A Name Best Left Unspoken
The doctor fastened a sensor around my wrist as he spoke. The device sitting in front of me looked far more like experimental equipment than any ordinary medical tool. A transparent glass sphere hovered above a circular pedestal at waist height, held in place by some invisible force rather than any visible support. Inside the sphere, multiple thin rings of light overlapped like planetary rings, rotating slowly in different directions. Intricate circuit patterns glowed across its surface while a soft blue light pulsed rhythmically, like a heartbeat.
How did they even build this thing? It looks like straight-up magic.
“We’ll begin the ability examination shortly. Please try not to be nervous.”
The machine gave a low vibration. Blue light slowly spread from my fingertips, layering across my skin as though it were scanning every contour of my hand. Inside the glass sphere, lines of light rotated and began meticulously tracing my palm. A faint current—neither cold nor warm—flowed through me. The blue glow covered my palm, then crept between my fingers and up the back of my hand. It felt like the machine was reading every piece of information my body held just by touching my hand.
Biometric Information Scan Complete
Analyzing Energy Wavelength…
A moment later the light inside the sphere contracted sharply, then burst outward like an explosion. Bold text appeared in the center of the monitor.
Ability Name Analysis Result
Ya-eum
My heart started hammering like it wanted to escape my chest. Oh god. Please. At least spare me the name.
“Ya-eum?” The doctor paused while reading the screen. “I’m not too familiar with the hanja. Does it mean anything specific?”
Mom turned to the doctor. “What does it mean?”
He rolled his eyes in thought for a second, then checked his tablet. “The combination of characters… suggests something like ‘lewd’ and ‘obscene.’”
It’s over. My mind went completely white. Beside me, Mom’s head slowly turned in my direction.
“…Excuse me?”
“Ah, that’s only the literal translation of the characters…” The doctor waved his hands, flustered. “It doesn’t necessarily reflect the actual nature of the ability. It’s purely linguistic.”
I couldn’t say a single word. I could feel heat rushing all the way to the tips of my ears.
“…No, that’s not…” I barely managed to open my mouth, but nothing else came out. What am I even supposed to say? That it’s not like that? But it kind of is? Wait, no it isn’t? My brain is completely tangled.
The doctor cleared his throat awkwardly. “Early ability names are often symbolic. They frequently have nothing to do with the actual effect.”
“So…” Mom asked carefully, “my daughter’s ability is… that?”
I jumped in before the awkwardness could get any worse. “It’s a physical enhancement type!”
“…Pardon?” The doctor blinked.
“Physical… enhancement…” I repeated, trying to keep my expression as neutral as possible. “You know, the body gets stronger, reaction speed improves… that sort of thing.”
It wasn’t a complete lie. Not entirely.
The doctor made a thoughtful face and checked the monitor again.
Estimated Ability Category: Physical Enhancement / Mental Interference Hybrid
“It’s true that her physical readings are abnormally high,” he noted.
I let out a silent sigh of relief inside.
“It’s rare, but hybrid types can appear even in initial awakenings,” the doctor said with a nod. “It’s possible the primary axis is physical reinforcement with secondary effects mixed in.”
“Yes! Exactly! That’s it!” I immediately agreed.
Mom still wore a complicated expression. “But why is the name…”
“The System decides the names, not us!” I cut in quickly.
“Is that so?”
“Yes!”
Did that work?
The doctor checked the screen one more time. The graphs were climbing rapidly.
“Muscle strength, reaction speed, recovery rate…” He muttered under his breath, then stopped. “Her physical abilities are in the upper ranks.”
My eyes sparkled. “Then…!”
“However.”
The sentence was cut off. The doctor’s gaze moved down to another section.
Ability Characteristic Analysis
Mental Influence Type Detected
“This is where the issue lies. The ability isn’t purely physical enhancement,” the doctor said calmly. “It includes an ‘indirect influence type’ that affects targets in the surrounding area.”
Mom reacted immediately. “What do you mean by influence?”
The doctor chose his words carefully. “To put it simply…” He paused for a moment. “There is a possibility it can interfere with other people’s emotions or judgment.”
I couldn’t speak.
“Abilities of this type are subject to very strict management protocols. A dedicated supervisor may be assigned.”
The doctor scrolled the screen.
Ability Controllability: Unconfirmed
Voluntary Regulation Possible: Unknown
Requires Constant Attention
Danger Level: S
“It may activate even if the user isn’t consciously aware of it, and it can continuously affect people nearby.”
Mom’s face hardened. The doctor continued.
“Especially in the case of adolescent awakeners…”
Minor Awakener Safety Protocol
Mental interference types carry exceptionally high risk and therefore require particularly stringent oversight.
The doctor paused as if choosing his words. “The danger rating is measured quite high, so even stricter management is necessary.”
My eyes widened. “Why?”
“Because control hasn’t been verified yet. Also, with limited experience, the ability could potentially run out of control.” The doctor spoke matter-of-factly. “Mental types can influence their surroundings regardless of the user’s intention. That’s why, in the beginning, many receive intensive care from the Management Bureau until everything is confirmed.”
“Once you gain the ability to control it yourself, you can undergo re-examination.”
He paused again, then quietly added, “To help you understand, let me tell you about an incident from a few years ago.”
Both Mom and I turned our full attention to him.
“It happened several years back.” The doctor’s voice grew a little lower. “There was a student among the new awakeners who manifested a mental interference type ability.”
“At first, the student didn’t fully understand their own power. Since mental interference doesn’t usually show obvious external signs, even they weren’t aware of it.”
“Their friends listened to them unusually well, teachers were especially lenient…”
“At the start, they just thought they were lucky.”
“The problem was… it wasn’t under control.”
My hands tightened slightly.
“Whenever their emotions fluctuated, the people around them experienced the same shifts in judgment. If they thought ‘I hate this,’ the other person would shrink back extremely. On the other hand, favorable feelings could become excessively amplified.”
Mom’s expression grew increasingly stiff.
“In the end…” the doctor continued, “collective conflict erupted among the students in the same class. Some followed the student blindly, others rejected them for no reason. Emotions became tangled, and it eventually led to violence. The student never realized until the very end that they were the cause.”
“What happened to them afterwards?” Mom asked cautiously.
The doctor lowered his eyes for a moment before answering. “They were placed in isolation. After receiving ability control training, it still took quite a long time before they could return to society.”
He returned to his normal tone. “That’s why types like this receive strong supervision from the beginning.”
I couldn’t say anything. In my head, my own skills floated up.
Perfect Beauty. Pheromone Effect.
Am I… really any different from that student?
The examination was winding down. While the doctor organized the results on his tablet, a brief, heavy silence filled the examination room. There was one thing that had been bothering me while I sat there. After hesitating, I opened my mouth as casually as I could.
“Um…”
The doctor looked up. “Yes?”
“When you awaken… do you usually start seeing things?”
“Seeing things?”
I stared into empty space. “Like letters floating in front of me. Some kind of information.”
The doctor’s expression immediately relaxed. “Ah, you mean the status window.”
“Status window?” Mom interjected from the side.
“Yes.” The doctor nodded and explained. “It’s an auxiliary function that appears for some awakeners. It’s not exactly an ability itself, but more of a support system for your ability.”
He drew a simple shape in the air with his finger. “Think of it as an interface that visually displays your personal status and ability information.”
“Then…” Mom’s eyes widened. “Can other people see it too?”
“No.” The doctor shook his head firmly. “It’s only visible to the user themselves. Outsiders cannot see, record, or access it.”
“Eun-ran, what does it say?” Mom asked, turning slightly toward me.
“Just… my name and a few things.”
The doctor added naturally, “At the beginning it usually only shows simple information. As you become more familiar with your ability, the amount of information displayed will gradually increase.”
The doctor finished organizing the tablet and looked up. “That concludes the basic examination.”
I let out a small breath as the tension finally eased. “Is it over?”
“Yes.” He nodded. “Only a few administrative procedures remain.”
“Procedures?”
“Awakener registration.” His words were short and clear. “Once registration is complete, you will be officially recognized as an awakener.”
The doctor stood and gestured toward the door. “Please follow me this way.”
The three of us moved down the hallway. We arrived at a small office-like space. A sign reading ‘Awakener Registration Counter’ hung on the wall, and a neatly dressed employee sat inside.
“New awakener registration,” the doctor said. The employee nodded.
“Please state your name.”
“Moon Eun-ran.”
The sound of keyboard typing echoed briefly.
“Confirmed.” The employee continued while looking at the screen. “I’ll register the ability name, rank, and basic information.”
“The ability name is… Ya-eum. Hanja notation confirmed.” The employee moved on without any particular reaction. “Registration complete.”
A short while later a small card was printed from the machine. The employee took it out and handed it to me.
“This is your temporary awakener registration card.”
I accepted it carefully. On the plastic card and attached documents were my photo and the following information.
Mental interference type ability confirmed. Awakener has not yet demonstrated control. Precision judged low for this reason. However, growth potential rated high due to expected increase in potential once control is achieved. Detailed measurements will be taken during future awakener orientation. Dedicated supervisor to be assigned.
I stared at the document again. The risk level was A-rank. Yet I didn’t lower my head. I gripped the card tightly.
It’s okay.
This is where it begins.
I lifted my gaze to the sky. The dream I had looked up to since I was a child. To become a hero, I would overcome anything it took.