Aurion woke up like it always did.
Engines, footsteps, distant horns, voices overlapping in a rhythm that only big cities understood. Glass buildings reflected the morning light. People moved fast, already late for something.
Nothing about the scene suggested destiny.
Kael Auren walked through it quietly.
Seventeen years old. Backpack over one shoulder. Hands in his pockets. His face calm, almost indifferent — the kind of boy people forgot five seconds after passing.
But Kael didn't see the city the same way anymore.
Two men were arguing near a convenience store.
"You don't even know what you're talking about, man."
"I know exactly what I'm talking about. You're just scared to admit it."
Their voices were sharp. Their emotions heavier.
Above them, tiny translucent spheres floated in the air — slow, fragile, almost invisible.
Kael slowed his steps.
He raised his hand as if adjusting his backpack strap.
His fingers passed through one of the spheres.
A soft sensation spread through his arm. Not heat. Not cold.
Alignment.
Strength +0.03
Stability +0.01
The system message appeared silently in his mind.
Kael didn't react.
No smile. No surprise.
He just kept walking.
Since that night… this had become normal.
The world dropped things.
And he was the only one who could pick them up.
The Auren apartment was small, but alive.
Luma was sitting on the floor, surrounded by colored pencils and papers. Her tongue peeked out slightly as she focused.
She noticed Kael the second he stepped inside.
"Ka!"
She ran and hugged his leg like he might disappear if she didn't.
Kael bent down and rested a hand on her head.
"Hey. What's all this?"
"I'm drawing you."
She grabbed a paper and showed him proudly.
It was clearly Kael. Or at least… her version of him. Bigger arms. Messy hair. Facing a monster with too many teeth.
Kael looked at it for a second.
"…That's me?"
"Yeah." She nodded seriously. "You're winning."
He let out a quiet laugh.
"Since when do I win?"
Luma narrowed her eyes.
"Since you're my brother."
That answer landed heavier than it should have.
Kael gently ruffled her hair.
"Alright. Then I'll try not to lose."
"When I grow up, I'll be strong too," she said casually. "So I can help you."
Kael paused for half a second.
Then he smiled softly.
"You already do."
She blinked.
"…How?"
"Just by being here."
She frowned.
"That doesn't make sense."
"Good," he replied. "It's supposed to feel that way."
In the kitchen, Helena was stirring a pot.
"Shoes off," she said without turning around.
"Already did."
"And wash your hands."
"Already did."
She finally looked at him, scanning his face.
"You okay?"
"I'm fine."
She didn't fully believe it.
But she accepted it.
At the table, Renato lowered his phone.
"You've been quieter lately."
Kael sat down.
"Thinking."
"Too much thinking ruins sleep," Renato said calmly.
Kael shrugged.
"I still sleep."
Renato smiled slightly.
"Then it's fine."
Luma jumped between them, holding the drawing.
"Look! Ka is beating a monster!"
Helena laughed.
"That monster needs a dentist."
Renato smirked.
"You look pretty cool there, Kael."
Kael looked at all three of them.
And for a moment, the system, the world, the power…
None of it mattered.
I could collect everything out there…
…but this is the only thing I actually want to protect.
The neighborhood martial arts gym was old.
Worn mats. Cracked mirrors. Heavy bags held together with tape.
But effort filled the air.
And effort always left traces.
Kael felt it the moment he entered.
The instructor looked at him and snorted.
"Auren. Again?"
"I'm training."
"You're collecting losses."
Some students laughed.
Kael didn't react.
A taller boy stepped forward.
"Let me handle him."
He cracked his knuckles.
"Try to last longer today."
Kael nodded once.
The match started.
The first punch came fast.
Kael leaned back slightly. The wind brushed his cheek.
Not panic.
Calculation.
He adjusted his footing. His balance. His breathing.
Above the opponent, spheres began forming rapidly — strength, speed, confidence, aggression.
Kael moved.
Not to attack.
To align.
Reflex +0.01
Speed +0.02
Combat instinct +0.03
He stepped in.
Short movement. No flourish.
A clean strike to the abdomen.
The boy froze, then dropped to one knee, gasping.
Silence.
The instructor stopped smiling.
Kael stepped back.
No pride. No celebration.
Just control.
Outside, the sky was turning orange.
Kael stopped walking.
The wind brushed past his face.
Then he saw it.
A different sphere.
Heavier. Still. Watching.
Kael slowly raised his hand.
The moment he touched it…
The air itself felt deeper.
Aetherion is observing you.
Kael didn't flinch.
He looked up at the sky between the buildings.
So… you see me too.
The sphere dissolved, not disappearing — but completing something.
Kael lowered his hand and continued walking.
The city remained loud.
People remained unaware.
But Kael understood something clearly now:
The world wasn't just a stage.
It was a presence.
And it had just acknowledged him.