Kade remained slumped on the couch, eyes distant, mind spinning from everything he had just experienced—until a memory surfaced.
Unique Skill – [Eclipse Battle Armour] (Locked)
"Locked?" he murmured.
He raised his hand and summoned the twin blades. They appeared in his grip instantly, cool and familiar. As he stared at them, a new screen shimmered to life in the air.
---
[Eclipse Battle Armour] (Locked)
Level 1 – Eclipse Blades (Unlocked)
Level 20 – Eclipse Greaves (Locked)
Level 40 – Eclipse Gauntlets (Locked)
Level 60 – Eclipse Chestplate (Locked)
Level 80 – Eclipse Helm (Locked)
Level 100 – Eclipse Mantle (Locked)
---
"Ohh… so it's a full set," Kade muttered, eyes scanning the glowing words. "Nice."
He waited to see if more information would appear, but nothing else surfaced.
"Well, looks like level 20 is my new goal."
With a sigh, he stood. Dirt clung to his skin, dried blood flaking from his arms. His clothes reeked—the stale scent of sweat and battle lingering from four long days in that cursed world. Even after a few showers over there, the grime hadn't fully faded.
"I need a real shower," he muttered, heading toward the bathroom.
What he saw next stopped him cold.
Even through the smudges and filth on the mirror, his reflection looked… different. Sharper. Refined. The same face stared back, but it was as if someone had sculpted away every flaw he didn't even know he had. His jawline was more defined, his eyes a deeper, almost crystalline blue, and his wavy black hair had grown—now brushing against the bridge of his nose.
His gaze dropped. He looked… taller.
He stepped back from the mirror, trying to measure himself against the doorframe.
"…Wasn't I 5'10?"
Now he looked closer to six feet. Not towering, but noticeable.
If anyone from school saw me now, their jaws would hit the ground, Kade thought, half-stunned, half-amused.
After a long, hot shower, he changed into a black sweatshirt and beige pants. Even though it was technically spring, the Zolias continent remained cold most of the year. The layers helped.
One last glance in the mirror. He ruffled his hair a bit and stepped out.
The twenty-first floor of his apartment building was quiet. His Aunt Mira had passed away last month, and now Kade was officially alone. He'd be eighteen by the end of the month, but the loss lingered heavier than any birthday coming.
As he descended the stairwell, his thoughts wandered. School had ended. No obligations. No classes. No more forced routines.
I'm free now… I guess.
Outside, the air was crisp. He walked to the nearby bakery, picked up a loaf of warm bread, and made his way toward the city park—just for something to do.
He didn't get far.
A shoulder brushed against his.
"Oh—sorry, sir. Are you okay?" Kade turned, half out of politeness. The man he'd bumped into barely moved, like he'd walked into a wall.
The man looked at Kade and gave him a lazy smile.
"I'm fine. But could you help me find this address?" He pulled out a slip of paper and handed it over.
Kade glanced at it. His brow furrowed.
"That's… weird. That's my address." His eyes flicked up. "Are you looking for someone?"
"Yeah," the man said casually, rubbing his chin. "An old friend. He moved here a while back. Do you know the person who lives there?"
Kade frowned. "I am the person who lives there."
The man blinked, clearly caught off-guard. Then he pulled out his phone and stared at the screen. He looked at the photo on it. Then at Kade. Then back at the phone.
"That's weird. Is this photo… old?" he muttered, comparing it to Kade's face.
Irritation sparked in Kade's eyes. "Do you need something from me?"
The man tensed. Slowly, he reached into his coat and pulled out a sleek black card.
"I'm Damon Caelis, from the Demon Hunter Organization," he said, his tone shifting to official. "We operate under the authority of the High Council to contain and eliminate demon threats."
He paused, watching Kade closely.
"You, Kade Voss, have been chosen by the Arcane Codex. You're officially recognized as the 1007th Awakened."
A gust of wind swept through the street.
"I'm here to bring you in."
Kade blinked. The words didn't register at first.
"Bring me in?" he echoed. "For what? I didn't do anything."
Damon tucked the card back into his coat, his easygoing smile returning. "Relax, you're not in trouble. The Arcane Codex marks Awakened individuals—people like you—for a reason. You're too valuable to be left on your own."
Kade narrowed his eyes. "Valuable to who?"
"To the world, mostly," Damon said with a shrug. "But more immediately, to the Demon Hunter Organization. You're not the first to Awaken, and you won't be the last. But unless someone guides you... you'll either die early, or worse—end up causing a rift collapse."
Kade stayed silent. The word rift struck a nerve.
Damon saw it in his eyes. "You've already been there, haven't you?" he said more quietly. "The World of Despair."
Kade flinched.
"That place leaves a mark," Damon went on, his voice less casual now. "Even if you survive, it doesn't let you come back unchanged. Only Awakened who reach Divine Order can leave alive. You must've done that."
"…Yeah," Kade admitted, voice low.
Damon studied him for a moment, then nodded. "Good. You're further along than most. But trust me, whatever you saw in there? That was the tutorial."
Kade's brow furrowed. "Tutorial? I almost died."
"You'll get used to that," Damon replied dryly. "Look, I get it—you're confused, probably suspicious. But we've got protocols. A base. Teachers. Other Awakened. Training that doesn't involve dying alone in cursed dimensions."
Kade crossed his arms, his body still tense. "And if I say no?"
Damon didn't respond right away. Then he smiled, but there was no amusement behind it. "You could say no. But the next time a demon shows up in your city and you're the only Awakened nearby? People will die. And the Council won't care that you were still figuring things out. They'll just call it negligence."
The words hung in the air.
Kade exhaled sharply, the weight of it all settling on his shoulders again. He looked down at his hands—steady now, clean, healed. But he could still feel the blood on them.
"...How soon do we leave?"
Damon grinned. "That's more like it. We've got a shuttle waiting just outside Kersas."
Kade blinked. "Wait, a shuttle? Like… spaceship?"
"No, like a flying coffin with seats," Damon said, already turning. "Come on, you'll love it."
Kade hesitated only a moment, then followed.
As they walked toward the edge of the city, Kade glanced around one last time—the bakery, the park, the familiar skyline. All of it suddenly felt distant, like something from a life that had already ended.
Because deep down, he knew: the moment he stepped onto that shuttle, the world as he knew it would never be the same again.