As he continued his drills, the sun began to dip, and the world around him grew quieter. The faint sounds of distant chatter faded, leaving him in solitude. The rhythmic thud of his practice strikes against the ground was the only company he had. He tried to push aside the nagging doubt that crept in, whispering that he wouldn’t amount to anything, that his upcoming awakening would end in failure.

“Tomorrow is the day,” he murmured to himself, the words spiking his anxiety. What if, after all this time, he simply couldn’t do it? What if he awakened to find he was nothing more than a commoner fearing all his effort was in vain, being destined to live in the shadows of those who excelled?

His thoughts were interrupted by the sudden arrival of a girl from his orphanage, Sara, who was just a year younger than him. She had always been an observer, neither helpful nor hurtful, but he remembered the kindness in her eyes when she had once offered him a topical ointment to ease some of the pain from his bruises during a training session. She approached, her steps light but purposeful.

“Liam,” she called softly, and he turned, startled. “I saw you from the path. You’ve been out here for hours.”

“Just practicing,” he replied, attempting to retain his focus, but his voice wavered slightly.

Sara stepped closer, tilting her head to examine him. “You’re pushing yourself too hard, what will happen tomorrow, will happen?”

“I have to,” he insisted, frustration boiling beneath the surface. “I need every advantage I can get, otherwise I won’t awaken. I’ll be nothing.”

“You’re not nothing,” she said firmly, crossing her arms. “You just may be… destined for something different. That doesn’t mean you’re less important. You just need to find what you excel at, your niche.”

Liam clenched his jaw, the weight of her words infuriating and stirred fear deep within him. “What good is that when everyone else is stronger?!" He struggled to keep from shouting, "They laugh at me, I’m just a punching bag for Ian and his gang.”

Her gaze softened. “They’re just kids Liam. They can’t see past the end of their nose. You seem smart enough, and from what I have seen you have a good heart. Something they seem to think it's ok to take advantage of.”

“That doesn’t matter if I can’t fight,” he shot back, frustration leaking into his tone. “What good is being smart when absolute power can make any ploy or tactic you have worthless? The world values strength!”

“Strength isn’t just about muscles and skills,” she argued, though she did not refute the truth in his words. “It’s about determination, too. You’ve trained harder than any of them. You might not be able see it yet, but someday you'll see that it matters.”

Liam sighed, her words proving his point. “You don’t understand. You have several basic skills already and after ten years I have a talent that enables me to survive my beatings. If I can’t awaken any class, support or logistical role included, not only will I be just another face in the crowd, but all my effort and pain will be for nothing.”

“It's in the gods' hands,” Sara acknowledged, her eyes sparking with intensity. “ You must leave it up to fate, you’ve fought harder than anyone I know. If you keep pushing, you might hurt yourself.”

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He understood what she was getting at, with the ceremony nigh upon him there was not more he could do. He still held a flicker of hope, but it quickly dimmed under the weight of his insecurities. “What if I fail?” he whispered, his voice barely audible.

“Then you shift your focus,” she said, a small smile breaking through her earlier seriousness. “You’re not defined by your awakening. You’re defined by what you do afterward.”

Liam met her gaze, the sincerity in her eyes drawing him in. For a moment, he saw a Sara as a friend instead of a girl from his orphanage. “I’m afraid Sara. Afraid of everyone being able to justify the way they've treated me.”

Sara stepped closer, her expression softening. “You’re not alone, Liam. You have me, we've had similar struggles and I'll stand by you. If anything, you at least deserve to be treated like a human being. If they mock you, then they are suffering from something you cant see. I'd pity them then.”

Her words wrapped around him like a warm embrace. For the first time in weeks, he felt a flicker comfortable enough to drop the stick he's been training with, blood stained the wood. Multiple large blisters coated his palms, unable to feel the pain of it he was at least able to manage a small smile “Thanks, Sara. I’ll try to remember that.”

“Good,” she replied, her smile brightening. “Now, let’s head back and get some rest we have an important day tomorrow”

With quiet resolution, Liam lifted his branch, slung it over his shoulder as the others had done and walked side by side Sara back to the orphanage. The pressure of his self-perceived doom momentarily subsided. As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting a warm glow on the training grounds, Liam prayed to whatever god would here his plea. The world was still vast and uncertain, but he was ready to face it one swing at a time.

On the far corner of the training field, a figure stood cloaked in shadows, eyes fixed on the fading couple. He had a sinister air about him, an unsettling presence that seemed to drain the warmth from the air. As he surveyed the scene, a smirk crept across his face.

“I’ve never felt such weak energy,” he mused, his voice low and laced with malice. “But without a doubt, it originates from them.” His gaze narrowed on Liam, oblivious to the threat looming nearby. “I’ve found you, and you can’t seal his powers forever, hehehe. He will definitely have something to break this seal, and when it does, I’ll be ready to reap the rewards.”

The figure’s wings unfurled from his back, dark and bat-like, muted in the dark sky. He took a moment to bask in his glory, already feeling victorious enjoying the cool breeze rushing around him as he took off. His mind racing with plans for the future, tomorrow promised to be eventful. His thoughts swirling with possibilities, the seal created by the boy’s parents was a temporary barrier, one he believed he could exploit. The figure contemplated his next moves while he flew, if he could test the boy and manipulate events, he could lure the boy into breaking the seal revealing his identity.

“Just a little more patience,” he whispered to himself, his lips curling into a cruel smile. “The weak will always be gullible to the strong and I shall use this opportunity to raise above my rank.” As he soared higher, the world in a veil of darkness and relishing in the shadows; he thought how he would set his plan in motion.

Unbeknownst to him, the threat was drawing closer, and the darkness that had taken to the skies was already plotting against him. As night fell, a chill crept through the air, whispering of danger and foreboding. Liam, lost in thought about his upcoming awakening, couldn’t shake the sense that something was off. An instinctual dread settled in his gut, but he pushed it aside chalking up to anxiety over his awakening, focusing instead on what may happen tomorrow the day when he might finally validate his worth.

In the darkness, the figure circled above, watching, waiting, his heart set on claiming the opportunity his discovery will grant him. The stage is set for confrontation, and as the night deepened, the first threads of destiny began to weave together in a tapestry of chaos and ambition.