Graduation practice ended at 3 o'clock in the afternoon, and teachers began assigning numbers to select students, including Devon - an average-looking, chubby guy. Initially confused when receiving the number 34 from his teacher, he planned to ask someone nearby for clarification but was interrupted when a man in his thirties, dressed in a police uniform, took to the stage and began speaking.
"Good day, students. You may wonder why we gave the rest of you a number. Some of you who are assigned a number will participate in an Opening Gift Ceremony the government conducts. That number is a reference number. If you received a number, please wait on the bleachers. If we call your number, please go to Room 104 and find Mrs. Casimiro to begin your opening gift ceremony."
"We will call the first 1 to 200 numbers right now. Your advisor will contact you for updates if we don't call your number."
Following his explanation, murmurs from the students filled the quadrangle, but the noise ceased when the graduation practice instructor began to address the crowd.
"Silence !! Silence !! If you didn't receive a number, you could go home. For those who got 1 to 200, go to the bleachers. So that we can start the ceremony and those who got 1 to 30. Go to Room 104 now."
While some students began to exit the quadrangle, Devon, who had received a number, made his way to the bleachers to await his turn.
"Opening Gift Ceremony, huh?". Devon muttered to himself; he had an idea of what an Opening Gift Ceremony was when he heard it from the man on stage. This is a ceremony where a professional extractor gets the Gift trapped inside a person's body; it is a power believed by some to be a divine blessing, while others think it came from the devil. Despite various theories, there is no conclusive proof of its origin. And if a Gift is successfully extracted, that person will be called Gifted.
Gifts also have a significant impact on the Gifted's lives. Gifted can use these Gifts for good or evil purposes. Many hope their Gift will benefit them in life, such as providing money, satisfying personal desires, or something that can protect themselves and their loved ones. Since a Gift can profoundly impact someone's life, the government emphasizes regulating them.
Every person who reaches 18, the legal age in the Philippines, must undergo this so-called ceremony. Even though Gifts start to develop inside a human body at 10 to 15, Gift Opening comes with age restrictions. The government prohibits anyone under 18 from opening Gifts. Devon just turned 18 last month, so he is eligible to participate in the ceremony.
Opening a Gift for minors is considered a criminal offense that could lead to imprisonment, as there have been instances in history where a Gifted was unable to control their Gift because of their under-developed body condition. That is why the government agrees to extract the Gift at the legal age. To prevent mishaps during the gift-opening ceremony, only trained individuals are authorized to open the Gift, and high-class Gifted individuals are on standby to handle emergencies.
Today, there are many police officers on standby in every area. They make sure that the ceremony will be safe and trouble-free.
Devon was heading to the bleachers to wait when two familiar voices called him.
"Vooooooon!!" a girl shouted.
This voice is from Regine and Johnny—Devon's friends since high school. He met Regine in Grade 9 because she was his classmate, and she first approached Devon because she had a crush on his best friend, Johnny. She wants to introduce her to him, but Devon wonders if she still likes Johnny because he is a bit slow. He didn't notice that Regine liked him. She is a cute girl with contagious energy as she moves closer to Devon to greet him with a big smile and a cheerful tone.
On her side is Johnny, who used to bully Devon when they were in Grade 7, but we eventually became friends due to a particular incident. By Grade 9, Johnny quit bullying with the help of Devon and turned his attention to basketball, which he excelled in thanks to his height and no-nonsense demeanor.
They are the reason why Devon chose to enroll in the public school instead of private school so that he could still hang out with these two.
"What's your number, Von?" Johnny asked.
"34," he answered,
"Oh, I remember now. Johnny's number is 33. It would be best if you guys stick together. I don't mind sitting next to you on the bleachers and chatting - I'm feeling too lazy to go home!" Regine exclaimed. She is 17 years old and not eligible for the Opening Gift Ceremony.
"Didn't you read the sign?" Johnny pointed to the sign at the end of the first row of bleachers.
"They say it's not allowed without a number, so go home or wait for us outside."
"A guard is also checking the number, so you can't go with us to the bleachers," Devon added.
"Alright then, I'll wait outside, and please send me updates on the group chat. Ok?!!" they agreed, and Regine left. She joined the group of students who were leaving the school.
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The two went to the bleachers to wait to be called. As they sat, Devon took his phone and scrolled through memes on social media. After a few minutes, he noticed that Johnny was restless.
"Man, what's wrong?"
"Man, I'm feeling both nervous and excited about my Gift. What if I'm not able to make the most of it? Or I didn't get one. College is just around the corner. I'm not sure my Mom can afford to send me. I hope my Gift can help me earn some money."
"What course do you want in college, huh?"
"I plan to be a police officer or a job that will let me protect other people."
"Well, that is a good plan for someone who used to bully in the past." Devon joked.
"When I think about my behavior in high school, it was really immature of me. I really regret what I did and want to change my past mistakes, but it is impossible. So I decided that I would make a difference by becoming someone who protects people in the future," Johnny said with a chuckle.
"I can help you. My father has a scholarship offer from his company. I can refer you and Regine."
"Thank you, Man; I really owe you a lot. I hope I can get a good Gift to make it up to you."
"Hey, don't stress about it. It's great that you have a plan, and I want to support you. At least you clearly know what you want to do, but for me? I'm still trying to figure out my life plan."
Devon leaned back, pondering on what he wanted to do, hoping that seeing his Gift would give him some clarity.
"Are you still struggling to figure out what you want to do in the future?" Johnny asked.
"Yes. I'm still trying to figure things out. My father wanted me to enroll in a business course or learn some business skills, as I was supposed to take over the family business. I don't know if that will solve my problem, though. Right now, I don't feel like that's what I want to do. Honestly, I'm thinking about wasting a whole year doing nothing. It's ugly, but ... I don't know."
Johnny also leaned forward when he heard Devon's complaint.
"You're right, it's ugly, but it's an option. You have the advantage of having financial resources, so you can use that to explore different things and figure out what you want to do. You can take some time off and enjoy life. You have that privilege, man."
"You have a point..."
"I don't have the same privileges that you have. I need to create motivation and dreams to succeed. That puts pressure on me and makes me nervous and excited because my Gift has a major impact on my plans. It's alright if you don't have a specific goal or plan for your life like me. You have the advantage of resources, so take the time to explore and find what you're truly passionate about. Once you discover it, that can be the starting point for what you want to do."
Johnny spoke with a serious tone. Devon noticed that he had matured since they started senior high. Perhaps that's what it's like when a person grows up as the eldest in a family and is responsible for being a breadwinner. I really admire Johnny's mindset.
"I'm pretty sure Regine is part of your plan, Ayieeeee!" I teased Johnny, who promptly broke out of his serious demeanor.
Despite Johnny's tanned complexion, Devon couldn't help but notice Johnny's face turning red upon hearing his comment. Johnny was about to respond when a loud announcement blared from the speaker.
"Number 31 to 60. Go to Room 104."
The announcer repeated the message multiple times to ensure that everyone in the bleachers could hear it.
They headed to Room 104 and found Mrs. Casimiro. They showed the number and instructed them to line up on the side of the room based on their number. They took seats next to each other since they had consecutive numbers. Devon was number 34, seated in the fourth seat from the door. A couple of minutes later, the number 31 was called, and they moved up in line toward the door.
As he observed Johnny, he noticed his hand trembling and began making a crunching sound on his finger, even though it was inaudible. Devon was about to reassure him not to be nervous when the announcement for the 32nd position suddenly came, signaling that they would move closer to the door.
As the 31st person exited the room, he noticed a look of disappointment on that person's face. It could only mean one thing - they didn't detect a Gift in his body, which means he was normal. That situation is heart-breaking to some people who hope to have a Gift.
"HAAAAHHH!!!"
People were taken aback by Johnny's sudden outburst. He kept patting his chest repeatedly, displaying a blend of nervousness and excitement on his face.
Soon after, Johnny's number was called, and he nervously rose from his seat. Devon moved to take his place in line.
"I wish you luck, Man," Devon said to him, but he did not hear it. Perhaps due to his nervousness, he headed straight to the door, and the 32nd person was called out with a downcast expression on their face.
After a few minutes, Johnny had still not emerged from the room. Devon started to assume that he had a Gift and was relieved to think so, but he was still curious about what his Gift might be.
The books outline five Gift types: Weapon, Familiar, Sidekick, Mutation, and Special.
Individuals with non-living gifts are referred to as users, while those with non-human-like living gifts, such as familiars, magical animals, beasts, or monsters, are called Tamers. Those with human-like gifts, or other human-like races, are called sidekicks, and the Gifted who have these sidekicks are called Masters. Gifts that cause mutations in the Gifted or change the DNA structure of the Gifted are known as Mutants. Lastly, Specials are individuals with gifts that can transition into two or more types of gifts.
He is curious about which Gift Johnny received. Nevertheless, Devon hoped he got what he wished for. He was called a few minutes later, indicating it was his turn. As he entered the room, he was surprised to see Johnny holding two adorable baby dragons.
Johnny's expression conveyed his joy, and you could tell he had a lot to say, yet he couldn't since he had to leave the room.
After Johnny leaves the room, Devon approaches the teacher's table. He observed them tidying up eggshells scattered on the floor.
"Mr. Devon Devlin?" The woman assisting caught his attention as she called out to him by his full name.
"Yes."
"Please fill this out, sir," the woman instructed.
Devon was given a form that required personal information and health details on the second page. The third page was more like a contract, outlining the government's support in the event of any mishaps during the opening. After filling out the form, Devon was asked to stand in front of the room and hold a crystal, which he assumed was a Gift detector.
An old teacher, whom he had seen around the campus but didn't know by name, asked him, "Do you know how to release your mana?"
Devon responded, "Yes, I know how to do it, sir." Releasing mana was a fundamental skill usually taught to children in elementary school or by their parents, so it was common knowledge for most people.
He grasped the crystal and gradually released the mana from his palm. The crystal slowly transformed into a deep green shade.
"Okay. He is Gifted!! So, let's proceed to the next step," the old teacher exclaimed.
A staff member approached him, dressed in a white robe and donning unique gloves, which he presumed would be used to extract Gift.
"Mr. Devlin, this is the opening process. Those gloves have a special power that will extract your Gift to your body. When your Gift emerges, you may feel a sensation similar to an ant bite as it breaks through your mana barrier," the instructor elucidated. Devon simply nodded to the old teacher to indicate his understanding.
As he approached the staff member, they began to extract the Gift from his body using their special gloves. Initially, Devon didn't feel anything, but as the cube-shaped light emerged from his body, He experienced a jolt in his chest, like an electric shock. It was similar to the sensation of being grounded.
As the Gift was fully extracted from his body, the cube released a light burst, temporarily blinding them. Devon felt his knees buckle, likely a side effect of the opening process.
As he knelt down, a yellow circle caught his attention as it fell to the floor. Upon closer look, he noticed an imprinted smiling face in the ball, which instantly revealed what his Gift was:
It is a stress ball.