A New Path

The ceremony hall was thick with anticipation. The crowd's murmurs faded as Jay stepped forward, his heart pounding in his chest. He gripped his staff, its weight grounding him, but his mind was a whirlwind of confusion and dread.

As he channeled his energy, the staff began to glow—a faint, flickering light that quickly intensified. Flames erupted from the staff, swirling around him in a fiery dance. The crowd gasped, their astonished faces reflecting the unexpected spectacle.

Jays eyes widened in astonishment . No, this can't be happening. Not to me. He had always thought he would awaken someday, but someone from the slums who shouldn't have a bloodline, someone who should never awaken in the eyes of the nobles. The awakening had always been a distant dream, a fantasy for others. Yet here he was, flames dancing around him, a bloodline awakening he sought.

His mind raced, panic setting in. What does this mean? He had heard of Sunken who had awakened, but it was exceedingly rare, almost unheard of. The chances were so slim that most didn't even consider it a possibility. And yet, here he was, defying the odds as he previously hoped.

The crowd's reaction was immediate. Whispers turned into murmurs, then into open discussions. Some faces were filled with awe, others with envy, and a few with barely concealed disdain. The elder overseeing the ceremony stepped forward, his expression a mix of surprise and suspicion.

Jay's breath was unsteady as he walked, each step feeling heavier than the last. The ceremony hall's grand doors loomed ahead, their intricate carvings depicting legendary awakenings from ages past. He had always admired them from afar, but now, the weight of his own awakening made them seem oppressive, as if the very history of this world was watching him.

Ari, his closest friend also from the slums, stepped forward, her face a mask of concern. "Jay, are you alright?" she asked, her voice gentle.

He nodded, though his mind was far from calm. "I… I don't understand. This shouldn't be happening."

Ari kept pace beside him, her brows furrowed in worry. "Jay," she said softly, glancing around before lowering her voice. "You should be happy. You awakened. You have a bloodline! Do you realize how rare that is?"

Jay exhaled sharply. "I know, Ari. That's the problem."

"I don't even know what type of bloodline i have and the system added along with it also, everything seems to be different than i originally expected. This all will be difficult and dangerous."

She blinked. "How is that a problem?"

Jay clenched his fists, the warmth of his newly awakened flames still lingering on his fingertips. "Because it's not supposed to happen. If so rarely, I know I've been wanting to awaken all my life but now that it's happened the consequences are vividly clear to me. The Sunken don't awaken. We don't get bloodlines. And if we do… if we somehow do… it never ends well."

Ari fell silent, and the unspoken truth hung between them.

There were rumors, old stories whispered by elders around dying hearths. Sunken who awakened didn't simply struggle—they became outcasts, hunted by those who saw them as unnatural, as threats to the established order. The nobility, the bloodline families, the ruling class—they wouldn't allow it.

"You don't know that," Ari said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Jay turned to her, his gaze sharp. "Yes, I do."

Ari's expression softened, but before she could respond, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed behind them.

"Jay!"

He turned just as a boy about their age pushed through the lingering crowd, his breathing ragged. It was Rellen, one of the few people in their school who never treated Jay differently. But the look in his eyes now… it was different. Excited. Cautious.

"I saw it," Rellen said, his voice hushed but urgent. "The flames… that was real, wasn't it?"

Jay swallowed. "It was."

Rellen's eyes darted around. "You need to be careful."

Jay frowned. "What?"

The boy lowered his voice even further. "The elders… the nobles… They won't let this go."

Ari stiffened. "You don't know that."

Rellen gave her a look, one filled with knowing. "Don't I?"

Jay's stomach twisted. He had spent his whole life learning his place, knowing that people like him didn't matter in the grand design of this world. But now—now he did. And that was a problem.

Before Jay could respond, another voice cut through the air.

"Jay"

The three turned as the elder from the ceremony approached, his long robe sweeping across the stone floor. The murmurs of the crowd had quieted, but eyes still lingered on them.

Jay's shoulders tensed. "Yes?"

The elder studied him for a moment, then spoke. "You are to meet with the council. Immediately."

Ari grabbed Jay's arm. "But the ceremony isn't over."

The elder didn't even look at her. "It doesn't matter."

Jay felt a cold dread creep through him. This was happening too fast. He wasn't ready. But refusing wasn't an option.

With a slow nod, he stepped forward.

The council chamber was nothing like the ceremony hall. It was smaller, dimly lit, and lined with bookshelves filled with ancient tomes. A long table stood in the center, where four elders sat, their gazes unreadable.

Jay stood before them, his hands clenched at his sides. Ari had been barred from entering, leaving him alone in the room with the most powerful figures in the school.

The elder who had summoned him took a seat, tapping his fingers. "Jay."

Jay nodded stiffly.

Another elder, a woman with silver-threaded hair, leaned forward. "You understand the rarity of what has happened today?"

Jay swallowed. "Yes."

"And you understand what it means?"

Jay hesitated. "Not entirely."

The elders exchanged glances. Then, the third one spoke. He was older than the rest, his voice like brittle parchment. "You are an anomaly. A Sunken with a bloodline. Such things… disrupt the balance we will have to notify the lord."

Jay's heart pounded. Disrupt the balance notify the lord. This statement carried weight, an unspoken threat.

"I didn't choose this," Jay said carefully.

The silver-haired elder tilted her head. "No, but it chose you."

The words sent a shiver down his spine.

The first elder exhaled. "There will be those who see this as an opportunity. And there will be those who see it as a threat."

Jay's mind raced. "What are you saying?"

The old man's gaze was piercing. "We must determine which you will be."

Jay stiffened. The weight of their scrutiny pressed down on him.

Silence stretched between them. Then, the silver-haired elder spoke again. "You will be watched. Closely."

Jay's throat was dry. "What does that mean?"

The first elder rose. "It means your life will be monitored daily for now on."

The words were a death sentence in disguise.

Jay forced himself to stand tall. "And if I refuse?"

The elder's lips curled in something that wasn't quite a smile. "What choice."

Jay said nothing. Because they were right. He had no choice.

By the time Jay left the chamber, his thoughts were a storm. Ari was waiting outside, her expression tense.

"What happened?" she asked immediately.

Jay exhaled. "They're going to watch me."

Ari frowned. "Watch you?"

Jay nodded. "Like a prisoner."

Ari's face darkened. "That's not fair."

Jay let out a bitter laugh. "Fair? Nothing about this has ever been fair."

She hesitated, then reached for his arm. "Jay… what are you going to do?"

He looked at her, the weight of the world pressing down on him. "I don't know."

But one thing was certain.

His life had changed. And there was no turning back.

The days that followed were a blur. Jay's every move was scrutinized in the school and throughout the inner village. In the slums he could get a break from the hectic life he had been living for the few days. People who had once ignored him now watched with wary eyes. Some whispered in awe. Others in fear.

Ari stayed by his side, refusing to let him face this alone. But even she couldn't protect him from what was coming.

Because something was coming.

Jay could feel it in his bones.

And when it arrived, he knew—

His awakening was only the beginning.