Siblings and Awakening

Night had fully fallen over the fortress. The distant murmur of the hallways gradually faded until the only sound left was the creak of the wind hitting the old stone walls. Axel lay on the bed, arms behind his neck, staring up at the dark ceiling. The dim light of a nearly extinguished lamp cast long, flickering shadows, as if the entire room were breathing in rhythm with his thoughts.

He couldn’t stop turning over in his mind what Pedro had told him just hours earlier in the fortress buffet. The story of that endless war kept echoing inside him like a sound that couldn’t be silenced. A hundred years of battles, betrayals, destroyed families. It sounded like a chapter from a world history book, or even like a war novel he might have skimmed through in the school library. But this time, he wasn’t reading. He was living it.

—It’s incredible —he murmured to himself—. All my life, I've been reading about ancient wars, heroes sacrificing themselves, people rising against tyrants… and now I’m in the middle of something just like that.

The thought scared him, but it also sparked a strange fascination. If everything went well, if they managed to win this war, would his name be written in this world’s history books? Would children study his face in some mural, talk about his decisions, praise him as a hero? A nervous laugh escaped his lips.

—Imagine it, Axel, “the Worthy.” They’d probably put your face on the coins… although knowing my luck, they’d pick the worst picture.

He tried to keep joking to lighten the heaviness of the day, but a sound distracted him. A low, guttural, repetitive noise. He shifted slightly on the bed, squinting toward his right side. And there he was: Lexus, fast asleep, mouth slightly open, snoring like a log.

Axel couldn’t help but laugh quietly, remembering Lucy’s words when they had been shown to the dormitory. “Watch out, Axel! He snores like a bear in hibernation!”

—I can’t believe it —he whispered—. You were right, Lucy.

He tried to roll onto his side, adjusting himself. Fatigue finally took over his body. He felt the heaviness of his eyelids hit him like a wave, as if all the effort of that day had piled onto him at once. He remembered the deaths, the betrayals, the revelations… and then, he simply let himself be carried away by sleep.

Morning came with a scream and a thud.

—Wake up, sleepyhead!

Before he could react, Axel felt a weight crash onto his chest. Opening his eyes, he saw Lucy’s smiling face practically lying on top of him, arms stretched as if she had just jumped from a trampoline.

—What are you doing? Are you crazy? —Axel shouted, trying to push her off.

Lexus, from the bed next to him, watched with a face full of resignation, rubbing his eyes.

—That’s her. —His voice was rough from sleep—. She did the same thing to me the first day I arrived.

Axel sat up with difficulty, while Lucy laughed as if she had just achieved a major victory.

—Are you two a couple or what? —Axel asked, still incredulous—. You seem really close.

Lucy furrowed her brow and pushed him hard.

—Gross, Axel! Don’t say stupid things. We’re like siblings.

—Yeah, something like that —Lexus shrugged—. It’s a long story.

—Alright, alright… but tell me another day —Axel stretched—. I’ve had enough of long stories for now.

Lucy laughed, pointing at him with her finger.

—Still, I always wanted a younger brother.

—A younger brother? How old are you? —Axel asked.

—Eighteen. And you?

—Sixteen… well, almost seventeen —he puffed out his chest.

—See? I’m older —Lucy replied with a victorious smile.

—But I’m taller!

—That doesn’t matter here —she said, sticking out her tongue.

The argument ended in laughter, while Lexus covered his face with the sheet, pretending to be desperate.

After changing into more comfortable clothes, the three left the dormitory. Lucy walked in front, exuding the air of a commander enjoying every step.

—What about breakfast? —Axel protested as they walked down the hallways.

—Duty calls —Lucy responded with mock seriousness.

—First duty, then stomach —added Lexus.

—Well, maybe the stomach too —Lucy suddenly said, pulling a jar of jam from her jacket like it was a hidden treasure.

Axel raised an eyebrow.

—You carry jam with you all the time?

—You never know when it might come in handy —she replied, putting a finger in and licking it with pleasure.

A while later, after an improvised breakfast and plenty of curious stares directed at Axel, they arrived at the training field. Pedro and Luz were waiting, dressed in lightweight, combat-ready clothes. Pedro held a katana with ease, while Luz had two, one on each side.

Just seeing them like that made Axel’s stomach knot. He knew something serious was about to begin.

—Alright, Axel —Pedro said firmly—. It’s time to start building the Worthy Axel.

Axel sighed.

—I already feel pretty worthy. Why do you want to change me?

Luz laughed.

—You might be right… but we need you to be the Worthy Axel this world expects.

Axel ran a hand through his hair.

—This “worthy” thing is starting to sound weird. But… what do you want me to do?

—Train you to fight —Pedro answered—. We’ll protect you always, but you never know what might happen. There may come a time when you have to fight on your own.

Axel rolled his eyes.

—The only fighting I’ve done is in Street Fighter, on the PlayStation.

—Street Fighter? PlayStation? —Luz tilted her head.

—Forget it, I’ll show you another day.

Pedro didn’t waste time.

—As you’ve been told, in this world there is something called Soul Energy. Energy of the soul. We all have it, though few know how to use it. It’s a warmth, a vibration, that with training we can project. You can channel it into objects, throw it as a projectile, or use it to heal, as Lucy did with you.

Axel remembered that moment.

—Yeah… when she healed me, I felt warmth wrapping around me. It didn’t feel like my own, but it was like it mixed with mine.

—Exactly —Lucy confirmed—. That was my energy blending with yours. In truth, what I did is called a Awakening. It’s when one person imbues their own energy into another. This is a very delicate process. It’s dangerous if not done with precision. The reason it worked with me is because I have great control over my energy. Healing someone requires immense control because you’re giving part of your energy to another person. When done correctly, it can make your energy resonate with theirs, like it did with you. But this is not generally recommended without care. Usually, only a small amount of energy is transferred to start, and then through training, one learns to control it properly.

—A… Awakening? —Axel stammered—. So Lucy has to heal me again for it to happen?

—Not exactly —Lexus shook his head—. It’s not something that can be repeated casually. First, you need to learn to sense your own energy. That starts with meditation.

—Meditate? —Axel frowned—. I’m not very good at concentrating, honestly.

—It doesn’t matter —Pedro said—. It’s a journey, not a test.

Without more, he threw a small luminous sphere. Axel caught it instinctively.

—What’s this?

—A condensed ball of energy —Pedro explained—. I want you to sit with it in your hands. This sphere emits waves similar to soul energy. What it will do is make your own energy start resonating with it.

Axel sat on the ground, eyeing the ball with suspicion.

—And what if it explodes?

—It won’t —Luz laughed—. I started the same way.

—But if I do this, will I be able to launch powers and stuff?

Lucy shook her head.

—Not so fast. First, you have to feel it. Later, maybe try throwing it, like I did with the object in your house.

—Ah, right, you still owe me a hairdryer —reminded Axel.

Everyone laughed.

Axel settled in, feeling the weight of curiosity, excitement, and nervousness all at once.

—But I have a question. If I throw energy all the time, won’t I run out? What happens if I do? Do I die?

Pedro looked at him approvingly.

—Excellent question. Yes, soul energy is limited, but it regenerates. Think of your body as a container. If you empty it completely, you’d be on the verge of death. But every day, by breathing, by being in contact with nature, the container fills again. Everything in this world is alive and full of energy.

Axel nodded slowly.

—Makes sense. So the only thing I have to do is… feel this warmth.

—Exactly. Lucy will stay watching you.

She smiled mischievously, pulling out the jam jar.

—Relax, I’ll keep you company. Don’t get distracted. I’ll be eating my jam.

Everyone’s eyes widened slightly, a bead of sweat running down their foreheads, while Axel sighed in resignation and closed his eyes. The training had just begun.