Chapter Two: Awakening Among FamilyLucas felt an intense heat consuming his body, as if fmes were coursing through his veins. He tried to open his eyes, but his eyelids felt heavy, and a pounding headache made it unbearable. Each breath felt like drowning in a sea of fever.

  After a while, his consciousness slowly returned, and he realized he was lying in his bed. A dim light filtered through the window, and the soft sound of breathing filled the room. With great effort, he managed to open his eyes, only to see his two sisters sitting beside him.

  Elena, his elder sister, with her cold yet beautiful features, held his hand gently, while Lisa, his twin, sat beside him with a worried expression.

  "Lucas!" Lisa cried out when she saw him awake.

  Elena looked at him with sharp eyes, but behind her usual cold demeanor, there was clear relief. "Finally awake. You were delirious all night."

  Lucas tried to sit up, but a wave of dizziness washed over him. Elena pced a firm yet gentle hand on his shoulder to stop him from moving.

  "Don’t push yourself. You’re still weak."

  Then, it all came back to him—his sixteenth birthday night. The sudden pain, the overwhelming heat, then darkness. "What... happened to me?"

  Lisa quickly answered, "You had a strange fever... worse than anything we’ve ever seen! We were so worried about you."

  Elena added seriously, "But you’re lucky… you survived."

  Her words carried a weight far heavier than they seemed. Lucas didn’t need an expnation—he already knew why. In this world, when a person turns sixteen, their awakening occurs—the moment their talent manifests, determining their future. But some talents were too powerful for a weak body to handle, leading to immediate death upon awakening.

  He stared at the ceiling for a moment, trying to process everything. So, he had awakened… but he didn’t die. That meant he had a talent. But what was it?

  Suddenly, a translucent blue window appeared before him.

  [Identification Card]

  Name: Lucas Nightbane

  Age: 16 years

  Talents: Parasitic Dominion (???)

  Talent Rank: Unknown

  Mana Cultivation Realm: Uncssified

  A chill ran down Lucas’s spine. "Parasitic Dominion? What is that?" He had never heard of such a talent before, but the (???) next to it made him uneasy.

  He realized that he possessed something unusual… perhaps even dangerous. He gnced at his sisters, unsure if he should tell them or not.

  Before he could decide, Elena spoke, "Now that you’re awake, it means your true journey in this world has begun. You must prepare for what’s coming, Lucas."

  Lisa looked at him with worried eyes but smiled nonetheless, saying, "No matter what happens, we’ll always be with you!"

  Lucas felt a warmth he hadn’t experienced in a long time. Yes, this world was cruel, but… at least he wasn’t alone.

  As the hours passed, Lucas regained some of his strength. Though his body still felt weak, he managed to sit up properly and eat some of the food Lisa had prepared for him.

  "You’re recovering unnaturally fast," Elena observed, watching him closely.

  He wasn’t sure whether he should tell them about his identification card yet, but he knew that keeping it a secret for too long could be dangerous. So, he decided to wait a little longer.

  "I feel better, but I still can't fully grasp everything that happened... Did the academy say anything about my condition?"

  Elena shook her head. "We sent a report, but we haven’t received a response yet. We’ll have to wait until you’re officially summoned for evaluation."

  The Royal Academy… the pce where all newly awakened individuals were sent to determine their future paths. It was a mixture of a combat school and a cultivation sect. There, his talent would be officially examined, and its true rank identified.

  Lucas took a deep breath. That meant he wouldn’t be able to hide his talent for long.

  Lisa leaned in with excitement and said, "But isn’t this a great opportunity? Maybe your talent is really strong! You could become a knight or even a powerful mage!"

  Lucas smiled slightly, but deep inside, a sense of unease lingered.

  If his talent was as dangerous as it seemed… how would the academy react?