1 Newly Awakened

As he was waking up in his bed James could only groan in pain, not physical but emotional pain and distress as he saw the screen in front of his face.

"Good morning James and congratulations on awakening, welcome to the realm of true power."

Every awakening message seemed tailored to the one receiving it and some could discern their power's true use through it, for example someone with abilities associated with birds might welcome them to 'the world of the predator's sky' so he figured that he had probably awakened with super strength or something else.

Following the systems guidance and advice from others he tapped the icon labeled "stats" and checked if everything looked as he expected

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Name: James M'kesh

Age: 16

Race: Human (Aspect of Dark)

Awakened Level: 1

Awakened Rank: 0

Strength: 10

Agility: 15

Endurance: 10

Energy: 20

Health: 10

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!!!! "What?!" As he was reading through his status he saw that while his stats basically matched those he expected there were a few unexpected points like his energy, it was comparable to a lv.5 mage.

Energy was much like mana in a videogame but unlike mana, energy would be used in place of any ability that would utilize energy and its regeneration was tied directly to the maximum.

The other strange thing he saw was his rank which was at zero, he had never heard of such a thing as the rank gave a general assessment of your potential based on the system's standards.

The rankings were always from one to ten with one being the system's standard for highest potential but zero?

Did this mean his potential was above the peak? Or did it mean he had no potential for growth at all?

The questions were swirling through mind but one would concern him the most "what the hell is aspect of dark?"

As a way to distract from his confusion he decided to check the skills he had awakened, usually one would awaken with an active power and some form of passive effect tied to this power, the higher the rank of an Awakened the larger the odds are of having awakened with either another active power or a second passive much stronger than the first.

Looking at his skills James was excited because he saw that he had Awakened not only two but three different passive skills.

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Skills-

Lord of Darkness: This skill allows the user to manipulate darkness with their body, as the user grows stronger the range of this darkness can extend from the body will increase.

(passive) One With the Dark: The dark will no longer hinder the user;

Perfect Night Vision lv. 1 (within 50ft of the user no darkness will hinder sight)

Dark Strength lv. 1 (after being hidden from all light for ten minutes the user will gain a 10% bonus to strength, agility and endurance)

(passive) Fueled by the Void: The darkness will feed its master, While 'Dark Strength' is active energy regeneration is increased based on the level of dark strength.

(passive) Loved by the Void: The darkness's love for its master is at the peak, while 'Dark Strength' is active the user is unaging, will not require food, drink or sleep.

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"...am I a monster or something? 'Loved by the Void?' sure humans have powers and Awakened are still pretty unexplored but since when is immortality a skill?"

James sighed in defeat knowing that at least when he went to be tested by the government they may see his rank and expect less from him.

He reluctantly got up to begin getting dressed and realized that the curtains on his window were open so he closed them to test out the passives while getting dressed. James opened his closet to put on a pair of his reliable jeans though he then decided to wear black ones to give some recognition to his new abilities, while doing so he suddenly felt a chill spread across his body but not the chill of the spine.

Like walking into a cool room after standing in the sun he felt the chill settle over his skin and he felt a confort he couldnt explain, this must be the presence of the void but why did it feel like he was in the arms of some long lost mother?

Once he had gotten dressed he exited his room to see others exiting their own rooms. He avoided the eyes of the various teenage boys while walking along the path to the designated meeting room they were all going to "all graduates are to go to auditorium five for awaken testing and relocation." Relocation, he wondered which academy he would be sent to since he had Awakened, maybe if he was lucky he'd be sent to one of the island academies but because of his passives he actually planned to request either a polar academy or one of the cavern academies.

Entering through the doors with the scattered boys james went to take a seat while trying to count everyone when they all sat down finding thirty students.

Only about ten percent of teens awaken the morning of their sixteenth birthday but if the school is lucky many will awaken which rumor amongst the students said that the school got a bonus for each awakened.

A well dressed woman then approached the front of the room with others following behind to stand in front of a podium that had been prepared.

She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose before looking up to the students. "Students as per regulation before we send you to your newest home for the next four years we must see if any of you have Awakened," 'she acts like she's being strong armed or something' James scowled at the thought and ignored her in favor of watching the strangers preparing the testing crystal for the Awakened, a large chunk of blue crystal embedded in a metal plate covered in engraved symbols.

"Now we will begin with the testing process, after you have been tested you will be given a personal device that will show you the gate you leave through to go to your designated academy."

One by one the names were called with no Awakened status showing until "Nelson Davis please come to test for awakening" a boy with white hair stood and made his way to the crystal with his gaze glued to the floor, it was then that james realized why the guy looked so off he recognized them from classes they'd had together.

James quickly looked for a particular person, Nelson's twin sister Jenny, the last time he had seen them they were blondes but now their hair looked completely drained of color even their brows and eyes looks paler, something told him that they would have very different results from the others.

"Nelson Davis, awakening rank three, two skills found. Rime Smith and Cold Resistance"

They gave him the 'personal device' a small wristwatch that would project a screen like a computer, it really was just a highly advanced computer the size of a wristwatch.

"Jenny Davis please come forward to be tested," unlike her brother she held her head high with pride and when she touched the crystal just like her brother it glowed white but hers was brighter.

"Jenny Davis awakening rank one, three skills detected, Rime Call, Cold Resistance, Ice Royalty."

The rank announced had many students whispering amongts themselves but they quickly went quiet again as the last name was called.

"James M'kesh please head down to your test."

As he approached the crystal himself the rest watched and waited for the results, he tried to be a pleasant person but he avoided making friends since he didnt know who would be in the same academy with him.

He looked down at the crystal feeling it slowly absorb his energy before it turned black

"James M'kesh awakening rank... zero? oh four skills detected" the woman began to read through the names of the skills but halfway through the first she quickly closed her mouth and gazed at the boy in front of her.

"Young man did your mother suffer any complications during your birth?" James stiffened when she asked this and he looked down at the floor.

"I was born in 'Saint Andrews Hospital" The woman breathed in sharply as everyone had heard about the hospital that had been the target of a terrorist attack years ago.

"She went into shock during the birth and when they couldnt get the backup generators on they couldnt save her"

The tester placed a hand on his shoulder in what was supposed to be comforting but he simply pulled away trying not to be rude to her in the process "it's fine i've made my peace with it but why did you ask?" He looked into her eyes expecting an answer. She lifted a tablet and began tapping across the screen while she spoke, "i have reason to believe that you might be a child of the elements."

'A child of the elements' the thought made him shiver.

The children of the elements were generally considered to be the most powerful or those with the greatest potential, though this status was more of a curse for many as it usually came with baggage like his own orphaned status.

Children of the elements were children of tradegy that were born as effectively the adopted children of a fundamental element of nature.

"Its fine... I'll be returning to my seat now if I may" he didn't wait for a response and quickly walked back.

The test official clapped her hands to get everyone's attention quickly before pointing out various portals set around the room, "these portals will take you to your assigned academy, please retrieve your storage rings and your identification badges" each student had been told to pack any personal items the day before so that the process of transferring would be swift and james quickly walked to a portal before one of the men who had accompanied the official blocked him with a hand "we have been given orders to update your identification card before you go through."

James calmly gave over the card watching them hold it to the same tablet as before but inside he was panicking wondering what had happened that required the update.

"Here you go it should send you to the correct academy now."

'Correct academy?' James stared down at his badge in confusion as he waited in line to go through to his new home for the next few years.

<The Void wishes to bestow upon her child a gift aid in your journey. Will you accept?>

yes or no

His heart suddenly racing james immediately accepted.

He had neard stories about the gifts given by patron deities and the elements but those from the elements were heavily guarded secrets that even the guilds and families these individuals belonged to were refused information about them.

The natural laws would not allow any intervention by these patrons but somehow these gifts seemed to be an exception because an unspoken rule was quickly discovered, only the death of the one it was given to or the willful gifting of the object to another would allow others to take it.

Human greed had well recorded negative effects when these gifts were involved as one of the most well known was when a pillar of flame struck down on a building where a hired thief had just managed to steal from a child of the flame.

The entire building was struck by this blazing fury but only the thief was incinerated as though the fire wanted everyone to witness the control over their lives it held if they stole these gifts.

So when he accepted the gift he knew that this was a moment where he would be fully embracing the Void as his mother and as he accepted the gift he stepped through to his new home.