A week later.
River Faelan stood in front of a wall, his gaze fixed on the calendar mounted there. He wore a tank top, a short towel draped around his neck, his face drenched in sweat, chest rising and falling heavily.
He was currently in the living room of their apartment, located in one of the dystopian districts. The space was modest—just a simple couch, a table in the middle, a small kitchen with a tiny island, another table where they ate, and a TV mounted on the far wall.
Everything was plain, even the decorations. But this was all River could afford with his salary and the money from his part-time gigs. Being a dishwasher was just one of them—but it was the most stable, even if some of his coworkers were such d*cks they got off on bullying him.
That was before. Before he became a Hunter. Before he became one of the last ones still standing.
After returning to the past and picking up work again, River didn't let them push him around anymore.
They tried, of course—especially the Head Chef, who hatched a plan to trip him up and get him in trouble. But River, already sharp and alert, saw right through it. So he tripped the guy instead, leaving the fat chef with a few burns for his trouble.
Even when the Head Chef tried to shift the blame onto him, River didn't back down. He flipped the whole situation, calling it an accident. There was a camera, but it hadn't caught everything. In the end, the incident was dismissed.
And just like that, the bullying stopped.
River still didn't understand why they ever enjoyed picking on him in the first place. He had an average face—not ugly—and though he was on the lean side, he wasn't some bony freak that was hard to look at.
Thinking back on his life—even after becoming a Hunter—he'd always been mocked and made fun of. Especially when he Awakened as the Bubble Mage.
Those painful memories resurfaced—constant teasing, insults, isolation. There were times when he wanted to end it all. But after his brother Barn died—after Barn saved him—giving up stopped being an option.
Maybe that was one of the reasons he'd become one of the last standing Hunters, even with such a weak skill.
And over this past week, River had gone through every kind of emotional chaos.
Everything had happened so fast. Some emotions he'd buried deep down were starting to crawl back up. Meeting Barn again—alive—and knowing the Chosen One, the kid he raised like a son, no longer existed… it hit him like a truck. One night, he'd curled up in his room, face buried in his arms, tears and snot pouring out as he wept.
Even now, those emotions hit him at random—making him feel hollow and sad. But no matter how heavy they got, River had to stay strong. The weight of the world was on his shoulders now.
As he stared at the calendar, the door to the living room creaked open and Barn walked in.
Surprised—and a little confused—Barn took a seat on the couch, frowning as he looked at his brother's back.
"Bro, why do you keep looking at the calendar?"
"I'm trying to remember something," River replied, eyes moving from date to date. Once he finished scanning the current month, he flipped to the next one, his mind racing as he tried to recall any upcoming events that could help him grow stronger.
"Remember what?" Barn asked, confused.
"Just something," River answered half-heartedly as he flipped the calendar to the next page.
"You're really weird. So weird," Barn shook his head. "I don't know what's gotten into you. Did you break up with someone? Is that why you started working out and turned all weird like this?"
Hearing that, River turned around with a speechless smile.
This past week, aside from going to work, River had been training his body. It became a strict cycle—waking up, eating a simple breakfast, going to work, then training until late before heading home. That left him only a few hours for dinner and sleep.
But compared to a normal workout, his routine was brutal—to the point he nearly broke his body. He ran around the district until his legs couldn't carry him anymore, did push-ups and sit-ups until he vomited everything in his stomach. Every intense workout he knew, he made it worse, pushing himself past his limits until his body screamed in pain.
Even now, just standing still made his muscles ache and twitch.
There were only a few visible changes in his body so far—it had only been a week, after all.
But despite the pain, River never once thought of giving up.
"I'm preparing for something, Barn," River said with a sigh. "And it's something I should tell you about."
"Don't tell me… are you going to die?" Barn asked, eyes wide with mock fear. "W-what about the money for my Hunter Academy?"
"I…" River was left speechless again. "If I was going to die, is money seriously all you care about? Don't you care about me?"
"I'll only care when you're actually dying," Barn said, lounging comfortably on the sofa. "So, what is it?"
River was quiet for a moment, then opened his mouth. "I'm going to the Awakening Ceremony."
The words echoed in the living room. Barn froze for a moment before suddenly bolting upright.
"What?!" he shouted, staring at his brother in disbelief.
"Don't shout," River said, walking toward his room. "Wait here."
Barn slowly nodded, slumping back down onto the couch. His wide eyes followed River's back, still unable to process the news.
His brother—who had always been timid, always kept his head down—had suddenly changed a week ago. And it wasn't a small change. River had become confident. His posture straightened, he walked with purpose, and then came the workouts, the calendar-checking... and now this?
River wanted to attend the Awakening Ceremony? That was suicide.
As Barn's mind spun with worry, River returned holding an envelope. Judging by the thickness of it, Barn instantly knew what it contained.
"This is your tuition fee," River said as he handed it to him. "It'll cover a few semesters, plus some extra money to keep you afloat for a few months. If you're careful, it could last you a whole year."
He added, "Also, I got you a job. My dishwashing gig—it's stable. The pay isn't much, but it's enough for one person."
"T-this…" Barn took the envelope hesitantly. "This is too sudden. I… can I really do this? Can you?"
"Don't worry about me," River said, ruffling Barn's hair. "Like I said, just focus on yourself. Besides, this is nothing compared to being a Hunter. Once you graduate, come find me. You can do this, Barn. Trust me."
"Why… why do you want to attend the Awakening?" Barn whispered, tears brimming in his eyes. "You don't belong to an Academy or an Organization… it's going to be dangerous."
"For the future, Barn," River said, letting out a heavy sigh as he looked out the window toward Voulton City. "For the future…"