The city didn't sleep last night.
Dawn had barely broken when the streets flooded with people. Shopkeepers rolled up their shutters; vendors had already set up their carts.
Lines of cars pulled up one after another, swiftly filling the expanse opposite the Core Plaza.
Parents walked around, holding their children's hands and offering them advice. Some even bought talismans from the street stalls, hoping they could bring 'good luck' to their children.
A typical scene that was repeated every single year.
—
From the day every child here learned to walk, they knew why they walked.
To reach the Core Plaza one day.
To stand under the ascension obelisk and discover what kind of future the world believed they were worthy of.
And... It was finally that day of the year.
The Annual Awakening Day; on which the ten-year-olds would awaken their cores.
For some, it'd be a coronation. They'd smile brightly as fate would reward them with a core that'd bloom effortlessly, strong and unquestionable.
For some, it'd be exactly what everyone expected; average.
And for some, it would be the moment of realisation that fate had given them nothing at all.
Today, their future would be written at a very young age.
—
"Ian, careful!"
A young woman's voice rang out in the crowd as her child slipped slightly while climbing down the packed bus.
Ian, the ten-year-old boy, smiled, "I'm okay, Mom."
She tightened her grip on his small hand, "Stay close", she murmured.
Ian nodded and clutched his mother's sleeves tightly as she guided him out of that crowded bus stop, heading towards the Core Plaza.
Ian looked around while walking through the street. His eyes were wide in awe!
It was his first visit to the city center, and he was overwhelmed by the sheer size and energy of it all!
Towering buildings stretched endlessly towards the sky, and the glass on them reflected the morning sunlight in dazzling abstract patterns.
The surroundings were neat and clean, the lanes were wide, lined with perfectly trimmed trees; and even the stalls were organised so perfectly that it made absolutely no mess with the view.
"Wow, this is so beautiful!" He giggled. No wonder Dad said rich and elite people lived here.
Ian pulled his mother's sleeves, "Mom, can I stay here too?"
His mother gave him a small smile, "Hmm... If you grow up to be very powerful, then."
Ian broke into a wide grin and, with a look full of determination, declared, "I'm going to be incredibly powerful."
His mother smiled. Children of his age were innocent. Sure... They'd dream big, say whatever just popped into their heads, because they were still unaware that reality was far bitterer than imagination.
Soon, they neared the Core Plaza. And once again, Ian's eyes went wide in astonishment!
In front of him stood a massive building, with its enormous black gates completely shut.
On either side of the gate, long shimmering banners displayed the city crest — a twin-serpent emblem coiled around a central flame; along with greetings for the young Awakeners.
People stood crowded on both sides leaving the square in front of the gate; they too had made a little space in the middle for themselves.
Above the crowd, floating transit discs hummed softly. It was reserved for the Plaza officials.
Ian glanced around. There were already hundreds of people, and the number just kept increasing every second. Well, thanks to the management, there was no chaos even with such a large crowd.
He could spot some of his classmates too, but they disappeared in the crowd so quickly that he couldn't make a chance to call them out.
"Mom, when Dad's coming?" He asked his mother.
"Soon." She replied with a sigh.
His dad took a day off today, so he had to work an extra shift last night. Their lives were already miserable, that was why they earnestly hoped their child wouldn't end up the same.
Exactly at 10 AM, a loud bell rang, and with a deep grinding echo vibrating throughout the surroundings, the massive black gate opened.
Plaza guards in dark uniforms bolted out, making neat lines on both sides of the lane, pushing the crowd back.
The crowd fell silent for a moment.
Slowly, a row of sleek, polished carriages rolled forward, stopping at the square in front of the building.
These were no ordinary transports, but the carriages of noble houses, powerful clans, and high-ranking officials; symbols meant to show that the children inside were not like ordinary folk.
Children dressed in pristine uniforms stepped down, being escorted inside by attendants. Some of them looked calm, some confident, some even arrogant or bored.
The crowd buzzed at the sight.
Ian watched everything silently. Suddenly, he felt he wasn't that confident anymore! His chest felt tight. He was nervous.
Sensing the little change in his behaviour, his mother crouched down, smoothening the collar of his uniform. "Don't worry, you'll do well." She offered him a look of assurance.
Ian nodded, though his eyes darted across the crowd. Why wasn't his father here yet?
"Sorry, I'm late." Suddenly a familiar voice cut through the crowd. Ian snapped his head behind and spotted his father, slightly out of breath, still in a work uniform.
He advanced and crouched before him, placing a firm hand on his shoulder, "Ready?"
Ian nodded.
He looked into his eyes. "Listen to me. No matter what you awaken there, you walk out proud. Understand?"
Ian smiled. "I will."
They took his hands and walked towards the entrance. The Plaza guards checked every child's name and token, and arranged them into lines based on district before letting them in.
They stopped in front of the lines. Ian's mother hesitated a bit, then loosened her grip. A guard checked his details, leading him towards the dedicated line. Ian took a deep breath before stepping inside.
His parents watched him from a distance as his small frame slowly disappeared behind the gate.
What fate had deemed him to become; now it was just a matter of minutes.