The Gods Knows How

The golden morning light spilled into Rachel's apartment, casting long shadows across the wooden floor. The air was crisp, the faint scent of fresh toast and brewed coffee lingering in the room. The city outside had already stirred awake, the distant hum of traffic and the occasional honk of impatient drivers seeping through her slightly open window.

Rachel sat at the dining table, her slender fingers idly tapping against the surface as she lazily scrolled through her phone. A simple breakfast lay before her—scrambled eggs, toast, and a steaming cup of black coffee. It wasn't anything fancy, but it was warm, and more importantly, it was quiet.

She took a small bite of her toast, chewing absentmindedly as her eyes flicked over the screen.

The news was the same as yesterday.

And the day before.

And probably the day before that.

> [TITANFALL ACADEMY'S GRAND OPENING – THE NEXT GENERATION OF AWAKENERS PREPARE FOR THE FUTURE!]

> [INTERVIEW WITH TITANFALL'S HEADMASTER: 'WE ARE READY TO UNVEIL SOMETHING UNPRECEDENTED']

> [GUILDS COMPETING FOR THE BEST NEW RECRUITS—WHO WILL RISE?]

Rachel let out a quiet sigh, scrolling past yet another sensationalized article about Titanfall.

Of course, the world was buzzing with excitement. Titanfall Academy wasn't just any institution—it was the awakener academy. The best of the best. The place where prodigies, elites, and anyone lucky enough to awaken with power greater than mediocrity would go.

And in just one more day, she'd be there.

Rachel exhaled slowly, taking a sip of her coffee.

Today was her last full day of freedom before Titanfall Academy. She had better things to focus on.

Rachel took another bite of her toast, scrolling further down her phone.

The news articles had shifted to guilds now.

> [VALKYRIE GUILD ANNOUNCES RECORD-HIGH SPONSORSHIP DEALS]

[WARLORD FACTION PLANS TO MONITOR THIS YEAR'S AWAKENING BATCH—ELITE RECRUITS EXPECTED]

[NEW AWAKENING RESEARCH—SCIENTISTS THEORIZING ABOUT UNDETECTED POTENTIALS]

Rachel arched an eyebrow at the last one, but kept scrolling.

She wasn't interested in whatever overly optimistic nonsense scientists were spouting this time.

They were always trying to find loopholes in the awakening system—some way to make the powerless not so powerless.

But in the end, power was power.

You either had it, or you didn't.

And in less than twenty-four hours, she'd be entering a place where that distinction would matter more than anything else.

Rachel put her phone down, exhaling softly as she leaned back in her chair.

Tomorrow, everything would change.

For better or worse.

Rachel sat at the dining table, idly tapping her fingers against the smooth surface. The last crumbs of toast sat on her plate, her coffee cup half-empty. The morning had been uneventful—painfully uneventful.

Her ocean-blue eyes drifted toward the mirror on the far side of the room. She stared at her own reflection.

The Divine Eye of the Void.

It sounded so grand, so ominous. An eye that was supposedly beyond mortal comprehension, a power so terrifying that the Veil Interface itself had practically begged her to keep it a secret.

And yet.

And yet.

It had done nothing.

Rachel clicked her tongue, placed her cup down with an exaggerated sigh, and stood up.

"Alright," she muttered, stretching her arms. "Let's try this one more time."

She locked her bedroom door, yanked the curtains shut, and plopped onto her bed, crossing her legs.

Taking a deep breath, she focused.

Silence.

She concentrated harder, willing the power within her to stir, to respond, to do something.

Nothing.

Rachel frowned.

She gritted her teeth and pushed further, straining as if she were trying to mentally arm-wrestle the laws of reality.

Nothing.

Rachel's patience cracked like cheap glass.

"Alright, you little piece of cosmic garbage," she growled under her breath, rolling up her sleeves as if she were about to fight someone.

She shut her eyes and focused again.

She poured all of her will, all of her being, into awakening the damn thing.

Her breathing slowed. Her heartbeat steadied. The room seemed to hush, as if sensing something was about to happen.

Rachel's forehead tensed. A faint pressure built behind her right eye.

Her fingers twitched in anticipation.

She pushed harder.

So hard that veins began to faintly surface on her temples.

The pressure increased.

Her eye began to tingle.

Her heart pounded.

Rachel's entire body tensed.

And then—

Nothing.

Absolutely. Nothing. Happened.

Rachel snapped.

Her arms flailed like a fish out of water.

"DO I NEED TO JUMP OFF A CLIFF?! SWIM WITH SHARKS?! FIGHT A DRAGON?! GET STRUCK BY LIGHTNING?! WHAT?!!??"

She peeked at the Veil Interface, hoping—praying—for an answer.

The screen remained still.

No response.

Not even a passive-aggressive "..."

Rachel squinted.

"Oh, you're enjoying this, aren't you?" she muttered darkly.

The Veil Interface remained silent.

Rachel sat up, placing a hand over her face.

She inhaled deeply.

Held it.

And then—

"USELESS PIECE OF COSMIC DECORATION!"

She grabbed a pillow and threw it at the floating screen.

It phased through.

Rachel froze.

Slowly, her expression darkened.

"Alright," she muttered. "You win this round."

She flopped back onto the bed in defeat, spreading out like a tragically misunderstood protagonist in a drama.

Her Divine Eye—an entity beyond comprehension, feared by even the Veil itself—was currently as functional as a broken lightbulb.

Rachel let out the longest, most suffering sigh of her life.

"I swear," she muttered, staring at the ceiling, "if I ever meet the person who made this interface thing, I am going to punch them. Right. In. The. Face."

Rachel sat on her bed, staring blankly at the ceiling, the frustration from earlier still lingering in the back of her mind. The Divine Eye of the Void remained as stubbornly inactive as ever, and no amount of yelling, pillow-throwing, or creative threats had changed that.

She let out a deep sigh and turned her gaze toward the window. The sun was rising higher in the sky, casting golden streaks across the tops of the towering buildings. The city outside was already alive with motion—a stark contrast to the quiet stillness of her room.

Rachel sat up. This was her last day here.

Tomorrow, she would be leaving for Titan Fall Academy, one of the most prestigious institutions in the world. The thought stirred something inside her, excitement, curiosity, maybe a little bit of nervousness.

She pushed herself off the bed, stretched, and finally decided.

She needed a walk.

Stepping out of her apartment, Rachel was greeted by the crisp morning air, carrying the faint scent of freshly brewed coffee and the distant, mouthwatering aroma of street food. The streets were already bustling—people in suits hurried to their workplaces, students chatted as they made their way to morning lectures, and vendors shouted out their best deals, hoping to attract customers.

The towering skyscrapers stretched high above her, their reflective glass panels catching the sunlight, shimmering like golden mirrors. Hovering billboards projected news updates and advertisements into the air, flashing images of the latest awakeners, grand guilds, and cutting-edge mana-tech developments.

Rachel's footsteps were steady as she walked through the familiar streets, taking in the sights one last time. She had lived here for years, yet today, everything felt… different.

Her stroll took her toward the market district, where rows of vendors had set up their stalls.

The air was filled with the scent of roasted meat, sweet pastries, and exotic spices. Carts lined the streets, offering everything from enchanted accessories to battle gear, each merchant trying to outsell the next.

Rachel passed by a group of young awakeners huddled around a weapon stall, their eyes sparkling as they admired the enchanted blades.

"That one's mine," a red-haired boy declared, pointing at a sleek dagger pulsing with dark blue runes.

Another boy scoffed. "Like hell it is. You don't even have the mana control to use it properly."

"Shut up! I'm getting into Titan Fall Academy. I'll master it in no time!"

Rachel smirked.She glanced at one of the food stalls, her stomach growling as she caught sight of a plate of freshly fried dumplings. Without hesitation, she stepped forward, ordering a serving.

As she took her first bite, the crispy outer layer gave way to a burst of flavorful, juicy filling. Rachel let out a small hum of approval.

"At least some things in this world never disappoint."

Her next stop was the Guild District, where towering guild halls dominated the skyline. Their massive banners fluttered in the wind, each proudly displaying their emblems.

One particular building caught Rachel's eye—a newly opened guild, surrounded by a sea of reporters and eager recruits.

"Isn't that the 'Azure Fangs'? The new guild making waves in the rankings?"

Curious, she made her way closer, catching bits and pieces of the crowd's chatter.

"Did you hear? Their Guild Master is already at the Master Realm!"

"I heard he fought off a mutated rift beast single-handedly!"

"No way, really?!"

Rachel arched an eyebrow.

"A Master Realm awakener leading a new guild? Interesting."

A soft sigh escaped Rachel's lips as she instinctively willed her Veil Interface to appear, her ocean-blue eyes flickering toward the semi-transparent screen that materialized before her. The familiar interface glowed faintly, its neatly structured data displayed in soft, luminous text, hovering in the air before her.

Her gaze settled on a single detail.

[Realm: Novice]

The absolute bottom.

The weakest classification.

No matter how promising one's awakening was, no matter the talent or potential, if one's realm remained Novice, they were little more than an ant beneath the feet of true Awakeners.

Rachel let out a slow breath, dismissing the interface with a flick of her fingers.

Awakening was merely the beginning.

The true battle was in the climb.

An Awakener's strength was determined by seven distinct realms, each a defining milestone in the path of power.

1. Novice (The Beginning—The Weakest Awakener Stage)

2. Apprentice (The First Step Toward Mastery)

3. Adept (A Recognized Awakener—Capable but Limited)

4. Intermediate (A Dangerous Force—Stronger, More Skilled, Feared)

5. Expert (True Strength—An Established Awakener of High Standing)

6. Master (Peak of Publicly Known Power—Guild Leaders, Elite Hunters)

7. Grandmaster (The Limit—Or So People Believed…)

Each realm served as a barrier between the weak and the strong.

But within each realm was an even stricter division.

Each realm was further divided into five sub-levels, commonly referred to as stars.

Advancement wasn't a simple matter of time or effort. Each Awakener had to surpass the limitations of their current star, growing stronger before ascending to the next.

> Example: A newly advanced Adept would be Adept 1-Star, while someone on the verge of breaking through would be Adept 5-Star.

Upon reaching 5-Star, an Awakener would find themselves standing at the threshold of their next realm, but this was where the true challenge began.

Because breaking through wasn't just a natural progression.

It was a battle.

Power was not gifted.

It was fought for, bled for, earned through relentless battle.

There was no divine revelation, no convenient burst of enlightenment that allowed one to ascend effortlessly.

Unlike in ancient cultivation myths, where enlightenment came through meditation or seated contemplation, the reality of this world was far harsher, bloodier, and unforgiving.

An Awakener could not simply sit cross-legged and "break through" with sheer willpower.

> Power was obtained through struggle.

To break through, an Awakener needed to engage in combat against monsters, enemies, and other Awakeners. Only through the act of battle could they draw out the force required to evolve.

The path of an Awakener was built upon a single mysterious essence known as VITA

It was not something that could be cultivated or refined through mere training—it was something stolen.

> It only existed within living creatures, bound to the essence of all things.

When an Awakener killed, Vita was released from the body of the fallen and absorbed by the victor.

Unlike the outdated concept of "EXP" that scholars once theorized, Vita was a force far more raw, primal, and absolute.

It could not be measured in numbers.

It did not come in even increments.

It was not something granted freely.

> Kill a weak opponent? The Vita gained would be minor, barely enough to make a difference.

Slay an enemy of equal strength? The flow would be stronger, refining one's soul and body.

Defeat something greater—something beyond your own limits? The surge of Vita would be immense, enough to trigger an evolution of power.

> "Strength is stolen, not given."

This phrase was the creed of all battle-hardened Awakeners.

To grow stronger, one had to take from the world around them.

The weak became fuel for the strong.

The strong hunted the weak to maintain their edge.

And those who stagnated?

They were devoured.

Vita was not limitless.

If an Awakener wished to ascend, they needed to push themselves to their absolute limits, risking their lives against powerful foes to extract the essence needed to evolve.

The greater the opponent, the greater the reward.

But it was a gamble.

There was no certainty.

A single mistake---a single miscalculation—could result in death before an Awakener ever reached their next star.

For some, the path to power took years, grinding through lesser creatures in minor Gates, slowly accumulating enough energy to advance.

For others?

One decisive battle.

One impossible victory.

And they would rise.

Or fall.

Forever.

Rachel exhaled softly, her gaze darkening.

> "Novice…"

It was barely above powerless.

Her enemies?

Far, far beyond her reach.

And yet,

A small smirk tugged at her lips.

She would climb.

No matter the cost.

At this point, most people would assume there was a loophole.

"Why not just team up with higher-ranked Awakeners and share the rewards?"

"What if I tag along with a Grandmaster and let them do all the killing while I take a share of the Vita ?"

"Surely, it's not that hard to speed up the process, right?"

Wrong.

Horribly wrong.

Many had thought the same way before.

Many had tried.

And many had exploded into bloody mist before they could even scream.

Vita wasn't just some passive energy transfer.

It wasn't some currency to be shared.

It was raw, unfiltered power.

If someone too weak tried to absorb Vita beyond their limit, their body simply couldn't handle it.

Cells ruptured.Blood boiled.Bones shattered under the strain.

A Novice Awakener trying to absorb the spoils of a Grandmaster's kill?

That was no different than forcing a single drop of water to contain the entire ocean.

It was impossible.

The result was always the same—detonation.

A gory, merciless explosion of flesh, blood, and bone.

The path of power was cruel.

There were no shortcuts.

There was only battle.

Only struggle.

And only those who survived the war would be worthy of rising.

By the time Rachel made it back to her apartment, the sun had begun its descent, casting a warm orange glow over the city.

She leaned against the balcony railing, gazing at the horizon.

Tomorrow, she would leave this place.

Tomorrow, she would step into Titan Fall Academy—a place where the strong gathered, where the elite trained, and where her true journey would begin.

But for now, she allowed herself this one last evening, soaking in the city she had called home for so long.

A faint breeze ruffled her hair, carrying the distant sounds of laughter, chatter, and the hum of life.

Rachel sighed, closing her eyes for a moment.

"One last night, huh?"

She turned away from the view, heading inside.

Tomorrow would come soon enough.

stretching her arms with a yawn, her phone buzzed on the nearby table.

She glanced at the screen. Elena.

With a smirk, Rachel picked up the call and leaned against the couch.

"Sup, traitor?" Rachel said, teasingly.

"Oh, shut up!" Elena's voice came through, mock-offended. "It's not like I chose to go to another academy, you know? The invitation came, my parents were excited, and now I'm being shipped off to Ravenheart like some package."

Rachel chuckled. "You are a package, just an annoying one."

Elena scoffed. "Excuse you! I am a limited edition, one-of-a-kind, high-value treasure."

Rachel rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Keep telling yourself that."

A loud thud came from Elena's side of the call, followed by her mother's voice in the background:

"Elena! Stop lazing around and pack your things!"

Rachel grinned. "Oho? Miss 'high-value treasure' is being scolded?"

Elena groaned. "You don't understand, Rachel. Packing is torture! I have to decide what to take, what to leave, and my mom keeps adding unnecessary things! Do I really need five sets of formal dresses?! It's an academy, not a noble banquet!"

Rachel snorted. "You? In a dress? Now that's something I'd pay to see."

"Excuse you again! I can be elegant and graceful when I want to!"

Rachel raised an eyebrow. "Elena, the last time you tried wearing heels, you tripped down an entire flight of stairs. And that was in our own apartment building."

Elena gasped dramatically. "That was one time! And it was a malfunction! Those heels were possessed!"

Rachel shook her head, laughing.

Elena sighed on the other end. "Man… I can't believe I won't see you every day anymore."

Rachel felt her chest tighten slightly at the words, but she kept her voice even. "It's not like we're disappearing off the face of the earth, dummy. We'll call, message… and I'll visit Ravenheart sometime. Maybe challenge you to a spar to see how much you've improved."

Elena chuckled. "You mean how much I've surpassed you?"

Rachel smirked. "Dream on, loser."

A comfortable silence followed before Elena spoke again, this time softer. "Take care of yourself at Titan Fall, alright?"

Rachel's expression softened. "You too, Elena."

A moment passed.

Then—

"Wait," Elena said suddenly. "I just realized something."

"What?"

Elena paused for dramatic effect.

"You still haven't packed your stuff yet, have you?"

Rachel froze.

Elena burst out laughing.

"Rachel! You leave TOMORROW! HAHAHA!"

Rachel groaned, dragging a hand down her face. "I hate you so much right now."

"Love you too!" Elena cackled. "See you, loser!"

Before Rachel could throw another insult, Elena hung up.

Rachel sighed, staring at her phone before glancing at her empty suitcase.

"Ugh… I really should've packed earlier."

Grumbling, she pushed herself off the couch.

Tomorrow was going to be a long day.