David made it outside in seven minutes, not ten, mostly because Lucas had started sending increasingly unhinged messages that included phrases like "the obelisk waits for no man" and "what if they run out of powers before we get there" and "bro I'm literally pacing in circles people are staring."
The morning air hit him fresh and cool, carrying the usual city smells of hover-fuel and street food and something floral from the automated gardens two blocks over. Neo-London was already fully awake, the sky filled with streams of hover-vehicles commuting to early shifts, the sidewalks crowded with people who had places to be and people who were just watching.
David spotted Lucas immediately because Lucas was impossible to miss.
He stood near the building entrance, six foot four of barely contained energy, pacing back and forth in a shirt that said "I SURVIVED THE GAUNTLET AND ALL I GOT WAS THIS LOUSY TOP FOUR RANK" in bright gold letters. His hair was messier than usual, like he'd run his hands through it a thousand times already, and when he saw David his face split into a grin so wide it looked painful.
"FINALLY!" Lucas threw his arms up and nearly clocked an old woman walking past. He apologized quickly, bowed twice, then grabbed David by the shoulders. "Seven minutes, you said ten, but also seven is still too long, do you know what's happening today, do you have any idea, because I've been thinking about it all night and I didn't sleep at all and I'm running on pure hype right now, pure hype!"
David gently removed Lucas's hands from his shoulders. "I can tell."
"This is serious, David, this is the most serious day of our entire lives, we're about to touch the obelisk and become real awakened, actual rank holders, people with powers, do you understand what that means, do you comprehend the magnitude, the sheer scale of—"
"It means you'll finally stop talking about it."
Lucas gasped like David had stabbed him. "Cold. Absolutely frozen. You know what, I'm choosing to ignore that negativity because today is too important for your usual brooding energy. Today we celebrate. Today we become legends."
David started walking toward the transit station and Lucas fell into step beside him, still talking, still gesturing wildly, still drawing stares from everyone they passed.
"The line's gonna be insane by the way, I've been checking the feeds and people started camping out at midnight, midnight, can you believe that, who does that, who sleeps on concrete for a chance to touch a rock?"
"Apparently a lot of people."
"A lot of crazy people, that's who. But we don't have to worry because my mom packed us snacks, real snacks, not the government protein bars they hand out at these things, she made those little sandwich things you like with the weird meat."
David glanced at him. "Your mom made me sandwiches?"
"She made everyone sandwiches, she's been cooking since four AM, I woke up to the smell of eggs and almost cried, and then she packed enough food to feed a small army and told me to share with my friends, meaning you and also maybe those girls from the rankings if we see them there."
David raised an eyebrow. "Those girls from the rankings."
"Yeah, you know, the top rankers, Becca Moon and Erica Vale, they're probably going to be at the same center as us since we're all in Neo-London, and my mom was like 'Lucas be nice to them, they seem like nice girls' and I was like 'Mom they're top three in the entire world I think they'll be fine' but she made extra sandwiches anyway."
They reached the transit platform just as a high-speed train pulled in, its sleek silver doors sliding open with a soft hiss. The car was mostly empty this early, just a few commuters heading to work and one kid who looked about twelve staring at them with wide eyes.
David found a seat near the window and Lucas dropped down beside him, immediately pulling out his phone to check the feeds.
"Okay so the official numbers say there's already like five thousand people at the government center, five thousand, and it's not even seven AM yet, they're estimating over twenty thousand by noon, can you imagine that many people in one place?"
David watched the city blur past through the window. "Sounds terrible."
"It's gonna be amazing, all those people about to awaken, all those new powers, new ranks, new legends being born, and we're gonna be right there in the middle of it, we're gonna walk out of there as actual awakened humans, David, actual awakened humans with actual abilities, I could get strength powers, or speed powers, or maybe something weird like the ability to talk to animals, can you imagine me talking to animals?"
"I can imagine animals running away."
Lucas laughed, loud and genuine, drawing looks from the other passengers. "You're hilarious today, really, top form, must be the anticipation. But seriously though, what do you think you'll get? You were rank one in the game, rank one, that has to mean something, right, the game tests everything, combat, strategy, problem-solving, teamwork, you crushed all of it, so your abilities have to be good, like really good."
David shrugged. "We'll find out when we find out."
"That's such a non-answer, that's the most non-answer answer you've ever given, and you give a lot of non-answers." Lucas leaned forward, lowering his voice conspiratorially. "Between us though, just us, no one else listening, what do you hope for? If you could pick anything, anything at all, what would you want?"
David thought about it, really thought about it for the first time. He'd been so focused on the game, on winning, on staying anonymous, that he hadn't let himself wonder what came after. What did he want?
Something that would let him stop hiding, maybe. Something that would explain why he'd always been different, why his body moved faster than it should, why cuts healed overnight, why people looked at his hair and his eyes and his name and whispered.
Something that would tell him where he came from.
"I don't know," he said finally. "Something useful."
Lucas stared at him for a long moment then shook his head. "You're impossible, you know that, absolutely impossible, most people would be dreaming of fire powers or lightning or something flashy and you're like 'I hope I get something useful' like you're shopping for a new backpack."
The train slowed as they approached the government district station and David could already see the crowd through the windows, a sea of people stretching across the plaza and down the surrounding streets.
"Holy crap," Lucas breathed, pressing his face against the glass. "Holy crap, David, look at that, look at all those people, we're about to walk into that, we're about to be part of that, this is insane, this is actually insane."
The doors opened and the sound hit them immediately, a wall of noise from thousands of conversations happening at once, layered over announcements from government drones and the constant hum of media hover-cams circling overhead.
David stepped onto the platform and for a moment he just stood there, taking it all in. He'd seen the crowds on the news, watched footage from previous years, but being here was different. The energy was electric, almost overwhelming, and he could feel something else too, a strange pressure in the air, a weight that hadn't been there before.
Mana, maybe. Or just his imagination.
Lucas grabbed his arm and pulled him forward. "Come on, come on, we gotta find the line, we gotta get our spot, my mom will kill me if we end up at the back after she made all those sandwiches."
They pushed into the crowd, weaving between families and friend groups and solo kids looking nervous. David let Lucas lead, trusting his friend's ability to bulldoze through anything, and within minutes they'd found the end of the main line which snaked around the block and disappeared behind a massive government building.
"We're here," Lucas announced, spreading his arms wide. "We're actually here, this is happening, this is really happening, I might cry."
"Don't cry."
"I might cry and you can't stop me, it's a historic moment, tears are allowed, tears are encouraged even, look at all these people, all these future awakened, all these—"
"Lucas."
"What?"
David pointed. "There's someone waving at us."
Lucas turned and sure enough, about twenty feet ahead in the line, a girl was looking directly at them and waving. She was shorter than average, compact, with dark hair pulled back in a practical style and eyes that seemed to miss nothing. Even from here David could tell she was watching them the way he watched people, cataloging, analyzing.
"Do we know her?" Lucas whispered.
"Erica Vale," David said quietly. "Rank three. Anonymous until last night."
Lucas's eyes went wide. "The bow girl, the one who shot that guy through the eye from like a million meters away, that's her, she's waving at us, why is she waving at us?"
"Because you're being loud."
"I'm always loud, that's not new information."
Erica beckoned them forward and Lucas looked at David with a question in his eyes. David shrugged and started walking, because standing here discussing it seemed more awkward than just going over.
The crowd parted for them, or maybe for Erica, or maybe just because Lucas was large and moving with purpose. When they reached her she smiled slightly, a small expression that didn't quite reach her watching eyes.
"You're Lucas Stone, Rank four" she said awkwardly. " And you're David Ashborn. Rank one, anonymous until now."
David nodded and replied in the same manner. "You're Erica Vale. Rank three., also anonymous until now."
"Wasn't my choice. My family prefers privacy." She glanced at the spot beside her in line. "There's room if you want. Becca's saving spots anyway."
Lucas perked up. "Becca Moon is here? The Becca Moon, rank two, first S-rank candidate, shadow assassin girl?"
"That's one way to describe her." Erica's lips twitched. "She went to get coffee. She's been awake since four and refuses to function without caffeine like a normal person."
David almost smiled. "And she asked you to save spots?"
"For the top rankers, yes. She's practical like that." Erica studied him for a moment, her gaze sharp. "You moved well in the game. The final boss fight, I watched the replay. Efficient. No wasted motion."
"You shot an arrow through a moving target's eye from two hundred meters," David replied. "I remember."
Something flickered in her expression, respect maybe, or just acknowledgment. "We'll make a good team if we ever hunt together."
Lucas bounced on his heels. "Are we talking about hunting together, like real hunting, in the Expanse, with beasts and cores and all that? Because I'm so in, I'm absolutely in, just say when and where and I'm there."
Erica opened her mouth to respond but stopped as a figure approached through the crowd, moving with the kind of grace that spoke of years of training. Dark hair pulled back, sharp features, silver eyes that scanned everything at once.
Becca Moon carried two cups of coffee and looked like she hadn't slept in days.
She stopped when she saw David and Lucas, her gaze lingering on David for a moment longer than necessary, then handed one cup to Erica.
"They were out of the good beans," she said flatly. "I'm already disappointed in this day."
Erica took the coffee. "You say that every day."
"Because every day disappoints me." Becca turned to David and Lucas, her expression unreadable. "David Ashborn. Lucas Stone. You guys made it."
Lucas grinned. "Made it, survived, ready to awaken, ready to become legends, ready for whatever comes next, that's us, that's totally us."
Becca's lips twitched, just barely. "Good. You'll need that energy." She looked at David again. "The game was impressive. Your final run broke several records."
David held her gaze. "So did yours. First S-rank candidate in twenty years. That's a lot of pressure."
"You have no idea." She took a long sip of her coffee and grimaced. "This is terrible. I'm going to remember this forever. The day I awakened and the coffee was terrible."
Behind them, the line started moving.
Lucas grabbed David's arm. "It's happening, it's actually happening, this is it, this is the moment, I'm not ready, I thought I was ready but I'm not ready, what if my powers are stupid, what if I get something useless like the ability to grow my toenails really fast—"
"Then you'll have the fastest growing toenails in history," David said. "Very prestigious."
Lucas stared at him then burst out laughing, loud and bright, drawing looks from everyone around them. "You're the worst, you know that, the absolute worst, and I'm so glad you're my friend."
The line moved forward again, closer to the massive government building with its shimmering walls and the faint pulse of energy David could feel even from here.
Closer to the obelisk.
Closer to answers.
Becca fell into step beside him as they walked, her voice low enough that only he could hear. "Whatever you're expecting, it's probably wrong. The awakening changes you. Shows you what you really are." She glanced at him sideways. "You ready for that?"
David thought about the dreams, the fire, the wings, the necklace warm against his chest.
"No," he said honestly. "But I'm going anyway."
Becca nodded like that was the right answer and said nothing else.
The building loomed ahead, its doors opening to swallow the crowd one group at a time.
And somewhere deep in David's mind, something waited. Something that had been sleeping for eighteen years.
Something that was about to wake up.