Hao. The Awakening of the Chosen (Finish)

Prologue

—Father, why do I have to do it?—

—Lukotico, you are the chosen one, not your brothers. We've talked about this many times. Why do doubts assail you now?—

—Father, I don't understand. My brother will handle the situation better than I can. I have nothing to offer the Samiz. I keep wondering why I was chosen. There must have been a mistake. I don't deserve to be here. I can't do it, Father.—

—My child, you are where you're supposed to be. You are not a mistake, but the hope of the Samiz. You will guide them in the task entrusted to you. You'll know how to do it; you've always known. Your mother and I will be watching from here, and you can always count on us when you need us. But we will only answer the call when the situation requires it. Son, you have everything it takes to find the Luminaries and teach them their powers and how to use them.—

—I'm afraid of failing in the mission. It's been a long time since one of our own was sent to the Samiz. There are too many eyes on me.—

—You should not fear, but take pride and honor in fulfilling your destiny.—

—Thank you, Father. I will do it.—

I was happy for the words my father had spoken, but I didn't feel as confident as I'd told him. Fear and unease still lingered. I knew my destiny had been marked by the wise, and I had to fulfill it. I was the long-awaited light, but the abundance of doubts and inexperience in dealing with the Samiz troubled me. The next morning, I had to go to the central door to enter their world, but I had several hours to wait, so I decided to go to sleep earlier than planned to avoid overthinking my concerns.

When I woke up the next morning, I saw that my entire family was in my room, waiting for me to wake up and accompany me to the door. Seeing all these close and distant relatives gathered around me, and knowing they had placed their hopes and dreams in me, all the doubts from the previous night vanished. I slowly got up from the rest pod to avoid startling my family. They were delighted that the day had come and embraced me. I could feel my love for them like never before.

We all walked together like a parade towards the central door. I had put on my ceremonial robe, but I had the dressing set in one of the pockets. I passed by the library to grab a book. My family waited at the door while I entered the library, and only my little brother came with me. He was very close to me because when he was born, our parents were busy trying to figure out what had happened to Thomix, so I took care of him. He was curious, intelligent, and somewhat shy, which sometimes hindered him from certain activities. He entered the library with me because, like me, he loved reading what our ancestors had written.

—Lukotico, if today is the ceremony, I don't think you have time to read a book, so what are we looking for exactly?—

—Viktor, I want to be prepared for the journey, and a book always helps. But this time, I'm looking for something I might need during my stay there. I'm not quite sure yet. Check that side, and if you find an interesting book I might need, show it to me.—

—Perfect.—

Initially, I thought about looking in the section on food recipes, but I realized that many ingredients couldn't be found in the Samiz realm. So I went to the medicine section, but I faced the same issue. When I was about to go get Viktor to leave, I saw a book that seemed unattractive from a distance. Still, as I approached, I saw the title: "Ancient Powers of the Antler." I picked it up and went to find Viktor.

—Viktor, did you find anything? I picked up a book about the Luminaries.—

—I found this book.—

Viktor showed me the book he had picked up. It seemed a bit old, with deteriorated pages, and its title was "Survival Inventions". I took it with curiosity to see what it contained, and I decided to keep it.

—Thanks, Viktor. It looks useful. Let's go; the family is waiting for us.—

We left the library and joined our family to continue the journey. Along the way, I saw some who seemed happy to see me, while others appeared upset. However, they all shared the amazement of seeing someone as young as me wearing ceremonial attire. I paid no heed to the criticisms, as I had already criticized myself enough the night before. Upon arriving at the central door's enclosure, we saw 30 wise elders waiting at the entrance and a few others surrounding the door. There were hundreds of people gathered around the enclosure, eagerly awaiting the ceremony. As we approached, my family separated from me, leaving me alone with my brother and parents. The grand sage approached me and spoke:

—Lukotico, do you accept the mission on behalf of the Antler people and promise to carry it out to the best of your ability?—

—I accept, —I said.

—With the power granted to me by the ancient scriptures and having seen the future, I, Santhiago, name you the Robotic. We hope you can handle this new responsibility. The faith and hopes of our people rest upon you. Do not fail us.—

Then, the door opened, revealing a portal leading to a random location in any of the Samiz realms.

—May I say goodbye to them before I go?—

—Of course.—

My mother was the first to embrace me, showering me with kisses while crying inconsolably. She said:

—We all know your worth, and you are prepared. Be careful in case they don't receive you as warmly as Thomix. Visit us whenever you can. I'll miss you. Call me anytime you want, even if your father doesn't answer, I will, whenever you need.—

—Thank you; I will.—

Next was my father, who, emotional and on the verge of tears, told me:

—I want you to know that I'm proud of you, and no matter what you do there, we'll still love you. Be careful, and stay alert. Luther from the Night Whispers may be lurking.—

Finally, Viktor, crying, clung to my leg and said:

—Lukotico, don't go; don't leave me here alone.—

—Viktor, you're not alone. All the family members here love and appreciate you. You'll only be alone if you voluntarily isolate yourself, and even then, we'll always be in your heart, supporting you. Today, I have to go, but I want you to know that wherever I go, you'll always have a place in my heart, Viktor. I love you; never forget that.—

Viktor seemed satisfied with the words I had said, but he still seemed hesitant to let go of my leg. When he finally released me, I took the opportunity to step back in case he changed his mind. Overwhelmed, I said:

—Goodbye, everyone. Thank you for everything. You have illuminated my path, and now it's my turn to illuminate the path for others. Don't forget me, because I won't —