Dawn crept over the plains, and soft light filled the children’s room, casting long shadows. Jeremy lay snugly beneath his blanket, eyes half-closed as he struggled between anticipation and sleep. It had felt like the morning would never come, like the whole world had stopped just to make him wait. Every few moments, his ears strained for any sound, his mother’s footsteps, the sound of birds chirping outside, anything that might signal that it was finally time.

At last, a soft knock broke the silence.

“Good morning my dears,” came their mother’s familiar voice, signaling the beginning of the most important day of their lives.

Jeremy’s eyes flew open. Andrew was already sitting up, while Alicia burrowed deeper into her sheets with a groan. Their mother slipped quietly into the room, her steps gentle but steady. She cast a brief glance out the window, where the first hints of morning were stretching across the sky.

“Is it sunrise already?” Jeremy asked, his voice shaking.

“Very soon,” she murmured, walking to each bed in turn to gently lift them out of bed. “Come now, be ready.”

The three of them stretched, trying to wake themselves up, as their mother returned from the kitchen with leftover bread, moving so fast that she barely appeared as a blur.

“Today’s the day,” she said with a faint smile, her voice uneasy, but filled with a quiet pride. “It’s not every day a mother gets to see her children awaken their Status.”

Alicia, now more awake, rubbed at her eyes and, noticing her mother’s worry, gave a tired smile. “You worry too much mom. The three of us will definitely get our Status today.”

“Oh, don’t be like that again,” Andrew said, rolling his eyes. “I’ve been with you guys since I was a baby. Of course none of you are Pretenders.”

“Yes Andrew, that’s how being triplets works,” Alicia sighed exaggeratedly.

Their mother laughed as she handed each of them a piece of bread. “Every human knows someone that knows someone that has had a family member replaced by The Pretenders. Your silly old mother just can’t help but worry. Now, quickly, eat up, and then we’ll go out into the field to wait.”

They ate in a rush, before freshening up and straightening the clothes they’d laid out the night before, as if this special day demanded a set of special clothes. Their mother waited by the doorway, her eyes glimmering with joy as she watched her children prepare.

As he struggled with a tangled knot in his tie, Jeremy asked the questions he had been thinking about all night, “Mom, why do we need to wake up before sunrise? What happens if someone’s on a planet without a sun? How do they get their Status?”

“Ah, good questions,” she said, stepping over to help him with the knot. “Truthfully, there’s nothing special about the sunrise that magically awakens a Status, the time differs. People assume that the time is based on when a group of people, like a planet, or even just a small town, first wakes up.” She gave him a soft smile, straightening the collar of his shirt. “But perhaps it’s the other way around; people assume a time, and the Status awakens when people assume it does.”

Jeremy’s eyes went wide. “So… the System really connects everything?”

His mother nodded, her gaze momentarily distant, as though recalling some unspoken memory. “Yes. The System is everywhere—across every world, every civilization. It’s why today is so important, and why your Status is such a big part of who you are.”

They nodded, letting the words sink in. It was common knowledge, but hearing it now, on the eve of their own awakening, made it feel different—monumental, like they were about to take part in an ancient, universal tradition. Jeremy felt the weight of it settle over him as they filed out of the room and down the stairs, heading outside to watch the sunrise.

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The field at their backyard stretched endlessly before them, bathed in the light of dawn. They huddled together as they looked out at the horizon, their breaths misting in the cold morning.

“Now, we wait,” she said quietly.

They stood, eyes fixed on the horizon. The sky slowly brightened, the faint edges of the sun beginning to crest over the plains.

“Do you see anything yet?” Jeremy asked Alicia, his voice barely more than a whisper.

Alicia’s hands were balled into fists, her face tight with concentration, as if trying to will her Status into existence. “Not yet… but it’s supposed to be me first, right?”

Their mother nodded, her eyes soft with understanding. “You were born just before your brothers. You will feel it first, and then they will.”

Alicia stood a little straighter, her eyes searching for something only she could see. Andrew and Jeremy waited in silence, watching her closely. Time ticked by slowly, each of them holding their breath. The sun rose higher and higher, chasing away the chill of the night.

Then, without a word, Andrew’s eyes went wide. He stumbled back, a look of awe spreading across his face.

“I… I can see it!” he exclaimed in surprise and disbelief.

Alicia whipped around, her mouth open in shock. “Wait, what? It’s supposed to be me first!”

Their mother’s face creased with a frown, though she stayed silent, watching Andrew and Alicia with an unreadable expression. Andrew’s eyes flickered around, caught between amazement and confusion, unsure where to settle.

Jeremy stepped back, his heart racing, a strange excitement creeping in. ‘Does… does that mean I’ll get mine next?

A heartbeat later, he felt it. A strange thrill rushing through his veins. It was as if a door had opened somewhere within him, one he hadn’t known existed. All of a sudden, he knew with absolute certainty that should he wish for it, his Status will appear.

Jeremy Hoppins

Tier -

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Body -

Mind -

Soul -

Skills:

Universal Equipment Slots - Personal

Everything appeared as Jeremy had expected; lessons from their mother described in great detail what each part of his Status contained. He focused on his personal Skill, bringing up its details.

Universal Equipment Slots - Personal

Allows the bearer to equip any Item on any Equipment slot.

In a universe of limitations, one bears a gift unbound.

His eyes widened as his mind was filled with the possibilities. Some Items gave incredible benefits, with their only downside being that people wished they could equip more at the same time. With this, Jeremy could bypass that entirely.

“Jeremy?” Andrew whispered, his voice shaking, interrupting Jeremy’s thoughts.

Jeremy nodded, still processing what he saw. “I have it too…”, he replied, before willing his Status to be visible to the others. His mother, normally composed, let out a sound of amazement as they looked at his personal Skill. “This is incredible Jeremy,” she exclaimed, still distracted by his Skill. “Skills that directly interact with a Status are incredibly rare and often powerful.”

“Mine’s not as great as Jeremy’s,” Andrew said, his voice calming down from the excitement, ”But still, I finally have my Status.”

Echo Throwing - Personal

Allows the bearer to replicate sounds across distances.

Silence is no boundary for the bearer, capable of crossing any divide.

Alicia looked between her two brothers, her face confused. Then she jumped, “Wow it’s here! I have it as well,” Alicia exclaimed, her voice quivering.

Their mother’s brows knit in concentration, her eyes fixed on Alicia with a look of cautious hope. She leaned forward, her hand resting on Alicia’s shoulder as though seeking to confirm what couldn’t be seen.

“Let’s see it, then,” she said, her voice soft but insistent. “What does it say, my dear?”

Alicia hesitated, her hand trembling as she raised it in front of her, reaching toward something invisible. “It’s just... a little blurry, I think,” she said, her tone as unconvincing as her looks. She lowered her arm, letting it dangle awkwardly as if her confidence had been drained from her body entirely.

“Alicia,” Andrew said slowly, taking a step forward. “We saw it. We know what it feels like. There’s nothing blurry about it.”

Jeremy froze, a knot tightening in his stomach. His heart pounded, each beat sounding like his chest might burst. Something was wrong, he knew it. Alicia would be overjoyed, jumping around as she got her Status. This Alicia in front of him, however, seemed to hide a shadow of desperation.

“Alicia,” he whispered, begging. “Please, just show us. It’s okay if it’s different or... or...”

“Or weak,” she finished, her voice breaking. She forced a laugh, brushing a stray lock of hair from her face, avoiding their eyes. “It’s... it’s not that. I just... um... I mean, maybe it’s just a small Skill. I don’t even really know what it does yet—”

“Don’t lie to us, Alicia,” their mother cut in sharply, her voice steady but cold. She stood back, her hand falling away from Alicia’s shoulder. “You either have a Status, or you don’t. There is no such thing as a blurry awakening.”

The morning stilled; no one dared breathe. Alicia’s mouth opened, but no sound came out. She looked between her mother and her brothers, her eyes wide, frantic, looking for anyone to help her. Jeremy looked down, unwilling to meet his sister’s eyes.

“Are you... are you saying I’m...” Alicia began, voice barely a whisper over the silent morning. “Are you saying I’m... a Pretender?”

Their mother’s face grew hard, her green eyes narrowing with a determination Jeremy had only imagined in her battlefield stories. “I am saying, Alicia, that I don’t know what you are. But if you are my daughter, then show me your Status.”

Alicia’s hands shook, her lips parting as though she might find the words to fix everything. But nothing came. A cold dread pooled in Jeremy’s stomach as the minutes passed, their mother giving Alicia as much time as she needed.

“You’re not... you can’t be,” Andrew whispered, his face paling, horror in his eyes. “What did you do to Alicia?”

Alicia started screaming, her voice hoarse, raw with desperation. “It’s me! I’m me! I’m Alicia! I’m your sister!”

“Remember last winter, Andrew? I dared you to jump into the snowbank with me. You said I wouldn’t have the nerve… but I did.” She turned to Jeremy, her voice breaking, “Jeremy, please. We played outside just yesterday. I’m your sister.”

She looked to her mother, her expression pleading. “Mom, you know me. You tucked me in last night. Please, I’m Alicia! I’m me! It’s just…”

But she trailed off, her words faltering, unable to finish.

Jeremy’s voice shook. “Alicia, please… I’m begging you. This isn’t funny anymore.”

Alicia’s face twisted with pain. “I don’t know! I can’t think of why I can’t show you, but it’s me. I swear, it’s me!” She took a shaky breath. “Please, you have to believe me.”

“Enough,” their mother’s tone was low, laced with finality as she looked at Alicia with the cold gaze of a warrior that had slaughtered countless. Yet, something in her eyes wavered. “Alicia… if you are who you say you are, then prove it to me. Show me now.”

Alicia took another step back, her expression desperate as she looked to her brothers one last time. “Andrew, Jeremy... please. You know it’s me. You know I’m your sister.”

Andrew’s lips twitched as he stared at her, looking between Alicia and their mother with disbelief and rising anger. He opened his mouth to speak, then stopped, the silence heavier than words. That seemed to break something in Alicia. With one final cry of anguish, she crumpled onto the cold grass still wet with the morning dew, her hands dropping to her sides, seemingly accepting her fate.

“Jeremy, Andrew, close your eyes,” Commander Hoppins ordered them, her voice firm but monotonous. Commander Hoppins… that was who she had to be now, for the sake of her family. Even as her heart wavered, she knew could not afford to show weakness now.

The two obeyed, slamming their eyes shut, knowing what was about to happen, and unable to bear the sight. Yet a part of Jeremy resisted, knowing that, one way or another, he would regret his decision for the rest of his life.

“Please… don’t. I’m your daughter. I’m Alicia.”

“Then prove it.”

And in that heart-stopping moment, as Alicia lay frozen on the ground, her eyes wide and pleading, Jeremy disobeyed, wrenching his eyes open, locking eyes with Alicia. In that final instant, she wasn’t some stranger, wasn’t some alien. She was his sister, Alicia, the one he’d always known. Her face softened, as if coming to an understanding, and she gave him one final smile, encompassing the lifetime of smiles that she would never get to show her brother, before she disappeared in an instant, meeting her fate as countless had done before.

“It is done,” their mother declared, as a gust of wind blew across the field.

Andrew’s knees hit the ground, a horrified gasp breaking from him as he threw up, shaking. Jeremy could barely breathe, his mind numb, replaying his sister’s smile over and over again.

Their mother turned to face them, kneeling down to meet their eyes. Her face was almost stony, had it not been for the tears Jeremy could see streaking down her face, and her green eyes filled with anguish.

“If she had truly been your sister,” she murmured, more to herself than to them, “she would have gotten her Status.”

But even as she said it, there was a tremor in her voice, a doubt that Jeremy couldn’t unsee.

He looked at Andrew, whose wide, tear-streaked eyes held the same question Jeremy didn’t dare ask.