I was still on my knees, lungs burning as the crushing gravity pressed down on me. But my eyes never left the Black Angel hovering above us.
Something stirred deep in my chest—a strange feeling, like destiny was about to unfold.
Maybe this is my chance.
The angel's lips curved into a thin smile. Those golden eyes gleamed as if they could pierce straight through my thoughts. "Your panic is truly... tedious. Allow me to introduce myself."
His black wings spread wide. Each dark feather shifted and rustled, creating an otherworldly sound that sent chills racing down my spine. The blue aura surrounding him grew thicker, more oppressive.
"My name is Julius." His voice echoed across the entire area, reverberating in my bones. "I am a messenger from those who dwell above. We have not come to destroy—we have come to transform."
Transform?
Whispers rippled through the crowd. Fear, yes—but also curiosity. The same burning curiosity I felt clawing at my chest.
"Your world has reached its limit," Julius continued, his voice like velvet wrapped around steel. "You are trapped in a cycle of weakness. Too fragile to face the cosmic storm that approaches."
My brow furrowed. Cosmic storm? What the hell was he talking about?
"Therefore, we offer you a way out. An evolution. An awakening." Julius raised his hand. In his palm, a sphere of blue light pulsed like a heartbeat. "We will grant you power beyond your wildest dreams."
My heart hammered against my ribs.
"We call it... Awakened."
Awakened. The word echoed in my skull like a prayer. All my life, I'd been weak. Stepped on. Powerless.
Was this my chance to flip the script?
"Power? Evolution? What kind of bullshit is this?" someone screamed from the crowd. "This has to be a trap!"
Julius chuckled, the sound cold as winter wind. "A trap? You call this noble offer a trap?" His golden eyes glinted with dark amusement. "Think of it as an investment, if you will. Because true power never comes free, you insects."
The light sphere in his palm dimmed. "To become Awakened, you must prove your worth. Prove that you possess the instinct to survive."
A terrifying smile carved itself across his face. "The requirement is simple. Anyone who wishes to reach Awakening must kill at least one human being."
The air turned to ice.
What?
"Impossible!" A woman's hysterical scream cut through the silence. "This is insane! You're telling us to murder?!"
"Insane?" Julius raised an eyebrow, his expression mockingly innocent. "Isn't your world already drowning in murder, oppression, and suffering? You kill for power, for money, even for pleasure. How is this any different?" His smile widened. "The difference is—here, there's a reward."
"You're a demon!" An old man with a white beard jabbed his finger at the sky.
"Demon?" Julius threw back his head and laughed, the sound sharp enough to shatter glass. "You call us demons when you already live in the hell you created. We're simply holding up a mirror—showing you the true potential lurking inside your souls."
True potential. Those words hit me like a physical blow. Hadn't I been fighting with primitive instincts all along? Surviving by any means necessary—stealing, lying, clawing my way through each day.
This world really was hell.
Maybe he's not lying.
The crowd erupted again. Arguments, despair, terror—all blending into a symphony of chaos. Some still refused, but others... others were starting to think. I could see it in their eyes. The darkness creeping in.
"Time is of the essence," Julius said flatly. "We will not wait forever."
Snap.
Julius flicked his fingers. The crushing gravity vanished instantly. People stumbled, some falling, others struggling to their feet with shaking legs. They gasped and wheezed, drinking in the free air like drowning victims.
Then it appeared.
In front of every single person, a translucent blue panel materialized in the air. Soft light emanated from the interface, words appearing as if carved from pure energy.
[ KILL 1 HUMAN ]
[ REWARD = AWAKENED ]
[ TIME = 15:00 ]
I stared at the panel, my breath caught in my throat.
This is real.
The countdown has begun.