"FATHER! MOTHER! NO! DON'T LEAVE ME! FATHER! MOTHER! NOOOOOOO!"
Draven jolted awake from his sleep. His breathing was ragged, cold sweat soaking his entire body.
"Hah… hah… hah…" His heavy breaths echoed in the silence of the room. Draven lay back down while clutching his throbbing head. "Damn it, I dreamed about it again," he muttered.
He then sat up and looked around.
"Hey, Draven. You were talking in your sleep again?" a boy—his roommate—called out.
Draven turned toward the voice. "Hey, Chris. What time is it now?"
"Seven," Chris answered shortly.
"Shit! I need to shower and train right away!" Draven jumped out of bed, grabbed a towel, and dashed straight to the bathroom.
A short while later, Draven came out of the bathroom overflowing with energy. "ALRIGHT! GOOD MORNING, EVERYOOOOONE!" he shouted loudly.
Chris, who happened to leave the room at the same time, immediately protested. "Hey, don't shout so early in the morning!"
Their steps halted when a woman greeted them. "Morning, Draven. Morning, Chris."
Draven's face instantly lit up. He walked over to her with his usual grin. "Morning, Sis Emily, hehehe. Sis, do you want to go on a date with me today?"
Emily only gave a faint smile and replied briefly, "No."
Draven immediately looked dejected, but a second later he shouted again, "HAAAA! FINE THEN! I'LL FOCUS ON MY TRAINING TO GET INTO ARK ACADEMY AND BECOME AN AWAKENER! SO THAT SIS EMILY WILL ACCEPT MY LOVE!"
Chris could only stay silent and shake his head. A scene like this had become a mandatory morning routine for them.
"Alright, Sis. I'm off to train first!"
"Good luck with your training, Draven," Emily replied with a smile.
Draven returned it with a wide grin before running out of the house. Chris then walked to the dining table and sat down. "Sis, do you think Draven can really become an Awakener?"
Emily fell silent for a moment. Still smiling, she answered, "Draven definitely can."
Chris simply stared at Emily in silence, then muttered softly, "I see…"
Outside, Draven walked through the bustling city streets. His gaze was fixed on a colossal wall towering high, protecting their settlement. His previously cheerful expression suddenly turned extremely serious.
"One day, I'll leave this place and kill every alien in this world," he said with a stern expression.
He continued walking while observing his surroundings. People passed by, each busy with their own affairs.
I still can't believe how the world completely changed after the aliens arrived, Draven thought. People who once wanted to become lawyers, police officers, or businessmen… now almost everyone wants to become an Awakener.
Draven looked up at the sky. Even when I was a kid, I dreamed of becoming a successful businessman so I could make a lot of money, buy a luxury house, and luxury cars.
He lowered his head, staring at the asphalt beneath his feet. But now, I only want to become an Awakener. The world has truly changed, huh. A small, bitter smile formed on his lips.
Before long, Draven arrived at the forest where he usually trained. He sat for a moment on a fallen tree trunk. No matter what happens, I have to become an Awakener, he resolved in his heart.
Draven stood upright and shouted at the top of his lungs, "ALRIGHT! TIME TO TRAIN! Okay, today it's 100 push-ups, 100 pull-ups, and 100 sit-ups!"
Draven began his training. He pushed himself like a madman until afternoon arrived. While he was punching a tree trunk with his bare hands, a voice called out to him from behind.
"Hey! Let's head back. Jack's already waiting at home."
Draven turned around and found Chris standing there. Chris walked closer while observing Draven's messy condition. "You're training like crazy again. Isn't tomorrow the registration day for Ark Academy? Aren't you afraid your body will collapse tomorrow?"
Draven fell silent for a moment, then smiled widely again. "It's fine, I'm used to it. Let's go home—you said Jack's waiting, right?"
Chris stayed silent and walked ahead.
"Hey, wait for me, Chris!" Draven shouted as he chased after him.
That night, after Draven finished bathing and cleaning himself, they all gathered at the dining table. Draven, Chris, Emily, and Jack ate together in a warm atmosphere.
Jack suddenly broke the silence. "Draven, the registration for Ark Academy starts tomorrow, right?"
"Yeah, something like that, Jack," Draven replied casually.
"Then, do you think you'll manage to get in?" Jack asked again.
Draven paused his meal for a moment. "Of course. I've been preparing for this for a long time. I'll definitely get in, Jack. You don't need to worry."
Jack only nodded slowly. "Alright, if you're that confident."
Suddenly, Draven looked at Emily. "Sis Emily, if I become a great Awakener later and manage to defeat all the aliens, will you marry me?"
"HAH?!"
Jack and Chris were so shocked they almost choked. It was something Draven often said every morning, but this was the first time he had said it at the dining table—with a very serious expression.
"Cough! Cough!"
Chris quickly poured some water and handed it to Jack. After gulping it all down, Jack shot a sharp glare at Draven. "Hey, kid! Are you serious about what you just said?"
Draven frowned, his face looking completely innocent. "Of course. Is there something wrong with what I said?"
"Hey, you idiot! How old do you think you are, and how old do you think Sis Emily is?" Chris cut in, glaring.
Draven answered casually, "I'm twenty, and Sis Emily is twenty-eight. That's not a very big gap. I don't have a problem with it."
Chris grabbed his head, feeling a headache coming on from Draven's excessive confidence. Emily merely chuckled softly as she watched the argument.
"Draven. Just focus on your goal. As for this matter, we can talk about it later," Emily said gently.
Draven's eyes immediately lit up. "Then… does that mean I have a chance?!"
Emily fell silent. Jack, Chris, and even Draven held their breath, swallowing nervously as they waited for Emily's answer.
"No," Emily said shortly, smiling.
Draven instantly wilted, his shoulders slumping. Meanwhile, Jack burst out laughing. "HAHAHAHAHAHA! Ouch, ouch!"
Chris also couldn't hold back his laughter when he saw Draven's pitiful expression.
"HEY! YOU TWO! WHAT'S SO FUNNY, HUH?!" Draven shouted angrily.
"Damn it, kid," Jack said between laughs. "Just focus on tomorrow's registration."
Draven muttered indistinctly, "Damn it…"
Emily simply chuckled softly at the sight of Draven sulking as she continued eating. The atmosphere at the table grew warm again—until Jack suddenly spoke up.
"Emily, tomorrow we should cook a lot of potatoes and meat for dinner."
Draven, Emily, and Chris all turned to look at Jack at the same time.
"Why?" Emily asked, confused.
Jack grinned widely. "Because tomorrow, a certain kid will definitely come home crying after failing to get into the academy! HAHAHAHAHAHA!"
"DAMN YOU, JACK!" Draven yelled, his face burning red. Emily and Chris laughed along as Jack continued teasing and Draven exploded in anger.
At midnight, the clock hands pointed exactly at 00:00. Draven lay stiffly on his bed, his eyes staring at the dark ceiling. A sense of unease slowly crept into his heart.
Chris, sleeping in the bed beside him, noticed that Draven was still awake. "You should go to sleep soon, Draven. You have to leave at six tomorrow, right?"
Draven turned toward Chris. "Yeah… I know." He then rolled onto his side, hugging his pillow tightly.
"Are you scared, Draven?" Chris asked softly.
Draven was silent for a moment before answering briefly, "No."
"It's okay if you fail," Chris continued. "If you fail, you can just become a potato businessman here." Chris chuckled.
"Damn you, Chris! I'll make sure I pass tomorrow!"
[World Information: Ark Academy]
For the residents living behind the wall, Ark Academy is not merely an educational institution. The academy was founded with one absolute purpose: to forge ordinary humans into living weapons capable of confronting the alien threat.
However, entering Ark Academy is a nightmare for the weak. Its selection process is lethal, and its curriculum is designed to shatter both mind and body to their very limits. Here, cadets are not only taught how to fight, but are also forced to understand that they are the shield standing between human civilization and extinction. Only those with wills as hard as steel can enter Ark Academy and ultimately graduate with the title of Awakener.