Chapter 3 Change

Kailen was ecstatic ...This was simply too broken. He stood rooted in the same spot , many thoughts running wild in his mind ..

He remembered how pitiful his life had been since his parents died a few years ago...

He had totally been beaten by depression and hopelessness after his parents had died...

Although he had given up on almost everything in life... There was a glimmer of hope .. What if I were to awaken... Maybe I could find something to live for... Maybe I could defeat this depression.. Maybe I could move on... At least .. with something to cling to... I would not be constantly living in guilt, and having nightmares, constantly reminded that had they not stepped out to visit New York City to get groceries to come and celebrate my birthday, they wouldn't have died ... Maybe with something to cling to, I could stop thinking about the fact that they died because of me...

This had been what was keeping him sane, at least if he were to awaken, it would make some sort of difference in his life...

However, he didn't awaken on his 16th birthday .... Kailen remembered how he felt that day ..

"I felt powerless...and crushed ... But how could I have been so weak minded and pathetic ..And how am I realizing this now... I didn't kill them ... Those diabolic beasts, they killed mum and dad .. and all this while, I have been blaming myself for something I didn't do ... Two years of my life,wasted on self pity, and suicidal thoughts .."

Slump

...Kailen felt like he had gained clarity,as though some weight had been lifted off his mind...

He slumped on the floor, tears crazily flowing down his face ..

A maniacal laughter erupted from the innermost parts of his heart as realization struck him...

" I've been really pathetic... I gave up on life...I could have even become a doctor even if I had been an unawakened with my grades in school...However, I chose the easy way out ,self pity, and depression... I could have grieved their death, mourned their loss and moved on even though it would have hard.. but I chose the easy way out ... I gave in...letting the past chain me ....

But not anymore... Not this time ... I will mourn mum and dad one last time tonight ,and that will be all .... ,and the next time I would visit them ,I would have made them pay ,those savages that killed mum and dad,those diabolic beasts... They will pay..."

*****

Kailen kotowed three times, before the grave of his parents, then stood up, he sighed ....his gaze flickering into the beautiful lights of the midnight sky ..

" I need to be overwhelmingly strong ... " His desire for vengeance stirred ... He had to avenge his parents ... And to do that, he had to be overwhelmingly powerful...

...and with the time dilation artifact ,Kailen knew that was more than possible .. He would be absolute, relying on himself...

Relying on friends or family, ..?... Did he even have any?... Even the unawakened in his school who could have empathized with his situation had avoided him and bullied him.... He knew firsthand the cruelty of human nature, awakened or unawakened...

From now on, he would thread alone ...and won't trust easily ... After all he had been through.. He would be unwise to easily trust people...

" Can I even trust anyone at this point" Kailen sighed... He could not be blamed, the only memory he had of trust and love were his parents ...

After his depression kicked in after their death when his grades dropped, all his friends left him...

They all joined the crowd to call him dumb and useless , and orphaned .. Everywhere he passed, he would be avoided,in school , or on the streets of the city ..Everyone avoided him...Those who didn't ,well, they looked at him with demeaning glances ..judging him by how sickly, weak and smelly he looked ..

" All I see is betrayal...and hypocrisy...and wickedness ..People are the worst" ... Kailen sighed... " I can't trust anyone ..." He sighed... " I can only rely on myself..."

Kailen gaze shifted from the skies , his gaze firm..His eyes calm and resolute... He had changed... If anyone from the academy were to see Kailen right now, they would be shocked... His composure, his demeanor and everything had experienced an overnight transformation...

Even his looks had changed...

" I need to get new clothes...These clothes are making me uncomfortable.... and I should get a new house....And to do that, I should make my awakening known officially ... I heard whenever someone awakens with an S rank talent potential, the government will give them 100,000 dollars compensation... With that, I can move into a new house and have a change of clothes.. I've become muscular and taller.. Even the single attempt to stretch may tear these clothes apart"

[Mission received -Head to the awakening centre to register yourself as an awakened. Register yourself as Kailen Darkhaven... Don't wear some shitty mask trying to hide your identity like they do in those cliché novels...

Rewards- Non...I just rewarded you with the shadow affinity and an S rank talent, don't be selfish...

Punishment for failure-Its a simple mission, if you fail, killing you is the best deserved punishment... You think I'm lying, try failing the mission..Tsk]

"This... What a shameless system...For some reason I felt something run down my spine... if I fail this mission I just know I'm gonna die for sure ..this system is not kidding .." Kailen didn't take any chances...There was no way he would gamble with this time dilation artifact... It's abities are too heavenly defying..

" Just who are you?".. However he received no response for his question..as usual...

Suddenly , a white glow shrouded him for a few seconds...

The next few seconds, he wore a dark hoodie with blue jeans and white sneakers that perfectly tailored him and blended with his lean,tall and athletic physique....All the filth on his body had disappeared, as though he had taken a bath...

[You're welcome...No possessor of the time dilation artifact is gonna roam the streets like some beggar...Now head to awakening centre if you don't want me to kill you]

" Well I suppose I can no longer worry about taking showers and choosing what to wear... Let's head to the awakening centre ." Kailen mused then left the cemetery .