Chapter 11: ALL OF THE LIGHTS
The moment the explosion rocked Kaloi's City, Lightaze Harajin felt the searing heat and concussive force rip him from the street. Tumbling through shattered windows and collapsing structures, he landed violently in an unfamiliar district, bruised and bloodied. The distant echoes of chaos—the screams, the sirens, and the roars of destruction—were swallowed by the eerie silence of his surroundings. This place felt abandoned, as if the Nova Plague had long claimed dominion over it.
Lightaze groaned, pulling himself up. His body ached, but something within him felt… different. Energy hummed beneath his skin, a faint glow emanating from his fingertips when he clenched his fists. Shaking it off, he stumbled forward, his thoughts circling back to his brother, Sionu.
"Sionu… where are you?"
As Lightaze wandered, he came upon a crumbled apartment complex. Amid the ruins, muffled cries caught his attention. He hesitated; helping wasn't his forte. He'd always preferred to stay in the background, leaving the heroics to Sionu. But the desperate cries reminded him of Blitz and Sirius—the small family his brother had built. Against his instincts, he moved toward the sound.
A Family in Peril
Inside the wreckage, a young man was pinned under debris while a woman shielded her small child with her body. The woman's swollen belly indicated she was pregnant, and the sight tugged at something deep in Lightaze. Without thinking, he leaped into action.
The glow from his hands intensified as he lifted the rubble. With a surge of light, the debris disintegrated into harmless particles. The man gasped in relief, and the woman clutched her child tightly, murmuring prayers of thanks.
"Who… who are you?" the man asked, staring at the glowing figure before him.
"Just someone passing through," Lightaze muttered, turning to leave.
"Wait!" the woman called out. "You… you saved us. Please, stay! Others are sick and hurt. Maybe you can help…"
Lightaze paused, conflicted. He didn't want to get involved, but the memory of Sionu's unyielding determination nagged at him. Reluctantly, he agreed.
The Healer's Touch
Lightaze discovered that the district was overrun with victims of the Nova Plague. Their hollow eyes and withered forms made his stomach churn. As he approached, his light began to react, intensifying. He reached out to a young girl writhing in pain, her veins pulsing with an unnatural green glow.
When his hands touched her, the light surged. The sickly green faded, and her breathing stabilized. Gasps rippled through the small crowd of survivors. Word spread quickly, and soon, dozens came to him, begging for his healing touch.
Though he hated the attention, Lightaze worked tirelessly, curing one person after another. His actions didn't go unnoticed.
The Gang Leader
By nightfall, a figure emerged from the shadows, her presence commanding and dangerous. She was tall, with fiery red hair cascading down her back and a cruel smirk playing on her lips. Her eyes locked onto Lightaze with an unsettling intensity.
"I've heard of you, Harajin," she purred. "You must be Sionu's brother."
Lightaze stiffened, his hand instinctively reaching for the hilt of a broken pipe he had been using as a makeshift weapon.
"And who are you?" he asked, his voice steady but cold.
"Call me Scarlett," she said, her tone dripping with false sweetness. "I rule this district, and I've been waiting for a man like you. If I can't have your brother, then you'll do just fine."
Lightaze glared at her. "Not interested."
Scarlett's smile faltered, and her eyes narrowed. "You'll change your mind. You see, in my world, there's no saying no to me."
With a snap of her fingers, a group of heavily armed gang members emerged from the shadows, surrounding Lightaze.
A Brother Found
Before Scarlett could make her move, the ground trembled, and an immense force threw several gang members off their feet. From the rubble stepped another figure—Drego Harajin. His presence was as commanding as his power, gravity itself seeming to bend around him.
"Lightaze!" Drego called, his deep voice a mixture of relief and urgency. "We need to move—now!"
The two brothers fought side by side, Drego manipulating gravity to crush their enemies while Lightaze's light blinded and seared them. Together, they made quick work of the gang members, forcing Scarlett to retreat.
Ambush in the Night
Later that night, while the brothers were strategizing their next move, Scarlett launched her counterattack. Using the gang's resources, she orchestrated an ambush, cornering Lightaze while Drego was distracted rescuing more survivors.
The battle was fierce. Lightaze's light clashed with the flames of Scarlett's most loyal enforcer, an elite pyrokinetic named Blaze. Though Lightaze fought valiantly, his introverted nature made him hesitant, his inexperience with his newfound powers a glaring weakness. Scarlett watched from the shadows, her obsession with Lightaze growing with every moment.
Overwhelmed by the searing flames, Lightaze fell, his energy depleted. Before Drego could return, Scarlett's men carried Lightaze away, leaving only a cryptic message for Drego:
"If you want your brother back, come to my castle in the heart of the district. But don't expect him to leave—he's mine now."
The chapter ends with Drego standing amidst the carnage, clutching the message in his hand. His eyes burned with determination, gravity warping the air around him.
"Sionu, wherever you are," Drego muttered, "we're going to need you for this one."
Turn On The Lights
The sound of Scarlett's mocking laughter echoed in Lightaze's ears as he slowly regained consciousness. His body ached from the burns and the strain of his earlier battle. His hands were shackled, the faint glow of his light dimmed by a metallic restraint latched tightly around his wrists.
As his vision cleared, he noticed the cold stone walls of his prison cell and the faint flicker of torches casting ominous shadows. Voices reached him from beyond the barred window—a roaring crowd, bloodthirsty and chaotic.
Suddenly, the iron door creaked open, and Scarlett sauntered in, her fiery red hair and confident smirk making her presence unmistakable. Behind her stood a towering figure cloaked in darkness, his features obscured but his aura suffocating.
A Glimpse of Darugon
"Ah, you're awake," Scarlett purred, stepping closer. Her tone was both taunting and seductive.
Before Lightaze could respond, the cloaked figure behind her spoke, his voice low and commanding. "You've done well, Scarlett. Continue as planned. I'll see to the rest."
Lightaze strained to see the man, catching a faint flash of green lightning crackling around him. The energy was otherworldly, powerful, and familiar—too familiar.
"Who is he?" Lightaze demanded, his voice hoarse but defiant.
Scarlett grinned, glancing back at the figure. "Oh, Darugon? Let's just say he's… above your pay grade."
With a deafening crackle, the man vanished in a burst of green lightning, leaving behind the smell of ozone and the faint hum of charged air.
Scarlett turned her full attention to Lightaze, her expression shifting from amusement to intensity. "You have no idea how long I've waited for this moment. Do you even remember me, Harajin?"
Lightaze frowned, his mind racing. Her face was vaguely familiar, but the memory escaped him.
"No? Figures," Scarlett scoffed, crossing her arms. "Years ago, your brother Sionu ruined everything I'd built. My empire, my plans, my life. And now, you're going to help me rebuild it. Whether you want to or not."
"What do you want from me?" Lightaze growled.
Scarlett's smirk returned. "Simple. You're going to entertain my people… and prove your worth to me."
Before he could protest, she snapped her fingers, and two guards yanked him to his feet, dragging him out of the cell.
The Underground Coliseum
The roar of the crowd grew deafening as Lightaze was thrust into the harsh light of an underground coliseum. The arena was a circle of blood-stained sand, enclosed by rusted metal and hungry spectators perched high above. The air reeked of sweat, fear, and death.
Across the arena, massive gates creaked open, and grotesque figures lumbered forward. They were mutants, twisted by the Nova Plague and experiments gone wrong—non-STARBORNE monstrosities with jagged claws, warped limbs, and glowing green eyes.
Scarlett's voice echoed from above. "Fight, Harajin. Prove to me that you're more than just a pale imitation of your brother!"
Lightaze clenched his fists, the restraints on his wrists glowing faintly. With each breath, he felt his light pushing back against the suppression.
The first mutant charged, its claws slashing through the air. Lightaze sidestepped, dodging with agility born of instinct. He focused, and his light surged, shattering the restraints. His hands glowed brilliantly as he launched a beam of energy that incinerated the creature on contact.
The crowd roared in approval, but more mutants emerged. The battle was far from over.
Drego's Resolve
Meanwhile, in the shadows of the district, Drego Harajin moved with purpose. His gravity-based powers crushed any opposition foolish enough to stand in his way. Every step brought him closer to finding his brothers, but his progress was slow.
As he approached an abandoned plaza, the faint glow of a functioning TV monitor caught his eye. Curious, he stopped, watching as a news broadcast played.
On the screen, images of Sionu flashed, accompanied by sensationalist headlines:
"WANTED: THE EBONY LION – A TERRORIST OR A SAVIOR?"
"DESTRUCTION IN KALOI'S CITY – THE HARAJIN FAMILY'S LEGACY OF CHAOS."
The anchor's voice dripped with contempt. "Citizens are advised to avoid anyone associated with the Harajin family. Reports suggest they are harboring dangerous powers and aiding in the spread of the Nova Plague. Stay vigilant, and report any sightings to authorities."
Drego's jaw tightened. His hand clenched into a fist, and the gravity around him intensified, warping the air. With a furious roar, he struck the monitor, shattering it into pieces.
"They can talk all they want," Drego muttered, his voice low and filled with venom. "But they'll never turn me against my family."
As the shards of glass fell around him, Drego's determination solidified. He now knew where Sionu was, and nothing would stop him from reaching him—or Lightaze.
To the Next Battle
The chapter ends with Drego standing at the edge of the district, his eyes fixed on the chaos ahead. The weight of his powers bent the world around him as he prepared to crush anyone or anything in his path.
Far below in the coliseum, Lightaze stood bloodied but defiant, his light blazing brighter with each battle. Above, Scarlett watched with a sinister grin, her plans for the Harajin brothers far from complete.
And somewhere in the distance, Sionu Harajin's name continued to echo—both as a symbol of hope and a mark of fear.
To Be Continued...