**Chapter 1: Unusual Awakening**

  A middle-aged man stood at the center of the grand stage, addressing the gathered students in **Sun City**, one of the major cities in **Sector 9**—one of the twelve sectors that made up the world.

  "Today, you are all here for the unveiling of your marks—symbols that will grant you the power to face the demonic beasts. Two thousand years ago, humanity first awakened these marks. At that time, humans suffered greatly at the hands of these monsters. Before we begin, let us take a moment to honor the first king, who created a sanctuary for humanity to survive."

  Among the students, aged 13 to 15, stood **Gale Strider**, a 13-year-old boy dressed in flashy attire. His sharp gaze was locked onto another boy with white hair, dressed simply.

  "Lumiere, today, I’m going to beat you!" Gale declared with determination.

  Lumiere met his eyes and responded with a calm smile.

  A loud voice echoed through the hall.

  "All students, proceed to the Awakening Chamber!"

  Slowly, the students filed into the vast chamber. Despite their excitement, they maintained discipline. At the center of the hall stood seven individuals—elders of great power. In front of them rested an altar, where an egg-like artifact lay. The remaining six elders held long staffs embedded with mystical crystals of various colors.

  As the elders raised their staffs, a mysterious energy flowed into the artifact. The air grew heavy, charged with an unseen force. The temperature shifted unpredictably, alternating between chilling cold and scorching heat. Then, the chamber darkened instantly. Silence followed, thick and oppressive, before countless colors burst forth from the artifact, swirling in a mesmerizing dance of light.

  Gale and Lumiere stood together, awaiting their turn. Gale could feel the anticipation pressing against his chest like an unseen weight. The air crackled with energy, and whispers of wind curled around his fingers, as if eager to embrace him.

  Suddenly, his vision blurred. The world around him faded into darkness. When he opened his eyes, he found himself standing in a vast expanse, an endless storm brewing in the distance. Thunder rumbled, and flashes of lightning illuminated the roiling clouds. The very air vibrated with power.

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  A mysterious figure appeared before him. The man wore blue robes adorned with golden lines at the center. His back bore massive wings, as blue as the sky, crackling faintly with arcs of lightning.

  The man gazed into Gale’s eyes and spoke in a voice both sorrowful and resolute.

  "I am sorry, my daughter."

  Gale's eyes widened in shock. "Wait, what?! I look beautiful, sure, but I’m not a girl!"

  The man continued, his expression weighed with regret.

  "I am sorry, my daughter, for what I have done..."

  Before Gale could respond, the figure vanished. The storm faded, and the world around him shattered like glass.

  He gasped, snapping back to reality. His skin tingled, as if an electric current had briefly run through his veins. Looking down, he saw a strange mark glowing faintly on his hand—the same symbol that had been on the mysterious man's armor. His heart pounded. **A high-tier mark?!**

  Only high-tier marks could reveal visions of the past. This was an incredible sign of power. However, something felt off—his mark’s glow was dim, flickering like a dying ember.

  Turning to Lumiere, he whispered, "I think I got a high-tier mark!"

  The hall fell into silence. Everyone had heard him.

  A shift in the air signaled something dangerous. **The temperature in the room plummeted.** A sharp, stinging cold wrapped around the students, causing a thin layer of frost to form on the floor. The very breath of the gathered students became visible.

  Lumiere, who had his eyes closed, suddenly exuded an intense aura. His entire body shimmered with light, not just the mark—but his **entire presence** pulsed with a mysterious energy. A **symbol blazed on his neck**, its glow almost blinding, and the air around him cracked with icy shards forming and dissolving in an instant.

  Gale shivered, frost forming on his fingertips. Lumiere opened his glowing eyes and smirked.

  "Did you really get a high-tier mark?"

  Gale hesitated, looking at his hand. His mark barely flickered, weak in comparison to the overwhelming aura radiating from Lumiere. He swallowed hard.

  Lumiere’s smirk widened. "Low-rank awakenings only show a mark. Mid-rank awakenings make the entire body glow. High-rank awakenings cause unusual phenomena to occur."

  Gale's mind raced. His vision had lasted longer than it should have—five minutes instead of a single second. But to everyone else, there had been no outward sign of power, no grand phenomenon like Lumiere’s.

  Lumiere chuckled. "You saw a projection? Tell me, what did you see?"

  Gale recounted his vision, keeping his voice low. Lumiere’s expression shifted from curiosity to amusement, then to barely-contained laughter.

  "Ahaha… Maybe you should start wearing girls’ clothes!"

  Laughter erupted in the hall. Among the seven elders, five struggled to contain their amusement. The other students, witnessing what they assumed was a weak or delusional awakening, couldn’t stop themselves either.

  Gale clenched his fists. "I swear, I’m telling the truth."

  Lumiere stepped closer, his icy aura pressing against Gale like an impending storm. He leaned in and whispered in a voice devoid of humor, "I warn you… Be careful."

  Gale’s breath caught. There was something in Lumiere’s gaze—something knowing, something **deadly serious**.

  The laughter in the hall faded, but a new question had taken root in Gale’s mind. **What exactly had he awakened?**