Awakening (1)

It's been a few months since the incident of the Cosmic Mana wave, and a lot had happened in that time period. 

The unfortunate students who met their demise that day were returned to their families to receive proper burial.

Those who were lucky enough to survive were able to complete their final exams, but the school did not hold a graduation ceremony, as it had to pay homage to its lost ones.

Alexander had turned sixteen a few weeks ago and had yet to undergo his awakening ceremony to awaken his ability.

When his parents inquired about his awakening plans, Alex shared his intentions to awaken with a friend, a person with whom he agreed to wait for until they came of age for the awakening rite. 

He went on to tell them about Julia Knight, a member of the powerful Knight family. Olivia, his sister, had teased him about finally finding a girlfriend.

To those accusations, Alexander neither confirmed nor denied them, and of course, his family could see the way he talked about her.

...

It was the weekend, and Alex and his family made their way to the awakening centre. As this was a significant day for Alexander, they all made the effort to join him.

Of course, Olivia was also interested in meeting Julia, the girl who had captured his little brother's cold and unfeeling heart.

"You mentioned Ross, your friend, would be there as well?" His father asked.

"Yes, Dad. He turned sixteen weeks ago but chose to wait for me." Alex answered with a bit of pride in his voice.

For as long as he could remember, Ross had been by his side through it all. He really appreciated and felt blessed to have such a friend.

"Mm, that's good. It's been a while since he's come by," replied his father.

Ross had been good friends with his son ever since they met each other, and he appreciated the boy's genuine fondness towards Alexander.

Before long, they found themselves at the Awakening Centre. The family stepped out of their ride and made their way forward.

Looking at the grand building before him, Alex took a moment to appreciate the architecture and engineering that went into building such a marvel.

And while this was one of many across the city, each one was a beacon for humanity.

The building was designed to resemble a stadium, featuring multiple floors. From the outside, the shiny and glossy silvery finish gave the building a sophisticated look, combining style with practicality.

The outer walls also served as display panels where information relating to ability awakening was displayed.

As Alex walked in, he observed the crowd and could see a couple of hundred people. Nevertheless, even with these numbers, the hall still had ample space for everyone to move about. 

"Why don't you call your friends so we can locate them?" Olivia proposed.

Alex nodded, turned to his smartwatch, and instructed Xex to contact Ross and Julia by sending them his location. With that done, all they had to do was wait.

A few minutes later, Ross approached the family. Coming along with him was his elder brother, Eein Bongu, a C-class hunter.

His imposing height and build made him appear threatening, but the smile on his face said otherwise. Like Ross, he had a horn and scarlet hair.

"Hey Alex, long time no see. How have you been?" Ross asked, approaching Alex for a brotherly handshake and hug.

"What do you think?" He replied with a grin, excitement written all over his face. Today, he was going to awaken his ability. So, of course, he would be thrilled!

Ross nodded in agreement and proceeded to greet the rest of the family before introducing his elder brother.

"This is my older brother, Eein," he introduced Eein to Alex's family, to which they responded positively and did the same.

"Eein, you remember Alexander." He gestured at Alex, to whom Eein nodded.

"It's been a while since I saw you," Eein said. "I'm glad you're finally at the step where your real journey as a hunter begins. You being here with my little brother means a lot to me." He made sure to express his gratitude. 

"Ah... It's no trouble at all." Alex replied. "In fact, I would say he is the one I should be thankful to."

"Alright, enough with the awkwardness. Let's get going." Ross was ready to begin. He had been waiting for months now.

"Wait, there's still someone coming with us," Alex said, scratching his head awkwardly. He had informed Ross about Julia and had already been subjected to his teasing.

"Ooh…" Ross paused for a second, a knowing grin on his face. He recalled what Alex told him a few months back. "Herh… you don't say."

Alex shook his head but then noticed how his sister was trying to stifle her laughter, making his lips twitch in annoyance. 

His parents, however, stood behind, calmly observing everything that was happening with smiles, silently cheering for the boys. 

Alex directed a glare at them after several seconds had passed, "Enough already. You've had your fun, and I don't want to see you guys behaving like this when she arrives." He warned, trying to sound serious, but failing miserably.

"Behaving like what?"

A voice that Alex would recognise anywhere came from behind. He froze momentarily before slowly turning around to see Julia standing there with a curious expression on her face. 

She looked at the gathered people and flashed a sweet smile, a smile that captured the hearts of everyone present.

Ross and Olivia had already regained their composure by then, but they were now mesmerised by Julia's sheer brilliance.

Sure, they had heard of the Knight family and the formidable Hunters the family had produced over the years. However, not all of their members emerged into the public spotlight.

Naturally, they were the only ones enchanted as Julia looked at them curiously.

As she made her way over, accompanied by James, her butler, Julia turned the heads of countless people, particularly the young boys around.

Although Olivia, Ross, and even Eein were staring at her, it was the innocent question that was posed that completely took them by surprise.

"Brother, is this your girlfriend?" Aaron asked, his eyes shining brightly as he admired the beauty before him.

"…."