Inside the house, the small living space had been cleared. The floor was swept, and the windows were shut to avoid any distractions.
Justin had been watching him more closely the past week, measuring, gauging.
Now, that look in his father's eyes was different. Serious. Still. Expectant.
"It's time," Justin said simply.
Ash nodded.
The day of Awakening had come.
And though most commoners never got the chance, even fewer were guided through it by someone who knew what to do—Ash was ready.
The awakening process was simple in steps, but harsh in execution.
Ash sat on the floor of their house as his father handed him a small wooden cup. Inside was a mana concentrate—thick, glowing faintly gold, and giving off a sweet, almost fruity smell.
"Drink it in one go," Justin said firmly. "And stay awake. No matter what."
He laid down as instructed. Justin stepped back, eyes sharp and focused. Sealing bands had already been placed—thin strips of marked leather across Ash's wrists, ankles, and forehead. They were meant to suppress movement, help guide mana flow safely through the body and help him maintain consciousness.
Ash nodded and downed the liquid.
It was warm and smooth going down, but the moment it hit his stomach, everything changed.
The pain came instantly.
Ash's body arched, muscles locking tight as if struck by lightning. He gasped, then screamed. His skin began to glow faintly, lines of light crawling up from his chest, spreading through his limbs.
He convulsed hard, but the seals held him in place.
"Stay awake!" Justin barked.
Ash's eyes rolled, his breath ragged. The pain felt endless—his veins burning, his bones stiffening, like his whole body was rejecting itself and rebuilding at once.
"Ash! Don't sleep. You close your eyes now, you die. Stay awake!"
The boy screamed again, but he obeyed. His fists clenched, his jaw tightened. The light grew brighter—then suddenly stopped.
His breathing slowed.
He was drenched in sweat. His hands trembled. His vision blurred—but he was conscious.
He had survived the awakening.
As the pain faded, the glowing lines across Ash's body dimmed, and the seals deactivated with a faint hiss of released energy.
Ash lay there, breathing heavily.
Then, something changed.
A sudden rush of power surged through his body—clean, focused, alive. The pain was gone, replaced by a strange quiet clarity. His limbs felt light. His senses sharper.
Without thinking, Ash pushed himself up.
He stood, strong and steady, eyes wide with surprise at how different everything felt. He was energized, like his entire body had been rebuilt.
But just as quickly as he stood—his legs gave out.
He collapsed forward.
Justin stepped in and caught him easily, chuckling as he held him up.
"That's normal," he said, smiling. "Welcome to the other side, boy."
Ash had passed out cold in his father's arms—but he had awakened.
Ash slept for nearly the entire day.
His body was completely still, recovering from the intense strain of awakening. Justin checked on him a few times, but everything was normal. He just needed rest.
When Ash finally woke up, the sun was low outside, casting a warm glow into the room. He sat up slowly, blinking a few times, but the tiredness was gone. Completely.
His body felt light, powerful… alive in a way he'd never known.
Then, he smelled it.
Beef broth.
The rich, familiar aroma filled the house. It was his favorite, and his father always made it on special days. Ash's stomach growled instantly.
Without thinking, he jumped up, ran to the door—
—and broke it clean off the hinges as he pushed it open.
The wooden door slammed to the ground with a thud.
Ash stared at it, stunned.
Justin, who was stirring the pot at the hearth, turned slowly.
Still adjusting to his newfound strength, Ash stepped forward and casually pulled out a wooden chair to sit down.
It snapped in half with a loud crack the moment he touched it.
He froze.
Justin burst out laughing from the cooking pot.
"Yup, that's about right," he said, shaking his head.
Ash's face turned red with embarrassment.
"I didn't even pull it that hard…" he muttered.
"That's normal," Justin said, still grinning. "Takes time to get used to your body again. Everything feels lighter, but you're stronger now. Way stronger."
From then on, Ash started moving slower—deliberate, careful, like he was walking in slow motion. He poured water gently. He sat on the floor instead of another chair. Every action was exaggeratedly cautious.
Justin just laughed again.
"Alright, calm down. You're not gonna break the whole house."
Ash groaned quietly, rubbing the back of his neck.
"This is going to be awkward for a while…"
"You'll figure it out," Justin said, handing him a steaming bowl.
"Now eat before you break the bowl too."
Physically, the change was even more noticeable. He had grown several inches taller, and his frame had filled out with lean, defined muscle. His skin was clearer, his breathing steadier, and his eyes sharper—brighter, as if lit from within.
It was as though his entire body had been reforged, cleansed of every imperfection. All the old sluggishness and fatigue were gone. What remained was strength, balance, and clarity.
His hair had grown rapidly too, longer than it had ever been—messy strands falling to his neck. At first, he tried to keep brushing it aside, but eventually, he tied it back with a strip of cloth. He didn't mind it much. He admitted to himself, it looked kind of cool.
When he asked Justin about the sudden changes, his father just glanced over and said, "That's just your body adjusting.
Your metabolism's resetting, balancing itself out. It'll stabilise soon." Ash accepted it without complaint. He could feel the difference in every step, every breath.
His body moved like it remembered how to fight, how to respond—faster healing, sharper senses, cleaner energy flow. It felt... right.
After several weeks, Ash had full control over his body.
Then came the most important part of any awakening:
Elemental Affinity.
Every awakened human was born with the potential to wield one, or at most two, elemental affinities. These elements defined their combat style, spells, and even professions.
Most people had minor affinities—wind, fire, water, or earth—some with rare ones like lightning or metal.
But above all… were the Primordials:
True Light and True Darkness—the purest forces in existence.
They were not just elements; they were fundamental powers of creation and destruction. It was believed that all other elements were born from their clash. Only a handful of people in recorded history had ever awakened even one of them.
Justin stood silently as he placed a small, mana crystal in Ash's hands.
This was no ordinary crystal—it was tuned to reveal elemental affinity.
"Channel your mana into it," Justin instructed.
Ash closed his eyes, focused, and let the energy within him flow into the crystal.
The crystal began to glow—first white, then black.
Then both.
It didn't flicker or shift between them. It held both colours at once, swirling inside like a storm of light and shadow, trying to break free.
True Light. True Darkness. At the same time.
Justin froze.
His breath caught in his throat. His eyes locked on the crystal, unblinking.
"No… no, no—what the hell is this…" he muttered, almost stumbling backwards.
His face had gone pale. Real fear showed in his eyes—like he was staring at something that shouldn't exist.
Ash looked up, confused.
"Dad?"
Justin didn't answer at first. He ran a trembling hand through his hair, muttering to himself.
"This can't be right… it's not supposed to be…"
He finally looked at Ash.
"Put that crystal down. Now."
Ash slowly set it on the table. The light and darkness within it still clashed and danced.
Justin stared at him.
"Ash, listen to me. That… that's Light and Darkness. Both. At the same time."
Ash blinked.
"Is that bad?"
He sat down, heavily, like the weight of it had just hit him. Justin sat silently for a long time.
Finally, he spoke, his voice low and steady.
"Ash… don't say a word about this to anyone. Not even in passing. Not ever."
He looked up, meeting his son's eyes.
"What you have… is not just rare."
He gestured to the crystal.
"True Light and True Darkness — the two primordial forces. Every element, every type of magic — fire, wind, lightning, water, earth, even time and space, all of them come from those two roots."
He leaned forward slightly, calm but firm.
"That means you won't just be limited to one or two elements like most people. In theory, you could master any element. All of them. With time, effort… and the right guidance."
He gave a small, sad smile.
"But that also means it's going to be harder. Far harder. For others, magic is like carving a path in soft soil. For you, it will be like carving through stone — deep, complex, unforgiving."
He placed a hand gently on Ash's shoulder.
"I have lightning affinity. It's only five to ten percent pure — not very high — but it's what got me to D-rank."
He took a breath.
"Your affinity will be pure. One hundred percent. That's powerful, yes — but it'll be a hundred… thousand times harder to control it ".
"From now on, if anyone ever asks… you have lightning affinity. Just like me."
"It's believable. It explains your growth, your speed, your power. No one will question it. It will protect you."
Then, his tone softened.
"I know this is a lot, Ash. But you need to trust me. There are kingdoms, cults, even entire organisations that would do anything to capture or control someone like you. Even kill for it."
He placed both hands on Ash's shoulders this time, firmly.
"You're my son. And my only promise in this life is to protect you."
He straightened up again, calmer now — though the weight of the truth still lingered between them.
"We'll take this step by step. Starting with lightning. That's what the world will know."
And between them, the crystal slowly dimmed — as if sealing the truth, if only for a while.