The Awakening of the destined one

Shu was deep asleep in his room, having grown tired of waiting for his mother. Lost in his nap, he stirred suddenly — his eyes snapped open, glowing a brilliant crimson. A strange red aura surged around him.

Then, without a sound, he vanished from the orphanage compound.

Meanwhile…

The lower-grade demon trailing Hannah had been waiting for the perfect moment to strike. He finally saw his chance when she turned into a barely populated area.

Unaware of the danger behind her, Hannah had just finished her shopping and decided to take a shortcut back to the orphanage. The usual route was long, winding, and ran through the bustling market road, with its endless noise, auctions, and crowds. The shortcut, however, could be accessed by walking to the very end of the market street. Just past the final stall, a narrow bush path led into a long, quiet stretch of road that cut directly toward the orphanage — skipping all the chaos.

Few dared take that path. Wild animals were known to roam it. But Hannah, a former celestial, was not an ordinary woman. She’d retained enough kantar and trained her mortal body well. Wild beasts were no concern to her.

She walked a good distance down the lonely trail when she suddenly froze — her senses flared. A massive presence radiated dark kantar nearby. She turned sharply toward the source.

What she saw sent a chill down her spine.

Towering in front of her was a monstrous being: a humanoid beast with the head of a bull, the hide of a rhino instead of skin, tiger-like claws, and the wings of an eagle. The sheer amount of dark kantar it emitted made her stomach drop.

Still, Hannah didn’t hesitate. Her eyes narrowed as she summoned a kantar barrier around herself. Then, reinforcing her legs with power, she launched forward at inhuman speed — the kind of movement no normal human could track.

The demon, surprised but amused, sneered.

"A human who can use kantar, huh? This’ll be more fun than I thought."

It charged at her with equal speed, its massive fist cloaked in dark kantar. The blow landed with devastating force, sending Hannah flying into the bushes. She crashed hard — but when the dust cleared, she stood unscathed.

A smirk tugged at her lips.

“He might have overwhelming kantar,” she muttered, “but he has no control over it. All that power... and he couldn’t even crack my barrier.”

She surged forward again, this time breaking the sound barrier. Her fists and legs glowed with intensified kantar, and with a precise, deadly strike, she pierced the demon’s chest — clean through.

The demon roared in agony, clutching its chest as dark kantar oozed from the wound.

"I wanted to have fun with you," it bellowed, rage burning in its eyes. "But now… now you’ve made me MAD! No one makes me mad and lives!"

Dark kantar erupted violently around the demon, warping the air. The pressure was so immense that Hannah fell to her knees, unable to stand. Her body trembled, straining against the weight of its power.

She knew this was the end.

So this is it, she thought. I’m sorry, Shu.

The demon raised a massive sphere of concentrated dark kantar and hurled it at her. Hannah squeezed her eyes shut, bracing for death.

But it never came.

Moments passed.

And then—she felt it. A shift in the air. A new energy. One that dwarfed even the demon's.

Hannah slowly opened her eyes.

Standing in front of her was her twelve-year-old son, his body surrounded by an awe-inspiring crimson aura. His kantar pulsed through the earth and sky itself.

His glowing red eyes met the demon’s, and when he spoke, his voice was no longer that of a boy — it echoed with divine command.

“Know your place, you low-class scum.”

Then, in a blur, Shu vanished.

In the next instant, the demon's head exploded from a single devastating punch — its body crashing limply to the ground, lifeless.

Hannah stared in stunned silence.

Shu stood tall, surrounded by power she couldn't even sense. It was everywhere and nowhere. A divine kantar, cloaked from mortal awareness — yet undeniable.

Then he turned to her.

What he said next froze her blood.

“Kali,” he said with a smirk, “it’s good to see you’re doing well.”

Before she could respond, the aura vanished. Shu’s eyes returned to normal, and he collapsed, unconscious.

Hannah rushed to his side, heart pounding.

What… what just happened?

Elsewhere…

Far from the quiet path, three more demons crept toward the orphanage, their dark kantar cloaked in silence.

The peace of Shu’s ordinary life… was over.