Year 2030. It was the darkest year in humanity's history—one that would forever be etched in blood and despair. In over half a million years of existence, never had we come so close to the brink of extinction.The sky shattered like fragile glass as rifts tore through the fabric of space and time, spewing forth creatures unlike anything we had ever imagined. These monsters—behemoths of chaos and destruction—descended upon Earth's greatest cities. In mere weeks, half the population was eradicated, swept away as if they were nothing more than leaves in a storm.Modern weapons, once the pride of mankind's ingenuity, were powerless against these invaders. Bullets barely slowed them. Tanks and artillery were crushed like toys. Nuclear weapons, though effective, left devastation in their wake, often destroying more of humanity than the creatures themselves.One by one, our strongholds—the last bastions of civilization—began to crumble. Fortresses that once stood as symbols of human resilience were reduced to ash. It seemed only a matter of time before our world was completely consumed.But just when all hope seemed lost, something extraordinary happened. A spark of divine intervention, perhaps. The first Awakeners emerged. Men and women who bore the blood of gods and mythical beasts within them, awakening powers long forgotten in the annals of legend. With abilities that defied the laws of nature, they became our last line of defense, standing between humanity and total annihilation.
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I've been a coward for as long as I can remember. Hiding behind others, running from confrontations, swallowing my pride. Even when I was humiliated—beaten down and stripped of my dignity—I never fought back. I endured it all in silence, suffocating beneath the weight of my own anger. But what could I do? I was weak, powerless, with no one to defend me. And in the end, it wasn't just my suffering that worried me. If I lashed out, it would be my mother who paid the price for my defiance.
Then there's **Lucian Blazeheart**—the pride of the Blazeheart Clan, the golden child of a powerful legacy. A dual elemental mage, revered and respected. His father—my uncle—is the head of the clan. With such talent and a lineage behind him, Lucian stood above everyone, effortlessly commanding respect and power.
I'd be lying if I said I wasn't jealous. But jealousy was all it ever was. He and I lived in different worlds—his bathed in privilege, mine in shadows. I told myself it didn't matter, that his life had no bearing on mine. Yet, for reasons I never understood, Lucian hated me. From as far back as I can remember, his eyes burned with contempt, as if my mere existence offended him.
It started with the small things—my toys, cultivation resources, and friends. He took them all, one by one, savoring the pain it caused me. But he wasn't done. He took everything I held dear, including her—my girlfriend. He always knew exactly where to strike, always made sure I was left broken and helpless.
But I'm done running. For the first time in my life, I'm ready to fight back. Lucian will pay for everything he's done. I won't be his victim anymore.
I clenched my fist, feeling the heat of my fury pulsing in my veins. Hatred flared within me, a burning storm that roared louder with every heartbeat. The only thought in my head was to smash that bastard's face in. But charging blindly would be suicide. No matter how much I wanted to break him, I wasn't foolish enough to ignore the truth—whether in cultivation or talent, Lucian was leagues ahead of me.The only way I could beat him was by catching him off guard.Lucian might be a powerful mage, but I knew his weakness—physical strength was his downfall. The Blazeheart family had no body cultivation techniques, at least none I knew of. His spells required time to cast, precision to land. Get too close, too fast, and even a mage of his level would struggle to defend himself. If I could close the distance... one decisive blow could be enough to take him down."Lucian!" I called out, my voice barely able to mask the rage simmering beneath. "This fight is between you and me—why are you dragging Emilia into this?" My fists trembled, knuckles white. I wasn't trying to negotiate. I was waiting for the right moment. One mistake. One chance.
Lucian's grin widened, the sickening satisfaction in his eyes growing. He was toying with me."Aden, Aden..." he sighed, as if disappointed. "You actually think I'd waste my time chasing after someone like her? The truth is, your precious girlfriend couldn't resist me. It's that simple."My heart twisted. A cruel chill crept up my spine as I watched him pull Emilia closer, his hand gripping her waist possessively.
"Tell him, Emilia," Lucian said, his words oozing arrogance.
Emilia's gaze shifted to me, her eyes cold and disgusted, as if I were no better than the dirt beneath her shoes."That's right," she said, her voice venomous. "Why would I bother with a piece of trash like you? How could you ever compare to someone like young master Lucian?" Her voice, once sweet and comforting, now felt like daggers driving straight into my chest. "The only reason I even pretended to care was because he asked me to."
Her words cut deeper than any blade. My heart, once softened by her kindness, now shattered beneath the weight of her cruelty. The pain gnawed at me, a bitter ache far worse than any physical wound. Emilia's betrayal hit deep, her words echoing cruelly in my mind. It was hard to breathe, hard to think—but there was something more pressing I had to deal with now.
Lucian.
"Lucian, let go of her." My voice, though controlled, trembled with barely suppressed rage. Each word dripped with venom, yet my face betrayed me—a mask of helplessness, weakness. I hated it. I hated that he could see it. And Lucian... he was enjoying every second of my suffering, feeding off my anguish like the twisted bastard he was.His mocking smile widened, a gleam of sadistic pleasure in his eyes. He knew he had the upper hand.
"How about this, Aden," Lucian said, his voice laced with cruel amusement. "Kneel and beg. Maybe then, maybe, I'll think about letting her go." He pointed to his feet, his grin growing even wider, daring me to humiliate myself.
Each word struck me like a lash, but the anger boiling inside me kept me moving forward. Every step toward him felt like a descent into darkness, my fists clenching tighter with every inch.When I finally stood before him, close enough to feel the heat of his arrogance radiating off him, I stopped. My eyes locked onto his, but I could feel the weight of his sneer pressing down on me.
"Good... good..." he purred, his voice dripping with satisfaction. "Now kneel. Kneel down and beg, just like the coward you are."The word coward cut through me, but I stood there, motionless. The air was thick with tension, the world around us seemingly frozen.
Standing just a few meters from Lucian, my mind raced, every thought moving at lightning speed. This was it—my chance. An opportunity to flip the situation, to turn this nightmare on its head.
I went over everything in my mind—every possible outcome, every move I could make. I checked my surroundings, evaluated my options, and considered the few tools at my disposal.
My grip tightened on the bouquet still clutched in my hand. It was ridiculous in a way—holding flowers in a moment like this—but if used right, it could buy me just enough time to land a perfect strike. Lucian wouldn't see it coming.
I scanned the park. If there were guards nearby, they would be outside the entrance, too far to interfere immediately. Once I made my move, I'd have to escape before anyone could respond. Timing was everything. Hesitation meant failure.
Lucian, meanwhile, stood there, oblivious to the calculations running through my head. He was waiting—waiting for me to kneel, to break down and humiliate myself for his twisted satisfaction. In his eyes, I was already defeated, just another fool to step on. He didn't realize that his arrogance was about to cost him.