Awake and awakened

Mark woke up in a hospital room. He immediately noticed a man in his fifties with graying hair dozing off in the corner of the room.

'Why did I collapse out of nowhere?' he asked himself getting ready for the worst. 'I have a fucking cancer! I don´t wanna die yet!' he started panicking in his own mind.

"Dad!" he shouted at his father in the corner.

"Huh, I´m awake! I´m awake!" his dad responded in confusion. Second later he understood where he was.

"Tell me honestly how many days do I have left?" asked Mark.

His father chuckled at this absurd question before saying. "What are you babbling about? You´re fine. I was just waiting for you to wake so I can get you home."

"Oh, then what happened and where is Brian?"

"He drove you here and went home as soon as the doctors told him you were fine. It´s 2 AM, we should also go home."

"Yeah, right." said Mark getting off of the hospital bed.

"The doctor said you lost consciousness due to a sudden awakening and then you broke your nose when you fell on the ground."

"I´m awakened now? I don´t really feel any different." Mark said without any surprise.

"I booked your evaluation for tomorrow. No, right, tomorrow is today so the evaluation is actually today. Nevermind, let´s go get some sleep."

They left the hospital, heading home to get some quality sleep.

[Later that day]

"Next, Mr. Williams!" shouted an old lady.

Mark looked at his dad in the waiting room, asking if he is going as well with his eyes. Seeing his father not moving Mark stepped inside the evaluation room.

An old lady in her sixties was standing next to a control panel with many displays.

"First put your hand on that ball." she said pointing to a big black ball in the middle of the room.

Mark put his hand on the device, which made some unnerving noises and displayed the result to the woman.

"A-rank magic power! You´re a lucky young man. Now show me your skills!"

Mark lifted his eyebrows and thought 'Skills? What skills?'

"Come on, do something. Everyone has something of their own. Some can transform into monsters others can heal. There are even people with invisibility. You have to have something of your own."

"I can see magic, probably. I´m not really sure."

"Not sure, probably, what do you mean? Everyone can see magic, that´s not something only hunters can do."

"No, like I can see magic power. For example in the black ball, I saw magic power travel through some wires." Mark tried to explain.

"Hmm, yes that is remarkably useless." she said writing it down on a computer.

'Don´t call me useless, you old hag' thought Mark, irritated at her comment.

"Now, put your hand in that device and grab the thing inside with all your strength." she said.

Mark nodded and once again did what she told him.

"D-rank strength! You are not as lucky as I thought. You can pull your hand out."

Mark was not expecting much anyway. His chance of getting a meaningful skill was tiny, so he was happy with what he got. A stronger physique is never a bad thing, even if it is just a little stronger.

"You have A-rank magic power, which is not usable, cause you lack any meaningful skills and D-rank physique. I´ll classify you as a D-rank, but if you really want a higher rank you can get reevaluated I'm sure someone else will give you at least a C-rank. There are a few things I need to tell you. Since you are a minor you can not enter a dungeon without the approval of your legal representative, you can not form a guild or a raiding party. Your hunter´s license will arrive in about a week with a few papers full of rules you have to abide by in the dungeon. Any questions?"

"No, ma'am"

"Then we´re finished. Next Ms. Jones!"

Mark left the room, passing by a woman in her twenties with long black hair who was practically soaring with magic power.

'They´ve got another S-rank it seems.'

She noticed a white glow in Mark´s blue eyes that were watching her with apathy and continued on her way to the evaluation.

"So how did it go?" asked Josh, Mark´s father.

"I´m a D-rank."

"Pretty good, that calls for a celebration!" he shouted.

Mark loved his father very much, but his loud personality wasn´t a great combination with his own. He didn´t feel comfortable with all the people in the waiting room staring at them.

"How about we just get some ice cream?" Mark suggested.

"Okay, ice cream will do just fine." his father said and they left the building.

[Home]

Mark and his father were sitting on the couch watching TV while eating ice cream.

"That woman is familiar. Do you know who she is?" asked Josh with a mouth full of ice cream.

{We are here today in New York with a new S-rank hunter. Emma Jones tell me how did you feel receiving such an honor?}

"Yeah, we met her in the waiting room, today."

"The world really is small, huh."

{I take this opportunity seriously and I will try my best to protect the less fortunate.} answered the new S-rank hunter.

{So have you decided which guild you´ll be joining?} asked the reporter.

{I´ve already gotten several offers, but I´m not set on a particular one just yet.}

"I bet she´s going to the Scavenger guild." said Josh.

"Why do you think so?" asked Mark.

"They´ve got the most money, they´re the biggest guild, they can provide the best opportunities. Just what young people want, fame and money. You wanna bet?"

"No, I guess you´re right. You want any more ice cream?"

"I won´t refuse such an offer." said Mark´s father with a smile.