Asher growling in pain at the sudden headache finally calmed enough to see his surroundings clearly, the roots have came from underground wrapping around him like a snake to suck his life out.

But that was not the thing that got his interest he has finally understood why he got the headache and surge of energy.

He has awakened!!

Awakeners are beings who has unlocked their latent potential by gaining supernatural abilities, by taking step toward a future of being less human and gaining control over energy called origin which created everything.

But first he needs to get out of this tarp of roots and find William. 'Grandpa was also in this room where did he go.' Looking around Ash couldn't see him, this situation was already scary enough.

But with his awakening he could at least increase his chance of survival and even escape the village if needed with his family. Ash was sure he was not the only victim to these roots, its was already 6 hours since he fell asleep to the roots.

'Wait a minute how do I know this much time has passed. No the main point is that Grandpa is not here and I need to escape these roots. I can feel them weakening me every second as if they are draining my energy.'

Struggling he tried to move his limbs but couldn't break them at once, these roots where not that thick but still tight to make him immobile even with his new gained strength.

looking beside him for anything useful, he saw the knife that had fallen with him from table. He focused all his strength on his right hand to reach it breaking free from roots a little and grabbed it.

After a minute of struggle he was finally free from these shackles of root. As he stood up he saw the roots moving up and down as if they where still alive he kicked them aside as they retreated underground.

'tsk' "The knife won't be usefull it took too much time to cut these goddamn roots" clicking his tongue Ash couldn't help but curse at his situation.

He ran toward the window not long before closing the main door, he wanted to see the outside and make sure it's safe before planning anything.

'W-What! The roots are going everywhere damn it ' The situation outside couldn't be anything else but dire. The roots like vines where sprouting from ground like weeds and entering the houses of other, if Asher guess was not wrong everyone must be in situation similar to him as he was previously shackled.

The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

"A weapon I need a weapon" He sprinted towards 2nd floor to find anything useful, he knew with his grandpa adventures spirit even if not a sword or gun, finding a dagger was still possible and he couldn't have asked for more.

And a dagger was all he found in the storage safely kept in a drawer, Seething it in his belt he tried to find his element and ability first as this place was reasonably safer then below.

Every person who awakens can instinctively know about their source element and skill they gains with every step or level increases.

Concentrating words no that would be wrong to describe correct way to describe this will be Information formed in his minds leading to a single word 'Eternity' this was his source element.

It was not that this word magical appeared out of nowhere, Ash himself has decided it after gaining information from his own self-awareness that this specific word describes the sensation he felt from within the best.

"But why 'Eternity' wasn't it supposed to be something similar to at best be physical type or elements like fire or water"

Surely there where cases where the source element will be a bit different governing a different concept such as speed, healing or even divination. This was a basic information that even he a person with three year worth of memory knew.

"I will think about those things later for now" The skill he gained was still unnamed as he didn't wanted to waste anymore time, he simply saw its function.

He has gained awareness of time, an object can be stopped from its action ,living beings can also be stopped for a limited time with strain on user.

"let's call it Static for now, if I learn more about it I will later add something"

Seeing its multiple functions of a single awakener skill he realised it has potential but the problem was he did not know who the enemy was or how many where present. The area of effect was also smaller then he suspected on how many he can stop.

'I will find it after trying' Going down stairs he did not used the door to go outside instead used the back window and jumped outside.

He knew that his awakening was related to that woman he saw in white world and the weird emotions he felt, he couldn't describe what those sensations he felt in the white world, as they all where slowly getting blury at each passing moment. The only thing he was sure about was that she had helped him wake up from entanglement of roots and maybe even helped him awaken.

'I should check the neighbouring houses first and see if grandpa is there.' Deciding that he went left of his house opposite to Frank's house as the residents there have all passed away.

Ash hide behind the walls of his neighbours to avoid meeting those roots and took out the dagger he has safely kept in his waist, and tried to look through the window to see what was happening to the family present in the house.

His heart was racing as he saw his worst fears come to life, Mrs. and Mr. Neil along with their two children lay on the ground entangled by the same roots which had previously wrapped him. The sight was eerie, as if they were part of some twisted nature's embrace.

He was lucky that the window was not locked, he silently went inside the room and slowly kneeled beside the man present nearest to him. Checking his pulse.

'He-he is dead' Ash gasped at this site, the body was in perfect condition just like with Frank's, no there was a difference present as he himself has experienced it now he knew, the roots they where sucking the Origin slowly from theirs hosts they entangle.

After checking all of the bodies present Ash blood ran cold. His whole world was shaking after seeing deaths one after another.

"If I have not awakened and remained asleep my fate would have been same as them" Thinking about this a shiver ran through his spine shaking him to the core.

Ash deliberated over if he should atleast free them or not from these roots but finally decided against it.

'If the enemy is strong enough to put whole Eron village into this state there is a possibility that they will knew if roots are damaged'

Thinking quickly he rushed outside, but before he could even take a step away from the house, the door of the Neil's house thumped and broke as a man stumbled in, his body contorted in an unnatural way, with roots growing out of his back.

Ash took in the terrifying sight of the man, his face not that of a villager seeking refuge but rather one of a cold-blooded killer craving for more blood. The man's eyes were a ghastly white with no pupils, like two marble orbs that had seen too much evil.