Day 1-3, 3/15-18/2000

Day one, 3/15/2000

My name is Jack and I am about to turn 18.

I am so excited I am about to have my ability, this will decide my whole future. No one is allowed to say what happens when you turn 18 so I am left curious but then again they say that it doesn't matter anyway, my dad is a blacksmith and my mom is a lecturer. I also have a little brother who is a year younger than me. He is also very excited for me.

Well here I am at the ceremony everyone is so excited for me! Wait, what is this?

Suddenly the world went and everything turned dark, nothing happened yet I wonder why they are not allowed to tell us about this?

I looked around and saw a screen.

POV of Lucas

I saw my brother suddenly faint and he was made to sit in a chair fortunately. Honestly I hope he gets good power. It will increase our family situation and we may even be able to leave this town into a bigger city. 

I also saw my school friends on the side. I would very much enjoy bragging about my brother's ability to them. They very much deserve it.

Currently my dad looks happy and my mom looks nervous. Not sure why, I don't really know what happens in the ceremony and I'm not very interested anyway. I'm too young for that. Though i will probably turn 18 next year if i live that long, you never know, a friend died of disease a few days back.George was a really good friend. I was happy. I cried a lot at his funeral. I am not a crybaby though.

Everyone started cheering all of a sudden. I looked at the stage and saw my brother crying, but he looked happy. I assume that those are happy tears. 

The mayor of the village cut everyone off and gestured to my brother. My brother opened his mouth

"..."

Nothing came out

I think he choked on his own words.

My dad suddenly rushed onto the podium. My mom is right behind him. My brother started to once again open his mouth but all that came out was "Im sorry"

Day two, 3/16/2000

Jack POV

I feel weak inside, I am so sorry mom and dad, I wasn't the son you wanted me to be, you couldn't raise a good kid.

It's said that the amount of coins you have in your first awakening is your worth and the amount the gods blessed you. There are differing opinions on why the gods bless people, it's either the potential of the child, or the past of the child. Or the parents of the child. Or others, i don't know enough about, so i can't say. My parents are great and I have lived a good life so maybe I have no potential.

So the problem was that I had 1 coin. I could only buy the ability of communication. My mom and dad havent told me their abilities but in the village it's abnormal to tell others your abilities and after looking at the list I have a few guesses since their jobs have something to do with their abilities. 

First off there were 1000 abilities going from 1 coin to 1000 coins. The top ability was Power at 1000 coins and the bottom was communication for 1 coin. The system as it introduced itself was created by the gods. At least that is what it said. So I can assume that my father had a profession that had to do with metal and my mom had a profession that had to do with teaching. 

 After looking at the abilities that were offered I noticed that the teaching ones were lower than the physical ones, 100 coins vs ~300 coins. I guess the easier the ability is to replicate in real life the lower the price of it.

And I got the easiest one. The most pointless one. The one that everyone can flawlessly do.

Communication.

Yes, talking to other people is that kind of communication.

Though I still have high hopes for my primary ability, which is just communication. It sounds simple but at least it's inconspicuous and easy to level up, at least it's taboo to discuss your ability or everyone would be guarded when I spoke to them. I will go to sleep.

Day three, 3/17/2000

Today I will go back to school. They let me take two days off for the ceremony but I spent most of it crying and sleeping.

"Thanks mom for the breakfast"

My school will finish in a few days and then I will be free to train my ability.

"Jack, how are you today?"

"Fine, how are you lucas?"

"I don't think you are fine, you were so upset yesterday and you stayed quiet yesterday"

He probably wants to know more and its nothing more than pure curiosity but still i must not tell him, i probably can't inform him anyway because the system warned me

"You will see when you grow up"

"Cmon thats what they all say, i just hope i get a good ability"

"Just don't get your hopes up," I tried to pat his head but he dodged

He was basically my height anyway, he has grown up alot, he still acts young however.

Everyone stared at me, but then again it was a small town school, and it's not everyday someone awakens, especially so dramatically like me.

I just stared back at everyone and me and my brother separated since we have different classes.

I high fived my friend Joseph and gave a respectful nod to my friend Ricky. Those two are my best friends in school and both awakened before me. I don't know their abilities but all I know is that Joseph does fight a lot now and Ricky spends time around water.

I have some assumptions but nothing for sure, that's just how the system works. 

To be fair, Ricky always spent time around water so that's nothing new, but Joseph wasn't always like this.

"Hey how was the awakening Jack"

"We have class. I came late today. We should make it on time, am I right?"

"Look at him dodging the question, are you alright at least?, must've been super embarrassing" 

"Yeah and so was when you almost tripped into the water ricky"

"Chill men don't take it so harshly".

We arrived at the door, as 12 graders at my school, we started learning to use abilities and how to stay safe using them. You don't say what it is but they let you roam free when you awaken to learn your abilities.

"Jack, what do you think your future profession will be?" The professor asked when I sat down.

"A bard"

I heard people starting to whisper

"Quiet!, ok we have some instruments, so pick one and start practicing, currently we have a bard in the city, you can tutor under him"

"Ok thank you"

I grabbed a simple drum and walked toward the bar. 

I asked someone where the bard was and was directed towards him.

Knock knock

"Whos there"

"An apprentice"

"Really! coming!"

The door quickly opened and i saw a drunkard

"Come in quickly i have a lot to teach a newbie like you"

I sat down and the room reeked of cheap wine.

"Don't look at me like we bards earn a bad reputation as fairy tale tellers and drunkards but I am the real deal, I have gone far and wide and I will take you on as my apprentice, you just have to do a few things for me."

"I'll have to tell my parents you know"

"Yes yes that's fine just do it quickly i'll come with you"

"ARE YOU CRAZY"

"Calm down our son maybe has a point let's listen to him"

"HE IS ASKing to travel in unknown places with a random bard"sniff

"I know but he is 18 now i did the same at his age"

"You just apprenticed behind a blacksmith. He is going to go from dirty bar to dirty bar, do you even know how much his life will be at risk!"

"Mr and Missus, that is a part of the fun"

My mom covered her face and walked away,

"Bard we think we will sleep on this and speak to Jack yourself"

"Son"

"Yes father"

"Are you sure"

"No"

"SEE even he himself doesn't want to"

"I am just not sure but like the bard said it's worth the risk and i always wanted to explore the world"

"Lets trust our son for once"

"Ok fine but you will come back in a year and send us a message once a month"

"I don't know about the messages but i will try to come back in a year"

"Do you not trust our own son"

"Ok Ok just be safe"

"Thank you mom and dad"

That was my last night with an innocent sleep.