"Millette Craven" I heard as I walked to my class, it was probably a sub, the teacher doesn't real know I exist either but they usually sound more defeated than that.
I walked into the room to see Michael and Katie, they sat at the back and I was stuck in the front so I was all alone.
"Your teacher asked that you continue with your revision, I don't mind if you listen to music just keep quiet" the teacher said ignoring the class. I put on my playlist and pulled out my English folder.
The entire class all I did was draw a little cat in the corner of my jotter, it wasn't like I wanted to pass in the first place. I only stuck this year since I would have to get a job if I didn't.
--
Sitting outside with just Michael and Katie was kind of boring honestly they don't talk to me much since I'm always in the back of our trio.
There used to be a fourth person in our group, David but nobody really mentions him anymore. He was actually my best friend but eventually he disappeared, a grey Tindrift broke out in our school and something managed to grab David. After about half an hour of trying everything to get it off of him it eventually digested him and he turned to dust.
I don't know why but after that nobody ever mentions him again, there was no funeral and whenever I mentioned him to anybody they would just stare at me confused and ask who I was talking about, I was already the quietest in the group but I basically stopped talking after that.
After that everything felt like was made of ice, I would drift from one thing to another and never clung to anything, it could be a TV show, a hobby or even a friend but eventually everything became stale no matter how much I liked it.
The only thing that really got me interested was talking about Tindrifts. Tindrifts always managed to catch my attention, it wasn't a cry to save my dead friend or anything (I doubted he even exist anymore) it was more of a morbid fascination with danger. I like to compare it to someone who studies sharks, sure if it bites you're probably going to die but what are the chances that you specifically get bit?
I've been studying monsters for ages (2 years) and I'm planning on becoming one of the few thousand monster biologists or Beluagists that aren't currently welded to the ground. The best part is that since the study is so dangerous Beluagists are only expected to take notes on monster bodies and don't have to write actual reports on them.
Due to the danger and rarity of the profession the average wage is about £46 an hour for a C rank entry level worker. Unlike Hunters, Beluagist actually receive a wage for their work since they tend not to kill as many monsters.
I listened into Michael and Katie's conversation to hear them taking about going hunting tonight but Michael had to study apparently.
"Damn, what about you Mil, you want to hang out?" Katie said giving me a hug from the side that almost broke me in half. Michael and Katie where both Hunters so it was expected, I had asked them their rank before but they both refused to tell me, all I know is they're at least C rank since they're on the T.E.A's website.
"Yeah sure I'd love to but I might have to leave early, I finally got an awakening core" I said quietly but secretly really proud of myself. Unlike most monster drops [Awakening Core]s didn't have a set life span, but that's where the differences mostly ended, [Awakening Core]s where one of the rarer items to find in a Tindrift since the drop rate was about one in a hundred for a boss and one in a thousand for a regular monster.
"... Are you sure? Tindrifts can be really dangerous, especially for a girl of your... Stature" she said to me obviously trying not to hurt my feelings, it's true that people who are larger or more athletic tended to get higher stats than those who aren't but there are outliers.
"It's doesn't matter how strong I am, as long as I'm a D rank I can get a living wage and I'd be set for life" I said retracting back slightly.
"For life is a good way to put it... Fine but promise me you'll be careful" she responded staring me in the eyes, I didn't reply and just nodded my head and stood up for my next class.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
--
I walked out of my house with a misshapen glowing red rock in my hand, my Mum had berated when I told her what I wanted to be and made me swear that I would never use an [Awakening Core]... But I wasn't going to let words stop my actions of glory. I walked into the park across from my house where Katie was sitting on a bench hidden from my Mum's window.
I sat down next to her and pulled the [Awakening Core] out of my pocket, it glowed a enticing red colour.
"Seriously red, are you trying to become a serial killer or something?" she joked, all [Awakening Core]s had a random chance of awakening you at ranks F to S, anything high you would have to achieve on your own. The colour of the core had to do with the type of [Inherent Skill] you had a chance of get once you activate it, it was a low chance but the chance was still there. Red is one of the less popular colours since it has the ability to manipulate others people's bodies, it is seen as the core of psychopaths since everyone assumes it was designed to hurt people, but in reality it doesn't let you hurt people of the same species as you and even half the [Inherent Skill]s from it are more of a hindrance than a power.
"It's the cheapest one ok, do you know how hard it is to save up money when your parent thinks you're trying to go on a suicide mission" I said kind of offended "Besides, as long as I get [Artery Sight] I'll be fine no matter what rank I am" I said placing the [Awakening Stone] on my lap and gripping it tightly.
I closed my eyes and began to feel energy seep into my body like the stone was actually melting into me. After a few seconds it stopped and I opened my eyes again to see the stone had become a regular boring rock.
"Did I do it?" I stared in disbelief as a was so close to my goal.
"Looks like it, check" she said looking down at the rock.
"... How?" I replied confused.
"Just say 'System'" she sighed. I quickly repeated the word and in front of me sat a small blue stat screen with my name on it.
[Name]: Millette Craven
[Age]: 15
[Gender]: Female
[Species]: Human
[Strength]: 3
[Agility]: 4
[Stamina]: 3
[Mana]: 0
[Species Skills]: [Sweating], [Creativity], [Social]
[Inherent Skills]: N/A
[Skills]: N/A
[Rank]: F
I stared at the screen in utter disbelief, I had spent over 2 years saving up to get an [Awakening Core] and in return I'm rewarded with the lowest rank and no [Inherent Skill] either.
"So how is it?" Katie asked me with a nervous look on her face.
"It says I'm F rank" I said as I stood up.
"Oh... That suck, it'll be ok though, I'll help you grind and you'll be up to D rank in no time" she said with a forced smile, it's sweet of her but I'm not in the mood.
"Thanks but I think I'll pass for now, I just want to go to bed" I said almost in tears thinking about the time I wasted. I started walking to my house and made it to a cross walk, I bumped directly into a lady who was about to start crossing, I quietly apologised continuing to walk across the road and splat.
--
I opened my eyes to see that I was still sitting on the bench, was it all a dream? Turning my head I saw Katie sitting there staring at a truck.
"Katie you ok" I asked while shaking her shoulder about. Instantly her head turned to reveal a dead stare and a melting face.
"Hello Millette." it said in a calm voice devoid of emotion. I tried to get off the bench but I was stuck to it and couldn't get off "You should stop struggling, you will be free in a moment.".
"What are you?" I asked trying to be threatening.
"I am life constant J-17B but most refer to me as Azrael." its words felt like they where strangling me.
"Why can't I move?".
"Because I am on break." it said as it turned its head back towards the crash "Also that."
I looked over to see my own bloodied body sitting on the road next to a truck "I'm... Dead" I said with complete confidence while being utterly baffled at the situation.
"In a way, this is the afterlife but you will not be here for long, you will be erased from existence when my break is done." it said with its words void of any emotion.
"What? But aren't I supposed to go to like heaven- or hell- or anything?" I said freaking out trying to escape the bench.
"No, there is no such things, usually once you die you just walk around the Earth for eternity in your own moment of death." it said creepily turning its head towards me once more "But you are special, you should not exist, from the moment you where born into this world you where doomed for nothingness and since you do not appear on the death counter I must remove you from reality."
"Don't I get a second chance or something?" I cried as they sat peacefully on the bench looking at my dead body.
"I cant give you a second chance because you never had a first one."
"Then shouldn't I get one, shouldn't every living creature get a chance?" I said pulling anything I could to stay "alive".
"You are not a thing and you never will be, you are a mistake brought to life by a lazy Pinion that refused to do their job correctly." Azrael said their empty tone unwavering. I finally stopped thrashing to realise that there is nothing I can do, I wonder if I'll end up like David and everyone will forget me.
"Then send me somewhere else where I can exist" I said almost given up on my very being.
"That would be pointless, you still wouldn't exist."
"Then give me something from there that could tie me to it, like grant a wish for me or something" I said hopelessly gripping onto their arm like some kind of prayer.
"Fine, it will be annoying but I am already sending your friend in the truck so I might as well." Azrael said finally giving in "State your wish."
"I wish for immortality" I said hoping it wouldn't be denied.
"Fine, bye." Azrael said before I felt my head hit the ground.