Faint rays of sunlight fell halfway down the young man's face with a wistful look. His fingertips touched each other, and his green eyes were directed at one point, at the massive portrait on the wall. The aroma of just-cooked food wafted toward him, but his mind was focused on something else.
It was the most important day of his entire life. The day he would get the freedom, the one he had desired for years.
"Breaking News! A group of robbers broke into a bank and took hostages! Special forces are on the way to the scene! They may be intruders from the Dark Outskirts!"
The voice of the reporting girl echoed through the wide hall, reaching the high windows and spreading across the long table where only three people sitting.
Click.
A man in an expensive suit took the remote control in his hands, turning off the TV. The pleasant morning silence reigned in the room and the man calmly picked up a knife to spread butter on bread.
"Despite our best efforts, there is still a crime in the city." The man shook his head with a dark face.
A woman with long black hair sat across from him, frequently glancing at her watch as if she was waiting for something important.
"Alex, don't worry, in today's meeting, we will definitely succeed!" The woman spoke with a wide smile, her eyes shining with anticipation.
"Ah, Maria, you're always enthusiastic, but today is an important date not only for us, isn't it?" Alex looked to his right, at the one who sat in the center of the table, being the most significant person in their family.
Ethan was staring at a portrait of a gray-haired man of age with a cane and a deep gaze filled with wisdom and strength.
It was Ethan's grandfather, who had died several years ago. However, his name will remain in the city's history for decades to come. For he, Marid Mercer was a ruler who had achieved what others could not even dream of.
"Yeah..." Ethan nodded slightly, "I'll pass the exam and finally do what I want..."
After his words, Maria and Alex became wary. They knew what their son wanted to say, for a family of politicians this was unacceptable.
"I'm going to the Dark Outskirts, at least on an expedition." Ethan said calmly, with a sigh lifting his head upwards.
"That's out of the question!" Alex exclaimed, pounding his fist on the table, which was rare for him, "Your mother and I are not fighting for our city for you to go to suicidal places!"
Maria said nothing, her gaze faded as she clenched her fists.
"I'm not hungry, thank you."
Ethan stood up from the table, slung his backpack on his shoulder, and headed for the exit.
"Be careful..." Maria muttered with concern. The bank the robbers had attacked was near the academy Ethan attended.
"Sure." Ethan waved his hand, closing the door behind him.
A car was waiting for him at the gates of the mansion, but Ethan decided to walk, he wanted to enjoy the last few hours of his routine.
"Agh... It's so stuffy in these clothes..."
Ethan muttered walking under the blazing sun, pulling his shirt collar aside. He shook his head and looked ahead, at the high walls rising in the distance. Beyond them was the world Ethan had always wanted, dark, cruel, and most importantly unpredictable.
For him, determination was a synonym for captivity, and uncertainty equaled freedom.
The place where he lived, Light City, was a center where only the wealthy could afford to stay, who were lucky enough not to end up in the slums or the Dark Outskirts. In Light City, everyone enjoyed a life of peace, although there was crime, but compared to the Dark Outskirts, it was a paradise.
Everyone living in the Light City didn't have to worry about food or shelter, they could have fun and study, then get a job and spend their lives that way. No surprises, because the government could give everyone a place to work.
"Maybe if the people of the outskirts heard me they'd hate me, but..." Ethan muttered, looking at the perfectly clean roads with flowers blooming in the arches, "This is a cage to me. I want to go ba..."
Ethan's parents carried on his grandfather's legacy, however, in Ethan's opinion, his parents were too soft or even kind.
"Hah, they're good people after all, definitely better than me..." Ethan muttered with a slight smile on his face before continuing on his way towards the academy.
Ethan's relationship with his parents was strained because they didn't want to let him go to the Dark Outskirts. It was too dangerous, but he actually loved them sincerely just because of his age he was arrogant.
Even the center of heaven wasn't suitable for everyone, nothing in this world was perfect.
"Please! Your iced coffee!" The girl with a wide smile on her face, held out a cup to Ethan.
Ethan nodded and headed forward. He savored the smell before bringing the cup closer to his mouth, about to take the first sip.
Suddenly something blocked out the bright sun, even though Ethan was standing in the middle of the street. The shadow that covered him was oddly shaped, causing him to raise his head sharply.
"Agh...? Is that Angel...?" Ethan muttered looking at the dark silhouette. Then he blinked and the shadow disappeared as if it never happened.
Ethan shook his head.
"Gotta hurry, even though I hate this academy, I've been looking forward to today's exam more than anything."
Azure Academy, Ethan attended and it was huge, with complexes, almost like a mini city. There were only a few academies in Light City, but they were all large enough to give a great number of students everything they needed.
Without taking a single sip, Ethan found himself in front of the main gate of the academy, about to step through it.
It had been the entrance to the prison for him for years, but today it was the way to his desires.
"Ethan!"
There was a happy shout from outside as a girl with blonde hair and eyes shining with excitement ran up to him.
"Lea..." Ethan muttered.
"Decided to come early, right?" Lea gave him a smile filled with kindness, "I'm sure passing this exam won't be a problem for you!"
"Yeah... I hope so." Ethan nodded.
Lea with a serious expression, started looking for something in her bag.
"Here." Lea handed to Zayne a diamond-shaped wooden amulet, completely empty without any patterns.
"Hmm? What's this?" Zayne tilted his head in confusion.
Lea smiled, "I bought one of these for myself and decided to get one for you too. The idea is very simple! When something important happens in your life, you put a mark on the amulet. I'm sure today's exam will be the first such event!"
Then, Lea waved her hand and quickly ran to the academy. There was still time before the exam started, and she wanted to do it all over again.
Ethan smiled slightly. They'd known each other for years, and to him, Lea was the kindest, most sincere, and yet naive person he'd ever known.
'Well, unlike me, Light City is the perfect place for her. Her simplicity is actually charming.' Ethan smiled bitterly as he walked through the gate.
Lastly, he turned around and looked towards the main building in the entire city, the Government Palace. This was where all important decisions were made and where Ethan's parents were now.
Ethan took his first sip of coffee, staring intently at the Palace when a shiver ran through his body and a huge shadow of some object fell across the city.
A massive Citadel appeared out of nowhere and soared through the air, stopping above the Palace.
Before anyone could realize a thing, a multitude of silhouettes flew out of the Citadel, with broad wings on their backs, emitting a beautiful light.
They were Angels, exactly as people had imagined them to be, flawless and majestic. One of the Angels rushed toward the academy, appearing above it as fast as Ethan's eyes were following it.
Less than a minute had passed since the Citadel had appeared, many hadn't even noticed what had happened yet, but it was an event that changed their lives forever.
[Mortals... The hour has come when you will have to answer for your sins that you have accumulated for decades without thinking of the consequences...].
A calm voice echoed from the Citadel, spreading throughout Light City. Its magnificence and sublimity permeated everyone's mind.
At the same moment, flashes of different colors shone brightly all over Light City. One of them was directly above the academy, shining with a green glow.
Ethan turned around and a chill ran down his back.
Hovering over the academy was an Angel with long black hair and wide open snow-white wings. His eyes were closed and his hands were folded in prayer. Between his palms seemed to be hidden a real star that was the source of light.
'What the hell is going on here...?' Ethan thought without taking his eyes off Angel.
After a while, Angel raised his head to the heavens and opened his palms, releasing the star.
The star exploded, covering the entire academy with an impenetrable barrier that ended just outside the gate.
"Fuck!"
Ethan tried to run outside, but before he could turn around, the dome had already come down. A similar thing happened all over Light City, hundreds of domes covered various areas, locking people inside.
[Now... It's time to begin your first trial...]
The majestic voice once again spread across the city, for a moment strangely calming the people that were consumed by panic.
[However... Before that, you must realize that you are only sinners whose fate is in our hands... There is no point in resisting and here is the proof of that...]
The crystal at the bottom of the Citadel like its core shone brightly. The gaze of every citizen was fixed on this scene, even those who lived in the Dark Outskirts.
A flash of lightning went through Ethan's head.
"NO!!!!"
Ethan shouted, holding out his hand as if trying to stop the inevitable.
The Citadel crystal flashed brightly, and then a ray of light rained down on the Government Palace, in a heartbeat, turning it to ash, taking with it hundreds of lives of the people who ruled the Light City.
Instead of a huge building, all that was left was a crater, empty and deep as the abyss into which every citizen of the city had mentally fallen at that moment.
The cup of coffee fell out of Ethan's hands, spilling onto the ground while tears flowed down his cheeks in the realization of what had happened.
Ethan turned slowly toward Angel, who was hovering over the Academy with a calm face as if nothing significant had occurred.
A ferocious flame appeared deep inside Ethan's eyes, a combination of hatred and vengeance, cruel and beyond even his own control.