"It’ll awaken a trait called [Hollow Eyes] in you. But don’t worry too much. It won’t be immediate. It’ll take a few years before the Hollow Eyes fully awaken."
My excitement faltered.
Traits were mutations.
They were special genetic quirks that passed down through families.
Only around 40% of humans had a trait.
Most traits were small advantages like slightly enhanced strength, sharper eyesight, or better meta.
But my trait wasn’t something common like that.
My trait was called [Hyper Reflexes].
I must’ve inherited it from Mom, given how Daelthorn’s Trait was [Hollow Eyes].
[Hyper Reflexes] was rare even among Traits.
Only one in a billion humans had it. It had helped me win countless battles in my past life.
And because I had Hyper Reflexes Trait... that meant I shouldn’t be able to awaken Hollow Eyes.
The body usually inherited only one genetic mutation. It would be either from the mom, or from the dad.
’So much excitement for nothing.’
In theory, a person could inherit traits from both parents, but it was ridiculously rare even if Wageah.
Dad made me swallow the Awakening Pill with a hopeful look.
"There. See it wasn’t bitter, or sour," he said, and waited for a reaction to prove the Awakening Pill was working on me.
I said nothing.
Suddenly, something stirred in my abdomen.
A strange warmth spread from my stomach like a thin ripple of energy.
I blinked and instinctively placed a hand over my belly.
Dad noticed my reaction.
"You feel a warmth spreading from your stomach, don’t you? That means the Awakening Pill is working. That energy will slowly spread and fuse with your eyes over the years. You will be able to use Hollow Eyes after that."
The Awakening Pill was working?
Did that mean... I had the Hollow Eyes Trait too?
’There’s no way...’ I thought, excited. ’What are the chances I inherited traits from both Mom and Dad?’
I curbed my excitement.
I needed to check if the Awakening Pill was really working, or if it was just a normal reaction that I felt.
I reached inward and found the mental energy the pill was releasing.
It was like a swirling stream of light trapped in my abdomen.
Thanks to the Shadow Class, I already knew how to manipulate the mental energy. It was how I used my Shadow Class skills.
’From what dad said, the energy released by the Awakening Pill needs to be fused with my eyes.’
I focused carefully and began guiding the mental energy upward, directing it toward my eyes.
It resisted at first, but I kept at it.
Slowly, the energy began to rise, flowing through my chest, my neck, and finally to my face.
A pleasant warmth bloomed behind my eyes.
Then I heard Dad’s voice.
"Huh? Y-your eyes..."
I glanced up and saw him staring at me with wide eyes.
He took a step forward, bent down, and looked at my face closely.
His expression was part wonder, part disbelief.
"The color of your eyes is changing. Wait, are you... are you awakening Hollow Eyes already? But you just took the Awakening Pill! It shouldn’t happen for years!"
I didn’t respond to him.
I was still focused on the fusion process.
That warmth in my eyes grew stronger.
I felt like a second layer of vision had slid into place.
The world looked sharper, and clearer.
The colors around me deepened, and I could now see more colors.
The depth of the world became more obvious too. It was like I could tell exactly how far everything was, down to the inch.
The biggest change was the sense of detail.
I could see the individual threads in the bedsheets, the fine lines on Dad’s wristwatch, even the subtle freckles under his eyes.
Dad picked me up and held me at arm’s length, inspecting my face.
"You have grey eyes now," he said, clearly stunned. "You awakened Hollow Eyes! My son awakened Hollow Eyes the moment he took the pill. That’s... that’s unbelievable."
His voice broke into laughter, echoing with pride.
"You’re a genius. You awakened Hollow Eyes! My son awakened Hollow Eyes! We need to tell your mom!" he said, spinning around with me in his arms.
His excitement was like a wave.
He was practically bouncing down the hallway.
When we reached Mom’s room, Dad kicked the door lightly with his foot.
"Lyra! You need to hear this!" he called out.
There was a faint rustling from inside.
The door opened a moment later, and Mom stood there with slightly messy hair, blinking in confusion.
"What is it?" she asked with concern.
She knew about the Awakening Pill was going to be fed tonight, and must be wondering if everything had gone alright.
"Look at our son’s eyes," Dad said, practically shoving me forward.
Mom looked at me, then froze.
"Wait..."
She stepped closer, squinting slightly.
"His eyes. They’re... grey?"
Dad nodded rapidly.
"He awakened Hollow Eyes just now. He took the Awakening Pill and did it instantly. I didn’t even think it was possible. But it happened."
He laughed.
"Our son is a genius! A genius never seen before!"
Mom’s expression shifted.
She was happy, but there was concern of her face.
"Will he be alright? Hollow Eyes are hard to control."
"It’s fine. He has awakened only the first stage. It increases his perception, and eyesight. And since Hollow Eyes’ stages unlock as one’s body grow stronger, it will take time before he can unlock the second stage."
"But..." my mom caressed my face. "He awakened the first stage so quickly. What if he does the same for the second stage."
"You are right. I should prepare some gloves for him in case he awakens the second stage."
He looked at me with a serious expression, then turned to her with a smile.
"You shouldn’t worry too much. Have you forgotten who I am? With my guidance and our son’s natural talent, he will be safe even when he awakens the second stage."
Those words seemed to bring her some relief.
The tightness in her posture eased, and she let out a soft breath.
Then she turned to me and gently cupped my face with both hands.
Her palms were cool, and they smelled faintly of lavender, just like the lotion she always used at night.
She stared into my eyes for a moment, her thumb brushing across my cheek.
"You awakened your Trait so suddenly... You are just like your father in how you do things that exceeds everyone’s expectations," she murmured, then leaned back and smiled faintly. "I guess you really takes after you father."
"That’s what I’ve been saying since day one," Dad replied, clearly proud.
Mom sat beside me on the bed, and after a pause, she looked into my eyes again with a bit more concern.
"You should sleep with us tonight? There might be some... irregularities since you awakened so quickly. Sleep with us, even if it’s just for tonight," she said.
I shook my head without hesitation.
"Dad snores too much," I said simply.
That made Dad chuckle, and Mom gave a soft, bitter smile like she already expected that answer.
I had always been like this.
I preferred my space, avoiding shared rooms whenever I could.
They both knew it.
"He’ll be fine," Dad reassured her, turning more serious again. "The first stage awakening isn’t dangerous at all. There shouldn’t be any complications.
"And honestly, he should be asleep the moment his head touches the pillow. Awakening takes a toll. He’ll probably sleep straight through till morning."
I nodded and followed him to my room.
He waited near the door as I got into bed.
Once I lay down, he gave me a small nod, turned off the lights, and quietly stepped out.
But I didn’t close my eyes.
Once I was sure he’d walked away, I sat up and checked the time on my phone. It was exactly 10:00 p.m.
"I should leave now. I need to help Elira with the summoning issue tonight."