'Right, now take the left path, then turn back to throw it off…' His mind was in a constant state of anxiety. Whatever he had just seen—whatever he was running from—didn't seem like something pleasant.
'Sh*t, what the hell was that? How am I supposed to shake it off? It appeared out of nowhere and nearly took my head off'
Then, suddenly, a figure dropped from the rooftop of one of the narrow street's buildings, landing right in front of him. A hooded man, his cloak concealing a massive lump where his arm should have been.
"Look, I don't know what I did to you, but I'm sure we can talk this through, right?"
Persuasion wasn't going to work. Fri knew that much. The only thing he could do now was buy as much time as possible—long enough for a decent idea to pop into his head. Preferably one that would allow him to leave with all his limbs still attached.
The mysterious man pulled back his hood just enough to reveal a rugged, middle-aged face contorted in a look of disdain,but what had struck Fri the most wasn't his appearance—it was the strange growth on his arm. Or rather, what should have been an arm. Instead, there was something animal-like, an insectoid appendage resembling the clawed leg of a cockroach, ending in a pincer with an eerie blend of purple with green hues.—one sharp enough to rip through flesh in the most agonizing way possible.
"Look, kid, nothing personal, but you have the mark. And as you probably know, the only way to extract it from others is by killing them."
'The mark? What is he talking about? It can be extracted by killing someone!?'
"I have no idea what you're talking about. I don't know anything about a mark or why you'd want to take it from me, so why don't you back off, half-bug?"
That struck a nerve. He could see it on the man's face—it had gotten personal.
"The Mark to Awaken. Those on the verge of awakening emit a special light—one that only those already awakened can see. And that light, that mark, is the last piece that half-awakened ones need to push past their limits—their humanity."
'Half-awakened? That's a new thing. Why have I never heard that term before?'
"Half-awakened? What's that supposed to mean?"
The mysterious man took a step forward, closing in on the boy he intended to kill—more out of anger now than for his original purpose.
"Those of us who never awakened have to find our own way to survive. The most effective method is to force the awakening, and for that, we need to collect fragments from people who are close to awakening. Once you gather three, you can force your own awakening and surpass human limitations."
'So this is what Torth did to me. He probably implanted some fragments inside me. I guess if you're a half-awakened, you can also see the mark emanating from others… but then, why can't I see it? He should be a half-awakened too if what he's saying is true.'
Now, he started thinking of a way to escape. Even though he had a better understanding of his level now, he still couldn't use it. If he managed to kill the hooded man, maybe he could fully awaken—but that wasn't an option. At least not yet.
"There's another way to obtain fragments. They can be 'transferred' without killing the person. I know someone who can do it."
The moment those words left his mouth, the attacker's pincer nearly sliced Fri's skull in half. He reacted just in time to dodge the deadly attack, but his opponent's words carried a rage deeper than he could comprehend.
"Lies! If that were possible, people wouldn't end up like me,giving my life just for a chance to live it! Do you think I want to have this monstrosity as my arm? Do you have any idea how much it hurts to live with this!?"
The man was truly furious—Fri had struck a nerve.
"I'm not lying. That's how I got mine. Though… it's complicated. I don't know the full details of how it works, but I know someone who can do it. The problem is reaching him…"
The man was losing his patience, convinced Fri was just toying with him. His anger was now clear in both his expression and his voice, which had risen to a dry, aggressive shout.
"Then tell me—where exactly is this person, huh!?"
After dodging a few more attacks, Fri made a decision. Even if he knew it could backfire, he had to say it. He couldn't keep going like this.
"The northernmost point of Ominis. That's where you can find him. He's the one who helped me. And if he was able to do it, that means there's a way."
At that moment, the attacker's pincer stopped just inches from Fri's forehead—so close that he could've touched it with his nose.
It was the end.
"Then tell me—how the hell did you get here from a place no one has ever reached!?"
For the first time since arriving in Cassio, Fri actually thought about everything that had happened so far—about how absurd it would all sound if he had to explain it to someone.
Which, in a way, he had just done.
It was stupid to think that anyone would believe him.
But then, he saw something strange.
Someone did.
The man, now in a calmer tone—though still keeping his pincer close—spoke again.
"You don't have the eyes of a liar… for some reason. I'll believe you. But tell me—how do you expect me to get there? If I were strong enough to reach the northernmost point of Ominis, I wouldn't need to awaken in the first place."
Fri's face showed nothing but confusion after hearing those words.
The man was right, but Fri needed an excuse, and this was his opportunity. Taking advantage of the moment when he had gained some of the attacker's trust, it was time to lie—at least partially—just enough to keep him from wanting to kill him.
"I'm also looking for a way to awaken as soon as possible. I can help you—we can help each other achieve this goal."
Holding onto hope for an outcome that wouldn't end in bloodshed, the mysterious man seemed to have decided to believe the boy's words—at least for now. He chose to trust him.
"I'm Goren. What's your name, kid?"
Fri, relieved by how the situation had turned out, was grateful he had reconsidered the first idea he had initially dismissed.
"Fri. Nice to meet you… and nice to know you're not planning to cut my head off."
"If you call me half-bug again, I just might. Looks like we'll be stuck together for a while, Fri."
Goren extended his left arm, making a gesture as if to offer a handshake.