CHAPTER 7
Yuki continued to grimace in pain for a while. The pain slowly began to subside as she felt a strange sensation going through her entire being. She felt stronger, more robust, and more lively.
Just like Megumi, she too had no idea what a light awakening was supposed to be like, just that it was something the gifted had to go through at some point in their lives. So she really had no idea what had just happened to her…
Still clinging to her chest with both hands, she slowly got to her feet once again, slowly turning around to gaze at Megumi, who was staring at her with a weirdly solemn expression.
This new friend of hers was quite strange; sometimes his actions made no sense to her, just as they did now.
'What in the abyss is that look?'
Her mind wandered for a while as she looked at him, and after growing tired of staring, she finally decided to call out to him.
"Megumi?"
He gasped slightly as his gaze met hers, and as soon as their eyes met, he turned away with a subtle frown. But that look… it didn't look like he was angry but rather in pain and was trying desperately to hide it.
The pain she had felt for a few moments was quite scarring, especially for a girl her age. There was a lot going on in her mind, so much that she didn't have time to dwell on what could possibly be going on with her friend at that moment.
She slowly relieved her chest from the clutch of her hands and hesitantly brought her palms to her face. For a while, she gazed at them, trying to remember the robust, lively feeling she had got just after the searing pain she felt came to an end.
She closed her eyes and tried to concentrate on that feeling, that lively energy that almost felt like it was permeating her being. Slowly, the sensation began to come back to her. She could feel it permeating her entire being just like it had about a minute ago.
It felt like a tingling sensation going through her skin; it rushed all around her. This feeling… it was strange—it felt like it was a part of her, yet not at the same time. It was being rejected as it tried to flow inside her.
She tried to focus on the flow of the sensation as much as she could, but nothing happened; no matter how hard she tried, it remained the same. Something had changed about her, and she couldn't figure out what it was.
The feeling of defeat gnawed at her as she opened her eyes. The strange feeling instantly went away, and in its place was emptiness and frustration; she gripped her hair in frustration, wanting to scream at the top of her lungs with burning rage.
She felt… She felt like she had almost gotten to the root of that feeling, that strangely pleasing sensation, but no matter how close she felt she had come, she always failed. She was angry at herself.
'Just one more… A little nudge, and I'm sure I'll get the hang of it.'
She was so close…
Trying hard to push aside the thoughts, she inhaled deeply, closing her eyes for a moment. She opened them once more, turning her gaze to the side to look at Megumi, who was staring at her awestruck.
Instantly, she felt awkward and tense. As they exchanged glances, she shifted slightly, planting an awkward smile on her face.
"Let's go home."
Quickly, he turned around and began walking away towards the opposite direction of where they had come from. In the few seconds that he began walking, even under the radiance of the moonlight, he had gone so far that all she could see was his silhouette.
"Wait for me!" she yelled at the top of her lungs, quickly chasing after him.
However, just as she took a step forward, her mind suddenly felt hazy. This feeling… she didn't understand it one bit. Her legs gave in, and she fell face down in the middle of the bridge.
Slowly, her entire body began to shut down, and then everything went dark.
******
A few minutes earlier…
Megumi's heart was racing as he marvelled at his supposed victory. As Yuki fell to the floor clutching her chest, he knew just as well as most what it could likely mean…
Her light awakening had begun, and with it he was going to receive a reward increase. Unlike how much easier he felt the system would make things for him, this certainly felt like he had worked hard for it and earned it.
A melodic ring went off, the same one he heard when he had received his salvation, his golden finger, the only thing that kept him moving in this cursed world: the system.
A familiar screen popped up before him, and on it was a set of runes containing a few words.
[Your awakening has begun.]
That was the last thing he had seen… and then he curled up on the floor of the bridge, trying as hard as he could to stop himself from screaming at the top of his lungs.
A gut-wrenching pain pierced through his mind, clouding it entirely. He felt hazy, out of touch with the world around him. His mind was swirling, twisting as he struggled to remain conscious.
Though it felt like an eternity, fortunately for him, the pain had only lasted for a moment. He was soon on his feet, ready to see what glory the system had in store for him.
The screen appeared once more, and this time a new set of runes was boldly shown on the screen.
[Your awakening has concluded.]
[Obtaining Tenfold Increments…]
[Final appraisal: Light Energy manipulation]
[Rank: Supreme]
'Just one rank short of the seventh.'
A smile crept up his face as he stared at the last runes. Light Energy manipulation of the supreme rank—he was now leagues above most adults with this level of control alone.
Closing his eyes, he could feel it: a strange sensation quickly washed over him. A strange tingling sensation began going all over his skin, but as soon as it began, the same searing pain he had felt at the beginning of his awakening washed over his mind once more.
He stared emptily into the distance, trying to feel the tingling sensation once again, but the searing pain quickly returned along with it. He was left utterly confused.
Just when he thought he had made a breakthrough, he hit a wall once more. This time, it was way worse than earlier; he had no idea what was happening to him or why he couldn't use external energy, no matter how hard he tried.
His smile disappeared, and his face turned gloomy as he cursed under his breath. This new discovery, or rather predicament, could prove to be a serious problem. He had never heard of anything like this before.
He was lost in thought, caught in a daze, trying as hard as he could to shake off the uneasy feeling welling up inside him. Until…
"Megumi."
The sudden call had his attention immediately drawn to Yuki, who was just a few centimeters away from him. And without even realizing it, a slight gasp had escaped his lips.
He turned away in frustration, while Yuki refused to pay heed to him. For a while, he watched her perform a few weird actions before finally asking that they both go home.
*******
'Finally, home sweet home.'
After a long, arduous journey, he was finally home with no one to scold or bother him about where he had gone. Aoi had left with his mom, and his sister… well, she never really bothered too much about him.
Perhaps he was the one who didn't bother much about her…
Shaking his head, Megumi continued forward towards the edge of his room, where a miniature desk fit for his size stood, and by its side was a small chair.
It had been a long day, and his muscles were sore from carrying Yuki home. The young girl had collapsed a few meters along the bridge, just a few meters away from reaching the middle.
It couldn't have been more than five steps from where she was standing right before he had asked for them to go home. Whatever happened to her, he didn't really have even the slightest idea what it could be.
That was why he had come here today. Reaching into the drawers below his desk, he quickly brought out a thick, black-covered book: his journal.
The book was simple and a little heavy. Without further ado, he opened it up and began penning down all the new discoveries he had made at the moonlight temple; tomorrow was going to be a long day of studying for him.
Immediately after he was done, he placed the book back and walked straight to his bed. He fell face down onto the soft, gentle surface of the mattress, and before long his body gave in.
His mind slowly drifted into darkness…