Jade vaulted the last turn around the stairs down into the lobby. She was late, on all days that she could be late it was today. To be fair she barely got any sleep last night and when she fell asleep it was as like sinking in a deep abyss of no return.

So, she missed her alarm clock, all twelve of them. Running down the street she got there just in time to catch the bus leaving for the city center. Stepping into the bus she slumped down on the first seat and tried catching her breath.

An old lady wearing a large summer hat gave her a smile saying:

“Are you on your way to the Ceremony, my dear?”

“Yeah, I am late though.” Jade answered with a sheepish grin on her face.

“What about your family, no one coming with you?” The lady asked with a bit of concern in her voice.

“It’s just me and my ma, she works as an Alchemist in the Dawn Lotus Sect, they keep her pretty busy.”

“Oh dear, that must be difficult sometimes, no wonder you look so grown up already.”

She gave her best proper adult smile: “Well today is my 18th Birthday, officially going to be an adult now.”

“Congratulation, a birthday on a ceremony day, you are quite lucky. I can still remember my ceremony like it was yesterday. I had some grand dreams of awakening a rare concept and becoming a hunter or maybe even an adventurer.” The old lady had a wistful nostalgic expression as she got lost in her Memories.

Jade’s thoughts drifted back to the very ceremony she talked about. Not for the first time she wondered what concept she might get. Concepts are mostly hereditary getting passed down the line, you either got your mothers or your fathers.

In some rare cases you get a new or different one. My mother’s concept is growth, she works as a junior alchemist making low level potions and pills.

Unfortunately, she was not my biological mother, she found me when I was baby dropped on her stoop. Without a second thought she adopted me and raised me as her own. So, my concept is going to be an unknown until I got it.

I was so caught up in my own thoughts that I would have missed my stop if the nice lady would not have nudged me. I jumped to my feet and dashed out the bus doors. Weaving my self through the crowds of Star Plaza I made my way toward the great heavenly Stadium, or as I liked to call it the Dome.

A towering construct made of reflective sun metal; it was shaped as a dome with four large arched entrances. You could already see a crowd of people gathering and standing in line. Mostly families with their children who like me were going to get awakened today. It stung a little seeing all these happy faces while I was here alone.

I made my way past them and started to get in line with the others. For probably the thousandth time I checked and rechecked all my documents, as well as my awakening stone.

The blue shining rock was provided by the government for every citizen who turned 18 years old. But there was of course a “better” version of it if you could afford it. My stone was one of these better ones, or so I think at least.

Mine was deep green-blue color with smooth edges and a swirl pattern on it. It was the only thing linking me to my real parents, as it was found with me in the small basket that I was abandoned in.

I did a lot of research into this, but I could never find anything about this particular type of stone. Not that anyone would share such secrets with the public anyway.

When it was almost my turn at the entrance, I checked my Status a final time before my awakening.

Name: Jade

Tier: 0

Level: 0

Age: 18

Titles:

Hit points: 80/80

Stamina: 75/75

Mana: 120/120

Attributes:

[Body]

[Speed]

[Mind]

[Soul]

8

7

12

10

Concept:

Locked

Skills: