Rex stared at his reflection in the mirror with disappointment. He sighed, running a hand through his now-white hair, confusion clouding his expression.
"What's going on? And what do you mean by awakened abilities?" he asked, turning to the others.
Fabian raised an eyebrow. "Wait… you have no idea?"
Felix stood up. "Let's head inside first. We shouldn't be having this conversation out here."
Without argument, they followed him into the house and sat cross-legged around the low wooden table in the center of the hall.
Felix leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. "The system started the moment the apocalypse hit," he began. "Two days before the event, scientists in North Avalon detected an unidentified celestial object hurtling toward Earth. Since we had the materials and technology, we built a protective barrier around the city, one of the strongest ever made."
He paused, his fingers tapping against the table. "But even with all our preparations, the impact was stronger than anything we could have imagined. The barrier held for a moment, but then it shattered, sending shockwaves across our land. Compared to the rest of the world, North Avalon suffered minimal destruction. Still, the quake that followed changed everything."
Rex listened attentively, his gaze questioning.
"The world didn't just break," Felix continued. "It evolved. The impact caused mysterious dungeons to appear, their portals led to other dimensions filled with monsters and very rare had energy cores in them. Strange creatures crawled out and those who survived the impact started awakening, gaining super abilities. But those who couldn't handle the power or had too much of it, transformed into monsters."
He paused for a moment, then went on.
"The Vanguard's new government was formed right after that, led by S-Rank Awakened military leaders. They wasted no time in testing people, identifying those who had awakened, and ranking them based on their strength. Those with powerful abilities joined the Vanguard's army, while those under eighteen were enrolled in the special training program"
"Felix is ranked B," Freya cut in proudly. "That's just after F and D, but before A and the highest, S. Thanks to his intense training even before the Awakening, he's become the strongest teenager in North Avalon."
Felix nodded. "Anyone who couldn't control their powers or turned into a threat was eliminated. Their bodies were used for research to create weapons against the growing chaos." He exhaled. "We were lucky. North Avalon only had three cases of monstrous awakenings because the impact here wasn't as bad. But in other places, it was complete devastation, which is why we've been moving from city to city, and the last place we visited was Vitoria, the very site of impact."
His voice grew quieter, a shadow passing over his expression.
A brief silence followed as they absorbed his words.
Fabian, however, broke the tension with a smirk, gesturing at Rex's hair. "And judging by your 'awakened ability' of keeping your hair white, I'd say you're ranked at the lowest tier—F. Or maybe you won't even get a ranking at all."
Rex gave him a flat look, completely unbothered.
"You can't assume that's his only power," Felix said "And if it is, maybe that's for the best. The higher the rank, the more dangerous the battles ahead."
Rex studied Fabian carefully. No one had said anything about his abilities. That meant… Fabian wasn't awakened.
"How do I know if I'm awakened? And how is ranking determined?"
Felix leaned back. "Well, it's obvious you've awakened, but your rank is determined through an evaluation conducted by the Vanguard. They use a machine—"
Before he could finish, his phone rang. He sighed and stood up. "Give me a sec."
As Felix stepped away to answer the call, Rex exhaled, rubbing his temples. "I have so many questions," he muttered.
"Well, I have questions for you too." Fabian replied, his tone sharp.
Rex glanced up, meeting Fabian's gaze.
Fabian, bold at first, faltered under Rex's stare. His confidence wavered, and he glanced away, then back again, as if struggling to hold eye contact. Something about Rex's intense gaze unsettled him. He shifted, looking away. "Uh… how did you survive?" his voice quieter than before.
He shook his head. "I don't know"
Fabian frowned. "What do you remember?"
Rex thought for a moment before replying dryly, "Definitely not when my hair turned white."
"Funny," Fabian said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
"Leave the kid alone," Freya cut in, shooting Fabian a glare.
The word kid pricked at Rex like a thorn. He hated it—being called a kid, being seen as one. A force stirred inside him.
"I'm…" He stopped himself, shaking his head before standing up.
"Why are you such a hater?" Freya glared at Fabian as she stood as well, unaware of what actually triggered him.
"I'm only fking looking out for you guys," Fabian muttered.
"We don't need it," she snapped. "Look out for yourself."
Felix returned, eyebrows furrowing at the tension in the room. "What's going on?" he asked standing by the doorway blocking their path
"Fabian won't leave him alone," Freya muttered, shooting a glare in Fabian's direction.
Felix sighed, rubbing the back of his head. Then he turned to Rex. "Wanna go see the town?"
Rex hesitated, then nodded. "Yeah."
Felix smiled. "Great."
"I wanna come too," Freya said
"Me too," Fabian added, though he looked embarrassed.
The others laughed as they all stepped outside together.
Their home was deep in the woods, about twenty miles from the city. They followed a narrow path through the trees until they emerged onto a paved road. A transport vehicle rumbled into view, a sleek, angular machine resembling a Cybertruck, its metallic surface gleaming under the sun. The back was open, designed for quick access, with reinforced rails along the sides. As it slowed to a stop, they wasted no time, jumping onto the sturdy platform and settling onto the bench-like seats along the edges. The engine hummed with a low, electric growl as the vehicle accelerated toward the city.
As they rode into town, the landscape changed. Small farms and scattered houses gave way to clusters of buildings, roads filled with people walking, buying, and selling.
Felix pointed to a grand structure in the distance. "That's the worship center." It looked like a fortress, towering over the surrounding buildings.
"And that," he gestured to a large architectural structure with a sleek aerodynamic shape, "is the training ground and Vanguard headquarters. When you turn fifteen, you join the junior division. Training lasts three years, and if you pass, you officially become part of the Vanguard."
"And ahead is the market."
The vehicle came to a stop, and they hopped off, weaving through the bustling streets. Stalls lined the marketplace, filled with fresh produce, meats, spices, and handmade goods. Vendors called out their prices while children darted through the crowd, laughing.
"Have you seen a date before?" Freya plucked a small, dark fruit from a vendor's basket, holding it up for Rex to see.
Rex leaned in, curious, but just as he did, something in his body shifted. His senses sharpened.
Danger.
His muscles tensed, his instincts screaming.
Without thinking, he turned and caught a football hurtling toward his face at full force.
The moment his fingers wrapped around the ball, the impact stopped instantly. A sharp, echoing thud filled the air. The ball had been kicked at full strength by an awakened teenager, a mistake that could have seriously injured someone.
Silence fell over the marketplace. Every eye was on Rex. His grip tightened on the ball as realization hit him. What he had just done wasn't normal and everyone else could see it too.
"Whoa!" Fabian exclaimed.
"That was awesome!" Freya shouted. "How did you do that?"
"Hey!" Felix barked at the player who had passed the ball. The guy lowered his head, almost as if apologizing, before quickly running off.
Murmurs rippled through the crowd.
"Is the kid awaken?"
"Is he new? I haven't seen him around."
"That kid's powerful... maybe he's D-ranked."