Several beeps echoed in the sterile white room, a stark contrast to the warmth of Jayden's memories moments before. He finally cracked open an eye, greeted by the concerned faces of his parents and grandmother.
A dull ache throbbed in his head, a constant reminder of the explosion and as his vision cleared, he noticed a strange tingling sensation throughout his body, a subtle hum of power beneath the surface.
"There you are, my little warrior," Ruele whispered, her voice thick with relief, as she leaned in to brush a stray curl from his forehead.
Jayden noticed a tremor in her hand and the gravity of his situation finally settled upon him. He had awakened his mana core, a feat unheard of at such a young age. But a nagging question gnawed at him. "What happened? Why am I in a hospital?" he croaked with his voice hoarse.
Elio cleared his throat. "There was an intruder," he said. He didn't want to burden his son with the gruesome details just yet.
"Intruder?" Jayden's brow furrowed, the memory fragments swirling within him refusing to coalesce.
"I'm sorry son, I fought to protect many people but I'm a failure as a father-" Elio tried to continue but he was interrupted by Jayden.
"No! I don't want to hear any of that, so stop. No one knew what was coming and the most important thing is that I am alive and well, our family can take revenge later," Jayden cut his father off because he wanted to move forward from that conversation. He didn't like that Elio took the blame on himself and from Jayden's perspective, no one could have foreseen that event.
"Your son is right, Elio," Valeria added, "We will find the responsible ones and punish them, but don't take the blame upon yourself, son, but take this as a chance to improve things in our estate's overall defense," she said.
Ruele reached out, squeezing Jayden's hand gently. "You don't remember? That's alright, honey. You were focusing on absorbing mana, and then..." Her voice trailed off, a pained expression flickering across her face.
Jayden closed his eyes, trying to conjure a clearer picture. He remembered the light, the intense warmth spreading through him, and then...nothing. Just a blur before waking up in the sterile white room.
"But, my child, how did you do that? How did you manage to absorb mana, to awaken?" Ruele asked him, her voice filled with curiosity and wonder.
That was the burning question on everyone's mind. How did he achieve such an incredible feat? To absorb mana and evolve his mana core without any external help or guidance was unprecedented.
As Jayden took a deep breath and began to narrate the events, everyone listened intently. He recounted the moment when he was held in Elio's arms and infused with mana, and how it sparked a profound change within him.
He told them the full story, from the initial moments of absorbing mana for mere seconds to the astonishing development that followed over the next 2 years. It was a truly remarkable tale, one that left his parents and grandmother speechless at the capabilities of their 4-year-old child.
As he finished his story, Jayden took a deep breath, and with a determined look, he said. "Mother, father, grandma, I want to grow stronger. I know what I've achieved is most probably something very amazing but it will be for naught if I don't continue this. I want to train, I want to learn, I want to grow strong so I can protect everyone and shoulder your responsibilities."
"Jayden! That's not even a possibility-," Ruele tried to deny him, but Elio raised his hand, signaling her to stop.
"Son, can you check your Core Status?" After a brief look at Ruele and a signal for her to stay quiet for a moment, Elio spoke to Jayden.
"How do I do that?" he asked his father, confused.
"Just focus on your Mana Core and call it to your mind. You can use the words Core Status as this is a common practice," Elio instructed him.
As he listened to his father, Jayden closed his eyes and focused on his body. In several seconds, he was able to see it.
He was stunned for several seconds. A beautiful white pearl, radiating waves of mana, was inside his body, giving him a feeling of power and confidence.
"Core Status," he said with a clear voice for his father to hear.
As he said those words, the weird blue and transparent screen appeared again in his retina.
[Core Status]
[Name: Jayden Pentagon]
[Level: 5 ]
[Race: Human ]
[Class: None ]
[Status Points: 15 ]
Health: 24 / 120
Mana: 160
[MAIN STATUS]
[Warning! Your condition is not optimal to calibrate newly received stats]
Titles: [Youngest Prodgidy - *New*] [Walking Anomaly - *New*]
Vitality: 0.6 / 3
Strength: 0.2 / 1
Magic: 16
Stamina: 0.5 / 2
Agility: 0.4 / 1
Willpower: 10
[Active Skills]
Empyrean's Last Will - locked - *New*
[Passive Skills]
HeartGuard - *New*
...
"I see a bunch of information, like my name, my level, race, and so on," Jayden said after he read a couple of times everything on the status page.
"Good! Here is the first lesson for you, son. There are only 5 main statuses, Strength, Vitality, Stamina, Magic, and Agility. If you concentrate on each one of them, you should receive a brief explanation about each" said Elio.
Elio pulled a chair closer to the bed, his gaze holding a mix of pride and concern. Several hours had passed since Jayden's awakening, and the enormity of the situation had sunk in. His son, his little boy, had achieved the impossible.
It was a momentous occasion, but also a terrifying one. The attack had exposed their vulnerabilities, and Elio knew they had to be more vigilant than ever.
"So," Elio started, his voice gruff, "you feel it, don't you?"
Jayden opened his eyes again, focusing on the sensation within him. There was a definite difference, a surge of power that pulsed subtly beneath the surface. He lifted a hand, flexing his fingers. It felt different, stronger somehow.
"Yeah," he replied, his voice barely a whisper. "And...those weird blue words before. What are they all about?"
Elio spent the next hour explaining the concept of mana cores and awakenings. He spoke of the extraordinary power they held, the responsibility that came with wielding it, and the rarity of such an event at such a young age.
"You see, Jayden," Elio concluded, his voice filled with awe, "what you achieved is...unprecedented. No one, in the entire history of humanity, has awakened their core at the age of four."
Jayden's eyes widened. He had a vague understanding of how important it was to awaken, but the full weight of his accomplishment hit him now. He was different. Special. And a target.
"Now what?" he blurted out, the excitement tinged with a hint of trepidation. "I had a goal for three years to awaken, and I was absorbing mana like crazy almost every day, but...now what? What do I do from here? I need answers."
Elio smiled faintly. "That's a good question, son. And one we'll figure out together. Right now, you need time to recover and adjust to your new reality. But know this – we'll help you hone your abilities. You'll learn everything you need to know."
"Okay, I think that we can stop for today," Valeria intervened. Jayden must be tired and he needs time to adjust to everything and to process the new information" With a warm smile on her look, she caressed her nephew's face.
YOU ARE READING
Awaken: Dying Light
FantasyWracked with grief and consumed by regret, Jayden makes a desperate wish: to turn back time and erase his suffering. However, the consequences are far more profound than he could have imagined. His wish catapults him into a world on the brink of des...
