All across the world, Awakeners were fighting back against the Geminis. Humanity had started to push back.
Each awakened person had their own special ability tied to their awakening. But only those who awakened with the rank of Primordial and above had the rare chance to choose their abilities instead of being assigned one.
Still, there was a major issue. A swordsman needed a sword. Tanks needed armor. Without the right equipment, their abilities were limited. It was like giving a painter a canvas but no brush.
But humanity adapted fast.
Top researchers, engineers, and scientists from Zones S and A joined forces. Since ordinary weapons were ineffective, they began building powerful weapons and armor from the corpses of the fallen Geminis. Claws were reforged into blades and bones into armor.
Unawakened soldiers worked around the clock to deliver this gear to awakened fighters on the frontlines. Within a few days, most of Awakeners were equipped with the right gear. Of course, this could not be achieved this fast without the cooperation of the entire world united under the leadership of Blake Walker, the awakener with the highest known rank yet.
For the first time, it seemed like maybe—just maybe—the world wouldn't fall.
Meanwhile, deep in the shadows of a ruined city, two Elites watched from atop a broken tower. Their bodies shimmered like heatwaves, cloaked in strange, shifting mist. Their heads turned in different directions, as if sensing something.
One of them tilted its head and growled in a rough language to the Whisperkin beside it. The tone sounded like grinding metal.
"Yuk'kan neri'k ba'rren Seph'irak nok. Ghra'zul mek'torr nakh varesh? Thren'kai humar'nok vel'zar weik'om sh'kram akreht."
(I heard from the Seraphoid that you orderd us to wait. Why won't you allow us to attack with the rest? It seems this race have finally awakened their abilities.)
The Whisperkin didn't turn right away; it hissed telepathically to the other Elite Gemini beside it.
"Krel'thar vokh'nar zul drak, vek'thul mar'zan drogar xal. Lethek'nar voth rek'tal sha'nek vel throsk."
(I still don't sense any threat. We will destroy this planet as we were tasked to do. Let them cling to their pathetic newfound hope.)
The Elite Gemini growled in annoyance to the Whisperkin.
"Tre'th nok vroy'l khr'an ar sar'u dek'resh. Shal'krim nor's ill'sh yoma 'nar List of reve'rende. Jat'ar yon'ai issa'rk Sherim. Nan'rish hork'n solma'n kij'ai lortri'sh. Yonin'or larmk'ith yur'. Drel'vak nur'zak val kresh. Mek'thun vokh?"
(You still haven't answered my question. Why do we have to wait? This world was deemed unworthy to enter the tower the moment it was discovered. We were supposed to attack for the creators to access its competence. Their awakening or destruction depended on how well they fended us off. If we had done that, there wouldn't be anyone left to awaken. Why did we have wait, Whisperkin?)
The Whisperkin tilted his head to the direction of the Elite.
"Sh'ar sul' nor'ist? Zar'nol vel'reks. Thruk'tan vok'h Zalešh rek'dal—marth'el ranesh'dok tor'kai."
(Are you afraid? Set your heart at ease. I'm waiting for someone. I sent him to take part in the Master's test.)
The Gemini recoiled slightly at the Whisperkin's words.
"Vare'k? Za'n vokh'thal nor'kran! Mer'rath zul narth. Val'rek nur'vash."
(What? Then that means his death is certain. Why waste our time waiting?)
The Whisperkin just stared into the distance, as if feeling something.
"Throl'zal vem'thrash nok'ish. Rek'shal var'nek—val'zan rek'tel. Vokh'kai throsk dul'nak."
(Oh, he'll make it back alive. Someone that annoying can't just roll over and die. And when he does… we'll finish what we started.)
The other tilted.
"Zor'thul vek'nek nar?"
(What makes you so sure?)
The Whisperkin gave a soft, twisted sound.
"Thal'nar vokh…"
(Just a hunch…")
"Vel'thar knosh vek'nal?"
(How long do we have to wait?)
"Zal'rek drovak."
(Not long.)
The Whisperkin replied in a gravelly tone, its body pulsing with dark mist as it stepped into a swirling portal. The other followed without a word, vanishing into the shadows behind it.
****
Meanwhile, inky blood splattered across the cracked earth as Jason spun in mid-air, landing cleanly on the head of a Gemini. His heel dug into its skull, splitting it like a rotten fruit. The creature collapsed with a heavy thud, twitching before going still.
He exhaled sharply, his fists still clenched, ready for another.
"Was that the last one?" Jason asked, scanning the battlefield, his voice laced with both exhaustion and adrenaline.
"I think so," one of the awakened soldiers called out nearby.
Suddenly, a screen appeared in front of everyone's eyes, glowing in the dusty air.
One flickered in front of Jason.
[System Notice]
Congratulations on surviving the first wave.
Rewards will be calculated and distributed after the Tutorial."
Jason glanced at the message and allowed himself a small, confident smirk. Maybe we really can do this...
"Yeah! To hell with these Gemini bastards!" shouted one awakened soldier, pumping his fist into the air.
The others erupted into cheers and laughter, letting the victory rush through them like wildfire. They had been fighting relentlessly for five days straight with little to no rest. For a moment, they forgot the world was ending. For a moment, they believed.
From atop a wall not far off, Blake watched silently. He didn't smile. His arms were folded.
Something felt off.
He couldn't celebrate—not yet.
This victory felt too easy. Too early. And there were too many questions that remained unanswered.
'System, Awakening, potential rankers, towers. These are keywords we have yet it understand, celebration can come after. That said, if everyone had awakened, then it's most likely Zane did too. If so, what rank did he awaken with? If he awakened with a rank higher than Primordial Supreme, it would be troublesome, as the first thing he would do would be to take my life.'
He turned away with a cold look in his eyes, and Ariel quietly followed behind. Her steps were hesitant.
'Big brother Zane... where are you? I just hope you're safe. I'm so worried about you.' With the world falling apart, the first thing Zane would do would be to reach out to her. It had been five days, and since she hadn't heard from him, Ariel was beside herself with worry.
The thought lingered in her chest like a silent cry, unheard by anyone.
As the soldiers began cleaning up the remains of the battlefield, the world, too, started to adapt. Humanity was learning, growing, and preparing, or so it seemed.
***
Later that evening, at the Walker family's dining table, the television droned in the background. Everyone was silent as the news filled the room with updates from across the world.
The screen showed flashing headlines and maps marked with red Zones, the Zones destroyed and ravaged by the Geminis.
The ranks of Awakeners who helped fight the Geminis were recorded. This way, they could have a rough estimate of humanity's fighting strength. A suggestion proposed by Blake.
The footage changed to a graph showing images of people.
"There are only five confirmed Primordial-rank awakeners and one Primordial Supreme recorded in the entire world. Though this information was collected in a rush, it'll do for now.
The screen zoomed in on a few faces.
'So Zane didn't awaken with a rank higher than mine? No, that's not it. As far as there have been confirmed ranks, it's safe to assume that there are also unconfirmed ranks. This is quite disturbing.' Blake thought.
"Alpha-rank awakeners have started forming what the world is now calling 'packs.' These groups are leading the charge against Gemini waves. Some of the most well-known packs have already helped push back the first waves in multiple zones." The reporter continued.
"What are you going to do now, Jason? Are you planning to form one of those packs too?" Blake asked as he leaned back in his chair, his tone was calm. He studied his son closely, as he was one of the eight confirmed Alphas in America.
Jason didn't answer right away. He tore into a juicy chicken wing, the crunch echoing in the quiet dining room. Grease glistened on his fingers, but he didn't care. He gave a half-smirk, wiping his mouth with a napkin.
"You should know me by now, Father," he said, flashing a grin. "I'm not the pack type. I'm more of a lone wolf."
The room went quiet for a moment. The rest of the family paused their meal, eyes shifting toward him.
Blake gave a small sigh.
"I was afraid you'd say something like that. Lone wolves die young, son."
Jason just shrugged and reached for another wing.
One of his younger brothers leaned forward. "What about you, Father? Now that you're a Primordial Supreme, the only one in the world… what's your next move?"
"I wouldn't be so sure," Jason said, licking his fingers slowly with a casual air.
"What do you mean, Jason?" one of the twins asked, utterly confused. He could have sworn the report indicated there was only one Primordial Supreme.
"This data was gathered in a rush," Jason explained, his tone steady. "I bet it was posted on an official site where people commented on their ranks, as no one is crazy enough to conduct proper reconnaissance in this situation. You know what this means, right?"
"You mean there are people who may have chosen to keep their ranks hidden?" Blake interjected, quickly grasping Jason's intentions.
"The probability of people hiding their ranks isn't entirely zero, wouldn't you agree?" Jason replied with a gentle smile as he bit into another juicy chicken.
"Say, if it happens that you're the only Primordial Supreme, what would be your next move, old man?"
Blake's eyes darkened with thought.
'This bastard son of mine,' he mused inwardly, 'he's just mocking me.'
'He's suggesting that an enemy of mine who awakened with a rank greater than mine wouldn't reveal themselves. You're forgetting one thing, Jason: even if Zane were that person and came for my head, you wouldn't be free either. After all, you're the one who poisoned him just for your own amusement. Tch, whatever—bring it on, Zane. Your father is more than happy to embrace you in his arms once more. If I'm to die by your hands, then so be it.'
He clasped his hands on the table, his voice filled with responsibility.
"I'll be calling for a board meeting soon. We need to create a global association for all awakened ranks. Something organized. Something we can control; though not now, I would like to bring it to their attention."
"Control?" Jason muttered, raising an eyebrow. "That's so like you father. So your next move is to build a leash for all awakeners?"
Blake didn't flinch. "People tend to lose themselves when they get too much power too fast. I've seen it happen. If no one steps in to guide them, it won't be monsters that destroy this world—it'll be us."
Jason chuckled dryly, then looked up with a piercing stare. "Fair enough. Let me guess—you plan to use Ariel to convince the board, don't you? With a Primordial and a Primordial Supreme in the Walker family, they would all have to submit, isn't that right?"
The atmosphere grew tense. Ariel's fork froze halfway to her mouth as everyone turned to Blake.
Blake hesitated for a second too long. Then he smiled, but it didn't quite reach his eyes.
'This annoying bastard. We are having a dinner not a debate.' He cursed inwardly.
"When you say it like that, you make me sound like a villain in some animated series. I'm not using her. This crisis is bigger than all of us. We all need to work together… and Ariel is no exception."
Jason pushed his chair back with a loud scrape, standing up suddenly. The sound broke the uneasy silence around the table.
"Come with me, Ariel," he said, holding out a hand to her.
The girl blinked in surprise as she took his extended hand. "Huh?"
"Where are you going?" Blake asked with a serious tone.
Jason didn't answer right away. His gaze stayed fixed on Blake.
"Just a quick sibling moment. You wouldn't understand since you have no siblings."
"She's a Primordial, right?" Jason's voice was light, but his stare was hard. "Then it's time she trained like one. Let's see what's so special about being a Primordial."
One brother muttered, "Bullshit, you just wanna test her strength."
Blake stood, frowning. "What are you trying to accomplish, Jason? She's just a little girl."
Jason's voice was casual, but his eyes burned with something deeper. "You've seen what's happening out there. We're not always going to be around to protect her. If she's really an Awakener… we need to make sure she's at least able to escape when the situation called for it."
One of the twins scoffed. "You mean you want to see what she can do. You're just jealous Jason."
Jason didn't deny it. He just smirked.
Truth was, ever since he'd learned that Primordial awakening was a higher than Alpha awakening, he hadn't been able to shake off a bitter feeling inside.
'Why her? Why not me?'
As he led Ariel away from the table, a hush fell over the room.
Even the clinking of cutlery stopped.
Ariel looked up at him, her eyes full of innocence and confusion. "Big brother… where are we going?" She asked as Jason held her hand a little too tightly, pulling her away.
Jason softened his tone. "Don't worry. Just follow me."
He led her down the hallway and out toward the training grounds, where awakened soldiers practiced their newfound abilities.
Jason clenched his jaws.
'Let's see what's so great about a Primordial, and why it couldn't have been me.'