CHAPTER — The Awakening Begins
After hours on the balcony, Luke finally stepped back inside. The apartment smelled faintly of cooking and simmering soup, warm and comforting in the dim evening light. The quiet clatter of plates and the low murmur of the news on the television filled the room. His mother glanced up from setting the table, worry in her eyes.
"You've been outside a long time," she said gently, placing a bowl of soup before him. "It's chilly. Did you catch a cold?"
Luke shrugged lightly, the corner of his mouth twitching in a faint, almost imperceptible smile.
"Just… needed some air," he replied softly, his voice calm, almost measured.
His father, leaning casually against the doorway, watched him for a moment.
"You think too much sometimes, Luke. Don't forget to eat," he said, his tone half-joking but carrying quiet concern.
Luke nodded and sat at the table. Conversation drifted naturally, mundane yet grounding. His parents spoke about the news coverage of Aura Formulation, the unusual international holiday, and the streets outside, now quiet as businesses paused for the global event. They joked lightly, remarked on how strange it felt that the world was holding still, and speculated on what tomorrow might bring.
"Do you think it's safe?" his mother asked softly, stirring her tea. "Giving people… abilities like this?"
Luke stayed silent for a moment, absorbing the warmth and steadiness in her voice. There was no obsession here, no frantic speculation. Only simple human curiosity and concern.
"You'll find out tomorrow anyway," his father said finally, with a soft exhale. "Nothing we can do now except be ready."
Luke nodded once. The tension pressing on his shoulders loosened slightly. The calm of this shared meal, the quiet care in his parents' voices, was a small relief after the weight of the past days. For a few moments, the world outside—the obsession, the frenzy, the unknown consequences—felt distant.
They finished dinner with gentle conversation, the clinking of cutlery and the hum of the television filling the pauses. Luke even found himself smiling faintly at one of his father's dry jokes. The simple warmth of home acted as an anchor, holding him steady against the storm of thoughts pressing in from the world beyond.
By 10:00 PM , the apartment had settled. After washing the dishes and tidying up, Luke and his parents lay down to sleep. The city outside was quiet, the streets dim and still. All around the world, similar scenes were unfolding—families preparing for the pause, for the transition, for the coming awakening.
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Luke drifted into darkness.
At first, it was just sleep. But slowly, he realized something was different. The familiar walls of his room, the soft glow of the city through his window, the comforting smells of dinner—all had vanished. Instead, an endless blackness stretched infinitely in every direction.
He blinked, disoriented.
Then realization struck. He was dreaming.
And this was no ordinary dream. The Aura Formulation event had begun while he slept. Somewhere, billions of others were in the same state, awaiting their awakening.
A tight weight pressed in his chest. He did not want a role. He did not want a label, a rank, a category. Yet the panel floating in the darkness made one thing clear—he could not remain here forever.
Suddenly, a blinding white flash erupted in front of him. He raised his hand instinctively, shielding his eyes. The brilliance cut through the blackness like a blade. When it faded, a panel appeared, hovering in midair, soft and glowing.
Text appeared on the surface:
" TOUCH HERE TO KNOW YOUR CATEGORY "
" AWAKENING REQUIRED TO EXIT DREAM "
Luke froze. His hand trembled slightly. The weight of choice pressed down on him. He did not want this. And yet, the panel made it impossible to refuse. To remain in this dream indefinitely was impossible.
He exhaled slowly. The knot in his chest tightened, a mix of dread and inevitability. Outside, the world slept, billions of people waiting, unaware of what was about to unfold. One touch, one motion, and the shape of his life—and the perception of him—would change forever.
Finally, his fingers brushed the glowing surface.
The dream-space exploded in blinding white light, expanding in every direction. Darkness dissolved, and space seemed to stretch infinitely, bending around him as if reality itself was reshaping.
For a heartbeat, everything was nothing. The flash shimmered and pulsed, brighter than anything Luke had ever experienced. His eyes watered from the brilliance; his body froze in awe and apprehension. Then, as the light slowly faded, stillness returned, heavier than before.
Luke opened his eyes, alone once more in the vast blackness. The emptiness pressed against him like a question he could not answer.
And the thought, unspoken yet overwhelming, settled into his mind:
What is my role?
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End of Chapter .