CHAPTER 12: AWAKENING DAY [3]

Elena von Hohenberg sat cross-legged on the satin sheets of her luxury hotel bed, a storm raging outside the frosted window.

She had been gone from Aurelion for months now, hiding away in the Snow Region.

Not because she wanted to be here — no, she had decided to stay here to be away from her family.

They had exiled Lucius.

Her beloved younger brother.

The one man in this world she could never stop thinking about.

She pressed an old patient gown against her face.

The thin fabric was worn, it hadn’t even been washed, and the scent still clung to it — antiseptic, linen, and beneath it all, him.

Lucius.

"Lucius~" Elena moaned softly into the cloth, her voice trembling with intoxicated longing. "Even now, you smell divine."

Her body quivered as she inhaled deeper, pressing the gown tighter against her nose.

She turned her gaze back to the glowing holoscreen on the wall.

The broadcast filled her vision: Lucius, walking with calm arrogance into the Aurelion Awakening Center, a girl beside him.

Her lips curled into a twisted smile. "That girl can cling to you all she wants... but she doesn’t understand. You only need me."

She kissed the fabric of the gown, eyes never leaving the screen. "I’m coming back to Aurelion, Lucius. Just for you."

...

The automatic doors of the Awakening Center hissed open, revealing a polished white lobby.

The space was filled with sharp-eyed staff in uniform, nobles with their entourages, and curious spectators craning their necks at the drone hovering above Lucius.

Every gaze followed him.

And they all knew the story.

A middle-aged man stepped forward, his black shirt crisp, the Awakening Center’s crest embroidered proudly on the chest.

His cap was tilted just right, his smile a little too professional.

"Welcome, Mister Lucius von Hohenberg," he said. "I am Arnold, and I will be your guide for today’s awakening."

His eyes flicked toward Luna. "And this would be the woman streaming you today, Miss...?"

"Luna," she answered quickly, steadying her grip on her glasses console.

Arnold’s smile remained fixed, but his gaze sharpened as he regarded her equipment.

"Very well, Miss Luna. I expect you’ll capture every moment."

The weight of his words was clear.

He wanted the whole world to see Lucius fail.

The chat exploded immediately.

[@GoldFang: They already setting him up lmao]

[@VelvetDream: Can’t wait to see him flop]

|_@EvermoreFan: Shut up, Lucius is still gorgeous]

[@TrashTalker: Handsome but talentless = useless]

"If you’re finished," Lucius said, voice calm but carrying the faintest edge of arrogance, "take us to the Awakening Room."

Arnold gave him a once-over, then turned on his heel. "This way. Your deluxe room is prepared."

"Deluxe?" Luna blurted out before she could stop herself.

Arnold didn’t miss a step. "Yes. There are different classes of Awakening Rooms."

As they walked, he gestured toward a window on their right.

Behind the glass, five men and women stood before humming metal pods, hands pressed to crystalized conduits as glowing streams of energy pulsed.

"This is a Standard Awakening Room. It accommodates five at once. Affordable. Functional."

He let the next word hang in the air with cutting sharpness. "Suited for commoners."

The sneer in his voice made Luna’s stomach twist.

The chat went wild.

[@StreetRat: Typical noble trash...]

[@LuciusStan: Our king walks with pride even among peasants!]

[@IronChain: Bro didn’t even TRY to hide his contempt]

[@ClassistMuch: Wow. Just wow.]

They passed another window.

A single boy stood in the middle of a sleek chamber, glowing stone in hand.

"This," Arnold continued, "is a Private Awakening Room. One awakener at a time. Nobles generally afford these. In fact, this was what Mister Lucius originally paid for."

His eyes flicked back to Lucius, smirking faintly. "But the Hohenberg family arranged a deluxe room for you."

Luna frowned, but before she could ask what that meant, they arrived.

Arnold pushed the door open.

The room inside was grander than she expected — an amphitheater-like chamber with a vast central floor.

At the top, built into the walls, were stands filled with elegantly dressed nobles.

The drone swiveled instinctively to capture their faces.

There sat the Hohenbergs, all of them were present except Elena.

And then, the Silberhains.

Lily Silberhain sat stiffly among them, her fingers white-knuckled against her lap.

The drone zoomed slightly closer, catching the faint flicker in her eyes when Lucius appeared.

[Ding]

[Viewers have reached 3 Million]

[Your Stream has gained the tag (Hot)]

[You have achieved 200,000 Subscribers]

"Miss Luna," Arnold said smoothly, "you may take a seat with the Silberhain family."

Before she could move, Lucius raised a hand.

"She stays here." His voice cut clean through the murmurs.

He strode forward without hesitation. "I won’t be wasting much time."

His arrogance sent ripples through the chat.

[@DarkMoon: KING ENERGY]

[@HaterBait: Bro’s acting like he’s not talentless]

[@ErenYeager22: YESSSSS walk like you own it, my love]

[@TeaLeaf: If he fails after this attitude it’ll be hilarious]

Lucius walked to the center.

There, placed upon a raised pedestal, was the Awakening Stone — a crystalline artifact pulsing with a faint inner glow.

A voice echoed through the chamber, amplified from the overseeing official above.

"To begin the Awakening, place your hand upon the stone. Channel your inner energy. The stone will expand it outward, manifesting your elemental affinity. A hologram will project the result, including rank."

Lucius extended his hand without hesitation.

His fingers brushed the stone.

He closed his eyes.

Drew upon the well of himself.

And pressed his will into it.

The entire chamber leaned forward.

The stands of nobles.

The staff. Luna, her breath caught in her throat.

Millions of viewers across the world.

And then —

Nothing happened.

The stone remained dim.

Lifeless.

Silence spread like a virus through the chamber.

And then the chat erupted.

[@DeathRowVIP: LMFAOOOOO]

[@RosePetals: ...oh no...]

[@CrownWatcher: ZERO TALENT ZERO LIFE]

[@LuciusStan: No... there has to be something wrong with the stone!]

[@SpitefulLily: Just as expected of a failure.]

Lucius’s eyes opened, expression calm. Unmoving.

Luna’s heart raced.

And above them all, the nobles began to murmur, their judgment like knives in the air.

"Heh... how predictable."

The stone began to glow, a glow so harsh that it swallowed everything in the room.

[Author’s Note]

We reached the 50 PS goal, thanks fam.