.
?"Student Extenguard, please place your hand on the crystal."
?The instructor speaks, using a tone of deep respect that he hasn’t shown to a single student all day.
?Wren snaps out of his thoughts.
?Right.
?To be honest, he loves this. He loves how everyone looks up to him and treats him with total respect.
?He walks up to the massive crystal pillar and slowly presses his palm against the cold glass.
?The second his skin touches it, the whole hall goes completely quiet.
?Every eye in the room stares at the stage, holding its breath for a huge, earth-shaking power to appear.
?But...
?One second passes.
?Then another.
?The crystal stays completely dark and still, with no light at all. Wren frowns, feeling his pride hurt, and pushes his hand harder against the glass.
?Still, nothing happens.
?Silence fills the giant hall—not a quiet of excitement, but an awkward, heavy stillness.
?Wren stares at the dull, dead crystal, his golden eyes narrowing in disbelief. A cold drop of sweat runs down his face.
?No. That’s impossible.
?He is an Extenguard. People from his family don’t fail. They don’t stand on a stage like normal commoners and get absolute nothingness.
?"Student Extenguard..." the instructor starts to say, sounding confused and nervous. "Please... try pushing a little more energy into it."
?Wren grits his teeth and slams his hand harder against the glass. He pushes all his inner strength through his body and into the pillar.
?Work.
?WORK!
?Crack.
?A weak, quiet cracking sound echoes through the hall. But it isn’t the bright golden light of an S-rank power. Instead, a single, tiny crack appears at the bottom of the crystal.
?The pillar gives off a weak, dying spark of dull grey—the absolute lowest grade possible. A dead seed.
?Zero.
?Gasps echo across the room. The whispers start up again, but this time, they are sharp, filled with shock and mockery.
?Did... did he fail?
?An Extenguard failing the awakening? How is that even possible?
?Look at the pillar—it’s completely dead. He doesn’t even have a normal talent. He’s a zero.
?Wren pulls his hand back quickly, as if the glass burned him. His chest heaves up and down, and his mind spins out of control. The golden future he had planned out so perfectly, the pride he felt just minutes ago—it all shatters in one second, replaced by an empty, terrifying dark void.
?Wren cannot understand what is happening.
?Did I... did I actually fail?
?With that scary thought ringing in his head, his eyes pull away from the dead crystal and look toward the back of the hall.
?Standing quietly in the shadows behind the rows of students are three people dressed completely in black.
?One of them touches the side of their ear, speaking quietly into a hidden communicator.
?As soon as they finish talking, the three figures turn around and quickly head for the exit, disappearing down the hallway without looking back once.
?They left without me...