BORN OF DOOM

Chapter 6: FAILURE

As Vondrel's name boomed through the air, his heart skipped a beat. He ascended the first step of the platform, his foot hovering momentarily as if anchored by doubt.

The weight of a thousand expectant eyes weighed on him, making his heart tremble with nervousness. In a desperate attempt to calm his racing thoughts, he turned his gaze to where his mother seated. Calming his raising heart, he pushed all thoughts to the back of his head, he then walked up the platform and reached out and placed his hand on the dormant floating crystal, its stillness a stark contrast to the turmoil brewing within him. But to his surprise, there was no response, no spark, no sign of life - only an unsettling silence that seemed to amplify his growing unease.

The crystal's stillness seemed to mock him, its inactivity a stark contrast to the maelstrom of emotions churning inside Vondrel.

' what is going on, why is it not responding. Is it damaged or am I not doing it right??' he thought, having a feeling of unease.

The supervisors widened their eyes, having a feeling of Deja Vu, three mins passed and there was still no reaction, everyone was getting impatient. They waited for five more minutes and there was still no reaction.

"Check if the crystal is okay" the senior supervisor ordered

A supes went in and replaced the crystal with a new one, he then took the used one away, so as to go and diagnose it thoroughly. Vondrel placed his hand on the new crystal and after waiting for few seconds, there was nothing but silence. Giving him time, still after another five minutes, there was still no reaction from the new floating crystal, it was as if the crystal itself is dead.

The whole hall became eerily silent, everyone present there became dumbfounded because it has never happened for someone who had been trained in the embodiment technique of tge world not to awaken an ability.

Even a low level ability, a waste of an ability is still something, even though regarded as trash.

"Did you really train using the natural embodiment technique to aid your awakening or you just came here to waste our time??" the senior supervisor asked with a cold tone, displeasure evident on his face.

The whole hall erupted into chaos as other awakened and even mundane humans present began throwing words at Vondrel they gave him nicknames like: trash, a human full of emptiness, an abandoned dunghill. Various kinds of insult were hurled at him by humans, vampires, werewolves, elf's(dark and light), fox clan, mundanes e.t.c

Vondrel who was the centre of attention just stood there unmoving as he him was lost, his thoughts were in disarray as his body shook intently. He was unable to come to terms that after training, practicing and acquiring several knowledge, he still couldn't make a crystal flicker, talk more of making it light up. He stood there feeling disoriented, betrayed and motionless, silently taking in the curses hurled at him from the audience.

Swimming in the pool of his little confidence destroyed, he stood frozen, his eyes glazed over as his mind spiralled into chaos. His body continue trembling uncontrollably as his thoughts were drowned in a cacaphony of unending curses hurled on him. The weight of his failure crushed him, as he struggled to comprehend how his tireless training, meticulous practice, and vast knowledge had culminated in this moment of utter defeat.

The awakening, once his beacon of hope, now seemed an unattainable dream, its darkness mocking his incompetence. As the audience's vitriolic taunts rained down upon him, Vondrel remained motionless, his silence a testament to his shattered spirit. The curses and jeers swirled around him, a maelstrom of ridicule that threatened to consume him whole.

" What is he doing standing there??"

"Why is the crystal not doing anything" some neutral people where trying to come to the term of witnessing the unthinkable.

" Hey trash, you couldn't even make a crystal have a flicker of light" some mocked

" I had a feeling that he was just a jerk after all." the supervisor murmured

" What a shame, he is not destined to be an awakened like his siblings." few people from his settlement whispered

" I am not surprised, he gets beaten up every time from school. " some said

" Yeah, I heard he comes home with bruises over him, he can't even defend himself."

" His father truly wasted all those years training him, such an ungrateful child."

" This is truly dissatisfying "

"I once heard from the awakened working with his father that he managed to kill a ranker beast.....how did he manage to pull that off if he couldn't even awaken any ability"

"Shouldn't you know that they are all made up stories by his father's group to fool the settlement."

" I wouldn't say that if I were you, his father is the protector of our settlement."

" Don't you think that maybe he already awakened an ability before and tried to awaken another ....that might explain how he might have killed a beast and why the crystal isn't responding."

Different conversations went on in the hall.

Bright was surprised at his misfortune, instead of crying he began laughing like a maniac, he was thrown out of the mage association ground like the pile of rubbish he is. His mother couldn't say anything, she was just shedding tears, his mother's anguished tears fell like rain, her silence a poignant testament to her shattered hopes. The sound of his unhinged laughter still echoed through the halls, a haunting reminder of his failure.

While walking home, some of his school mates came to give him pieces of advice meant for trashes.

"I knew you were nothing but a waste of space and effort. Where as all those knowledge and understanding brought you to??." A guy from his class said

" I thought you could actually awaken something spectacular since you are handsome but alas, I am ashamed of myself for even looking at you. " a girl said and spat on the floor

"Trash you were a trash you will always be, you could have just saved face and stayed back at the outskirt of the clan instead of coming here to bring shame to the dignity of the clan." A direct descendant to the brightvale clan who was also his mate at the academy in the clan.

More insults were hurled at him until his mother had had enough and stepped forward, she let her aura leak out of her, thereby scaring the kids away.

They both went home in silence, the news about the boy who trained in the body embodiment technique not being able awaken an ability spread like wild fire making a new history in the world of the awakens.

On getting home, his close relatives in the settlement were shocked about the news, they tried to stop him from laughing like a madman.

They also tried to console his mother who was silent. She also tried to talk him through all to no avail. When the news got to his father, Mark traveled home, to spend some time with his family, he didn't birate vondrel no did he have a look of disappointment.

Mark talked to Vondrel and was able to calm him down, somewhat. Vondrel decided to stop his madness and accept his miserable life and experience with an aloof expression.

'Why do I have this feeling of it not being the first time of me failing ' he thought has he walked to his room and shut the door behind him never to be seen again for days.