Awakening and Decisions

Today, unlike other days, I woke up at 1 PM! I was genuinely surprised; I had set an alarm for 6:00 AM, but I guess I slept right through it. I went to check on Aiko, but she wasn't home. She might have slipped out to get breakfast.

I checked my phone to send her a message to see where she was, but she anticipated my worry and had already sent me a message saying, "Going out for breakfast, didn't want to wake you. Now who is the lazy one!" I just replied with a thumbs-up.

After I finished eating my breakfast—though at this point, it was more like lunch—Aiko finally arrived, only to leave again. She said she was going out with friends. I guess after what happened, she wanted to check up on them, maybe stay distracted.

With nothing to do other than house chores, I decided to call the police station. They were expecting my call because it went rather smoothly, and they scheduled me in for later in the day. I also called the government office for Regalia assessment to update my power. They scheduled me for tomorrow. I was pretty shocked; these things are usually pretty booked. I guess I called at the right time.

When I arrived at the police station, I was immediately taken into a room to chat with none other than the nice cop I had talked to that day. I simply explained my side of the story: hearing the alarm, running to my sister's class, and lastly, smacking the guy over the head with a bat. Nothing out of the ordinary, other than maybe I had awakened. The nice cop mentioned some important details he had gathered from everyone's accounts and suggested that perhaps my Regalia's awakening involved creating objects. In hindsight, it made sense—I did have a bat suddenly appear out of thin air, and apparently, I had created a shield too.

After I got out of the precinct, I went to get some fast food; I was starving. I texted Aiko to see if she wanted anything, but she said no and that she was going to stay late with her friends. So after eating, I spent the rest of my day keeping busy by cleaning the house.

Finally, once 7 PM hit, I got a call from my dad.

"Natsuya, I just got a call from the school. Are you and your sister okay?"

"Yes, Dad, we are fi—"

"Good, your mother was worried."

"Really? I'm happy to hear that. You guys are always so bus—"

"You have to understand everything we do is for you. Let me know when the school is planning to open up. If it doesn't soon, I will transfer you to a different one."

"Dad, maybe you should let Aiko rest."

"Nonsense. She can rest while at school. Neither of you can fall behind in your studies."

"....."

"Call me if you have any emergencies. Goodbye."

"By—" He hung up before I could even say bye.

My father and mother never really looked out for us. They got us a place to stay and mostly gave us freedom and money. I am used to this lifestyle, but when I was younger and saw all my friends with their families, I resented them for it. Now I don't blame them. They are working hard and providing to give me and Aiko a bright future.

To be honest, I don't think I will have one, but I know Aiko will, so I appreciate their efforts for her sake.

Aiko came home late; she didn't eat dinner. She said she ate with her friends. I told her our parents called and what they said.

"That's good, I guess," Aiko responded once I told her our dad's comment. "It's true I cannot fall behind in my studies."

"But Aiko, maybe you should rest and take as much time as you need."

"No, Dad is right. The world is not going to wait for me. So I have to keep moving. If the school does not open up soon, I'll do as Father says and change schools. You'll come with me, right, Natsuya?"

"Of course I will."

"Then it's decided! I'm going to bed now. See you tomorrow, Natsuya."

"Cya," I responded.

Aiko has also gotten used to our parents' cold attitude toward us. They are objective people who seem to have little to no emotion. I cannot deny that they care for us; they simply do not express it like average people. Aiko seems to notice that too, so she is not too harsh on them. She is a smart girl.

I decided to go to bed too. Tomorrow, I was going to get an updated scaling on my Regalia, and I wanted to be rested for it. The test didn't amount to much more than showcasing what your Regalia can do. Then a subjective individual rated the Regalia based on metrics created by the government. Let's see what they say about my awakening.

• 

The next day arrived, and I found myself sitting in front of the government official who would rate my awakening.

"So, you're telling me your Regalia awakened. Can you describe what new powers you have?"

"Well, truth be told, I am not entirely sure. But when I was speaking to the officer, he said a shield was found at the scene of the crime but disappeared after some time. Also, a bat I was holding disappeared into thin air. He believes I have the power to create objects through my Regalia."

"I see. But you are not sure then. I cannot assess you if you are not sure."

"I- I- understand."

"Well, demonstrate for me. Don't give up so quickly."

"Oh, okay. Right, I'll do that." I wasn't sure if I would be able to harness the power again, but I gave it a shot. I focused all my energy into my eyes like how it felt last time. My vision increased drastically. I could see everything. The world seemed to slow. My head was pounding; I was overexerting myself, but I envisioned the bat I used that day. My vision suddenly got sharper and sharper. I saw individual atoms, electromagnetic forces joining together to form the object I desired. Finally, I released the strain in my eyes, and a bat appeared in my hands.

"Wow. Impressive," said the government official with a neutral face. I guess she was trying to be polite. I'm guessing she has seen far more impressive things. "It seems you have the power to create things like you said. Do me a favor, can you create a gun?"

"A gun! Why a gun?"

"Simple. If you can create a lethal weapon out of thin air, you suddenly become a threat to the public that we should be aware of. Not only that, but it will also significantly boost your Tier."

"I can try." With that, I strained my vision once again. I visualized a small gun, like the ones I see detectives use in movies. Atoms moved to form my desired object, and bam, a gun landed on the table.

"I see. Excellent. Congratulations, you have a Tier 3 Regalia. You are capable of producing damage but are also easily neutralized."

"Great... but that really doesn't explain how my ocular Regalia suddenly became a creation one."

"Don't worry too much, young man. Regalia change all the time. Maybe you never had a visual Regalia to begin with and simply got it confused. Be happy you're a Tier 3 user now. More opportunities have opened up for you."

"I see. Well, thank you for your time."

After getting all the paperwork done, I was told I could get a new driver's license that would showcase my updated Tier. I didn't drive, so I really didn't need one. I was supposed to receive a letter in the mail with an ID that said I was a Tier 3 user with my name and social security number on it. That should probably be enough. Everyone gets these cards to showcase their Regalia tier. It is important for many companies and for travel to know who is capable of what. If a Tier 1 Regalia user is traveling to another country, precautions need to be taken. In that regard, I do not envy higher-tier Regalia users. But as a Tier 3 now, I am one of the few individuals who are at least minutely monitored to ensure I do not abuse my power.

However, I am still not sure if the description of my Regalia was accurate. It was just stated as a creation Regalia. But that does not explain me using my eyes to visualize the objects I want to create. Or maybe that's just a quirk of the creation Regalia, and I had only thought it was simply a heightened vision Regalia. I'm not super sure, but thinking of the visual aspect as a simple means to create was the best I could come up with.

Once I arrived home, I had to tell the one person with whom I shared everything about my new ranking. I had to brag that I was now a higher tier than her.

I knocked on Aiko's door to let her know the news.

"Come in," she told me.

I walked in and saw Aiko lying on her bed, scrolling through her phone. "I'm sorry, Aiko," I told her in a mockingly superior tone. "But from now on, you're going to have to speak to me with much more respect."

"What are you talking about? If I had an iota of respect for you, it's gone at this moment," she said sarcastically.

"Well, Aiko, I am a Tier 3. Soooooo... speak casually at your own risk."

In that moment, Aiko jumped out of bed with excitement filling her eyes. "No way! Are you serious, Natsuya?" I guess our banter was over just like that. "I'm so happy for you!" she exclaimed as she hugged me.

"Thanks," I said bashfully.

"So, are you going to try and join the Regalia academy now?"

"I am only a Tier 3. I don't think they're even going to let me try the entrance exams."

"You know they do accept Tier 3s."

"Yeah, but only on rare occasions. And I barely got my new Regalia. I don't even know how to use it."

"Ugh! Who cares? Just try it. You've been saying you wanted to know what it feels like to have a strong Regalia, and now an opportunity is in front of you and you want to throw it away. Just apply. If you don't get in, then train until you do. If you get into the entrance exam, just do it, and if you don't get in your first try, then now you have an idea of what it's going to be like the next time. Stop making excuses and just try."

Aiko was speaking way too rationally for my irrational emotions. "I hear you, Aiko. But I am scared."

Aiko froze. Her sudden irritated demeanor disappeared and was replaced by understanding. "The next entrance exam is two months from now in March. I think the deadline to enroll for the exam is February. Think about it. You have time. Don't rule it out so fast without giving it thought, okay? At least promise me that."

"Okay, Aiko. I promise I will think about it."

"Okay, well, I am going to head out to see some friends. You think about it."

"I will. Be safe."

"Oh, by the way, some of my friends wanted to thank you for stopping the Regalia user at school. I said you would meet them tomorrow. Just FYI."

"Wait, wha—" Before I could finish, she left. She just booked me to meet her friends without even asking. She has a lot of nerve. But I know that quality is going to take her far in the world.

Well, I guess I'll boot up my computer and look into this Regalia academy stuff. I did make a promise to at least think about it.