Chapter 3

Sebastian felt a surge of adrenaline as he heard his name being called. He got up from his seat and looked at his mother, who smiled reassuringly at him. He walked up to the stage and met the vice principal's gaze, who nodded slightly. He placed his hand on the orb and closed his eyes, trying to sense the mana within it. But nothing happened. He waited for a few seconds, hoping for a miracle, but the orb remained dark and silent.

He opened his eyes and saw the vice principal's expression change from curiosity to pity. She announced his score to the crowd: 0.8. It was the lowest score anyone had ever gotten in the history of the Awakening Exam. A wave of whispers swept through the audience, and Sebastian felt their eyes piercing him with judgment and mockery. He heard snippets of their comments as he walked back to his seat. "He broke the record for the worst score ever." "What a failure, he can't even use mana." "He should just give up on his dreams."

He reached his seat and felt his mother's arms around him. She hugged him tightly and whispered words of comfort in his ear. She told him that she loved him no matter what, and that he had other talents and strengths. She told him that they would leave the Earth Academy and go back to their home, where he would be safe and happy. She led him out of the academy, ignoring the stares and snickers of the other students and parents. They hailed a taxi from the many that were waiting outside, and got in.

The taxi was comfortable and fast, but Sebastian barely noticed. He stared out of the window, feeling numb and empty. His mother tried to talk to him, to cheer him up, to distract him, but he didn't respond. He just nodded or shook his head, or muttered a word or two. He felt like he had let everyone down, especially his father. His father, who had been a hero, who had died fighting for a better world, who had been a genius with mana. How could he ever live up to his legacy?

They arrived at their humble house, a two-storey old Japanese style house. The ground floor was a shop that his mother ran, selling various goods and services to the locals. The first floor was their home, where they had lived for as long as Sebastian could remember. As soon as Sebastian got out of the taxi, he ran to his room and slammed the door behind him. His mother wanted to follow him, to talk to him, to help him, but she decided to give him some space. She hoped that he would come to terms with his situation, and realize that he had a bright future ahead of him.

Sebastian threw himself on his bed, and let the tears flow from his beautiful red eyes. He felt like he had lost everything, his confidence, his pride, his hope. He had wanted to become strong, to become a great mana user, to make his father proud. But he had failed the most important test of his life, the test that would determine his destiny. How could he ever achieve his dreams?

Isabella went to her room, and sat in front of an orb that projected a hologram of a man. The man had a very handsome face and a pale skin, and he also had red eyes. He was sitting in a dark room, somewhere far away. He was Sebastian's father, and Isabella's husband. He was alive, but he couldn't come back to them. He was trapped in a dangerous place, a place where he had to fight for his survival every day. He was the king of a hidden kingdom, a kingdom that was at war with itself.

Isabella spoke to him in a sad tone. "He failed the test miserably." The man looked at her with sympathy. "Does he show any of the traits?" Isabella shook her head. "No." The man smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry, he will become very strong in the future. After all, he has my royal blood in him." Isabella asked him. "When are you coming back? It's been 10 years." The man sighed. "It will take a long time. Things are very tough here. Everyone is very bloodthirsty. Just wait a few more years. I love you forever." Isabella said in a sweet tone. "I love you forever too. Bye."

Days passed, and everyone forgot about the Awakening Exam. Sebastian only came out of his room for food, and then went back in. He didn't talk to anyone, he didn't do anything. He just lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling, thinking about his failure. His condition was getting little better with passing days.