The video ended with a soft click as the holographic light faded from the air. For a few seconds, no one spoke. The scene they had witnessed still burned in their minds the monstrous creature roaring as if the sky itself trembled, the ground cracking under its weight, and two armored warriors moving like streaks of light, fighting for their lives.
The battle had been brutal. The male warrior's armor was torn across the chest, sparks flickering where the plating had cracked. The woman's left arm armor was shattered, blood visible through the seams, yet she did not fall. Even as the monster roared, its claws slicing the air, both of them kept moving. Their blades glowed one a bright blue, the other a deep brown as they attacked together, striking at the creature's joints. The screen had gone dark before showing the end, but it was clear they had survived, barely.
Inside the hall, all twenty-seven candidates sat in silence. For most of them, it was the first time they had seen something like that not through the safety of news screens or controlled simulations, but raw footage from the outside world.
For years, the people inside the sanctuary had been told that the wild sectors were under control, that monsters were rare and contained. But the truth as they had just seen was far more dangerous.
Kalen's hands felt cold even though the room was warm. He wasn't afraid of the monster itself, but of the realization that such things existed things strong enough to tear through steel and survive explosions.
Drake stepped forward, his heavy boots echoing against the metallic floor. His face was unreadable, his tone calm but firm. "What you just saw," he began, "wasn't a recording from some old archive. It happened only three weeks ago, not far from the eastern wild sector."
A few heads turned in surprise.
"The warriors you saw are alive," he continued. "They were part of an elite squad sent to clear the area after an energy surge was detected. That creature nearly wiped out the entire team. Their armor took severe damage, but they managed to survive and kill it before it reached a settlement."
He paused and scanned the room slowly, his sharp eyes landing briefly on each of them. "That is the reality of the world beyond the walls. If a creature like that ever enters the sanctuary, and no high-level warrior is present to stop it, it would destroy entire sectors before reinforcements could even arrive."
The weight of his words sank in.
"You've all awakened now," Drake went on, his tone shifting from calm to serious. "You're no longer ordinary citizens. That means you'll be trained properly. We'll give you the foundation you need: combat training, knowledge about the wild sectors, and basic weapons handling. But if you want better equipment or resources, you'll have to earn them yourselves."
He tapped his wrist console, and a smaller projection appeared a simple image of glowing monster cores. "Everything in the wild has value. The cores, the blood, the bones they can be traded for credits or gear. But remember, greed is the fastest way to die out there."
He looked around again, letting that line sink in.
"Most of you will face monsters one day," he said, "but sometimes, your enemies will be humans. Outside the sanctuary walls, the surveillance systems are limited. The AI monitoring can't cover everything. And where there's freedom, there's crime. People fight for resources, for power, or simply out of hatred. You'll need to learn not only how to fight, but how to think to judge when to fight and when to retreat."
A faint murmur rippled among the candidates, but no one dared speak aloud.
Drake's voice softened slightly, though his eyes remained sharp. "If you ever go into the wild with a team, make sure you trust them. Set your rules before stepping out. Betrayal, hesitation, or arrogance any of these can get you or your teammates killed."
He stopped walking and folded his arms behind his back. "You'll understand all of this better once your training starts tomorrow. For now, eat, rest, and let your body adjust. Your systems are still stabilizing after awakening. Stress or overexertion could damage your internal energy pathways permanently."
The silence stretched again. The weight of his words hung heavy in the air.
Then, finally, Dr. Elen stepped forward. Her expression was softer than Drake's, though her tone carried the same seriousness. "Sergeant Drake is right. You've all achieved something rare awakening successfully at such a young age. But don't let it get to your head. The awakening doesn't make you invincible; it only gives you a chance to survive."
She smiled faintly, though it was the kind of smile that held a trace of sadness. "Many people never even make it this far. So take care of your bodies. Rest, eat well, and sleep properly tonight. Tomorrow, your path as warriors begins and it will test everything about you."
Her gaze lingered on Kalen for a second, then moved to Tang Yu, whose face had gone pale, and finally to Michael and Leo, who sat side by side, both looking thoughtful but composed.
Drake and Elen exchanged a brief nod before leaving the hall through the main exit. The door slid shut behind them with a quiet hiss.
For a few moments, no one moved.
Then Tang Yu exhaled loudly and leaned forward with his elbows on his knees. "Well," he said, forcing a weak grin, "I'm suddenly not as excited about the whole awakening thing."
Tang Xia turned to him with a sharp look. "You should take it seriously. You heard what they said — people die out there."
"I am taking it seriously," he replied quickly, raising his hands. "Just saying, that monster looked like it could eat a tank."
Leo chuckled under his breath. "He's not wrong. I've never seen something like that, not even in training simulations."
Michael shook his head slightly. "Still… those warriors survived. That means it's not impossible. Painful, maybe, but survivable."
Kalen looked at him and nodded faintly. "Yeah. If they can fight like that, then one day… so can we."
Tang Yu let out a dry laugh. "Sure. After ten years and a few broken bones, maybe."
Tang Xia sighed but didn't argue. Her eyes softened as she looked around the group. "Just promise me one thing don't do anything reckless tomorrow."
Her tone was calm but sincere, and for once, Tang Yu nodded without a joke.
As they talked quietly, the tension in the air slowly faded, replaced by a sense of quiet determination. Around the hall, small groups began forming some whispering nervously, others simply sitting in silence.
Outside the glass wall, the afternoon light had already turned golden. The sanctuary beyond looked peaceful clean streets, distant towers, the hum of air traffic. Yet behind that calm view was the truth they had just witnessed a world full of monsters waiting beyond the walls.
Kalen stared out at the horizon for a long moment. His hands clenched slightly, his thoughts heavy but focused.
He didn't know what waited for them in the coming weeks, but one thing was certain: the world he had known was gone. The real one had just begun to reveal itself.
Tomorrow, training would start and with it, the first step into that vast, dangerous unknown.