
~Laurent
People always say “Your future is not set in stone”. They believe that whatever choices you make will influence your destiny. Do you want to know what I believe? I believe that some things cannot be escaped no matter how fast you run. In this world, one of those things is getting a system. In Elarion, once a person gets to eighteen years of age, they are infused with a system. A system that grants them power and gives more strength that was initially thought impossible. The Awakening Ceremony was supposed to be the happiest day of our lives. The auditorium looked like a festival—flags draped from the balconies, crystals burning with gold light, rows of students whispering prayers under their breath. Everyone wanted to be special. Everyone except me. I’d spent all morning trying to convince myself this wasn’t a mistake. That somehow the universe had forgotten how much it hated me. Losing my parents early, scraping through every exam, being the kid teachers sighed about pretty much summed up my life. Today was different though. Today, I allowed myself to feel something dangerously close to hope. Maybe today, things could finally start looking up. If I got infused with a good system, I might just start getting the respect I craved for as long as I can remember. A roar of applause broke through my thoughts. The ceremony was starting. I looked up. An older man stepped on the stage. He had brown eyes and auburn curls. His physique exuded confidence and his build told tales of many years of combat. He cleared his throat and took in the sight of us. “For many years,” He started. “The inhabitants of Elarion lived in fear of the monsters lurking just beyond our borders. We knew it was only a matter of time before they came forth and conquered us all. We had no power of our own so we just lived everyday like it was our last, bracing ourselves for the inevitable.” He stopped and looked around, making sure everyone was paying attention. “Until the gods decided to bless us by revealing the Obelisk Crystal to us in the forest.” He said, gesturing to a tall pillar made of glistening crystals, this sparked applause and cheers. “This crystal has granted us the power to dominate the monsters as it was meant to be. It granted us the power to fight for what is ours. It grants us powers specifically designed to our emotions, temperament and physical ability… and tonight, we share that power with you.” Everyone cheered and clapped as the man left the stage. The awakening ceremony had begun. Most of us had been to awakening ceremonies before so we knew how this worked. Walk on stage, place your hand on the Obelisk, see your system and your rank then walk inside to be given directions to the part of the school you’d be. Schooling doesn’t end at eighteen here, it actually gets more intense and could even cost you your life. Exciting, right? Onstage, a boy with hair so gold it looked polished by sunlight pressed his hand to the Obelisk. The crystal pulsed and flared—brilliant gold light spilling across the hall. “Celestial!” someone shouted as his system was revealed. The cheers doubled when the reading appeared: S-rank. He raised a hand like he’d just been crowned god-king of the academy. Maybe he had. S-ranks could reshape the elements. Start fires, summon storms. People whispered they could level a mountain with a thought, their only limitations lied in their system. He stepped off the stage glowing—literally glowing—and students rushed to shake his hand. The next girl trembled as she touched the Obelisk. Blue light spread from her palm—Psychokinetic. C-rank. The crowd clapped politely. She smiled through her tears, grateful just to be seen. One by one they went—Arcanists, Titans, Shifters. Every flash of colour brought another round of cheers or groans. Power, rank, destiny—all summed up in one heartbeat. Then it was my turn. I didn’t feel ready, but the teacher’s eyes caught mine and nodded toward the stage. No point delaying fate. I walked up, palms slick, heart hammering. The Obelisk stood twice my height, its surface clear as frozen water. Light pulsed faintly inside, like a heartbeat waiting to match mine. “Go on,” the teacher murmured. I pressed my hand to the surface. Cold. Colder than it had any right to be. The air around me went still. Then the Obelisk lit up. Black light spilled across its face, coiling like smoke through glass. Gasps rippled through the crowd. The colour alone said it all—Vampire System. Rare, unpredictable. Dangerous in the wrong hands. My breath caught. Of all the systems, the Vampire was the one whispered about most—strength, speed, blood instincts. Dark but powerful. Maybe—just maybe—my luck had finally turned. The vampire system was one of the most powerful systems there was. With power like this at my disposal, I’d finally be respected and if my rank was anything like the others that went up before me, my life was going to become a lot better from now on. I waited and then the numbers appeared. Power Rating: 10mp The hall went silent. Ten. Not a typo. Not a glitch. Barely above a normal human. E-rank. The weakest rank there was. Laughter broke the silence like a match to dry grass. Heat flooded my face. I wanted to shrink, disappear. The teacher shifted uncomfortably but said nothing. I stepped back, wishing the floor would open up and swallow me. Just when I thought my life couldn’t get any worse… it did.
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11
~Laurent The morning light broke through the cracks in the curtain, a pale stripe across my face. I groaned and rolled onto my side, blinking at the faint hum that always came before the shimmer. [Status Menu] It spread across my vision, neat and precise as ever. Name: Laurent Draven Level: 2 Strength: 29 Agility: 10 Endurance: 11 Perception: 6 Intelligence: 8 Skills: • Blood Instinct • Night Vision • Claw Manifestation • Fang Bite • Shadow Step • Blood Recovery Weapons: • Fang & Talon (Twin Daggers) I swiped the screen and a new icon blinked at the corner of my vision: [Inbox: 1 New Message] A familiar tension crawled up my spine as I tapped it open. [Daily Task Generated] Mission: Enter the Crimson Hollow and retrieve the Heart of the Abyss. Defeat the guardian, Gorath the Warden. Rewards: New weapon, +20 attribute points, possible rare skill unlock. Penalty: Loss of half current stats. Physical trauma. I stared at it for a moment.
10
~Laurent “Laurent? What are you doing here?” The voice made my heart stop. I froze where I was, still half-kneeling in the grass, blood drying on my sleeve. I turned slowly, dreading who I’d see. Ciela stood a few paces away, sunlight curling through her yellow hair like gold wire. Her brown eyes widened as she took in the sight of me. “I—uh…” My brain scrambled. I couldn’t exactly tell her I’d just returned from fighting a crypt full of undead. “I dropped something. Must’ve rolled under the shrubs.” Her brows lifted. “You’re lying on the ground because of a lost pencil?” I forced a weak laugh. “Not a pencil. Something more important. You don’t have to worry about it. I’m sure I’ll find it. What are you doing out here though?” Something in her face softened. She hesitated, then smiled faintly. “Was looking for you. Thought you ran into trouble again.” “I’ll be more careful to avoid those from now on so you’ll be able to rest. You have other things to worry about othe
9
~Laurent I opened my eyes and was greeted by the ray of sun that creeped in through the window. I got off my bed and stretched, yawning. As if waiting for me to get up, an inevitable shimmer burned across my vision. [Status Menu] • Strength: 29 • Agility: 10 • Endurance: 11 • Perception: 6 • Intelligence: 8 Current Level: 2 Skills available: Blood Instinct, Night Vision And then the part that I never looked forward to showed up: [Daily Task Generated] Raid the Ashen Crypt and slay the Master. Reward: New skills, extra points Penalty: Loss of current points, extreme pain I let out a shaky breath and rubbed my face with both hands. "I feel this thing is on a mission to kill me." I hadn't heard too much about the Ashen Crypt but from the little I'd learned. I knew it wasn't a place that people visited often especially not alone and it was my task for the day not to only visit there but also slay the master. How was I going to do that?! I dragged myself upright anywa
8
~Laurent Ciela sat alone, her hair spilling like starlight over her shoulder, her fork barely touching the food on her plate. Her gaze drifted, unfocused, as if she wasn’t really here at all. My legs carried me before I could think. I slid onto the bench across from her. Her fork froze midair. She looked up—and her eyes widened. Her mouth parted, a soft gasp breaking free. “…Laurent?” I gave a nervous smile. “Yeah… I’m back.” She set her fork down, staring at me like I was a ghost. “I—I thought you were still in the hospital. You… you shouldn’t even be walking yet.” I shrugged, though my chest still ached faintly. “But I am. No need to worry.” A flicker of relief crossed her face before she caught it and straightened. “How are you feeling?” “Better than I expected.” I flexed my fingers, as if to prove it. “And you? After… everything.” Her lips pressed tight. A shadow passed over her eyes. “…Trying. Nights are the hardest.” “Why did you come back to school? You could’ve take
7
~Laurent I woke with a gasp—air tearing into my lungs like I had been drowning for centuries. My eyes darted around. White walls. A ceiling fan that clicked faintly as it spun. Curtains drawn halfway across a window where sunlight streamed in too warm, too gentle, too alive. My trembling hands flew to my chest, then my arms, then my legs. My body was whole. No bones shattered, no blood dripping. My ribs—weren’t they broken? My skin—wasn’t it flayed? I flexed my fingers, watching them curl and uncurl in disbelief. “I… I’m alive?” My own whisper startled me. The door creaked open. Several men in crisp uniforms entered, their footsteps measured, their expressions tight but relieved. Administrative staff from the Academy. “Laurent,” one of them exhaled. “Thank goodness you’re awake.” I sat up weakly, voice rasping. “What happened? Where am I?” “You’re in a hospital.” He replied. “What about the monsters? Did you kill them? Do you know where they came from?” I asked. The man at t
6
~Laurent Everyone was frozen in fear for about a minute before we turned on our heels. Adrenaline pumped through our veins, fueling our speed. My feet pounded against the dirt, frantic and desperate. Behind me, I heard the sound of bones snapping, claws raking flesh, and the unending roar of the monster chasing us. The monster was catching those too slow to keep up and ripping them apart. “Don’t look back!” Ciela’s voice cracked with panic. Her hand gripped mine like iron, dragging me forward when my legs threatened to give way. But the screams—they wouldn’t stop. Every few seconds another one rang out, high-pitched, choked, then cut short. A boy I knew from class, gone. A girl whose laugh used to echo across the cafeteria, gone. I could hear them being caught, shredded, crushed, but I couldn’t turn. If I turned, I’d freeze. If I froze, I’d die. My chest burned, my ribs screamed in protest, and tears blurred my eyes. I wanted to shout, to beg, to stop running. But Ciela’s han
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