An alarm blared in the apartment, prompting Jay to stir awake. His sleepy hand groggily reached for the alarm clock, silencing the irritating noise before it could fully invade his ears.
Reluctantly, he sat up, untangling himself from the comforting cocoon of his blanket. Of course, he had to—it was a big day, after all.
The apartment wasn't luxurious, but it was cozy. It was the home Mr. Hank had left behind for Jay—a home he had once intended to fill with family. But now, only memories lingered, waiting quietly to be forgotten.
Jay climbed out of bed, rubbing his half-closed eyes as he shuffled toward the bathroom.
After getting ready, he stood in front of the full-length mirror. Adjusting his clothes, he gazed at his own reflection.
Dark circles clung stubbornly beneath his eyes, hinting at countless sleepless nights. His hand drifted toward a pair of sunglasses resting on a small side table—the ones Mr. Hank used to wear. He lifted them, parted his lips to speak, but fell silent, letting the stillness linger.
At the door, he slipped on his shoes and glanced back at the apartment one last time.
"I'm off now. See you soon."
He began the fifteen-minute walk to the nearest train station.
The station was massive, designed to handle thousands at a time. Morning rush hour was in full swing, and the platform swarmed with people heading to work.
After all, trains were the most common form of travel—at least within the city. No one dared venture beyond the city walls, anyway.
Within the Empire, cities were protected by colossal barriers called Fortresses. Only those with special clearance could pass through them, as the outside world was teeming with monstrous beings no non-Awakened could survive.
The cities themselves were enormous—like miniature nations, complete with rivers, hills, and multiple districts.
Most citizens relied on trains for transportation, though the wealthier few used teleportation poles.
Carriages existed, but they were rarely seen due to strict traffic regulations and heavy taxation. In a metropolis like the Holy City, which housed nearly a hundred million people, road space was limited.
So, only the elite used carriages. As for hand-pulled ones, they weren't allowed to operate beyond their registered zones—at least not without proper authorization and, of course, money.
---
Jay made his way to Platform 6, where his train was scheduled to arrive soon. He reached into his pocket to check a letter—a message from Albedo:
> "Look for a boy with black hair and crimson eyes. You'll find him there."
"Black hair… shouldn't be too hard to spot," Jay muttered, running a hand through his own dark-brown hair—a shade so close to black it often fooled others.
Black hair was rare in the Empire and often drew unwanted attention.
Scanning the crowd, Jay eventually spotted the boy—a teenager with jet-black hair sitting alone on a bench. The platform was crowded, benches packed with people—some seating four or five adults despite only fitting three comfortably. Yet, no one dared sit near the black-haired boy.
Curious, Jay approached. As he got closer, he noticed an eerie silence blanketing the area, like a dense fog warding off intruders. At the center of it sat the boy, reading a book, his faintly glowing crimson eyes fixed on the pages.
As Jay neared, the boy looked up, and for a brief moment, his eyes widened. A flicker of fear crossed his face—an emotion long buried, now suddenly unearthed.
This was the boy Albedo had mentioned—the one who commanded this unsettling silence.
---
On Platform 6, Jin sat alone amid the crowd, engrossed in the book Albedo had given him. Despite the ridiculous title and absurd plot, it was strangely addictive.
Though he found it idiotic, he kept reading—until he reached the end.
Then he pulled out a letter from his pocket. Albedo had given it to him along with a key.
The letter detailed his destination, included some currency—unfamiliar to Jin—and described someone he was meant to meet.
> "You'll find a skinny boy with brown hair on the platform. Travel with him to the designated location."
"When exactly am I supposed to find this boy?" he muttered, stuffing the letter back into his pocket.
He scanned the area—and there he was, approaching: a skinny boy with brown hair.
'Well, that was convenient,' he thought.
As the boy came closer, Jin felt a strange sensation prickling at his instincts—a sudden awareness that made him flinch.
'What is this? Battle instincts?'
Jin studied the boy intently as he arrived.
"Um… hello, were you sent by Lord Albedo, by any chance?" the boy asked, scratching his head nervously.
"Yes. So I suppose we're going together," Jin replied, eyeing him closely.
"Right… oh, my name is Jay. And you are…?" Jay introduced himself, uncomfortable under Jin's intense gaze.
"You can call me Jin. No family name."
"I don't have one either," Jay replied.
'So he's not from a noble house, at least,' Jay thought with a small sigh of relief.
Jin turned back to another book—a history text. Much had changed during his absence, and it was the most efficient way to catch up.
He could've asked Albedo for a briefing, but requesting help felt like exposing weakness. So, he had stolen the book.
Not like he had money anyway.
Still, the book was just a temporary distraction. What Jin really wanted was to observe Jay.
He had considered using a skill to assess Jay's potential, but couldn't—he was still in Deep Sleep, a state in which the soul exists but hasn't yet fused the psyche and body together.
Accepting that, Jin returned to his reading. Jay awkwardly sat beside him, glancing at the book in Jin's hands. He opened his mouth, hesitated, then remained silent.
"Do you want to say something?" Jin asked, noticing Jay's hesitation. Jay flinched.
"Um… that book you're reading—isn't it about the technological revolution fifteen years ago?"
"It is." Jin closed the book. "I'm interested in all this new technology. Things were different back in my time in the Human Realm."
"Different how?"
"More primitive. People depended on Awakened for even basic things like light—illuminating stones were common. For travel, they used beasts or carriages. Now, trains are everywhere. And these engines… fascinating. But the most impressive thing? Cameras."
'How old is he really? He looks my age…' Jay wondered but didn't ask. He knew powerful Awakened could live for centuries.
"What got you so interested?"
"Hm… It's revolutionary. Travel has become fast, efficient. And cameras—those really surprised me. In the past, we used tamed beasts for surveillance. Some were eyeball creatures. Cameras don't emit spiritual energy, so they're hard to detect. The only downside is they don't move."
"I read about them too. Some cameras can move—though not autonomously. Some are small enough for one person to carry."
"Really? I underestimated them."
"They're fascinating, but they're still no match for Spiritual Arts," Jay added.
Jin glanced at the open page in his book—one explaining the revolution.
Fifteen years ago, an army from the Abyss attacked the Human Realm, using an artifact to cloak their presence. Thousands died—both Awakened and non-Awakened. The ORDER responded by pouring resources into technological development, to prevent similar tragedies. It became a turning point in human history.
Technology gave non-Awakened people a new role in the world. For the first time, they could assist Awakened in defending humanity.
"Some say science could rival Spiritual Arts one day. They've made explosives with massive destructive capabilities."
"Not quite," Jin said. "Sure, science can destroy—but even a mid-level Mage can do more. Science isn't there yet." He flipped to a page about firearms. "Though this one… is intriguing."
Jay leaned over to look.
"Wasn't that weapon discontinued for being too weak?"
The gun was created by non-Awakened people to protect themselves. It was a metal weapon that fired a metal ball called a bullet, but it lacked enough firepower to do serious damage, even to lesser-level Awakened.
"You're right. But in the hands of an Awakened with exceptional spiritual energy control, the bullet's power can be amplified. If you change the material to a spirit orb or spirit stones, its power becomes quite deadly. And non-Awakened can use it too."
Jin's words surprised Jay. Now he understood why the project was banned. It wasn't because the weapon was weak but because it could be too powerful.
"So ORDER stopped the development of a weapon that could give non-Awakened the ability to kill an Awakened."
"You're quite sharp, aren't you? The powerful will always stop the weak from gaining power. That's just how the world works."
Just then, the train arrived.
Jin stood up, eager to see the engineering marvel in person.
A metallic serpent of iron emerged, belching thick smoke and roaring as it screeched to a halt. Sparks flew from its wheels as it slowed and stopped directly in front of him.
Jay rose and approached, expecting surprise on Jin's face. But instead, Jin's expression remained blank—emotionless. His crimson eyes stared at the train with nothing more than feigned curiosity.
"Let's go. Oh, by the way—we'll be fellow disciples from now on," Jin finally said.
"What—you're a disciple too?!" Jay exclaimed, stunned. He'd half-convinced himself that Jin was some ancient monster in a teenage body.