CHAPTER 13: AWAKENING DAY [4]

’I’ve been experimenting since yesterday,’ Lucius thought as the glow of the awakening orb consumed him, swallowing his figure in its brilliance.

His heartbeat slowed, calm and steady. ’And I finally reached my goal.’

Yes, awakening regularly would’ve been enough to take the world by storm.

A disowned son showing talent — no doubt it would make headlines.

But Lucius was no longer satisfied with ordinary.

No, he wanted style.

He wanted spectacle.

If the world was going to watch, then he would make sure they never forgot.

Besides... he had predicted this.

The Hohenbergs would tamper with his booking, just like in the novel and invite the Silberhains too.

And when they tried to humiliate him, he would turn their scheme into his coronation.

[You have activated Spell: Spatial Imagery (LV.2)]

The room vanished.

One moment there were walls, a pedestal, and the seats filled with Hohenbergs and Silberhains watching from above.

The next moment — everything dissolved into a sea of black.

The floor, the ceiling, even the chairs disappeared as though reality had been peeled away.

All that remained was space.

Darkness, endless and profound, studded with stars.

The glow of nebulae shimmered faintly, and the silver moon hung far in the distance.

The silence was so absolute that some forgot to breathe.

And the stream —

[Ding!]

[You have gained 10 Million Viewers]

[You have crossed a threshold: 1 Million Subscribers]

[Ding!]

[You have received a donation of 100,000 Royals from @SpaceAwakeners 🔷]

The chat went insane.

[@ManaBaby69: BROOOO ARE WE IN SPACE???]

[@AwakenerFan123: WHAT KIND OF HACK IS THIS?!]

[@SageOfSalt: Impossible, that’s not an awakening... that’s an illusion... right?]

[@StarbornWife: Lucius take me to the moon too pls 😭]

[@SpaceAwakeners 🔹: This... this shouldn’t be possible.]

↳ [@AwakenerTheoryNerd: Wait why is SpaceAwakeners panicking 💀]

↳ [@VoidLover: If even they’re confused, then wtf are we watching??]

Gradually, the void peeled back.

The cosmos parted like curtains, fading into nothingness until the chamber returned.

There in the center, Lucius stood, still holding onto the awakening orb.

The stone was spiderwebbed with cracks, unable to contain what had just surged through it.

And then — the holographic screen bloomed into existence.

The moment everyone had been waiting for.

[Congratulations! You have awakened!]

[Name: Lucius von Hohenberg]

[Age: 18]

[Element: Space]

[Rank: Divine]

The chamber froze.

The nobles watching from the stands stiffened, their mouths half-open.

The Silberhains, usually calm and haughty, leaned forward in disbelief.

Even the Patriarch of the Hohenbergs gripped the railing, his knuckles white.

There were no words.

Even the chat —

[...]

[...]

[...]

The comment section became a wall of ellipses.

Nobody could process it.

"What the hell??!!!" Arnold, the Awakening Center’s staff guide, was the first to scream.

His voice cracked like glass.

And as if in response, the orb in Lucius’s hand shattered, collapsing into shards that scattered across the floor.

The illusion of space faded fully.

Reality returned.

Luna, who had been momentarily lifted in the strange gravity of the spell, landed hard on her feet, gasping.

Her drone buzzed shakily as if it too couldn’t believe what it had recorded.

The watch on Arnold’s wrist vibrated violently, alerts stacking one after another — but he didn’t dare speak.

Nobody did.

And then —

[@GlazeGod: DIVINE??? DID IT JUST SAY DIVINE????]

[@AwakenerNews 🔷: Lucius von Hohenberg becomes the first recorded Divine Element Awakener of the New Age.]

[@GoddessSimp: bro went from disowned trash to LITERAL GOD??]

[@JealousMuch: so he’s hot AND divine rank?? kill me pls]

[@StarbornWife: I KNEEL. I KNEEL. I KNEEL.]

Lucius glanced at the broken shards, then lifted his gaze at Arnold.

His tone was sharp and commanding.

"Get me another one."

Arnold flinched, his entire body jerking. "S-sir?!"

Lucius’s eyes narrowed. "While awakening my first element, I felt another. Since this orb of yours couldn’t handle my power, you will provide another."

His voice carried arrogance yet everyone could sense the absolute certainty.

Arnold gulped hard.

His knees trembled.

And then —

The pedestal glowed.

Another awakening orb materialized in place of the broken one.

"Well, thank you." Lucius smiled faintly, picking it up.

This time, the stone hummed instantly as though recognizing his touch.

Unlike the delay before, this one glowed immediately — shining green.

[You have activated Spell: Growth (LV.2)]

Roots unfurled across the floor. Buds burst into vines, spiraling up the walls.

In the blink of an eye, towering trees sprouted within the chamber, their canopies brushing against the ceiling.

The scent of fresh wood filled the air.

The Patriarch of the Hohenbergs could no longer contain himself.

He lurched forward, shouting, his voice echoing across the chamber.

"WOOODDD??!!" His disbelief cracked into madness.

The hologram shimmered again:

[Element: Wood]

[Rank: Divine]

[@SaltedHeir: TWO DIVINES??? TWO?????]

[@FangirlNo1: daddy can grow me a forest 😭😭😭]

[@TreeLover99: bro just awakened as Minecraft creative mode]

[@ManaScholar: Do you understand??? He just shattered centuries of elemental theory!!]

"Well," Lucius said casually, retracting the trees with a wave of his hand.

The towering growth dissolved into green light, vanishing as though it had never existed. "I guess I’m done."

He tossed the orb aside.

It cracked uselessly on the ground.

Then, without hesitation, he strode toward Luna. Her wide eyes reflected the impossible spectacle.

And in one fluid motion — he scooped her into his arms.

Placing her in a princess carry.

The drone caught everything.

Gasps rang out across the hall.

The Silberhains stared.

The Hohenbergs went pale.

"I’ll return shortly to collect my Awakened ID card," Lucius declared, his voice dripping with dominance. "But first — I have to drop someone off."

Arnold only nodded frantically.

Nobody dared oppose him now.

And then Lucius vanished.

The next moment, Luna felt her stomach drop.

The air around them thinned.

She gasped, clutching against Lucius’s chest — because they were no longer in the chamber.

They were in the sky.

High above Aurelion, drifting like stars themselves, the city stretched out beneath them.

The winds tugged at Luna’s hair, but she couldn’t bring herself to scream.

Lucius’s voice cut through the rush of air.

"So, Luna, that was your name, right?" He turned slightly, smiling down at her.

"Would you do me the honor of accompanying me out? In celebration of my awakening."

Her cheeks burned. "T-taking me out...?"

"Yes. That’s what I said." His grin widened. "A date, perhaps?"

"A... d-date?"

"Of course, you can reject it if you wish."

"Why would I do such a thing?"

"Ohhh — right. I’m poor. So you’ll be paying."

[@LaughingMyAuraOff: HE ASKED HER OUT MID AIR 💀]

[@SimpCentral: LUNA IF YOU DON’T SAY YES I WILL]

[@GoldDonor99: this man just awakened divinity AND secured a date, WTF]

[@AwakenerGossip: I CAN’T BREATHE THIS IS THE MOST ICONIC STREAM EVER]

"O-ok."

"Alright then. I’ll open a Stitch account later and ask for the details." Lucius’s smile softened. "Once again, thank you."

And then — he let her go.

Luna fell.

The viewers screamed in the chat, but Luna...

Luna didn’t.

The wind rushed around her, yet all she could do was smile.

"Thank you too..."

[Stream has ended]

[You have gained 5 Million Subscribers]

[You have received 250,000 Royals in donations]

[Your stream ended at 50 Million Views [Hot]]

Her body slowed mid-fall.

The momentum softened, gently lowering her down.

By the time she touched the ground, she was in the middle of a quiet park.

Her drone deactivated in her arms.

Luna looked at her trembling hands. Tears welled at the corners of her eyes.

"I never imagined..." she whispered, smiling. "I would become this big."