Ten months had passed.
Hal woke early, just like every day. He followed his routine down to the second. As always, he waited outside for Astrid and Haiden. The three of them raced to school each morning, no declarations or authority allowed—just raw speed. There was no prize, only bragging rights and a bit of pride.
Of course, Hal won again.
Astrid trained her body like a warrior, but she lacked Hal's relentless schedule. Haiden always lagged behind, far too lost in his head to care about sprints.
Once at school, Hal went straight to his usual seat—back corner, out of the way.
Today, however, their teacher, Aer, had something important to say.
"In one month," Aer began, "you will face another mock battle—similar to the entrance exam, but with one major difference. You won't use full declarations. Instead, you'll use the lesser aspect of a Concept you've studied and familiarized yourself with."
Aer paced slowly.
"That means no full Concept Embodiment. Just fragments—safe portions. You'll need to learn the minor capacity of the Concept, or risk madness... or worse."
That warning hung heavy.
Everyone knew: Awakened and Ascendants could only channel a sliver of a Concept's power. Anything more would shatter them, unless they had the proper Knowledge—or were born as a higher being.
Using too much power could drive them insane. And madness at that level wasn't just death. It could become a curse, a bomb, or even an existential collapse. For Emperors, it meant tearing holes in fate. For students?
It just meant dying. Horribly.
Hal swallowed hard. He was, in his own words, in deep shit.
Later that afternoon, Hal walked into his Conceptualization class. He found his teacher waiting—Marilda, an Ascended. Her hair flowed in ever-shifting colors, and her eyes shimmered in an unnatural pink-purple hue.
"Something's bothering you," she said calmly.
Hal hesitated. "I… don't know what Concept to pick. I've tried studying, attending all the lectures. But nothing sticks."
Marilda gave him a strange look. "Then tell me. What have you sought for your entire life?"
Hal paused.
Then said quietly, "Purpose."
Marilda tilted her head, surprised.
"Then why are you here?"
"To find it."
She nodded once. "Then look there." She gestured to the far side of the room and returned to her meditation.
Hal took his place in the corner. He always preferred corners. Always hidden, always quiet. That was who he was.
Soon, Astrid and Haiden entered silently and sat beside him. No words were exchanged. They too began to meditate.
As the class drifted into silence, Hal closed his eyes.
He found himself in a void. A vast, infinite lake, flat as glass and black as night. The sky above matched it—pitch-dark and endless.
There was nothing.
No stars. No sounds. No feelings.
Just… emptiness.
And Hal realized, with a kind of cold clarity—this lake was him.
He was empty.
No goals. No purpose. Not even a real desire to live some grand life. Survival had been his only task. And now, without that pressure, he had nothing left.
He didn't belong to any Concept. Could an empty being even hold one?
He sat there for what felt like an eternity. Just thinking. Breathing.
Not afraid.
That surprised him.
Because the emptiness didn't push him away. It embraced him.It felt… warm. Still. Gentle.
For the first time, Hal didn't feel broken.Just free.
Then, the sky rippled.
A mirror fell from the dark above and floated before him.
In it, Hal saw himself.
But not quite.
His reflection now wore a white mask—smooth, faceless, blank.
And yet... he didn't fear it.
He recognized it.
The mask didn't trap him. It freed him. It meant he could become. He could change, shift, try, fail.He could be anything behind it. Any emotion. Any identity.Any Concept.
The mask lifted from his reflection, hovered above the lake, and began to shine—A radiant, white light, so bright it burned—
Hal gasped.
His eyes opened. The classroom was empty.
Marilda still sat in silent meditation, glowing faintly.
He looked down at his hands.
Nothing had changed.
And yet… everything had.
Inside, something had clicked. A door had opened. He felt no clarity, no power surge, but he knew…
He had chosen his path.
Not a single Concept.But the freedom to wear them.
His ZPhone buzzed.
Astrid: We're waiting 4 yah at Matshina Utomatsi. Come quick or we eat without u.
Hal smiled, stood, and left the room.