Deniz was sitting cross-legged with a calm expression as he cleared his mind. He was trying to focus deep within his soul to feel the synergy. If he could learn to control it, he would become very powerful—and people would have to obey him.

  Deep in his soul, he felt something. It was faint, but he could sense it. This was his base—his synergy base, which held all of his synergy. So far, he could feel the base itself, but he needed to focus even harder to sense the synergy within it.

  Veins began to show on his face as he concentrated with everything he had, trying to reach the power within him. Forte watched him with a worried expression. She knew how difficult it was to feel synergy for the first time, so she understood what he was going through. In order for him to have a breakthrough and grow stronger, this was the best way.

  Suddenly, Forte’s eyes widened. As she looked at her son, she saw a faint aura begin to manifest. Although it was barely visible, she could sense it clearly—Deniz was tapping into his power.

  She realized, in that moment, that she didn’t know her son as well as she thought. She had always been busy helping the village, but now, she was seeing who he really was. When you focus on someone’s aura, you can begin to understand the kind of person they are based on the feeling their aura gives off.

  In Deniz’s case, it was an aura of domination. This was his true nature—he wanted to be dominant. Someone everyone listened to. Someone people obeyed. He wanted to be a leader, someone others would look up to.

  Seeing this made her smile. If he could harness this power and become strong, he could protect his sisters and everyone dear to him. His very existence would become dominant in this world.

  If her son became that kind of person, then she would be at peace—even if the day came when she lost her life. She knew he’d be able to survive in this cruel world governed by power.

  Not long after, Forte’s expression changed. She sensed someone—or rather, two people—approaching. These people weren’t supposed to be there. This was an isolated area. No one should have been able to find them.

  But she recognized their presence.

  They were from the sanctuary—the place she had deserted. Leaving the sanctuary was considered treason, punishable by death. If they had come here, it meant they had finally found her… after sixteen years of searching.

  Why were they so determined to find her?

  All she ever wanted was to protect her children and give them a better life. A normal life. But the sanctuary wouldn’t allow that. She was special to them—and so were her children. In fact, they were immensely special.

  She sensed the two cloaked figures quickly closing in. They were still far away, but getting closer fast. Time was running out. Panic started to rise in her chest, but now wasn’t the time for fear. She needed to make a decision—and quickly.

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  She took a breath, steadied herself, and called out her son’s name.

  “Deniz, you getting the hang of it?”

  “I think so. It’s hard, but if I keep practicing, I’ll get it. I know I will,” Deniz replied with a big smile.

  Forte smiled softly in return. Even with everything that was about to happen, seeing her children smile always brought her comfort. From her perspective, Deniz seemed truly happy to be learning from her—and that made her proud.

  “Okay, that’s enough training for now. You can keep practicing on your own. Instead, I’ll teach you something important about synergy: the Seven Awakenings,” said Forte.

  “The Seven Awakenings…?” Deniz echoed with a curious expression.

  “The Seven Awakenings are essentially different levels of synergy. When you first learn to control synergy, you enter the first awakening—the lowest level. Supposedly, each awakening unlocks a new ability. The stronger you become, and the more you learn about yourself and the world, the higher awakening you can reach.”

  She continued, “The Seven Suns are the only people in the world to reach the fourth awakening. They are the strongest known individuals, far beyond anyone else. I only ever reached the second awakening—but that’s because after I had you, I chose to focus on my children rather than getting stronger. You and your sisters mean more to me than you know.”

  Deniz listened carefully, committing everything to memory. The strongest people in the world had only reached the fourth awakening, and there were seven awakenings in total? He wondered just how strong the Seven Suns really were. If no one could defy them, then they ruled the world—except for each other.

  “That’s enough for today. Think about everything you’ve heard. Remember it all. Become strong in this world, Deniz. Not just for yourself, but for your sisters, your friends… and even for me. This world is driven by power. Without power, you can’t change anything. Become strong, Deniz.”

  Forte’s stern tone sent chills down Deniz’s spine. It felt like something was about to happen—something big—and it scared him. He had a sinking feeling that he might not see her again. But he did his best to stay calm and focus on her words.

  “Become strong,” he repeated in his mind.

  He set it as his goal. He would become strong. He would become an existence that could shake the world.

  “Come with me,” said Forte. The cloaked people were almost upon them—just a couple minutes away. She had told Deniz everything she could; now, it was up to him to use that knowledge. She had a plan in place for moments like this. She had always been cautious.

  She grabbed Deniz’s hand and flew into the air toward the village. They weren’t far, and with her speed, they’d get there quickly. But the two cloaked figures were following close behind—and closing in fast.

  Forte reached the village and went straight to Rhosa and Rhitta. She grabbed Rhitta by the arm and told Rhosa to stay close as they ran toward their house. Something serious was happening, and her actions alarmed the villagers. They had never seen Forte act like this. Everyone was on edge.

  Suddenly, an overwhelming aura swept across the village. Everyone froze in fear. High above the village, two cloaked individuals floated in the air, their black garments flowing in the wind. Their aura radiated pure intimidation—anyone within range felt powerless.

  “Second awakening…” Forte muttered, fear in her voice.

  “They really sent someone with a second awakening after me. They’re insane… they have to be.”

  She wasn’t sure if she could defeat someone like that—especially someone with backup. She hadn’t fought in sixteen years, and she was certain they had continued training all that time. But her children were here. She would protect them—no matter what. Even if her opponent was stronger, she’d fight with everything she had. That’s who she was.

  “Rhosa, Deniz, Rhitta—promise me you’ll all become strong,” she said.

  The kids were paralyzed with fear. The overwhelming aura had robbed them of their voices.

  Seeing this, she knelt down and pulled them close.

  “No matter what, become strong—and always stick together, okay? No matter what happens to me, you’ll still have each other. That’s what matters most. And don’t believe everything you hear. People lie. They’ll say anything to manipulate you. Just trust me… that’s all I ask.”

  Just then, the two cloaked figures floating above slowly descended and landed only a few feet away from Forte.

  What was about to happen between Forte and the two mysterious cloaked individuals?