After the talk with his parents, Kyle felt relieved.
He had been worried that his parents might shun him. Being unawakened meant, in this world, that he was considered useless.
In today's world, strength is everything. So, he had been anxious—what if his parents only cared about power?
But he trusted them. That trust was what gave him the courage to open up and talk about his problem.
Time flew by quickly. The morning sun now seeped into the room as Kyle sat lost in thoughts about yesterday's conversation.
He had planned to go to the attic last night, but it got late, and his mother had urged him to rest.
Now, he lifted himself from bed, washed up, tidied himself, and went to the kitchen.
He was hungry.
Breakfast today was an egg sandwich with a cup of hot coffee. As always, his mother's cooking was the best.
"Dad, the key to the attic?"
Kalum looked at his son. Kyle looked much better than he did yesterday.
"Ask your mom."
Kyle smiled at the reply. He turned to his mother, grinning brightly.
"Your butt's not even warm yet and you're already asking about the attic," Aeiana said, rolling her eyes.
"Take the key off the hook, same place as always. It's the one with the blue bear keychain."
Kyle was clearly eager. He had asked about the attic key right after finishing breakfast.
He let out a small laugh, walked over to the key hook beside the door, grabbed the key with the blue bear, and ran upstairs.
Mind you, he was only 15, nearly 16.
He might look tough and indifferent, but his childlike side always came out when he was with his parents.
At the attic, Kyle inserted the key and turned the knob. As he opened the door, a wave of dusty air greeted him.
It had been a long time since the last cleanup. The attic was only cleaned once a year. Inside, there was a large table and several bookshelves.
Books and documents were scattered everywhere.
Kyle didn't know where to begin, but he kept his spirits high.
He could do this.
This was his chance to learn about "Null"—and maybe even awaken.
He walked to the first bookshelf, running his hand across the spines of the books, scanning the table.
Whenever he found untitled books or documents, he took his time checking their contents.
He spent the entire day doing this—reading, flipping through pages, searching for any kind of clue.
But by the time he reached the final bookshelf, the search felt futile.
He carefully combed through the last few documents, hoping for something, anything.
And then—pain.
He flinched as something sharp cut his finger. Blood welled up and dripped onto a particular black book.
He must have been too engrossed to notice the book's edge.
Picking up the black book, he checked if the blood had stained or damaged it.
"What?"
His eyes widened.
It was clean.
He clearly saw his blood drip onto it. But now, there was no trace.
Confused, Kyle opened the book to inspect further—just to make sure.
The pages were blank.
It looked like it had 200 or so pages, all untouched, old, and white.
He blinked.
Suddenly, words began appearing on the first page.
Hi?
If you're reading this book, that means I'm dead.
It's okay.
This book cannot be opened by just anyone.
If you were able to open it, then you're the chosen one. Please take good care of this book.
The unawakened one, this is your chance.
Kyle's eyes widened again at the last sentence.
"How…?"
'The unawakened one?'
He had almost lost hope of finding anything in the attic.
But this… This sentence directly acknowledged him.
Without hesitation, he turned the page.
Just moments ago, the book had been completely blank.
Now, it continued.
Hi?
I am Milia. Today is a good day. I remember it like yesterday—my first meeting with him.
He stood beside me and offered his hand, helping me up.
At that time, I was exhausted. Tired of everything related to the unawakened agenda.
I took revenge. I did. But I ran out of time.
He never knew—I was the reason behind it all.
With kind eyes and a warm smile, he spoke to me, trying to help me find my way home.
Home? That felt so far away.
I was trapped in that place all along.
The unawakened lab.
What I endured in there? Let me tell you—ah, wait. Someone's knocking. Time for dinner. I'll continue this later.
That was the last entry on the second page.
It felt more like a diary.
Milia… Kyle tried to remember. Wasn't one of his ancestors named Kaius?
Milia…
He wasn't sure. There is no mention of thei person. As he turned the next page, a small line appeared at the bottom.
Forest of Orcan. I left something for the one destined to receive this book.
Kyle's heart pounded.
"Forest of Orcan… That's the forbidden forest—the one said to hold remnants of Abyssiptic creatures," he muttered.
'The unawakened lab?'
'That must mean there's an organization doing research on the unawakened, right?'
'But why is there no information about it now?'
'Even online, he had found nothing.'
"What is this revenge she mentioned?" he whispered, brushing his finger over the line I took revenge. I did.
His mind raced, trying to piece everything together. But the clues were still scattered.
Still—there was hope.
The Forest of Orcan might be the key. It could be dangerous, sure, but doing nothing felt worse.
He would go.
He would try not to die. Promise.