In Washington Awakener High.
"Good morning, everyone," said a teacher with short black hair and round glasses as he stepped into the classroom.
"Good morning, Mr James," the students replied in unison.
Sunlight streamed through the tall windows, bathing the room in a warm glow. Outside, the city of Washington was already awake, with distant traffic hums and birds chirping in the morning air. It felt like the start of an ordinary day.
Mr James placed his books on the desk and smiled.
"Today, we have two transfer students joining us. They will study with you all in your sophomore year. Please be respectful and make them feel welcome. I hope you will also show them around the school."
He then turned towards the door.
"Please come in, you two."
The classroom door slid open as a beautiful girl stepped inside first.
She had short blonde hair that shimmered softly under the sunlight, and her calm blue eyes swept across the room with quiet confidence.
There was something elegant about the way she stood, as if she belonged to a noble family. Her posture was straight, her expression composed, and her presence alone seemed to change the atmosphere of the class.
For a moment, the room fell silent.
Several students stared with their mouths slightly open, unable to hide their awe at her beauty and graceful aura.
After her, a boy stepped into the classroom.
Unlike the beautiful girl, he looked completely out of place.
His hair was a soft shade of pink, a colour none of the students had ever seen before. A white blindfold covered his eyes. It was an actual blindfold.
He held a wooden stick in one hand and walked forward while casually whistling, as if he were taking a stroll through a park rather than entering the most prestigious awakener academy on Earth.
The classroom slowly fell into deeper silence as the creaking of desks echoed. A few students blinked in disbelief.
'Why is there a blind person in our school?'
The question lingered in the air, unspoken yet shared by almost everyone present.
Some exchanged confused looks. Others leaned back in their seats, trying to make sense of what they were seeing.
A century ago, the world had changed overnight.
Earth had been connected to a game-like realm known as the Vast Expanse. Humans awakened classes and summons, gaining power that once belonged only to myths.
With it came terrifying dangers and unimaginable opportunities. Some called it the dark era of humanity. Others believed it was the golden age.
Once impossible feats had become common sights in daily life. Flying across cities, slaying monsters, and tearing down buildings were no longer things people only saw in movies.
And yet, even in this new age, certain rules remained unchanged.
Strength decided status.
Power decided worth.
Which was why the sight of a blind student entering the most elite Awakener academy felt completely absurd to them.
Before the whispers could begin, Mr James cleared his throat.
"Alright, both of you, please introduce yourselves to your future classmates."
The blonde girl stepped forward first.
"I am Sarah Gates. Nice to meet you all," she said with a polite smile.
Gates. The title alone was enough to stir the room.
A low murmur spread across the class as recognition dawned on the students' faces.
The Gates family was one of the nine ruling families of the New World.
After the connection to the Vast Expanse, old nations had collapsed, and new regions had risen in their place. The Gates family ruled one of the largest of these regions and also held immense authority in the Fourth Expanse.
To most people, the name Gates was spoken with respect.
Sarah Gates was royalty in every sense of the word.
That's why even in this elite classroom, her presence still stood out. The students here came from families that controlled industries, territories, and private armies.
And still, the name Gates carried a different kind of weight.
'Gates, huh? I wonder how I can scam her…' the pink-haired boy thought as he moved forward.
"And I'm Loki. I hope y'all won't make fun of my disability~"
The class had a completely different reaction to him.
Even Sarah turned around and looked at him with curiosity. Having always lived in her mansion, this was her first time in the outside world.
To her innocent mind, the guy in front of her looked like a lost puppy who had wandered somewhere he did not belong.
'Stop looking at me as if I am some beggar with more holes in his shirt rather than his whole body,' Loki complained silently and took a small step away.
BANG!
Just then, a student slammed his desk and stood up.
"Mr James, you can't be serious! What is a blind person doing in our prestigious academy?"
His name was Thomas. His body was built like a tank, and his short grey hair only added to his intimidating look.
"Oi, you can't call a blind person blind to his face! I have feelings, you know!" Loki shot back, making the whole class burst into laughter.
Thomas was about to retaliate, but Mr James stepped between them.
"Alright, you two drop it," he said firmly. "Loki is a special case, and the principal has personally approved his admission. Even though he cannot see, he has inherited a special talent that allows him to move around just fine. So there is no need for further discussion."
The tension in the room slowly eased.
"Sarah and Loki, please take your seats."
Loki tapped his wooden stick lightly against the floor and walked toward the window side of the classroom. His steps were calm and steady.
Sarah moved toward the front rows and took the empty seat beside a white-haired girl named Sofie. They exchanged faint smiles.
From the way they looked at each other, it was clear they already knew one another.
As Loki settled by the window, Mr James paused.
His gaze shifted to the blindfolded boy.
"Loki," he said calmly, "you will be joining the freshmen tomorrow morning for their Awakening Ceremony."
A brief silence followed the announcement before the muffled snickers of the students kicked in.
Some students hid their smiles behind their hands. Others whispered, whereas Loki simply nodded.
"Yes, sir."
Only then did Mr James turn back toward the blackboard.
The classroom slowly returned to normal.
Chairs scraped against the floor as students adjusted their seats.
Some leaned back, others leaned forward, but their eyes still lingered on the two transfer students, especially the blindfolded boy sitting by the window.
Sunlight reflected faintly against the white fabric covering Loki's eyes, making his presence feel even more out of place.
Mr James picked up a piece of chalk and wrote two words on the board.
Class
Summon
"Now then," he said calmly, "it is time to revise the most important rule of this world.
Every human awakens two things by the age of eighteen. Your class determines the path you walk. It defines your role, your combat style, and the type of power you can pursue. Your summon, however, is your partner, your weapon, and your shield. It grows with you, inherits your will, and reflects your ambition."
Several students unconsciously leaned forward.
"To truly understand this, you must know about the one who shaped our earliest survival."
He then wrote a name beneath the two words.
Aurelion the Starbound.
A ripple of recognition moved through the room.
"Aurelion awakened in the age when monsters from the Vast Expanse first swallowed entire cities overnight. His class was known as a Celestial Warden. His summon was the Titan of the Falling Sky, a colossal astral being."
The room grew silent.
"Wherever the Titan walked, it was said that gravity bent. Entire monster legions were crushed beneath its feet."
Mr James paused.
"With that summon, Aurelion built the first base for humans in the First Expanse, sealed the earliest sky rifts, and taught humanity how to survive the first collapse."
"And yet, even he vanished while exploring the Second Expanse."
The chalk tapped softly against the board.
"He entered the Void Horizon, a mysterious place so vast that its interior was described as an endless starfield. He never returned."
"This is why awakenings matter. They decide your future. They decide how far your life can go."
Loki sat quietly by the window as Mr James words swiftly brushed past his ears.
Outside, white clouds drifted lazily across the blue sky while sunlight spilled over distant rooftops. The peaceful view felt detached from dungeon gates, monsters, and bloodstained battlefields.
His lips curved faintly beneath the blindfold as Mr James added another word beneath the first three.
Age
"Most people awaken at eighteen. It is the standard age, the point where the soul has matured enough to respond to the Vast Expanse.
Those who awaken before eighteen are rare. Their souls resonate faster, which gives them higher ceilings, faster growth, and far greater chances of reaching the upper tiers.
Those who awaken at eighteen are average at best in most cases. They can still become strong, but they must struggle harder, and their limits are usually lower. And those who fail to awaken even at eighteen will never awaken."
The room fell into a heavy silence, swelling with pride. Most of them had awakened before eighteen, except a few… including Loki, which was why they were snickering at him earlier!