The sun rose slowly.
Jin Haru walked into the hospital with a bag in his hand. It was quiet inside. The nurse at the front desk nodded when she saw him.
"You're here early again," she said.
Haru smiled a little. "Yes. I brought a book today."
He walked to the elevator and pressed the button. The doors opened with a soft sound. He stepped inside and pressed the button for the fourth floor.
Ding.
He walked down the hallway. He knew this path very well.
Room 408.
He opened the door slowly.
Inside, a young girl lay on the bed. Her hair was long and dark. Her eyes were closed. Machines next to her beeped softly. She didn't move.
This was Haru's younger sister.
Her name was Hana.
She had been like this for over a year. Ever since the dungeons appeared and mana spread into the world, something happened to her. The doctors said it was a "mana disorder." Her body could not handle the mana in the air. She fell into a coma.
Haru pulled a chair next to her bed and sat down.
"Good morning, Hana," he said. "It's me again."
He took the book out of the bag. It was a storybook. An old one. Their mother used to read it to them when they were small.
"I'll read Chapter Three today, okay?" he said.
His voice was soft.
He opened the book and began to read.
The room was silent except for the sound of his voice and the soft beeping of machines. Haru read slowly, carefully. He paused sometimes to look at his sister's face.
No change.
He smiled, even though it hurt.
"You always liked this story," he said. "You would laugh at the funny parts. I remember."
He looked out the window for a moment. The sky was blue. Birds flew by.
Then he looked back at her.
"I will help you, Hana. I promise," he whispered. "No matter what it takes… I will save you."
He held her hand gently.
Her hand was warm, but she didn't squeeze back.
Still, he didn't let go.
"I'm going to become stronger," he said. "I will find a way. Even if the world is full of monsters, even if I have no power… I won't stop."
He smiled again, but his eyes were wet.
He wiped them quickly and closed the book.
"Same time tomorrow," he said, standing up.
He looked at her one last time before leaving the room.
Haru left his sister's room and walked down the hallway.
His steps were slow.
He was not tired from walking. He was tired from worry.
He stopped in front of the front desk. A nurse was there, writing something in a file.
Her name was Nurse Ana Santos. She was older than Haru, with short brown hair and glasses. She looked strict, but she had a kind heart.
"Good morning, Haru," she said.
"Good morning," Haru replied, his voice quiet.
She looked at him over her glasses. "Do you have time to talk for a minute?"
Haru nodded and followed her to a small office near the desk.
She sat down behind her desk. He sat across from her.
There was a silence.
Nurse Ana opened a folder. She looked at a paper for a moment, then sighed.
"Haru… the hospital bills are growing again," she said softly. "You paid some last month, but…"
"I know," Haru said quickly. "I'm working. I'll pay more soon."
She looked at him with serious eyes.
"You're working too hard. That's not good for your health. And you're still going to school too."
"I can handle it," Haru said. "I have to."
"Haru…"
He looked down.
"I don't have anyone else," he said. "Just my sister. I'll do anything to keep her here. Please… don't stop her treatment."
Ana's face softened. She closed the folder.
"We're not stopping anything," she said. "I just want you to be careful. If you break down, who will take care of her?"
Haru didn't answer. He clenched his fists.
Nurse Ana stood up and walked around the desk. She placed a hand on his shoulder.
"You're a good brother," she said. "But even good people need help sometimes."
Haru shook his head. "I can't depend on others."
Nurse Ana sighed again. "Then at least take care of yourself. Eat properly. Sleep when you can."
"I will," he said quietly.
They stood there in silence for a moment.
Finally, Haru bowed. "Thank you, Nurse Ana."
She nodded. "Come to me if you need anything. Even if it's just someone to talk to."
He gave her a small smile and left the office.
As he walked out of the hospital, the weight on his shoulders felt heavier.
The bills. The jobs. The pain.
But he didn't stop.
He couldn't.
For his little sister… he had to keep going.
After leaving the hospital, Haru did not go home right away.
He walked to a tall building in the city. The sign above the door read:
Awakening Support Center
Inside, the room was bright and clean. People sat in chairs, waiting. Some looked excited. Others were nervous.
A woman at the front desk smiled. "Welcome. Do you have an appointment?"
Haru shook his head. "No… I just want to check again."
She nodded and gave him a form to fill out. "Go to Room 3 when you're ready."
Haru sat down and wrote his name, age, and ID number. He had done this before—three times, in fact.
But every time, the result was the same.
No power.
No awakening.
Still, he came again. Just in case.
He walked into Room 3.
A man in a white coat stood there. He held a small crystal ball in his hand. "Place your hand here," he said kindly.
Haru placed his hand on the ball.
It glowed faintly… then dimmed.
The man looked at a screen. He waited.
And then, he shook his head.
"I'm sorry," he said. "Still no response. No mana flow. No ability found."
Haru's chest felt heavy.
Again.
The man tried to cheer him up. "Some people awaken late. It's rare, but not impossible. Don't give up hope."
Haru nodded, but his eyes were dull.
"Thank you," he said, and left the room.
Outside, the sun was bright, but Haru felt cold.
He sat on a bench near the street. Children ran past him, laughing. One boy showed off a small flame in his hand. "I awakened yesterday!" he shouted.
A girl clapped her hands. "Wow! You're so cool!"
Haru looked down at his hands.
They were normal.
Just skin and bone. No fire. No power. No light.
"I want to change everything," he whispered. "But I'm still just... me."
He stood up slowly.
He had work to do.
But deep inside, a small voice kept asking:
"What if I never awaken?"
Later night has come.
The night was cold again.
Haru walked out of his third job—a late-night delivery shift. His feet hurt. His back ached. His eyes were heavy. He had worked for more than 16 hours with little food or rest.
But he did not complain.
"I need money for the hospital… I need money for Hana…" he whispered to himself.
The streets were quiet now. Most people were home, sleeping. Haru walked down a dark alley to save time. He held a small bag of leftover bread. That would be his dinner.
Suddenly, the world began to spin.
His legs shook.
His heart beat too fast.
Then—darkness.
He fell.
The bag dropped. Bread rolled onto the ground.
But before he hit the street, two arms caught him.
A warm voice spoke.
"Careful. You'll break if you fall like that."
Haru couldn't open his eyes, but he heard the voice clearly. It was calm and strong. A little cold, but not cruel.
The stranger held him gently.
"You've been pushing too hard," the voice said. "You're just a kid. You'll die at this rate."
Haru whispered weakly, "I… I have to work… my sister…"
"I know," the voice said.
There was silence for a moment. Then, the stranger whispered something strange into Haru's ear.
"Watch the sky."
Haru wanted to ask what that meant.
But everything turned dark.
When he woke up, he was lying on a bench under a streetlight. The bag of bread was beside him. A warm coat was over his shoulders. His backpack was untouched.
The stranger was gone.
Haru sat up slowly.
"Who… was that?" he asked.
He looked up at the night sky. Stars shone above him.
One star was moving.
No… it wasn't a star.
A strange light floated in the sky—soft, quiet, glowing.
But before Haru could look closely, a cloud covered it.
He stood up, legs still weak.
He didn't know what was happening.
But he would remember the voice.
"Watch the sky."
Something was coming.