The dawn broke over the desolate slums of Craven's Hollow, casting a feeble light on the crumbling shanties. The air was thick with the stench of decay, mingling with the faint scent of morning dew. Kael stood at the edge of the cliff, overlooking the city. His eyes, hardened by years of suffering, reflected the dying light of the morning sun.
"I wasn't always like this," he thought, memories flooding back.
"There was a time when my family was whole. My father, once a proud warrior, taught me how to fight. My mother's laughter echoed through our home, her love wrapping us in warmth. But those days are gone, buried under the weight of our misery."
Kael clenched his fists, feeling the familiar sting of anger and helplessness.
"It all changed the day they came."
He recalled the day when everything fell apart. The day the monsters stormed into Craven's Hollow, taking everything that mattered to him. That day had set him on a path of vengeance, transforming him from a mere boy into a force of reckoning.
"I will become stronger," he vowed. "I will defy this world and anyone who stands in my way."
"At least that's what I thought. How did I end up being the one left behind to hinder the monsters while others fled, leaving me to face them alone?"
Kael's mind drifted back to the streets of Craven's Hollow. The narrow alleys were filled with debris, and the buildings were in various states of disrepair. Children with hollow eyes played in the dirt, their laughter a rare sound in a place consumed by despair. Kael had once been one of those children, before the world turned against him.
How It All Started
Three years ago, on a normal night under a full moon, a mystical woman bathed in golden light appeared in the sky. Her presence was both mesmerizing and terrifying. She called herself the Manager of Planet 439, from a group known as the Overseers of Worlds. Her voice was cold and commanding as she told humanity they were to survive and entertain the gods. Her smile, twisted and malicious, hinted at the horrors to come.
Suddenly, the earth split apart, and Rune Gates began to appear. Monsters poured out of the gates, killing people everywhere. The population of Earth was halved in an instant. Chaos reigned as people tried to flee or fight back. Out of sheer anger, some went berserk, battling the monsters and awakening as Meta-Humans. They grew stronger with the drops they collected from the slain creatures.
It was then that Kael lost everything. His father died protecting their family, his last words a plea for Kael to survive. His mother was eaten alive before his eyes, her screams haunting his dreams. He could do nothing but watch, paralyzed by fear and grief.
24 Hours Ago
In front of the Rune Gate, Kael stood, even after three years, working as a Porter for the Meta-Humans, cleaning up the Rune Gates after they finished their hunts. His role as a Non-Awakened, a regular human, was menial and dangerous. He was constantly reminded of his powerlessness.
The gate before him was a D-Rank Rune Gate named "The Final Maze." It was a grand name for a lower-mid level Gate, housing Goblins, Kobolds, Demonic Spiders, and a Minotaur as the Gate Boss—a C-Rank monster.
"Hey Kael, extract the Rune Stone from that Kobold's body and don't forget to do it carefully. Last time you damaged the Rune Stone, and the manager gave me an earful," Jose called out.
"Don't worry, Mr. Jose. I'll be careful this time," Kael replied, kneeling beside the Kobold's corpse. His hands trembled slightly as he worked, the memory of past mistakes haunting him.
Mr. Jose was the cleaning team leader of the Silver Sword Guild, a generous man who had hired Kael despite his lack of experience. He was one of the few who showed kindness in this harsh world.
Suddenly, the Gate started to shake, and the maze walls began to crack. Panic spread through the team.
"Everyone, hurry! Run for the exit gate! The gate is collapsing! We'll die if we don't get out!" Jose shouted, his voice laced with urgency.
The team sprinted towards the exit. Out of nowhere, a wounded Kobold grabbed Kael's leg and slammed its club into it, breaking it instantly. He fell to the ground, screaming, "Somebody help! I can't walk! Please don't leave me!"
But no one stopped. No one came back for him. The walls continued to crumble around him, debris falling and creating a cacophony of destruction.
It was at that moment that my life changed forever.