Chapter 21

In any Awakening, careful picking was necessary for any organization, and if one glanced at unknown recruits, one better be sure what to see or expect. Still, all young Walkers were suitable for one thing or another, while Forced Awakening was optimal for everyone.

Rank 0 was closing on it like a shadow, but it wasn't a crucial part of this method, as it wasn't presumed to be an important part of the System. Many older Walkers ignored it because of it, opting to make compromises, or deciding that seeing Rank 0s as crucial was like asking Darks to give up.

Some options were easier. Rank 0 appeared rarely in young Walkers because of qualities, rarities, and faces, followed by effects, changes, or altering waves that followed their variables. Effect ranged from mild consequences over the true essence of the Emblem, or living body, to life-threatening powers, surroundings, or Walkers themselves.

It was about the untamed potential that was like watching the unknown, or so some believed.

And with the Forced Awakening, Rank 0 became less prevalent. In a suitable environment and with good talents, young Walkers were an effective way to grow soldiers. What more could older generations of Walkers ask for? For Rank 0s to be like an open book or for it to speak?

Well, the Forced Awakening was still expanding, with treatment being restricted in the goodwill of the Federation. The number was a limiting factor, and most Walkers of the Federation knew of this treatment. Not public. No Outside.

It was a huge advantage that changed the northern hemisphere, where the Federation and Emblem Academy had their core foundation. They could keep up with such a method, even if the creator of this treatment never stopped anyone from taking it. If it was possible, this person would take anyone. Young or younger, it meant more research into his machinations, so he could never complain.

In truth, making any restrictions was a kind of questionable and dangerous idea, so the Federation thought of this Awakening as a special occasion such as recruitment from different areas. Hence, in recent years, Forced Awakening turned into a splendid occasion with the forthcoming Federation's examination being the main event. A lot of attention aimed at the Federation every time such an event arrived.

Sharing was caring. It was an old saying that not many organizations liked, as many wanted this treatment on a large scale, or kept it confidential or restricted.

But its creator thought otherwise, knowing that this was no simple task. It was his toy. His creation. If an untalented youth went with it, they would burn out sooner, yet who would predict it? If great ones charged ahead quicker, stabilized and grew alongside their System and Emblem well, it was worth some celebration. It was exactly what many Walkers wanted and what humanity had to realize came with consequences and compromises.

If enough people knew how to differentiate Walkers and their qualities, things would be much better. Growing powerful troops would be a walk in the park. Of course, the truth was difficult, and it was true that traditional Awakening had its benefits.

Nobody wanted the world to burn, nor did they want to see teenagers bursting apart in pain and misery. Because of this, Forced Awakening happened every half a year and not all year round. The Federation established this system of seeking talents into a test opportunity and made it public as recruitment under this event.

Every half a year, there were hundreds of spots offering a way ahead, be it for young Walkers around the globe, or from the Federation itself. Organizations would recruit them afterward since their quality and worth became much more apparent.

Because of them, Walkers and their age were more important than ever, and speaking of that grace before was prudent. They meant greater potential either way, yet recruiters wanted the best talents possible, so where could it go earlier? In times when they didn't have the proper science on their side? Well, for the past two decades, the mixture of some events turned many organizations aflame, giving many older Walkers many thoughts, and new generations more options than ever.

Why? Because it was working and proving itself. Numerous Walkers had experienced this procedure decades ago, with the best of them encroaching on the Rank 7.

William was clueless about such matters, for it was not taught Outside. He, like many others before him, or in similar situations, couldn't get behind the hidden world of Walkers. Even with Miss Anderson and this orphanage, it would not change. His stay Outside gave him a more drastic truth, while he was still growing, stubbornly looking ahead and behind him, while the time had come for no turn to count.

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Miss Anderson was a proxy for the Forced Awakening, and she knowingly sent many youths to such treatment. William was one more to a large list, but he didn't know it.

He had different thoughts in his head. The fact that he heard Luke talk about his Walker father shocked his heart.

Why did he never know about it? Why did he never realize it? What about his mother? He forgot to ask about her, or Luke cleverly changed the topic or didn't know about her. If he knew about the father, perhaps she might be closer than far. William hoped for that as he walked around his room, unsure what to think.

Who were Walkers? They were soldiers who fought and walked through the Dark Fog, opposed Corruption, and hunted Darks. They were designed warriors against the Dark Age and every one of them had powers fit for such an age.

Walking through it, obscured yet safe, and lofty and brave, their name gave reason for humanity to walk forward. Whenever the Darks attacked, they would crush them, defend, or fight back in any way they could, establishing new settlements, long-lost cities, or seizing critical spots.

That was the hopeful explanation that William grew up with.

What was the truth?

It was hard. Much harder.

He had seen Walkers dying, fighting, and even starving, or... turning. It was terrifying. William shivered just from those memories and images lingering in his head. He was the one. He was the Walker.

Stories and knowledge circling around the generations was one way for Outside to see some truth. What was correct or not was shorter, so what was available thanks to many camps and protections was precious.

William knew that without Walkers, nothing would stand today. No camps. No buildings. But public was public and Outside was Outside. Then, there was the Federation. A paradise, or so it was described by a few Walkers that he met in many places or under difficult circumstances.

Close Walker often meant two things: protection because of a good reason, or fight for a better reason. They were guards Outside, protecting what others could not.

Yet, even if one regarded the facts and logic with reason, not every one of them had time to waste or regard young Walkers Outside. William realized some of it in this camp, where he met Miss Anderson.

He met Walkers before, good people too, and worse, much worse sights. Why would anyone bother with an unknown child, who was just one of many others?

Federation couldn't. Walkers were busy caring for a few, while the issue of growth was the root of the problem. Humans needed quite more than a decade to grow into bare-bone weight. For Walkers, it was the same, and it was a very normal, albeit unfortunate reality. Forced Awakening could change only so much. It couldn't change what made people, people.

Even if one had a possibility of becoming a Walker, the general view of raising a young and unknown Walker for many years was close to raising a normal child. If everything went well, good. If death came, that was it. End. They might be hope, but it wasn't a stable hope. That went on as they came into existence, or in the following decades, and even in recent years, some places never changed.

All organizations and nations waited for generations to grow, while death and birth kept cycling. As usual. As it should.

Then, with Forceful or traditional Awakening, young Walkers would go into numerous brackets after the examination, where military divisions and outside forces would take them under their wings, grow them, or change them for their benefit. Greater ones would go to the best places. It was usual. There was no helping it.

The true test was hiding in the future. Be it in the Awakening itself, or the System, Walkers were alongside others, and primarily under their Emblem. They were young, unaware of what was rising within them, and waiting to grow and fight to the death for any given sign and opportunity.

Unknowingly, William was about to undergo this Forced Awakening and examination, but Luke didn't want to talk about it yet. He was still far from adulthood, so there was only one way to fasten it up.

He wasn't being kidnapped, however. William was aware he was at an age where most youths like him could hardly remain stubborn. They had to make some choices and he decided on that a while ago. He failed, so this was his punishment. Due to many clues, he long knew that his Emblem was acting weird and powerful. He would go through some tests, and if he failed, he would wait or do it again later.

Frankly, he knew he could not fake it. He couldn't fail anymore.

There was no hiding that he was a Walker. There was no running away either. It wasn't proper. Being sent away into an unknown world of Walkers was brutal for some kids, and it was how many of them ended up in these orphanages or under some care in distant places.

William met and saw many kids who came here. Then, someone picked them up and they never returned because of their duties and training. That was what adoption was in most cases. Success was relative. They would take them and see if they were failures or not. In years, it usually proved something, and some orphanages were no longer fine, let alone a home. Whether the Forced Awakening was in the picture or not, there was a start and following paths.

William had no idea what was around the corner, but he planned to ask Luke all about them. Most of the reasons and Luke's words were swept under the rug in his room. Luke wasn't willing to wait for too long, so he allowed William only an hour before leaving this camp for good.

That wasn't so bad; William remembered times when he had to escape whole camps or mountains in less than a minute if he wanted to live.

Currently, within his room. William was scrambling through his possessions, which wasn't much to begin with. He had very few hobbies. Reading was about it, but he wasn't all that keen on it thanks to his work on farms, or lessons.