Awakening in Darkness

Zane gained consciousness but found himself in a dark space. He couldn't see, hear, or feel anything. He was just present in it, floating in the void. The last thing he remembered was collapsing in the fight. Before he could think further, a blurry form of a monster appeared in front of him. Nervous, Zane stared at it, his heart pounding as the form moved closer. Just as the monster was about to reach him, Zane suddenly woke up.

Panting heavily, he looked around and saw an unfamiliar ceiling. Sun rays fell through the window, making it difficult for him to see. He heard a noise of something falling, and before he could react, someone hugged him tightly, startling him. When he saw who it was, he panicked, remembering he hadn't gone home. Many thoughts raced through his mind until the person let him go.

It was his little sister, Ameli.

She had clearly cried a lot; her eyes were red and puffy, and her cheeks were streaked with dried tears. Wiping her tears, she tried to calm herself down.

"Ameli—" Zane tried to say, but she cut him off.

"You don't have to explain anything. We already know everything." Her voice was shaky, but there was a firmness in her tone.

"But—"

"It's fine. I'm just glad nothing happened to you and that you are safe," she said in a trembling voice.

Zane could see how worried she had been. He understood; after their father was gone when she was only six years old, she was afraid of losing him too. He reached out and gently wiped a tear from her cheek.

"I'm so sorry I made you worry, Ameli."

She sniffled and hugged him again, this time even tighter. "You have no idea how scared I was," she whispered, her voice breaking. "I thought I lost you too."

Zane felt a lump in his throat. He hugged her back, stroking her hair. "I'm here now. I'm not going anywhere."

Ameli pulled back slightly to look at him, her eyes searching his. "Promise me you won't do anything like this again."

"I promise," Zane said, his voice filled with sincerity.

She nodded, wiping away her tears. "Good. Because I don't think I can handle losing you too."

"So, how did you end up in such a dangerous place?" she asked suddenly, trying to lighten the mood. "I asked Kevin, but he said he left you after shopping and went home because of something urgent."

'I don't know what to say. I can't just tell her I hid there because someone was after me,' Zane thought, sighing. 'Looks like Kevin didn't say anything about Lucas.'

Seeing him silent, Ameli said, "It's fine, you don't have to tell me."

"Hey, it's not like that—"

"It's okay. I just want you to be alright."

Zane felt bad for making her worry. "Where is Mom?"

"She's at work. She can't take leave for too long."

When he heard this, Zane became uneasy. "What do you mean by that? How long was I out?" he asked worriedly. To him, it felt like only a moment had passed since he blacked out.

Ameli dropped a bombshell. "You were out for a whole week."

"What?!" Zane exclaimed.

"And what happened to that girl who was with me?" he asked.

"I don't know about her, but we got a call from the Fista Guild. They deeply apologized for how you got involved in this mess and covered all the medical bills and compensated for it too."

"Fista Guild?" Zane echoed, confused.

Seeing his confusion, Ameli said, "You really don't know who she was?"

"No, I couldn't see in the dark, and when we were escaping, I didn't pay much attention. I just know her name was Sophia."

"Well, she's the daughter of an S-rank awakened, the guild leader of the Fista Guild."

As he heard this, Zane remembered the famous Morgan family, known for their talented awakeners who specialized in telekinesis.

"She is so beautiful. I thought it was a made-up story, but she's as beautiful as everyone describes. She has no social media accounts, so there's no photo of her on the internet, but seeing her, it was true."

"Did she come to visit?"

"Yes, she came three days ago while you were still out and apologized personally. She's so humble."

"Why does it seem like you're her fan or something?"

"Hmph, are you jealous?" Ameli teased, raising an eyebrow.

"Why would I be jealous?" Zane shrugged.

"You know, I am awakened," he said, trying to change the subject.

There was a long pause as Ameli processed this. Then she burst out, "What?! When? What type of ability? Do you have a wind ability like me? No, wait, that's not important right now. How?!"

"Wait, wait, calm down a little," Zane said, laughing at her excitement.

"I also don't know, but it happened during the time when we were escaping from the kidnappers."

"Really? You're not lying, right? That's such good news! I will tell Mom right now!"

Seeing her happy made Zane feel relieved. He was also happy seeing her smile like that, knowing how difficult it had been for him being unawakened.

"Don't disturb Mom. She must be busy right now. We will surprise her after going home. When can I be discharged?"

"They said you are healed completely and just tired, and after waking up, you can leave."

"Then let's go home."

"Okay, I'll go finish the paperwork. Wait here."

After Ameli was gone, Zane lay back down on the bed. The hospital room was quiet, the white walls reflecting the soft sunlight. Machines beeped softly, and the smell of antiseptic lingered in the air. 'So, I am awakened, huh,' a big smile appeared on his face. He was happy—no, very, very happy. He wasn't unawakened anymore, but something concerned him. 'Why did I awaken now?'

As he remembered clearly, he was in the pit holding the monster core in his hand. It slowly shone, and then it felt warm and power surged through him. 'Maybe…'

While he was thinking this, Ameli came back. "All done! We can go home now."

As they reached home, Zane saw their home was decorated. He turned to Ameli, but to his surprise, she smiled. "It's fine. You don't have to worry. I'm not mad or anything."

"I will make it up to you later."

"Then it must be really great. How about a very big and large plush toy?"

Zane thought maybe it was good that the music player broke. "Yes, of course."

And just like that, their day went on. When their mom came home, she was surprised to hear that Zane had awakened. She hugged him tightly, tears of happiness streaming down her face.

"Oh, Zane! I'm so proud of you!" she cried, her voice full of emotion. "You've become an awakener!"

Zane hugged her back, feeling her warmth and love. "I'm happy too, Mom."

They had dinner together, talking and laughing. Zane shared the story of his awakening, leaving out the more terrifying details to avoid worrying them.

Later that evening, Ameli was eager to see Zane's new ability. "Show me your transformation!" she exclaimed.

Zane nodded and took a deep breath. Concentrating, he felt the familiar warmth of the transformation. Scales began to form on his skin, dark and shiny, covering his body like armor. His muscles tensed, and he felt a surge of strength.

"Wow, that's amazing!" Ameli said, her eyes wide with wonder. She reached out, hesitating slightly, then touched the scales. "They're so tough!"

Ameli, with her curiosity, decided to test the scales. She took a step back, summoning a small gust of wind with her ability. "Let's see how strong they are!"

Before Zane could protest, she sent a focused blast of wind at him. He braced himself, feeling the wind hit his scales. The impact was strong, but the scales held up.

"Ameli, stop that!" their mom scolded as she entered the room. "No using abilities inside the house!"

Ameli looked sheepish, lowering her head. "Sorry, Mom. I was just excited."

Their mom, with her gentle but firm demeanor, sighed and shook her head. "I know you're excited, but there are rules. We don't want to damage anything."

Their mom, unlike Ameli, was more composed and serious. She worked hard to provide for them after their father's passing and always emphasized responsibility and caution. Seeing her now, Zane felt a wave of gratitude and respect.

"I'm sorry, Mom," Zane said. "I should have stopped her."

"It's alright, Zane. I'm just glad you're okay," she said, giving him a reassuring smile.

That night, as Zane lay in his bed, he thought about everything that had happened. He was no longer unawakened. He had a new power. As he drifted off to sleep, he felt a sense of hope and determination. The future was uncertain, but he was ready to face it. He thought about fulfilling his dreams, becoming stronger, and protecting those he loved.