The sky loomed a deep, swirling gray, heavy with the promise of rain. In the open fields near the village of Rostal, Baku stood in silence, his gaze fixed on the distant mountains. These mountains had always called to him, their peaks towering like ancient sentinels guarding the horizon. Today was a day he had waited, hoped and prayed for—the day of his Awakening, his twelfth birthday.

Children from all over the village dreamed of their Awakening day. It was set to occur from the age of ten and as such, most children get nervous the closer the days get. It was the moment when their latent abilities would be revealed, marking them as Awakeners. The power they would manifest defined not only their abilities but their place in the world. Some would control the elements, some might gain extraordinary physical strength, while others could manipulate the very fabric of reality. For many, the day of Awakening was filled with excitement, but for Baku, a sense of unease lingered.

For weeks to his twelfth birthday, he had been haunted by strange dreams. He dreamed of a desolate world, filled with twisted black trees and a sky that seemed to be in a state of constant unrest. In those dreams, he felt something—something alive within that world, watching him. But Baku had told no one about these dreams. How could he explain them? How could he even begin to understand what they meant?

“Baku!”

The familiar voice of Mara broke through his thoughts. She was running toward him, her silver hair catching the wind as she approached. Mara, his best friend, had gone through her own Awakening just three months prior. Her ability—enhanced speed and agility—had already begun to manifest, and she moved with a grace and quickness that seemed almost inhuman.

“Can you believe it’s your turn now?” Mara beamed as she reached him. “You’ve waited for this day forever!”

Baku smiled weakly. “Yeah, it’s here.”

“You don’t seem excited.” Mara tilted her head, studying his expression. “Are you nervous?”

“I don’t know what to expect,” Baku admitted. “What if it doesn't happen? What if I don’t get anything... significant?”

Mara gave him a playful nudge. “You? You’re going to get something amazing, I just know it. Stop overthinking.”

But Baku couldn’t shake the strange feeling in his chest, that nagging sense of something more. His dreams had been so vivid, so real. There was a world within him, something ancient and powerful, but it wasn’t the same as what others seemed to experience.

They walked together toward the village square, where the Awakening Ceremony was about to begin. The village center was crowded with families, villagers, and elders, all gathered to witness the event. At the heart of the square stood the ceremonial platform—an ancient stone stage inscribed with runes from times long forgotten. These runes were said to be the key to unlocking the Awakeners’ latent potential, passed down by those who had first discovered how to awaken the abilities that lay dormant within.

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Elder Turok, leader of the council, stood at the center of the platform, his long blue robes fluttering in the breeze. His eyes, sharp and wise, scanned the crowd as he raised his hand to signal the beginning of the ceremony.

“Today, we gather to witness the next generation of Awakeners,” Elder Turok began, his voice resonating through the air. “Each of you carries within you a potential far greater than you know. Today, that potential will be realized.” At this point Baku zoned out, daydreaming about the grandiose abilities of legends he heard from friends and family. Suddenly the dreams flash through his minds eyes and he startles awake.

At this point, the Elder makes a finalizing remark. “Some abilities are not meant to be seen. They are meant to be discovered. Embrace the journey, for power lies not only in the visible, but also in the unknown. You may step forward now, young ones.”

The children, including Baku, were led onto the platform one by one. Each was handed a vial of shimmering silver liquid—the essence of Prima, the mystical world that all Awakeners drew their power from. It was said that this elixir was a fragment of Prima itself, capable of unlocking the abilities hidden deep within.

Baku stared at the vial in his hands, the liquid swirling gently inside. His heart pounded in his chest as he lifted it to his lips. The others around him drank without hesitation, but Baku hesitated for a moment longer. What would happen when he drank? What if his power wasn’t enough?

Finally, he drank. The liquid was cool at first, but as it traveled down his throat, a burning sensation spread through his body. His vision blurred, and a strange pressure built inside him, like something was trying to break free.

The ground beneath him trembled, and for a moment, the world around him seemed to blur and distort. Baku’s legs gave way, and everything went dark.

When he opened his eyes, he was no longer standing on the platform. The village, the people, even the sky—they were gone. Instead, he stood in a desolate land, the very world he had seen in his dreams. The black trees twisted and groaned under an unnatural wind, and the sky above swirled with dark, angry clouds.

Welcome, a voice echoed in his mind.

Baku turned sharply, looking for the source of the voice. But there was no one there—only the vast emptiness of this strange realm.

“You’re in Prima,” the voice continued, deep and ancient. “This is the world within you, Baku.”

“Prima,” Baku whispered, his heart racing. So, it wasn’t just a dream. It was real. He had this world within him, a world that was vast, empty, and terrifying. But why? Why him?

As he stood there, the feeling of being watched intensified. Something—no, someone—was there, hidden within the shadows of this world. He could feel their presence, and it wasn’t friendly.

Before he could move, he felt a sharp tug in his chest, and the desolate world around him faded. He was back on the platform in Rostal, the crowd watching in stunned silence. The elders exchanged uneasy glances, their eyes lingering on Baku.

The ceremony had worked—he had awakened. But it wasn’t like the others. His ability wasn’t simple or straightforward like controlling fire or lifting boulders. He had an entire world inside him, a world that held both power and danger.

This was his Awakening. And it was only the beginning.