The Veilwalker

It's been a few months since the incident of the cosmic mana wave and a lot had happened in that time period. The unfortunate students who had met their demise were returned to their families to receive proper burial.

The students who were lucky enough to survive were able to finish their final exams, but the school did not hold a graduation ceremony as the school had to pay homage to their lost ones.

Alex had turned sixteen a few weeks ago and had yet to perform his awakening ceremony to activate his gift. When confronted about it by his parents, he told them about the plans he had with a friend, where they had agreed to have the awakening rite on the same, that was, to wait for her to come of age. He went further to tell them about the girl named Julia Knight of the powerful Knight family.

Olivia, his sister, had teased him about finding a girlfriend. Alex had neither confirmed nor denied the allegations and of course, his family could see the way he talked about her.

...…..

It was the weekend, and Alex with his family made their way to the awakening centre. As this was the big day for Alex, they all made the effort to join him. Of course, Olivia was also interested in meeting Julia, the girl who had captured his little brother's heart.

"You mentioned Ross, your friend, would be there as well?" His father asked.

"Yes, Dad. He turned sixteen weeks ago but chose to wait for me." Alex said with a bit of pride in his voice. For as long as he could remember, Ross had been by his side through it all. He really appreciated and felt blessed to have such a friend.

"Mm, that's good. It's been a while since he's come by," replied his father. Ross has been good friends with his son ever since they met each other, and he appreciates the boy's genuine fondness for his son. Before long, they found themselves before the Awakening Centre. The family stepped out of their ride and made their way forward.

Looking at the building before him, Alex appreciated the architecture and engineering that went into building such a place. And while this was one of many across the city, each one was a beacon for humanity. The building was designed like a stadium with multiple floors. From the outside, the shiny and glossy silvery finish gave the building a sophisticated look, combining style with practicality.

The outer walls also served as displayed panels where information relating to skill awakening was displayed.

Walking inside, Alex observed the crowd inside and could spot a couple of hundred people. But even with these numbers the hall still had enough room for everyone to move around.

"Why don't you call your friends to find them," Olivia suggested. Alex nodded, turned to his smartwatch and instructed Xex to reach out to Ross and Julia by sending them his location. Once done, all they had to do was wait.

A few minutes later, Ross approached the family. Coming along with him was his elder brother, Eein Bongu, a C-class hunter. His imposing height and build made him appear threatening, but the smile adorned on his face said otherwise. And just like Ross, he had a horn and scarlet hair.

"Hey Alex, long time. How have you been?" He asked Alex, coming in for a bro handshake.

"What do you think?" He replied with a grin, excitement written all over his face. Today, he was going to awaken his skill, so of course he would be thrilled!

Ross then went ahead to greet the rest of the family before introducing his older brother.

"This is my older brother, Eein," he introduced Eein to Alex's family, to which they responded positively and did the same.

"Eein, you remember Alex." He gestured at Alex to which Eein nodded.

"It's been a while since I saw you. I'm glad you're finally at the step where your real journey as a hunter begins. You being here with my little brother means a lot to me." Eein made sure to make his gratefulness known to them.

"Ah... It's no trouble. In fact, I would say he is the one I should be thankful to." Alexx replied.

"Alright, enough with the awkwardness. Let's get going!" Ross was ready to begin. He had been waiting for months now.

"Wait, there's still someone coming with us," Alex stated scratching his head. He had informed Ross about Julia and had already been subjected to his teasings.

"Oo…" Ross paused for a second before recalling what Alex told him a few months back.

"… herh… you don't say." Ross expressed with a knowing smile. Of course, he was not spared. Alex also noticed how his sister was trying to stifle her laughter. His parents on the other hand just stood by observing everything going on with smiles, silently rooting for the boys.

With an annoyed look, Alex glared at them before saying, "Enough already. You've had your fun, and I don't want to see you guys behaving like this when she arrives." He warned, trying to sound serious, but failing miserably.

"Behaving like what?" A voice that Alex would recognize anywhere resounded from behind. He froze momentarily before slowly turning around to see Julia standing there with a curious look on her face. She looked at the gathered people and flashed a sweet smile, a smile that captured the hearts of everyone present.

Ross and Olivia had already regained their composure by then, but they were now mesmerized by Julia's sheer brilliance.

Sure, they had heard of the Knight family and the powerful hunters the family had. But not all their members came out into the light of publicity. Of course, they were the only ones captivated.

On her way over and accompanied by James, her butler, Julia had turned the heads of countless people, particularly, the young boys around.

While Olivia, Ross, and even Eein were gawking at her, an innocent question was put forward that completely took them by surprise.

"Brother, is this your girlfriend?" Aaron asked, his eyes shining brightly as he admired the beauty before him.

"…."