The stale air hung heavy in the dimly lit room. Nobubaki, a wisp of a boy no older than ten, huddled in the cold embrace of an iron cage. Blood dribbled from his cracked lips, each cough a rasping echo in the silence. A hulking figure loomed beside him, its features obscured by the shadows.
"Get up!" a voice growled, laced with irritation.
Nobubaki flinched, his gaze straining to pierce the gloom. "W-why?" he stammered, his voice barely a whisper. "What did I do?"
A chilling laugh echoed through the room. "It's all because of him," the figure sneered.
Fear coiled in Nobubaki's gut, but defiance flickered in his eyes. "I don't want to be here. Let me go," he pleaded, his voice cracking.
The figure crouched, its face inches from the cage bars. Nobubaki felt the icy weight of its gaze. "Let you go?" it mocked. "Where would you go? You have no one. No place to call home."
Tears welled in Nobubaki's eyes, but he blinked them back, refusing to show weakness. "I'll find a way. I don't belong here."
The figure stood abruptly, the sudden movement sending a jolt through Nobubaki. Footsteps faded away, leaving him in numbing silence. A sliver of light peeked through a door creaking open, then slammed shut, plunging him back into darkness.
Exhaustion gnawed at him, his eyelids growing heavy. He huddled against the cold bars, whispering questions into the void. "Who am I? Why is this happening?" His consciousness drifted, his last thought a desperate plea for answers.
A cacophony of sounds jolted him awake. Explosions roared, followed by the pounding of boots and frantic shouts. Nobubaki scrambled to his feet, clinging to the bars and screaming for help. The door flew open, and the figure from before rushed in, a lab coat flapping behind him.
"Come on!" the man barked, grabbing Nobubaki's arm and dragging him out of the cage.
Blinded by the sudden brightness of the hallway, Nobubaki stumbled along, catching a fleeting glimpse of the man's brown hair. They weaved through sterile corridors until a dead end halted their escape.
A figure materialized before them, radiating an ethereal golden light. The lab coat man's eyes widened in terror. He yanked Nobubaki close, a dagger glinting at his throat.
"Please let him go," the luminous figure boomed, its voice laced with urgency.
"No!" the man screamed, his voice cracking.
The golden figure intensified its light, bathing the hallway in a blinding radiance. Nobubaki squeezed his eyes shut, overwhelmed by the brilliance.
Nobubaki's eyes fluttered open, greeted by a sterile white room and the steady beep of machines. A hazy memory lingered – darkness, a cage, a golden light. Was it a dream?
A gentle voice broke the silence. "Welcome back, young one. You've had quite an ordeal."
A kind-faced nurse smiled at him. "What...what happened?" he stammered, his voice hoarse.
"You were brought in a few hours ago," she explained. "Rescued by one of our top heroes."
Fragments of the dream swirled in his mind – the cage, the man, the light. But the details blurred, slipping away like sand through his fingers.
"Was it all a dream?" he whispered, searching for answers.
The nurse offered a sympathetic smile. "You've been through a lot, sweetie. Maybe it's best to focus on getting better for now."
As she settled him back into bed, Nobubaki closed his eyes, his mind a tangled mess. Just then, the nurse paused at the door, her eyes widening. A man stood outside – tall, with bright blond hair and piercing golden eyes. He wore a sleek golden costume emblazoned with light beams and a logo: LR on the chest.
"He's awake," the nurse announced.
"Thanks," the man replied, his voice calm and collected.
"Light Ray, can I get your picture?" the nurse requested, her voice tinged with awe.
He nodded, and the flash illuminated the room for a brief moment. Just as quickly, the nurse scurried out, leaving Nobubaki alone with Light Ray.
The golden hero approached, a confident smile on his face. "How are you feeling?"
Nobubaki stared at him, bewildered. "Am good," he mumbled.
"That's good," Light Ray boomed, his voice surprisingly warm.
"Please, who are you?" Nobubaki asked
"Am Light Ray" the man said .
" And who are you?" Light Ray asked.
Nobubaki's brow furrowedHe tried to form a response, but his mind felt like a blank canvas. Panic clawed at his throat. "I don't know," he choked out, his voice barely a whisper.
Light Ray's smile faltered. "Okay, what about your parents? Family?"
Nobubaki squeezed his eyes shut, the question triggering a throbbing pain in his head. Images flickered – a warm hand, a familiar laugh, a face blurred beyond recognition. He clenched his fists, the frustration boiling over. He yelled, a primal scream ripping from his throat.
As his scream echoed through the room, a strange thing happened. A faint blue hexagon materialized on Nobubaki's forehead, pulsing with an ethereal light. Light Ray watched in astonishment, his own golden eyes widening. The symbol vanished as quickly as it appeared, leaving behind only a faint crease on Nobubaki's skin.
Nobubaki collapsed back onto the bed, gasping for breath. Light Ray, shaken by the display, gently placed a hand on his shoulder. "Calm down," he soothed. "It's okay. We'll figure this out together."
Light Ray studied the boy, his thin frame a stark contrast to the starched white sheets. He couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy. Nobubaki looked malnourished with dark hair and brown eyes, every bone visible beneath his pale skin. He looked like a lost puppy, scared and alone.
A knock on the door startled them. A man in a sharp black suit entered, his dark eyes scanning the room. "Light Ray," he acknowledged with a curt nod. "How's the boy?"
"He's lost his memory," Light Ray explained, his voice grim. "We don't even know his real name."
The man raised an eyebrow. "Intriguing."
"Did you get a chance to run a background check?" Light Ray asked
"Negative," Saburota sighed. "Kazuki, this is one's a complete blank. No family records, no identification – it's like he never existed."
"What about that man?" Light Ray asked with a determined voice
"Oh him, his name was Hayashi . Melic : Curse. His melic allows him to put curses on people his curse has a condition before it's released and it's always sealed by a blue hexagonal symbol" Saburota said.
Light Ray was getting angry. " Where is he?" Light Ray asked.
"Somehow the bastard killed himself and escaped further interrogation " Saburota said.
Light Ray clenched his fist and his eye began to give a golden glow .
"Calm down " Saburota said.
The two men exchanged a determined look. And Light Ray glanced at the boy and was determined to change his life.