Dustveil didn't wake up. It coughed.
Chimneys belched black smoke into the hazy air. Rusted fans spun lazily over market stalls.
Rin tied the frayed cloth around his wrist — the one his sister gave him years ago — and stepped out into the smog-drenched streets of Dustveil's Ninth District.
Today was the day.
Awakening Day.
Around him, market stalls opened with a groan. A vendor waved burnt bread over a rusted stove, calling out prices louder than his hunger. Kids in patched uniforms hurried past, faces stiff with nerves.
They were going to the same place he was. The Beast Guild Awakening Center.
"Big space, big future." That's what they all said.
Rin didn't expect much. But still... a part of him hoped.
The Center stood like a monolith — white stone walls surrounded by guild banners and clean pavement that hadn't seen the slums' filth in years.
Inside, a dozen teens waited in silence. Most were from better districts. You could tell by their boots — polished. Dry. Whole.
Rin stood near the back, coat too short, soles thin enough to feel every tile beneath him.
At the center of the room floated a silver crystal — humming softly, suspended above a platform.
One by one, students stepped up.
[C-RANK BEAST SPACE DETECTED]—Capacity: 3.4 Units—Type: Dense Forest Zone
Gasps. Murmurs. Someone from a guild clapped.
Another stepped forward.
[D-RANK BEAST SPACE DETECTED]—Capacity: 1.9 Units
Not bad. That one would get offers too.
Then—
"Rin Velan."
He moved without a word. His palms were damp. His throat dry.
He placed both hands on the crystal.
A pause. The hum grew faint.
Then—
[F-RANK BEAST SPACE DETECTED]—Capacity: 0.2 Units—Type: Enclosed Cell
The room went quiet.
No one laughed. No one had to.
He stepped back. No congratulations. No eye contact. Not even a second glance.
Just silence.
"Next."