1 hour and 20 minutes before...
"Everyone, please enter through this door. There are seats precisely arranged to match the number of attendees. Please refrain from any physical disturbances. I shall now take my leave," Lucy announced with a neutral tone, bowing gracefully before disappearing behind the doors.
The hall was massive, sterile, and far too quiet. Parents and guardians murmured as they took their seats, uneasiness brewing under the surface. Though they were surrounded by order, nothing about this event felt normal.
A parent leaned toward another. "Did you hear that? They even measured our numbers exactly."
"Pfft," came the dismissive reply. "Anyone can count. That's what AI is for these days."
Another voice whispered louder than it should have. "I heard someone tried to leave but the soldiers stopped them. Just turned them away."
"That didn't happen before, did it?"
"No, it didn't. Something's off."
"You think this has to do with the Border?"
"It must. What else would they be this strict about? Even the Mayor is attending in person."
The tension spread like fire in dry grass. Conversations overlapped, and concern turned into nervous energy. Children played idly, unaware of the adults' growing dread.
Near the center, Arion sat stiffly beside Charlotte and Max. He couldn't ignore the shift in atmosphere.
"If this orientation really has something to do with the Border," he murmured under his breath, "we should leave immediately. Take the kids and go."
The Border—a name both feared and avoided. A place shrouded in secrecy and haunted by rumors. Nothing good ever came from it.
"I think you're right," Charlotte whispered, squeezing Max's shoulder.
But Max had a different look in his eyes. A serious, haunted one. He leaned in close and whispered, "I have a friend stationed near the Border. Last week, he mentioned something terrifying. He said there's mass production happening—Force Awakenings."
Arion's head whipped around. "Force Awakening?!"
Charlotte gasped. "What do you mean by that?"
"Shhh!" Max hissed. "I don't know the details. Just that something big is going on behind those walls."
Since the emergence of Dark Energy, force awakening had always been controversial. Laboratories across the globe had tried, and failed, to awaken powers in people prematurely—most resulting in madness or death. Yet now, info Max had suggested success. And if the Border was involved...
"If that's true," Charlotte said, her voice trembling, "then the Border is preparing for war."
A booming voice cut through the room.
"SILENCE!"
All heads snapped toward the stage as a lone figure stepped into the spotlight. Tall, broad-shouldered, with flowing orange hair and piercing red eyes. Authority radiated from his presence.
Lord Thalric Gravemount. The Mayor. And more.
"Good day, everyone," he began, his voice calm yet commanding. "It's an honor to stand before you today. You know me as your Mayor, but this morning, I am here not only as your leader—but as a fellow parent."
The tension did not ease. His words only raised more questions.
"Before the Era of Dark Energy, our world was on the brink of utopia. We had built an upper civilization, an era of unparalleled peace. Before, children were safe. Humanity's future was certain...
"But then... everything changed."
A massive screen behind him lit up, showing images of a black, swirling substance—Dark Energy—contained in labs, studied by men in suits.
"The discovery of Dark Energy was our turning point—and our downfall. It started with curiosity, escalated to power, and ended in annihilation."
He gestured to the screen as it played footage of cities burning, skies choked with ash, and soldiers wielding powers beyond imagination.
"The truth was hidden for years. But when it leaked, it triggered the single most catastrophic event in human history."
The Dark Havoc.
Over 71% of the population gone. Cities reduced to rubble. Nature poisoned by warped energy. It wasn't just war—it was the dismantling of existence itself.
"To end the madness, the surviving governments formed the World Peace Confederation. They gave us a second chance. And from that second chance, society was rebuilt—powered by the very force that almost destroyed us."
The audience was stunned.
"But even now, peace is fragile. The Borders remain war zones. And our enemies evolve in shadows. That is why… today's agenda involves your future."
A sharp intake of breath echoed from the crowd.
"What does the Border have to do with us?!" a man with sharp black brows—Tygun—shouted angrily.
Thalric's gaze turned to him. "That voice… Soldier, who is this?"
A soldier stepped forward "Answering Lord Thalric. This is Tygun, son-in-law of Iron Bone Gym's owner. His child is Fred Lidd's grandson."
"Ah," Thalric nodded. "A promising candidate."
Tygun's face twisted in confusion.
"Do not worry, Mr. Tygun," Thalric said slowly. "The Border has nothing to do with you, the parents."
Arion's heart dropped.
"...Not us?"
"Then you mean—"
"The government has developed a breakthrough in awakening potential at early stages. Today marks the introduction of the Awakening Serum."
The lights dimmed again. The screen changed to DNA spirals, glowing nodes, and footage of children floating in tubes of glowing liquid.
"The Awakening Serum is the product of decades of research into Dark Energy adaptation and forced evolution," Thalric narrated.
After thousands of tests and many losses, our scientists discovered a singular truth—only children aged three to five can survive the awakening process.
At this age, a child's brain is uniquely malleable. Their neural pathways are still forming. Their bodies, still growing.
Most importantly, their Force Veins—the hidden pathways for Dark Energy—are still in a dormant but accessible state.
Children above five develop what we call the Gene Threshold Barrier—a natural defense against artificial rewriting of DNA. Any attempt at awakening causes complete biological rejection, often fatal.
"Children younger than three, on the other hand, lack the stability. Their energy nodes are incomplete. The serum becomes toxic. That leaves a narrow window—ages three to five—where awakening is not only possible, but optimal."
Gasps filled the room. Onscreen, clips showed children reacting to the serum—some glowing, some falling unconscious, some resisting entirely.
Lord Thalric's voice hardened.
"Beginning today, your children will be placed under the guardianship of the World Peace Confederation. Until further notice, they will not be returned."
The screen shifted.
Footage now showed rows of children in separate rooms. A moment later, purple gas hissed from unseen vents.
One by one, the children collapsed.
Cries broke out across the auditorium.
"What the—""NO! My child!""You monsters!"
Max rose, trembling with rage. "How dare you think you can take my daughter?!"
Arion stared, frozen, eyes locked on the screen. In the corner of one frame stood a boy who had not fainted.
"...That's Lux!"
Charlotte gasped.
"Lux!" Charlotte screamed.
Seconds later, tears streamed down her cheeks as she watched her son being carried away.