Nemo jolted awake, drenched in sweat.
His breath came in shallow, panicked bursts. For a long moment, he could still feel them—those writhing tendrils, slithering beneath his skin, squeezing him like a lemon until his body gave out. It was the most horrifying sensation he'd ever experienced. And yet, deep within, something warned him that far worse lay ahead.
He stared at the ceiling.
Each night had been grueling in its own right, but the last had nearly shattered his mind. He could feel delicate threads of thought fraying, ready to snap if strained any further. Still, by the accounts of those who had spoken to him, it was over now. The trials were complete.
He had awakened.
That meant—at least in theory—he was allowed to leave his cell.
But in practice? He had no idea how to get out. Worse yet, he wasn't sure he wanted to. The past days had stripped away his naïveté. Behind every innocent detail, he'd glimpsed lurking horrors. The world was far more dangerous than he had ever imagined.
For now, he simply enjoyed the peace and quiet.
That didn't last long.
Around midday, the heavy door creaked open. A man entered—bald-headed but wearing a thick, opulent beard, his build heavyset, his demeanor unreadable. He carried a silver tray stacked with food and, in his other hand, a folding table and two chairs.
Nemo watched silently as the man set up the table, placed the tray on it, and then sat down.
"Eat, young man," the stranger said.
The food looked delicious—meat, rice, vegetables, a bowl of steaming soup—but Nemo felt no hunger. The memory of the night still gripped him, clenching his appetite into nothing.
"I'm sorry, sir. I'm not really hungry."
The man nodded without judgment. "Understandable. But you must remember: your body can only function as it's meant to with proper fuel. Missing a meal here or there won't kill you, but in our line of work, you must learn to eat even when your mind rebels. Fortunately, this meal is at least appetizing. I suggest you try."
He placed the second chair across from himself and gestured. Nemo hesitated, then sat.
"My name is Arbil. It's my task to explain what comes next. Once more, I encourage you to eat."
Though his stomach still churned with unease, the scent alone eventually coaxed Nemo to pick up a piece of meat. He chewed slowly, mechanically.
Arbil smiled, genuinely.
"Good. Now listen closely. You are freshly awakened. This means you are now exposed to the truth of our world. A dangerous world. The world that surrounds our city and the one within it.
"As awakened, it is our duty to safeguard the city. We maintain the fragile line between stability and chaos, and through us, our people survive.
"Of course, we can't send a freshly awakened like you into the world with no knowledge. One of the pillars of our city is the training of recruits like you."
He paused briefly, letting the weight of his words sink in.
"Tomorrow morning, you and the other new initiates will be taken to the academy. You'll begin your education there—and I hope you'll learn a great deal. Your fault will certainly be of interest to the instructors."
Nemo was working through the last of his food. "So... I have to go back to school?"
Arbil chuckled. "You could call it that, but it's closer to a military academy. You'll study theory, sure, but most of your education will be practical: combat, survival, repairing machinery, enduring the wilderness—and most importantly, understanding your abilities."
Nemo looked up, eyebrows raised. "Abilities?"
"Yes. Each awakened has them. I teach hand-to-hand combat at the academy, but there's something else I specialize in—a foundational skill I want to teach you now."
"Right now?"
"Yes. It's that vital. You'll use this skill every day for the rest of your life. Since you've finished eating, let's begin. Stand in front of me."
Nemo rose and stood as instructed.
"I hear from the lab that you're a three-root. Is that right?"
"Yes, sir."
"That makes it trickier, but not impossible. I've never had a student fail. You won't be the first."
Arbil reached out and placed a broad hand on Nemo's chest. His palm radiated warmth, and a faint green glow appeared beneath it.
His voice deepened, carrying a strange, resonant timbre.
"You are a man upon this earth, touched by a seed of power, given to us by the trees of life sprouted upon our mother."
The words reverberated through Nemo like a living echo.
"Some may call you cursed, tainted, or dirtied. Others may call you savior, awakened, or saint. You are all of these and none of these. But above all, like those before you and those yet to come, you are hope. Hope for a better future and a safer tomorrow."
As the final syllable faded, Arbil relaxed.
"That was the Invocation. Now for the real work. To become hope, you must defeat your enemies. But to defeat them, you must know them. And before that, you must know yourself. I'm here to help you do that."
He shifted his hand slightly, applying pressure to Nemo's abdomen.
"Inside you lies a root, recently awakened. It is the literal source of your power. What I did just now was establish a bridge—a link between your subconscious understanding of yourself and your conscious awareness."
As Arbil spoke, Nemo felt something move within him—a thread of green energy coursing from his chest into his organs: heart, lungs, liver, stomach, spine, and up into his brain. It connected everything before vanishing, as if absorbed into his being.
"The first part is complete. I connected you to yourself. Now, follow my next instructions carefully."
His hand remained on Nemo's belly, firmer now.
"This is where your roots are born. If this area is damaged, your power vanishes. So the first skill every awakened must learn is how to move their roots. Try to feel them."
Nemo shut his eyes and focused on the pressure. Arbil's hand rested above his navel, but the sensation he was guiding Nemo toward lay deeper—beyond flesh.
Time passed. Then, finally, Nemo felt something.
Not tangible. Not physical. But present.
Like an unmelting shard of ice lodged inside him.
"I feel it."
"Good. What you're sensing isn't the root itself. It's the place where your physical and spiritual bodies intersect. The origin of your power. Now, use your mind to will yourself into that space."
Nemo tried. He closed his eyes tighter, focused harder.
But it was like trying to grasp a shadow with bare hands. Every time he reached out, something stopped him. Something within himself resisted the idea.
He couldn't enter the space.
Not yet.