"Which bastard dared to attack you?" asked a man with shoulder-length black hair, standing before Matteo and Theo in the dark alley.

He wore a long blue robe that cast a shadow over his middle-aged face, which was lined with a short beard.

"It was a woman, Mage Ronald," Theo revealed, clutching his bleeding head. "She was unbelievably fast, and her movements were completely unreadable."

"Was she a knight?" Ronald, the middle-aged man, asked. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

"N-no," Theo murmured, sweat trickling down his temple. "She was a non-awakener of our age."

"You are telling me you two were defeated by a sixteen-year-old bitch?" Ronald demanded, his brown eyes glaring at the duo.

"S-she wasn’t an ordinary girl," Theo blurted, his body trembling in fear. Matteo, whose jaw was broken and who was unable to speak, nodded aggressively, equally terrified.

"I will take care of her," Ronald said, a small flame flickering on his finger. "But first, I need to teach a lesson to you two."

---

"By the way, why does this bottle look half empty?" Vlad asked, sipping through the straw.

"Give it back if you don’t want it," Chloe muttered, trying to snatch it away.

"No, it’s the first time you’ve offered something to me," Vlad replied, pulling his hand away. "I’m not sharing it."

The two wandered around the market for a few more minutes, bickering with each other before entering an inn.

"We need two rooms for a night," Vlad said, standing at the reception.

"I’m sorry, young sir. There is only one room available," the short, brown-haired female receptionist replied.

Vlad turned to Chloe and asked, "Wanna s—"

"Wanna die?" Chloe muttered before Vlad could finish.

"Fine, we’ll check another inn," Vlad sighed and began to leave with Chloe.

"Young sir, because of the Awakening Ritual, the city is very crowded these days," the receptionist called from behind. "You won’t be able to find a room in any other inn. The only reason we have a free room right now is because someone canceled at the last moment. I’m only telling you this because you both seem young. It would be dangerous for your girlfriend to spend the night outside on the streets."

While she was speaking, a group of five, wearing expressions of exhaustion, entered the inn and approached the reception.

One of them asked in a tired voice,

"Is there any room avail—"

"We’ll take it!" Vlad said, placing a silver coin on the counter before the man could finish.

---

"What are you doing?" Chloe asked, narrowing her eyes at Vlad, who was lying on the only single bed in the small room they had rented.

"Resting," Vlad replied, stretching his arm. "Come on, it’s a bit cramped, but there’s enough space if we sleep hugging each other."

A smile appeared on his face as he continued, "It reminds me of the time when you always clung to me while sleeping. You even used my arm as a pill—"

A kick struck his stomach, throwing him to the floor before he could finish.

"Agh, w-why did you hit me?" he demanded, clutching his stomach.

"Sleep on the floor. The bed is mine," Chloe said, her face expressionless.

"But I’m the one who paid for the room," Vlad protested from the floor.

Chloe ignored him and went to the bathroom.

"Why does she hate being with me so much?" Vlad sighed, removing his jacket as he lay down on the floor.

When Chloe came out of the bathroom, Vlad was already fast asleep. His jacket was placed beneath his head as a pillow, and his shirt was slightly raised, revealing his chiseled abs.

Chloe sat beside him and murmured, poking a finger at his abdomen, "How can you fall asleep so quickly?"

She remembered that Vlad was a heavy sleeper. He wouldn’t wake up easily.

Before she realized it, her face had drawn closer to his.

His breath brushed against her skin, and the faint, sweet scent from his body stirred something within her.

Unknowingly, her face moved closer and closer to his.

"What are you doing?"

She froze completely. Her lavender eyes locked with Vlad’s crimson ones as he looked at her in confusion. Slowly, her ears turned red, and her breathing quickened.

"Looking for hidden candy," she answered, pointing at the jacket beneath his head.

"Your ears are red again," Vlad murmured softly. "I knew you had a fever."

He gently patted her head and added, "Rest well. I’ll buy you candies tomorrow."

She nodded, moving back. It was the first time she felt relieved by Vlad’s obliviousness.

---

On the morning of the next day, the duo checked out of their room and returned to the church. Chloe had received an early morning time slot.

Despite the overwhelming number of people, the interior of the church held a calm and silent stillness. Long, towering columns rose on either side in pairs, their surfaces carved with simple yet elegant designs.

At the heart of the sanctuary stood the ritual altar, upon which a hand-shaped statue was mounted. Resting above the hand was a massive white sphere, hovering in the air.

A priest dressed in silken white robes stood at the altar, guiding those who had come for the Awakening Ritual.

"Woah, look at that sphere," Vlad gasped, pointing at the altar. "It’s as large as the room we stayed in."

Chloe didn’t respond. Her heart was pounding heavily, and a strange sense of restlessness had crept over her.

"Don’t be nervous," Vlad said, handing her a chocolate candy. "I’m sure you’re going to break all records. After all, you’re the only one who defeated the future Legendary Knight in a spar."

Chloe nodded, placing the candy in her mouth before stepping forward.

"I’ll be waiting for you there," Vlad said, pointing toward the upper floor where the guardians of those undergoing the ritual stood.

Only one guardian was allowed inside the church, and for Chloe, Vlad had entered as hers.

After a few minutes, Chloe’s token number was called, and she stepped up to the altar.

"Place your hand on the sphere, child," the priest said, his eyes closed, his voice strangely soothing.

Chloe nodded and placed her hand on the sphere.