By the time I left my room again, I almost didn't recognize myself.
The mirror cracked above the sink reflected someone… presentable. Clean, at least. The blood was gone, scrubbed away along with the grime and dried sweat. My hair still refused to behave, sticking up in places no matter how much water I used, but that was normal. My ribs still ached when I breathed too deeply, my shoulder protested when I moved it too fast, but compared to a few hours ago?
I looked alive.
I'd put on my best clothes. Which, admittedly, wasn't saying much. A simple dark shirt without holes, dark trousers, boots that didn't leak water when it rained. Still, it was the closest thing I had to "formal." Everything else, spare clothes, basic supplies, a bit of dried food– I stuffed into a worn bag and slung over my shoulder.
I had no idea what to expect at the Vanguard Spire.
That alone was unsettling.
After pacing my room for a while and accomplishing absolutely nothing productive, I finally headed back out. The walk to the transportation station near the Vanguard Administration Office felt shorter this time, probably because my mind wouldn't shut up.
'Capital City... I'd never even imagine I would ever see it.'
The station itself was small but clean, clearly maintained by Vanguard funds. Reinforced stone platforms. Subtle runes embedded into the ground.
2 other people waited there. Both of them were around my age. All freshly awakened, if I had to guess.
And then–
The carriage arrived.
I froze.
Not an average carriage, no– It was long, suitable for more than 10 people, If i had to guess. It rolled in smoothly, carried by two horses. Its exterior looked luxurious, etched with the Vanguard Spire insignia along the side. Runes pulsed dimly near the doors.
I stared.
'A carriage...?'
'An actual, honest-to-gods carriage. In this economy?'
'I'd seen them before, of course. From a distance. Passing through richer districts. Rolling along roads I couldn't afford to walk on.'
'They'd always seemed… unreal. Like something that existed for other people. Important people. People with money, connections, or both.'
'Never people like me. Such services– and vehicles such as this carriage were... rare. Limited and Only reserved for the rich or strong.'
I stepped onto it slowly, half-expecting someone to stop me and say there'd been a mistake.
No one did.
The interior was… warm. Padded seats. Soft Sunlight lit up the interior through some windows. Said Windows were thick enough to feel safe. Two people were already seated inside, talking quietly and shooting mr weird glances.
I slid into an empty seat near the middle and exhaled.
'I'm on a carriage.' I thought incredulously.
'Huh. Imagine that.'
The doors closed as the last person entered, and with a gentle jolt, we started moving.
The city passed by outside the window, buildings shrinking away as we left the familiar streets behind. I leaned back, trying not to look too impressed.
... It probably didn't work.
"This thing surprisingly doesn't even rattle," I muttered under my breath. "Luxury."
My body, unfortunately, chose that moment to remind me it had been folded, smashed, and partially reassembled earlier that night. A dull ache spread through my side, my ribs complaining quietly.
Still… it was manageable.
The carriage didn't head straight for the capital. Instead, it veered off onto a broader road, one reinforced with old mana-resistant stone. According to the the two people sitting at the front we were taking a detour– two more cities along the way.
'More awakeneds, huh?'
I rested my head against the window, cool glass pressing against my temple. My exhaustion, combined with the steady motion, lulled me despite myself.
'Just a short nap.' I told myself.
'I deserve it.'
Sleep took me almost immediately... though, not for long.
—
I woke up to movement beside me.
And a voice.
"Oh– sorry! I didn't mean to wake you."
I blinked, vision swimming for a moment as I lifted my head. Someone was sitting in the seat next to me now.
A girl.
Pretty. Annoyingly so.
Blonde hair tied loosely behind her head, eyes a bright ember and curious, expression caught halfway between apologetic and amused. She looked… clean. Put together.
'She definitely doesn't seem like someone who had spent the night being beaten half to death.'
My brain short-circuited.
"Oh," I said intelligently. Then, after a pause, "Hi."
She smiled awkwardly. "I just– this was the only empty seat left near the middle."
"Yeah," I replied, nodding far too enthusiastically. "No. Seats are… sit-able. Very sit-able."
'What in gods name are you saying?' I resisted the urge to facepalm with every ounce of my being.
She blinked once.
Then laughed.
Softly, thankfully.
"I'm Ashley," she said. "And you are…?"
"Elijah," I said, rubbing the back of my neck. "Eli. Usually. Depends on how much trouble I'm in."
"That sounds ominous."
"It's really not," I said quickly. "I mean–sometimes it is. But not on purpose."
She tilted her head slightly, studying me in a way that made me suddenly very aware of myself.
"So," she said after a moment, "you're freshly awakened too?"
"Unfortunately," I replied. "Or fortunately. Jury's still out."
That earned another small smile.
We rode in silence for a bit, the road stretching out endlessly ahead of us. The Bus made one more stop at a city, letting more awakened people enter.
By the time we were back on the road, the bus was mostly full.
Ashley glanced at me again. "So… what rank is your Legacy?"
The question hit harder than it should've.
I hesitated.
Embarrassment prickled at the back of my neck.
"…It's a secret," I said finally.
She raised an eyebrow. "A secret?"
"Yep."
"Like… classified? Or embarrassing?"
"Yes."
She smiles again. "Fair enough."
The silence after her laughter wasn't awkward– just… light. Comfortable in that strange way only shared exhaustion could manage.
Up close, I noticed details I'd missed while my brain was rebooting. Her hair wasn't just blonde, it was bright, almost luminous even in the muted light of the bus. Not golden, not pale. Bright, like sunlight caught mid-motion. Her eyes were stranger still. A soft ember color, warm and faintly glowing, so close to her hair's shade that it felt intentional. Like her Legacy had signed its name on her face.
"So," she said after a moment, stretching her legs slightly, boots tapping together. "You look like someone who had a rough awakening."
I let out a short breath through my nose. "You have no idea."
"That bad?"
"I got slapped around by a Mana Fiend, unlocked my Aeher Core by sheer spite, and crawled back to town like a horror story extra."
She stared at me. A hint of bewilderment crawled across her face.
"…Okay," she said slowly. "So worse than mine."
"That depends." I replied. "Did your Legacy try to liquefy your internal organs?"
"No," she said. "Just… scared me half to death."
"Ah. Emotional trauma. Not too shabby."
She snorted, then caught herself and smiled. "I'm eighteen, by the way."
"Seventeen," I replied. "And already exhausted with life."
"Wow. Overachiever."
We shared a quiet laugh as the bus hummed steadily along the road. Outside, the scenery shifted from broken city outskirts to long stretches of reinforced stone roads, flanked by mana-resistant pylons that glowed faintly as we passed.
"So," I said eventually, glancing at her again, "you're headed to the Spire alone?"
She nodded. "Yeah. My grandmother wanted to come with me, but… Vanguard rules."
"That sounds about right."
"She worries too much," Ashley added, though there was affection in her voice. "But she raised me, so I guess she's earned the right."
"Living with your grandmother," I said thoughtfully. "That usually makes people either really mature or dangerously stubborn."
She grinned. "Why not both?"
"Fair."
Another pause. The carriage swayed gently as it took a turn.
She hesitated, then said, "You don't have to tell me your Legacy rank if you don't want to."
"I know," I replied. "I just… don't feel like saying it out loud yet."
"That bad?"
"Second lowest." I admitted before I could stop myself.
She blinked. "Oh."
"Yeah."
She didn't laugh. Didn't pity me either. That alone was… unexpected.
"For what it's worth," she said carefully, "rank isn't everything. That's what my evaluator kept saying."
"Oh, I'm sure they say that to everyone who isn't a prodigy. Though my evaluator didn't show me that comfort." I replied dryly.
She smiled faintly. "Maybe. But still."
After a moment, she added, "My Legacy Rank is Anointed."
I looked at her again.
That explained a lot.
'Isn't that–'
"Upper half," I said slowly. "Solid."
She nodded. "Apparently."
"And your Legacy?"
"Enlightenment."
'The name alone sounded… important.'
"What does it do?" I asked.
"For now?" She shrugged. "It boosts Aether output. Mine, or someone else's, if I focus on them."
I paused.
"…That's really good."
"I was told that," she said, a little sheepish. "Though right now it's not very strong. Plus I nearly passed out the first time I tried it."
"Still," I said, leaning back in my seat. "That's the kind of ability people build entire squads around."
She looked at me sideways. "You sound like you've thought about that."
"I've thought about not dying," I corrected. "Which usually involves other people in this line of work."
She laughed softly again.
The carriage slowed as it approached another checkpoint, runes flaring briefly along the road. A few passengers shifted nervously.
Ashley glanced out the window. "Are you nervous?"
"A little I guess," I said immediately. "But wouldn't it be weird if I wasn't nervous?"
"No, I'd just assume you're braver than most."
She hesitated, then asked, "What do you want to do at the Spire?"
The question caught me off guard.
"I… don't know yet," I admitted. "Learn. Survive the Evaluation Exam. Maybe prove myself that Adaptation isn't as useless as it sounds."
"It doesn't sound useless," she said firmly.
I raised an eyebrow.
"It sounds… patient," she continued. "Like something that grows with you."
I studied her for a second, then smirked. "You're either very optimistic or dangerously kind."
"I've been Optimistic for as long as i can remember." she said.
The carriage rolled onward, carrying us closer to the capital, and whatever waited for us there.