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Chapter 27: Chapter 26 : Awakening - Part 2 I left the office silently. Every step I took echoed in the empty corridors of the mansion. I had no clear destination. I just walked, as if I could leave behind the burden that had been imposed on me with the simple touch of my feet against the marble. I had heard that word many times before: «Awakening.» In books, in dreams, in that other life I left behind. But only now did I understand how much pain it must bring. "Forge a core. Master the flow. Surpass human limits. And survive..." I stopped in front of one of the windows in the east wing. The glass was cold to the touch, but I didn’t take my hand away. Through it, the back garden stretched out under a grey sky, and the leaves fell silently, swayed by a gentle breeze. As I let myself be absorbed by that peaceful landscape, nostalgia struck me without warning. I remembered what mana meant... in that other world. There, when I still bore the title of Hero, I didn’t need to channel or shape it. The power simply flowed through my body as naturally as breathing. It responded to me like a faithful dog: fast, constant, lethal. —Haah... —I sighed bitterly. "What misfortune..." Here, everything had to be built from scratch. Whether I forged my core in the Dantian, like a Celtra, or in the heart, like a Setrix... the vessel had to sustain it. And if it failed, I could die. «Do not be a disgrace...» The marquis’ words still echoed in my head. Dry. Sharp. Cold. Almost inhuman. —Was that man truly my father? —I whispered. I placed a hand on my chest; my heartbeat seemed to contract softly, as if it still refused to let go of these emotions. "How sad..." The memory of growing up listening to him dictate the value of all things flashed briefly in my mind. "Did he believe the world belonged to him?" And now, apparently. —He believes he has the right to choose for me... —I murmured. «You must be a Celtra.» «A mage honed for battle.» I kept walking down the corridor, my thoughts scattered. From time to time, I saw the shadows cast by the windows slide across the marble, long and oblique, as if they wanted to drag me along with them. Everything in this mansion felt so cold and devoid of warmth. Just like him. The marquis’ words repeated in my mind over and over, mixing with other, deeper, more ambiguous voices. Images seeped into my memory like water through cracks: 「Swords shining in the sky with holy light. Battalions shouting my name. Demons falling one after another by my hand. And companions... Comrades I would never see again.」 All of them... Dead, because of a cursed game I never understood. A game where I was nothing but someone else’s pawn. —Just this once... —I murmured, letting the words fade among the columns. Just this once, I would do as he wished. Just this once, I would let him feed his pride. *** Exactly three days later, Sebastian led me to the deepest part of the mansion’s basement. The path descended through a series of narrow, silent staircases, where only our muffled footsteps and the distant echo of the wind filtering through the vents could be heard. As we descended, the temperature dropped and the air became denser, heavy with humidity and a faint smell of incense. —We have arrived —Sebastián announced quietly. Before us rose an imposing door of black iron, inlaid with golden filigree. At its center, a pentagonal magic seal glowed faintly, pulsing like the heart of a giant. It was clear that without the owner’s approval, no one could pass. I stared at the door in silence, feeling the tension build in my chest. —Here... —Sebastián began, placing a hand on the icy frame— ...is where the core formation ritual will take place. Only a few noble families have rooms like this in their own residences. Most wait until they enroll in the Academy or the Army, where the instructors supervise the process. I listened without taking my eyes off the seal. Its faint glow seemed to beat in rhythm with my heart, almost as if it were calling to me. —If you do it here, young master —Sebastián continued—, you can skip the entire induction week at the Academy. You will enter directly into practical training, as befits your lineage. I stayed silent. Every word he spoke only fueled my curiosity. —Sebastián... —I asked, without looking away from the seal— ...what’s inside? The butler hesitated for a moment before shaking his head lightly. —I don’t know. Only direct bloodline members are allowed to enter. Before I could ask anything else, a deep sound echoed in the corridor. Footsteps. Firm and authoritative—I recognized them instantly. The marquis emerged from the shadows of the hallway, his hands clasped behind his back, wearing that same expression of carved steel on his face. —Sir... —Sebastián immediately bowed. —You may leave —the marquis ordered without even looking at him. Sebastián obeyed, retreating with quiet steps, leaving behind a heavy silence broken only by my own breathing. The marquis stopped before the door and slid his gloved hand across the magic seal. The golden light flared, and a faint tremor ran through the iron frame before the inner mechanisms gave way with a metallic click. —Daven —he finally said, in that deep, emotionless voice. Beyond this door, our ancestors await. This is the chamber where our blood decides whether you are worthy of bearing its legacy. The door began to open with a metallic groan, releasing a blast of mana that struck us head-on. It carried an ancient, reverent pressure that made my skin prickle. The marquis stepped inside first, and I followed. The circular hall unfolded before my eyes. The stone walls were covered in unknown runes, and light stones ignited on their own as they sensed our presence. In each corner, four colossal statues of dark stone stood like eternal guardians, carved with such precision they almost seemed alive. They held broad swords, their tips resting on the ground and their hands clasped over the hilts, in a solemn posture of vigilance. But what truly captured my attention was at the center of the room. There, suspended above a pedestal of obsidian, a colossal heart pulsed. Dark, with incandescent veins that lit up with every beat. Each throb resonated in the air—deep, primal—making it feel as if the earth itself was trembling in time with it. My eyes widened in disbelief. —T-that’s... —I stammered. The marquis stopped at my side, his gaze fixed on the living relic. —Indeed... —he said with solemnity— «The heart of a dragon.»