The crystal dome of the Grand Plaza shimmered with a thousand colors, refracting sunlight like the heavens themselves. Gold and silver banners floated gently from above, suspended by unseen magic. Beneath them, thousands of students stood in long lines, hearts pounding, eyes wide with nervous hope.
This was the Awakening Ceremony—the day the System revealed one's class, fate, and future.
Each sixteen-year-old would step forward, place a hand on the World Altar, and receive a private message, seen only by them.
Among the sea of vibrant uniforms and shimmering auras stood a boy who drew no attention at all.
---
Kai Valenhardt.
He stood five feet eight—neither short nor tall, just... in between.
His messy, raven-black hair hung slightly over his forehead, thick but untamed, like he never cared to style it. His skin bore the warm beige of sun-kissed oak, smooth but marked with a faint scar on his right cheek—a memory from a childhood accident.
His face was sharp but quiet: a well-shaped jaw, narrow eyebrows, deep black eyes that seemed to stare through people instead of at them. They weren't dull—just... still. Empty, but thoughtful. His lips stayed flat, not frowning, not smiling.
His build was lean, but not muscular—toned only from day-to-day chores and occasional sparring with his sister. His hands were long-fingered, strong and calloused from physical labor. His feet, clad in worn boots, moved with careful precision—as if he didn't want to disturb the world around him.
He was a shadow among stars. Forgotten, overlooked.
And he liked it that way.
---
All around him, students buzzed with excitement.
> "I hope I get Archblade Knight!"
"If I don't awaken at least Tier 2, my father will kill me..."
"Kai? He'll probably get Potato Farmer. No offense."
Laughter erupted. He didn't respond.
He was used to it. Average in combat. Average in grades. Average in magic affinity. Even the instructors forgot his name sometimes.
He looked down at his hand, flexing his fingers slowly.
> Today won't be different... right?
---
But on the royal platform above, someone was watching him.
Aria Valenhardt.
His sister.
She stood tall and radiant—a living symbol of hope for every aspiring student.
At eighteen, she was a year older, but already stood at six feet tall, with long legs and perfect posture. Her platinum-white hair flowed down to her lower back in waves, glowing faintly with divine energy. Her skin was ivory smooth, untouched by scars, and her heart-shaped face was adorned with fierce, piercing blue eyes like frozen stars. High cheekbones, a slender nose, soft pink lips always poised with purpose.
Her armor shimmered with celestial sigils—runic etchings along her gauntlets and chestplate glowing faint gold and silver. Her hands were elegant but scarred from battles fought. Her feet were armored in wing-tipped sabatons, gleaming with polished mithril.
She was the youngest in history to awaken a Unique Class:
> [Celestial Valkyrie] – Heaven's Chosen.
People adored her. Feared her. Worshipped her.
But to Kai… she was still the girl who taught him how to braid hair when their mother died. The one who snuck bread into his hands during the nights they went hungry. The sister who hugged him while their father bled out on the floor during the ambush.
She raised him.
She saved him.
And even now, her eyes never left him.
---
Kai stepped forward toward the World Altar.
The obsidian stone pulsed faintly beneath his touch. The crowd quieted.
A moment passed.
And then—
---
> [SYSTEM ALERT – PRIVATE NOTIFICATION]
Analyzing user data...
Synchronizing Core Potential...
> Primary Class Acquired: [Limitless One]
Status: Evolving
> Secondary Class: [?????]
Class Locked – Catalyst Required.
> Unique Title Unlocked:
[Heaven's Chosen – ???]
> Note: Title hidden from public view.
Private visibility enabled.
> "The Heavens chose once before. Now they choose again."
---
No sounds. No fireworks. No visible change.
From the outside, the altar pulsed dimly… then went still.
To the crowd, it looked like Kai had received a commoner's class—maybe a Cook or a Scout. Something low. Something forgettable.
But inside?
His heart thundered.
His eyes trembled.
> What… what was that?
---
He walked down the stairs.
The world saw nothing.
But Aria did.
She felt something. A flicker in the air, like a second sun had blinked into existence.
She narrowed her eyes.
But when Kai met her gaze, he only offered a faint smile.
She returned it, confused… but curious.
---
And far above, in a divine realm unknown to mortals…
Two stars now burned.
Where once there was only one—Aria Valenhardt…
Now there were two.
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Next: Chapter 2 – "The Hidden Path"