The sun was sinking behind the jagged skyline of the city, casting long shadows over the dilapidated streets of District 13. Here, in the deepest corner of the slums, life moved at a crawl, burdened by the weight of poverty and despair. The air was thick with the stench of decay, both physical and spiritual. In this part of the world, people had long since accepted that they were forgotten—left to rot in the shadow of the towering spires where the elites thrived.
Kael Alvion sat on the edge of a cracked, concrete roof, his eyes fixed on the distant horizon. He could see the lights of the Upper District flickering on as night fell, a reminder of the world he'd never been a part of. In the Upper District, people were born with the Arcanum System, their lives mapped out with potential and power. Down here, there was nothing but struggle.
Kael's stomach growled, a low, insistent rumble that had become all too familiar. He'd gone without food for two days now, and the ache in his gut was as persistent as the cold that seeped through his thin clothes. He clenched his fist, trying to shake off the creeping despair. "Tomorrow," he muttered to himself, a ritualistic promise that had lost its meaning long ago. "Tomorrow will be better."
But deep down, Kael knew it was a lie. Tomorrow would be the same as today, and the day before that. He was twenty-two, and life had been a series of empty tomorrows for as long as he could remember. He had no family, no friends, no purpose. Just another forgotten soul in a forgotten district.
Kael's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a struggle in the alley below. He peered over the edge of the roof and saw two figures grappling in the dim light. One was a large man, a brute with a scarred face and a nasty-looking knife. The other was a much smaller figure, cloaked in a tattered black robe. The smaller figure seemed to be losing the fight, struggling to fend off the larger man's attacks.
Kael hesitated. It wasn't his problem. He had enough trouble of his own without getting involved in someone else's fight. But something about the smaller figure drew his attention. There was a strange, flickering light emanating from beneath the cloak, a soft glow that pulsed with an unnatural rhythm.
Before he knew what he was doing, Kael was climbing down the side of the building, his hands gripping the rough bricks as he made his way to the ground. His heart pounded in his chest, a mix of fear and adrenaline surging through him. He didn't have a plan—just a vague sense that he couldn't let this fight end in another pointless death.
As Kael hit the ground, the larger man noticed him. "Get lost, kid," the brute growled, brandishing his knife. "This ain't your business."
Kael swallowed hard, his mouth dry with fear. "Leave him alone," he said, trying to keep his voice steady. "You've got no right."
The brute laughed, a harsh, grating sound. "No right? In this world, rights are for those who can take them. And you, boy, have nothing."
Before Kael could react, the brute lunged at him, the knife flashing in the dim light. Kael barely had time to raise his arms in defense, expecting the worst. But as the knife neared, the cloaked figure moved with impossible speed, stepping between Kael and the attacker.
There was a flash of light, blinding in its intensity. Kael staggered back, his vision swimming. When the light faded, the brute was lying on the ground, his eyes wide with terror, his body convulsing as if struck by lightning.
The cloaked figure turned to Kael, and for the first time, he saw the person beneath the hood—a gaunt, pale man with eyes that glowed faintly in the darkness. The man's face was lined with age and pain, but there was a spark of something else—determination, or perhaps desperation.
"You shouldn't have interfered," the man said, his voice raspy and weak. "Now… it's too late."
Kael frowned, confused. "Too late for what?"
The man stumbled, clutching his chest as if in pain. "For everything," he whispered. "For you… for me… but maybe… just maybe… there's still time."
With trembling hands, the man reached into his cloak and pulled out a small, black orb. It pulsed with the same strange light that had saved Kael moments earlier. "Take it," the man gasped, pressing the orb into Kael's hands. "It's yours now… your curse… your salvation…"
Kael's mind raced, but he had no time to ask questions. The moment the orb touched his skin, it dissolved into a stream of light, flowing into his body like liquid fire. He felt a surge of energy, unlike anything he had ever experienced, coursing through his veins. His vision blurred, and he collapsed to his knees, overwhelmed by the sheer intensity of it.
The last thing he saw before everything went black was the man's face, twisted in pain and relief, as he whispered, "Good luck… you'll need it."