The training center returned to its daily rhythm, but something felt... off.
Even under the bright morning sun, the tension from last night hadn't faded. Whispers of what had happened—or nearly happened—spread among the trainees like wildfire. Some claimed to have seen a demon standing on the southern wall before it disappeared into smoke. Others insisted it was just a test from the instructors.
But no one could deny the fact that something had been there. Something real.
Classes resumed, but with tighter formations and heavier supervision. Instructors were more alert, and more than once, Keith noticed subtle glances exchanged between senior members. They were worried. And it wasn't about students failing tests.
Keith sat in Combat Theory, arms crossed, head only half listening.
Instructor Darien paced the front of the class, holding a long pointer as he spoke. "Understanding the power ranking system isn't just about strength. It's about survival. Now, we've covered Awakened Ranks before—but let's go over them again for the benefit of the slower minds among us."
A few students chuckled. Keith stared down at his notes, the page mostly blank.
Darien tapped the board. "Nine known ranks, starting from Novice, then Adept, Seeker, Warden, Crusader, Sentinel, Vanguard, Ascendant, and finally, the Primordial. Most of you," he paused, eyeing the class, "will never make it past Adept. If you're lucky."
Someone from the back muttered, "Way to motivate us…"
Darien smirked. "I motivate survivors, not corpses."
He turned and began sketching another chart. "Now, Demon power levels mirror our own—nine ranks, same structure—but demons are… twisted. Their strength isn't just power. It's hunger. Madness. Instinct. A Rank 3 demon could slaughter an entire team of Adept-rank hunters if they weren't coordinated."
Keith scribbled the ranks in his notebook. For the first time, he was beginning to understand the scale of the world he'd stepped into. And how far he had to go.
He was still unawakened.
Still behind.
Still nothing.
Later that afternoon, Keith found himself standing in front of the weapons vault. Instructor Mira, the stern woman in charge of armory logistics, narrowed her eyes at him.
"You're not authorized to handle any combat weapon until you awaken," she said bluntly.
"I know. I just want to… see them. Understand how they work."
She studied him for a long moment, then sighed. "Fine. Come in. Touch anything, and you lose a finger."
The vault was a narrow, heavily enchanted hallway lined with glass cases. Weapons of all kinds sat inside—blades, staves, axes, bows. But not ordinary ones.
Each was ranked. Labeled.
Common, Tempered, Runic, Spiritbound, Eclipsed, and at the far end—inside a sealed compartment that glowed faintly—Mythforged.
Keith's breath caught in his throat. The Mythforged blade inside looked like it was made of starlight and steel, humming with barely restrained energy.
"These weapons are not forged," Mira said quietly behind him. "They're born. Through history. Through sacrifice. And they choose their wielders."
"Have you ever seen one used?" Keith asked.
"Once," she said. "And I hope I never do again."
As evening approached, Keith joined Ethan and a few others in the practice yard. While most were focused on sparring, Ethan was reading a book on Demon anatomy, and Keith was just… thinking.
"You okay?" Ethan asked.
"I think so," Keith replied. "I just… feel behind."
Ethan closed his book. "You are. But so what? Not everyone starts the same. You don't need to be the strongest now—you need to last long enough to become strong."
Keith laughed quietly. "You sound like one of the instructors."
"Yeah, well… someone's got to."
They shared a small smile, but Keith's mind was already drifting again. To the voice. The fog. The strange pull in his chest.
Something was waking.
But not yet.
Far away, in the hidden corners of the world, an old figure dipped a quill into dark ink and wrote a name into a leather-bound book.
"Keith Rowen," the figure muttered. "Marked. Unawakened. Watched."
They smiled—a cruel, knowing smile—and closed the book.