Mize, reading the ssage, smiled softly to himself.
"He's acting like I am unaware of the harsh reality of the upcoming awakening ceremony, how cute... "
However, even from the perspective of other people... such a kind and innocent-looking girl perhaps wouldn't have much deeper thoughts about this issue.
Like a naive child that is...
But...
He knew the odds as well as anyone. In fact, he knew the fact and the cold reality of the ceremony better than any of his peers at the sa age.
The Awakening Ceremony was an enormous gamble since it involved the future of a person's life.
Even with his lineage, even with two awakened parents, there was no guarantee that the sa fate awaited him.
"Mhmm," he responded, his tone light as if the weight of the ceremony hadn’t fully hit him. "I’m hoping to beco one. I’ll follow the sa path that my mother once took"
The ntion of his mother was deliberate. He knew that would tug at Derek’s curiosity, maybe even evoke sympathy.
And, to Mize’s satisfaction, it worked. It worked too well, that he began to doubt a little, the authenticity of everything, but this tiny thought was kept at the back of his mind.
"I see... then you should be prepared thoroughly and ntally" Derek’s question ca, his voice sounding thoughtful, perhaps even a little nostalgia in Mize's head.
"Yup, I will. I will definitely succeed" Mize replied, his voice crisp and innocent through the text.
He made sure to sound confident, unbothered by the uncertainty of the ceremony.
But deep down, Mize knew the reality all too well. The chances of awakening were slim for most, even for soone with an impressive lineage like his.
All the rumors, all the ancient myths about bloodlines and genetics, they ant nothing when it ca down to the ceremony.
In the end, it was about luck.
And Mize knew that his luck, in most things, had been precarious at best.
Still, that didn’t an he wouldn’t play along with whatever was to co.
Derek stared at his phone, his fingers trembling as they hovered over the screen.
The words “I am sure you will be a great sorcerer one day!” stared back at him, hesitating whether these were the right thing to say at this ti.
'Several days before the ti would co, a ti where hundreds of millions of people's dreams and hopes would be crushed into ashes'
'And I wouldn't want her dream to be crushed too'
He was bad at this, terrible. Comforting soone, especially about sothing as monuntal as the Awakening Ceremony, wasn’t his strong suit.
And yet, he wanted to believe the words he typed. He wanted to believe that Mize, this fragile-looking girl with a quiet smile, would defy the odds.
Maybe... it was just a tiny hope of seed that he was praying for. 'Perhaps, she might have a chance'
But the truth lingered in the back of his mind, heavy and unshakable.
The odds of awakening were so slim, so cruelly stacked against most people, that the thought of Mize walking away disappointed, crushed even, twisted sothing deep in his chest.
Before he could overthink it anymore, Mize responded.
"I am sure I will! I’ll be one of the greatest awakener in this world!" She punctuated her ssage with an emoji, bright, hopeful, and everything Derek couldn’t be right now.
A soft smile curled at the corner of his lips as he read the ssage.
Childish?
Innocent?
Naive?
But wasn’t that what made it so pure?
And Derek, despite all his cynicism, found himself wishing for that kind of certainty again.
Yet, there was a growing pit in his stomach.
He didn’t want to see Mize's bright, ruby-like eyes fill with disappointnt when reality ca crashing down.
The thought of her crying, of her soft voice cracking under the weight of failure, made him feel... bad.
And yet, he barely t her today, but it was as if, he had known her for years.
He had seen many of his peers cry, and break into pieces even when it was on that eventful day.
So were even in absolute utter shock, then till this day, they could never recover. Imagine training your life, under the horrible expectation of your parents to beco the pillar of light in your family lineage.
To escape from the chain of being a mortal into sothing extrodianary, but in the end... it failed.
Dissapointnt
What should I do? he thought, his hand absentmindedly running through his ssy hair.
"It's so hopeless at tis, that I couldn't stop sothing from happening despite knowing it would"
He hated how powerless he felt. He knew the truth, only one in a hundred would awaken.
Those odds haunted the common people, especially now that Mize had placed so much hope in sothing so uncertain.
Derek’s mind raced, trying to find a way to help her. And then it hit him, like a flash of mory resurfacing from so distant, almost forgotten corner of his mind.
The Luck Potion.
He had heard about it before, seen it even, at the Awakener auction house.
A rare concoction that was rumored to increase soone’s chances of awakening.
It was insanely expensive, of course, sothing only the wealthiest could afford.
After all, this luck potion involves in the idea of tampering with luck and fate, naturally it would be expensive.
But Derek had connections. He could make it happen.
His hand froze mid-motion, his fingers tangled in his hair, as the idea solidified in his mind.
He glanced at his phone on the seat beside him, 'Old friend, please help this one ti'
anwhile, Mize, unaware of the storm of thoughts swirling in Derek’s head, continued with his night as if nothing were out of the ordinary.
He moved around the kitchen in his small apartnt, preparing his usual al, noodles.
A simple dish, but one that he loved more than anything. In this world, and even the version of it that existed before the awakening, noodles were his constant, his comfort.
And his favourite flavor would be BBQ spicy chicken, the one that would make his stomach ache in the next morning, churn and twist...
As he boiled water and stirred the noodles, he thought about Derek’s ssage, his innocent excitent.
"He's the type that would try his best to impress ... " Mize began, his eyes fixed on the boiling water on the stove, absent minded a little.
"It's like those romance drama, where the guy is obsessed with the girl, willing to do anything at the cost of everything"
Mize had been playing this ga long enough to know that Derek was the kind of person who desperately wanted to fix things, to protect people like Mize from the inevitable harshness of reality.
He smiled faintly, stirring the noodles in the pot. If only Derek knew just how aware Mize was of the world’s cruelty.
He wasn’t so naive little girl waiting for a miracle.
But Derek didn’t need to know that.
No one need to know this.
As the noodles cooked, Mize leaned against the counter, tapping his foot lightly on the tiled floor.
The steam from the pot curled into the air, soft and comforting, much like the quiet simplicity of his routine.
He caught his reflection in the kitchen window, the dim light casting a soft glow over his pale skin and delicate features.
His black hair fell like dark silk around his face, framing his doll-like appearance. People always said he looked fragile, like porcelain, sothing to be protected, cherished, or even broken.
Mize smiled softly at his reflection.
He didn’t mind the comparisons. After all, it worked to his advantage. Let people think what they want.
Let Derek think he was just so delicate flower in need of saving. It was easier that way.
As the noodles finished cooking, he drained them, his movents smooth.
Derek lay on his bed, phone pressed to his ear, still caught up in the conversation that had already drifted past him.
His words flowed easily now, stories and jokes tumbling out, each one an attempt to keep Mize engaged.
He'd learned so much tonight, bits and pieces of her family, the struggles she'd faced, and even small details about her day-to-day life.
And while Mize never ca across as seeking pity, Derek felt that familiar tug in his chest, a need to protect.
Mize, though Mize was a master of subtlety. She had woven a tapestry of vulnerability so well that Derek didn’t even realize how expertly he’d been drawn into it.
Every word she shared seed delicate, every pause filled with just enough emotion to make Derek think he was being let in on sothing deeply personal.
It was all an illusion, of course, a carefully crafted act that Mize had honed to perfection.
He played the role of the fragile flower, and Derek, unknowingly, played the role of the knight in shining armor.
“...and then,” Derek chuckled, finishing his latest story, “I ended up spilling coffee all over the conference table. Can you imagine? The first day at work, and I’ve already made a ss.”
Silence greeted him on the other side.
“Mize?” he called softly. “You still there?”
Nothing but the faint sound of breathing. It was so light, so steady, that it took Derek a second to register what had happened.
A soft smile spread across his face as he listened. Mize had fallen asleep.
He could hear the gentle rhythm of her breaths, slow and even, each one a whisper in the quiet of his room.
It was almost endearing, how easily she had drifted off in the middle of their conversation.
Vulnerable, like a child, he thought. His heart ward at the thought.
“She’s so vulnerable,” he whispered to himself, a strange kind of contentnt filling him.
He wasn’t entirely sure why, but knowing that she had fallen asleep while they were talking made him feel... needed.
Trusted, even.
He lay there for a while longer, just listening.
Eventually, Derek gently placed his phone down, careful not to end the call too abruptly, as if hanging up would disturb her sleep.
He lay back, staring at the ceiling with a smile that wouldn't fade.
And as he lay his back on the bed, his eyes staring towards the ceiling... "I will help you, don't worry"
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