Awakening (2)

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

"…."

The question lingered in the air, and no one had the courage to respond.

Julia had already developed a flush of red on her face, feeling embarrassed about being placed in the spotlight.

Her protector just stood behind her with both hands clasped behind his back. While he outwardly displayed no emotions on his face as a proper butler should, he found the situation amusing. 

Sarah quickly moved to grab Aaron and apologised for his words, "I'm so sorry…! Forget about what this little one said." She attempted to manage the situation, and her quick thinking and actions dispelled the awkward atmosphere.

Alexander cleared his throat loudly, too loudly, in fact. But that was to be expected. The young man was at a loss as to what to do. 

He couldn't even look at Julia. Fortunately for him, James stepped in to save the day. "Alexander, you still haven't introduced us," he pointed out.

"Ah, yes… Everyone, this is Julia Knight." He began the introductions, still not having the courage to look directly at Julia.

Not that Julia herself was any different, but she managed to squeeze out a hello.

"Julia, this is my Dad―William Gray, my Mom―Sarah Gray. And here, my older sister, Olivia and little brother, Aaron."

As he introduced everyone to Julia, they all responded with a hello, giving their best smiles.

"And this is my best friend and his older brother, Ross Bongu and Eein Bongu." Alex turned to the redheads next. "Ross is also awakening today," he completed the introductions.

"Hi, I've heard so much about you." Ross went ahead to make small talk with Julia. Any friend of Alex's was also his friend, and what better way to create a rapport than right now?

"Really? Well, I haven't heard a thing."

Julia responded with a smile, looking right at Alex. Once the air of awkwardness had dissipated following the introductions, Julia finally regained her courage to look at Alex.

"I don't blame him. All he could talk about was―" Before he could finish his words, Alex jumped in.

"Okay! That's enough introductions. We don't have all day, you know? Let's get to it." He quickly stepped in before things escalated beyond saving.

Knowing his friend, Alex was aware that he would speak openly without holding back. He was that blunt. 

.....

Alex, Ross, and Julia were now on the third floor after filling in their information and paying the required fees.

The third floor housed the platforms that were used to awaken a person's given ability. While the minimum age was sixteen, a person could always awaken their ability later on in life.

The floor was divided into several sections, with more than half of it comprising rooms that contained the activation platform, which awakened a person's ability. 

The platforms were constructed using materials with high mana conductivity capable of concentrating magical energy. 

With this condensed energy, they could channel the necessary amount required to imbue an individual and trigger their ability awakening and physical enhancements.

The process was pretty much straightforward.

And the reason for these Awakening Centres is that, although there was mana around everywhere, to awaken an ability, one needed a jump start to trigger the ability activation and enhancement.

Alex, Julia, and Ross were each directed to a room where they were instructed to lie on the platforms, their faces facing the ceiling. 

'So, this is what an awakening chamber looks like. It's surprisingly ordinary.' Alex thought to himself, looking around.

The platform he lay on was circular and grey. Its surface bore markings resembling sophisticated circuitry, and the lines emitted a faint blue glow.

While lost in thought, observing his surroundings, a voice echoed in the room.

[Alexander Gray, activation will begin shortly. There would be slight discomfort, but it's something you can easily handle. Try to relax.]

The short instruction from the sound system embedded in the walls resounded. Alex nodded and then took a deep breath before closing his eyes.

'This is it.' Alex let out a soft exhale.

The activation sequence commenced, and the platform began to glow brightly, with Alex unaware as his eyes were closed. The influx of mana in the room created a warm and embracing atmosphere around Alex. 

'Mm… This isn't so bad.' He thought, but that thought was soon dispelled.

As the influx of mana reached a crescendo, Alex felt a powerful force anchoring him to the floor, immobilising any attempt at movement.

'!'

He was initially taken by surprise before calming down. 'All part of the process,' he repeated to himself, trying to sound convincing.

However, he soon began to feel his body heat up, followed by a discomfort that felt like bloating. The unease persisted in this manner, causing Alex to grit his teeth.

'Oh fuck!' He cursed.

Despite being warned about the potential pain of the experience, he thought it wouldn't be too severe. But then, nothing worth having came cheap.

The sensation of bloating persisted, causing him to feel as though he might burst at any moment, and burst he did.

The influx and accumulation of magical energy within him erupted outward from his body. The relief he experienced afterwards was indescribable to him.

"Haa…haa…"

Alex found himself breathing heavily, sweat covering his face and body. Yet, the awakening was far from complete; the body enhancement phase of the awakening was set to begin shortly. 

Swiftly, his enhancement began, and the feeling that came with it was unpleasant, to say the least. His muscles felt as if they were being torn to shreds and then rebuilt.

His bones felt as though they were being squeezed too tightly, and every organ in his body ached so severely that he nearly passed out.

But Alex gritted his teeth and refused to make a sound. After roughly ten minutes of hellish torture, the ordeal finally came to an end. 

He let out a sigh of relief and gradually opened his eyes. However, it appeared that the enhancement affected more than just his body.

Alexander's eyes were unlike what they once were. Unbeknownst to him, the sclera of his eyes had turned dark, akin to that of a Dark-Sclera human.