Morning had broken with intensity.
The sun surged over the horizon like a blazing titan, flooding the world in golden fire. Its rays sliced through the school windows, casting long, warm streaks across desks and faces. A restless energy clung to the air charged, expectant.
Inside the classroom, students sat with varying levels of attention as their teacher stood at the front, the words drifting over the class like mist.
"As you all know, tomorrow is the Awakening Procedure. Each of you will undergo the ritual and, if successful, be formally inducted into the Academy. I know some of you may be nervous, some even afraid but rest assured, it's harmless... mostly."
A ripple of laughter moved through the room, nervous and light. Friends leaned in toward one another, whispering, smiling, feeding off each other's energy. For some, this was a dream coming to life. For others, it was the edge of something unknown.
In the back of the room, quiet and still, he sat alone his presence grounded like stone amid the swirling tension.
He was tall, even when seated, with shoulders broad enough to hint at strength earned, not inherited. His skin glowed with a rich, sun-kissed brown, and long purple dreadlocks fell past his chin, swaying gently each time he shifted. The color of his hair shimmered with violet and indigo under the morning light a striking contrast to the hazel in his eyes, which held a stillness that hinted at something deeper: focus, perhaps... or fire.
His fists were clenched against his thighs not from fear, but excitement. Barely restraining the energy trembled in his fingers, as if his body already knew what was coming and couldn't wait to greet it.
"We're finally going to the Academy," he muttered under his breath, a grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. His voice was smooth but low, edged with the thrill of anticipation.
"Which means… we get to fight soon."
Two of his friends, seated beside and in front of him, turned at the sound of his voice. One smirked and gave a nod. The other grinned wide, eyes gleaming.
No more drills. No more waiting. Tomorrow, they would Awaken.
To the left of the classroom, seated beside the wide window pane streaked with sunlight and raindrops, sat a boy who looked like he'd rather be anywhere else. The golden light spilled across his desk, but he barely acknowledged it. His posture slouched, one arm draped over the back of his chair, and his expression was unreadable, a perfect mask of disinterest.
He radiated a kind of quiet defiance, the energy of someone who had already weighed tomorrow in his mind and dismissed it as an inconvenience.
His silver hair was braided and pulled into a loose bun, elegant in its casual arrangement. A few strands escaped, falling down to frame his face like ribbons of moonlight. The rest brushed against the nape of his neck, shifting slightly whenever he tilted his head. His eyes sharp and tinged with emerald-blue carried both intelligence and exhaustion, like he saw too much in people and had long since stopped trying to be impressed.
He was tall, around 6'0, with a lean, athletic frame not bulky, but defined, like someone who trained only as much as was needed and no more. He didn't bother pretending to be engaged in the classroom buzz.
"I get that you're excited to throw hands with some dropout or wannabe," he said flatly, voice edged with dry sarcasm. "But you do realize that means we'll be stuck around idiots. Loud, social idiots. And talking to people... is exhausting."
He leaned his head back slightly and exhaled as though the mere thought of social interaction drained the last drops of his energy.
His tone wasn't bitter just defeated, like a man cursed to attend one too many parties he never wanted to be invited to.
"Man, I swear you act like it's gonna kill you," came a voice from the seat in front of him.
This voice belonged to the third of their group a solid wall of youthful strength and confidence. He stood at 5'10, but carried himself like he was seven feet tall, every movement weighted with intention. His frame was broad and powerful, built from effort and repetition, a contrast to the silver-haired boy's effortless elegance.
His eyes were pitch black, devoid of reflection, like staring into a still pool at midnight. They turned back toward his friends with a mixture of amusement and challenge.
His hair was a vibrant, sky-colored blue, cropped short and neatly maintained, yet striking enough to make him stand out in a crowd.
"Come on, Kade," the deep voice came again from the back of the room. The one with the purple dreadlocks, still grinning, still restless with anticipation. "You can't tell me you're not excited."
He said it knowingly. Confidently.
As if Kade's calm exterior couldn't hide the thrill he felt beneath.
Kade rolled his eyes, gaze flickering to the window as a breeze teased the edge of the glass. But he didn't respond not yet. Maybe he didn't need to. Maybe, deep down, the answer was already obvious.
The day passed and the classes ended. But who can blame them when the following day was one everyone longed for so obviously the day would move quickly because on everyone's mind, it was the day they finally make their first steps into the world
The sun had begun its descent, casting long shadows across the cracked sidewalks and faded murals of the city. The air was still warm, but cooler now than midday, laced with the distant scent of roasted street food and engine fumes.
The trio moved down a narrow alley that opened into a quieter street, their footsteps echoing off walls graffitied with the faces of long-gone heroes.
Drax walked ahead with a swagger in his step, hands in the pockets of his black cargo pants, his purple dreadlocks swaying gently with each stride.
"Tomorrow's the day," he said, glancing up at the sky, now tinged with hues of orange and gold. "Feels like I've been waiting for this forever."
Seronio, to his left, walked with his arms crossed behind his head, the blue of his hair catching the last of the sun. His eyes, dark as void, scanned their path lazily.
"Feels more like we've been stuck babysitting Kade through his permanent state of boredom," Seronio muttered, shooting a sideways glance back.
Kade, walking a few steps behind them, didn't react immediately. His silver hair caught the breeze, strands fluttering as he pulled out a single earpiece, letting it dangle around his neck.
"I'm not bored," Max said dryly. "I'm cautious. There's a difference."
Drax snorted.
"Cautious? Kade, you act like the Awakening's some government experiment gone wrong."
Kade kept his eyes on the pavement as they walked.
"It basically is. Random energy surge mutates your body and mind some people explode, some go comatose, and the rest become weapons plus we literally in the back alley of the empire, we will awaken but who's to say we will get great skills. But sure, let's call it a 'blessing.'"
Seronio laughed under his breath.
"You talk like you're gonna be the one who explodes and besides even if we are from this place doesn't mean we won't kick any ass."
"fine sure but at least that would mean I wouldn't have to talk to strangers," Kade muttered.
Drax turned around mid-walk, grinning.
"You keep acting like people are the problem, when really, bro, it's you. You just don't like feeling anything. That not caring stuff will ruin your chance's at getting a girlfriend."
Kade gave him a sharp look but said nothing.
They rounded a corner, the sun disappearing behind a cluster of crumbling buildings. Ahead, the sidewalk narrowed into a stretch of uneven stone lined with flickering street lamps.
"Whatever happens," Seronio said suddenly, voice quieter now, "we're going in together. That counts for something."
"Damn right," Drax said, bumping fists with him.
Kade stayed silent for a moment, then let out a breath.
"If I die tomorrow," he said flatly, "bury me somewhere no one talks."
Drax laughed, throwing an arm over his shoulder.
"Kade, if you die tomorrow, I'll make sure they play your favorite silence at the funeral."
Seronio cracked a grin.
The three of them kept walking, the street growing darker, the lights flickering on overhead one by one. Whatever came tomorrow awakening, academy, or chaos they'd face it together.
Even Kade, whether he admitted it or not.
They continued walking, the streets now glowing with soft yellow lights that buzzed faintly overhead. The city was easing into evening. Cars rolled by in the distance, and the occasional bark of a dog echoed from a fenced yard. A pair of birds darted overhead, cutting across the sky toward the spires of the Academy which could be seen from a distance. After they awaken tomorrow they would be transported to the Academy.
Drax adjusted the collar of his jacket, his purple dreadlocks catching the light like woven amethysts.
"I'm telling you now," Drax said, stretching his arms behind his head, "once I awaken, it's over for these girls. They won't be able to resist."
Kade let out an audible sigh, not even turning his head.
"You say that like they're interested now."
Drax's hands dropped dramatically.
"Wow. Okay. First of all, disrespectful. Second, you clearly haven't noticed the way Amara looks at me in history class."
Seronio, who had been walking silently for the last few blocks, suddenly coughed into his fist badly failing to hide a laugh.
"Amara? You mean the girl who asked if you were Dion last week?"
"Mistakes happen," Drax said, unbothered. "We have a similar vibe mysterious, strong jawline, emotionally unavailable."
Kade raised a brow.
"Dion looks like a wet napkin and cries when someone critiques his outfit."
Drax snapped his fingers.
"Exactly. Sensitive bad boy. That's in right now."
Seronio chuckled, his arms still folded behind his head as they crossed a small bridge over a drainage canal.
"Drax, the only thing 'in' about you is your delusion."
"You all are just mad because I've got the confidence to shoot my shot," Drax said with mock pride. "Once I awaken, and I'm glowing or levitating or whatever we're talking instant appeal. I'll be the most eligible dude in the first-year class."
Kade gave him a deadpan look.
"You already glow. With desperation."
Seronio snorted so hard he almost stumbled.
Drax clutched his chest as if wounded.
"This is why I have trust issues."
"No, you have trust issues because you asked four girls out in one week and got curved in four different languages," Kade replied without missing a beat.
Seronio added, grinning,
"Wasn't one of them a telepath? She rejected you before you even opened your mouth."
Drax groaned.
"Okay, that was unfair she wasn't a telepath but she was thinking i wanted to ask her out. She violated my energy with that nonsense."
"She was protecting her peace," Kade muttered.
The boys burst out laughing, their voices bouncing off the narrow buildings. A woman watering plants outside her apartment shook her head with a smile as they passed. Drax gave her a polite nod, then turned back to his friends with a lopsided grin.
"Alright, fine. Maybe the streets haven't exactly been kind to me."
Kade added,
"Meh, the girls in our class are noisy so look for a girl at the academy.'"
They all laughed again, the kind of laughter that felt easy earned from years of friendship and surviving the same boring teachers, grueling training drills, and late-night ramen runs.
After the noise died down, Drax shrugged, more sincere this time.
"Okay, that's true but you know I just want to be around people like us. People who get it. Who are ready to fight, to push themselves, to rise."
His voice was quieter now, steadier.
Seronio nodded slowly.
"Same here."
Kade didn't say anything for a few seconds. Then:
"If your Awakening gives you some weird energy that allows you to flirt with girls I'm out."
Drax cracked up and threw an arm around Kade's shoulder.
"Don't worry, bro. You'll be my wingman. We'll get you a date with a stoic librarian-type who hates small talk and loves long silences. You'll be married in a week."
Kade shoved him off with an unamused glare, but the corners of his mouth twitched.
"I hate you."
"Aww," Kade said, grinning wide. "That's friendship, baby."
The city lights stretched ahead, painting their path in amber and shadow. The Academy loomed larger now, its silhouette dark against the starlit sky. Whatever waited tomorrow, they had each other—and for tonight, that was enough.
FLASHBACK – Five Years Ago
The rain came down in heavy sheets, drumming against the rooftops and flowing in rivers along the cracked stone streets. The city was darker back then grayer. The sky seemed permanently clouded, the kind of weather that clung to your clothes and thoughts alike.
Drax was eleven. Soaked, and bleeding from a cut on his cheek, he ran through a market alley with a protein bar clenched in one hand and a bent wooden practice staff in the other.
His purple dreads were shorter then, frizzed and wild, bouncing as he darted between carts.
"Hey! Get back here, punk!" a merchant shouted, slipping on wet pavement.
Dax didn't stop. He leapt over a crate, skid to the side, and turned sharply into another alley straight into a kick.
His body hit the wall hard. He slumped down, dazed, as a boy with silver braided hair stood over him, unfazed by the rain, his leg slowly descending from the kick.
"You're fast," the boy said, voice emotionless. "But predictable."
Kade was dressed in a academy uniform jacket hand-me-down, oversized, and raised at the elbows. His emerald-blue eyes were cool, calculating, and utterly unimpressed.
Drax spat rainwater and sat up.
"The hell was that for?!"
Kade simply replied:
"You nearly crashed into me. I defended myself. That's what normal people do."
"Normal people don't kick strangers in the chest!"
"Normal people don't run around carrying wood poles and protein bars."
Before Drax could retort, a shadow landed behind them with a loud splash. A third boy stepped forward, shorter, but broader, with deep black eyes and fists clenched like he was born to fight.
"You two done flirting, or do I get to punch someone now?"
Seronio, back then, had a busted lip and knuckles already bruised from fighting two older boys down the block. He walked up like he'd been invited into the chaos and grinned like it was a party.
Drax stared.
"Who the hell are you?"
"I'm bored," Seronio said, pointing at Kade. "And I don't like the way this guy talks."
Max blinked.
"What does that even—"
And then Seronio swung.
The punch missed by inches as Kade leaned back with the reflexes of a cat.
Drax watched, wide-eyed, as the two circled each other like idiots, who does this shit in the fucking rain.
"Okay," Drax said, pushing to his feet with effort. "Y'all are insane but."
But before either could land a hit, the sirens began to blare Security officers hovered down from the rooftops, their red lights flashing across the alley.
"Unauthorized combat activity detected. Cease all movement."
All three boys froze. Drax clutched his staff. Kade raised his hands calmly. Seronio growled under his breath.
The police officer closed in, preparing to stun—
And without thinking, Drax threw his staff like a it was a weapon. Hitting the officer in the head.
"RUN!"
The three boys bolted. Together.
They were breathless and laughing by the time they ducked into an abandoned laundry mat two blocks away, drenched and shivering.
"You didn't have to assult the damn law ," Kade hissed.
"You didn't have to try and murder me with your foot!" Drax shot back.
"You're welcome, by the way," Seronio said, arms behind his head. "You two were pathetic before I got there."
For a moment, the three sat in silence. The air smelled like old soap and wet dust.
"Name's Drax," the purple-haired boy muttered.
"Kade," came the calm reply.
"Seronio," the third grinned.
No one said anything for a while. Then Drax chuckled under his breath.
"We're gonna be in trouble."
Kade raised a brow.
"What makes you so sure?"
Drax leaned back against a rusted dryer, staring at the flickering ceiling light.
"Because no one assaults the freaking law and just decides to run and then relax."
And they didn't look back.
From that night on, they fought together, trained together, ate together rivals, brothers, and partners in crime. All different, but somehow exactly what the others needed. Their group grew with one more however he was placed in a Different school but that will be changed soon, they'd reunite with with other member tomorrow.
And then tomorrow? Tomorrow they would awaken.
Together.