The sun hung low over the horizon, casting long shadows across the quiet streets of Osaka. Twelve-year-old Akio Tanaka sat on the tatami mat of his family's modest home, carefully arranging his schoolbooks. His mother's gentle humming filled the room as she worked in the kitchen, the aroma of miso soup wafting through the air. His father, a salaryman, sat nearby, reading the evening newspaper, while his older sister, Yuki, teased him about his messy handwriting.

For Akio, life was simple. Ordinary.

"Akio, come help set the table," his mother called, peeking her head around the corner. Her warm smile lit up the room, a beacon of comfort in his young world.

"Coming!" he replied, setting his pencil down. He darted into the kitchen, where his sister playfully flicked his forehead.

"Slowpoke," Yuki teased.

"Not everyone's as perfect as you," Akio shot back with a grin, dodging another playful smack.

Laughter filled the small home, the kind of joy that felt unshakable, eternal.

But eternity was an illusion.

---

That night, the news came like a tidal wave, washing away their sense of security.

"Breaking news: tensions between global powers have escalated. Reports indicate Russia has deployed a high-powered bomb…"

The words were distant to Akio, but the fear in his father's eyes was undeniable. They weren't in a war zone, were they? Osaka wasn't a target. At least, that's what his father assured them.

But assurances meant nothing in the face of chaos.

---

The explosion ripped through the city at dawn, its roar shaking the earth beneath their feet. Akio was outside, helping his mother tend to the small garden behind their home, when the air turned to fire.

He saw it happen.

The shockwave tore through buildings, glass shattering as homes crumbled like paper. Akio's ears rang, his vision blurred, but nothing compared to the horror in his chest as he turned toward the house.

"When the sky falls, it will crumble…"

The words seemed to rise from the chaos itself, the melody filling the air with an eerie clarity, as if the universe had chosen that moment to sing its dirge.

Akio's heart pounded in his chest, his world collapsing as the song continued, "We will stand tall, face it all together, at Skyfall."

The spot where his father and sister had been sitting was now a smoldering void, flames licking the edges of what had once been their sanctuary.

"Mother!" Akio's scream ripped through the chaos, but she was beside him, her face pale with terror. She grabbed his arm, pulling him into the rubble for cover as another blast echoed in the distance.

The world became a haze of smoke and screams.

---

Days passed before rescue teams arrived. By then, Akio was numb. His mother had succumbed to her injuries hours after the blast, holding his hand with her last breath. Alone and surrounded by the destruction of his city, he wandered aimlessly, his mind a storm of grief and anger.

That was when he found him.

---

The man's voice was deep, his Russian accent thick but his words careful. "What's your name, boy?"

Akio looked up, his eyes hollow. "Akio," he whispered.

The soldier crouched to meet his gaze, his uniform splattered with soot and blood. His hardened features softened as he looked at the boy.

"You've lost everything, haven't you?"

Akio didn't respond, but the tears streaking his soot-covered face were answer enough.

The man sighed, a mix of pity and resignation. "War spares no one, not even children. But you're strong to have survived this."

Akio stared at him, his fists clenched. "Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why does this happen? Why do people… kill people?"

The soldier didn't answer right away. Instead, he reached into his pack, pulling out a ration bar, and handed it to the boy. "Because that's the nature of power. The ones who have it destroy the ones who don't."

Akio's small hand trembled as he took the food. "Then… I'll destroy them."

The soldier's brows furrowed, surprised by the venom in the boy's voice. "Destroy who?"

"The ones with power. The ones who do this."

The man studied him for a moment before standing. "Come with me."

---

That night, Akio left the ruins of his home behind, his heart hardened by loss and fueled by a purpose he didn't fully understand yet. The agony of his grief simmered beneath the surface, but something darker was beginning to stir within him.

As he sat in the back of the Russian military vehicle, Akio's mind raced. His family, his life, his home—all gone in an instant. He could still hear the roar of the explosion echoing in his ears, feel the tremor of the earth beneath his feet as everything shattered.

Why had it happened? He didn't understand it. The soldiers, the weapons, the world tearing itself apart—what was the point of all this pain? He had once been a child, just like any other. Now, he was a ghost, clinging to the last remnants of his humanity while rage burned through him like wildfire.

The agent glanced at him, his voice low but firm. "You're strong for a boy your age, Akio. The world doesn't often show mercy, but you're alive, and that means something."

Akio's fists tightened, his jaw clenched in a mix of sorrow and anger. The death of his family felt like a permanent wound in his chest, but in that wound, there was also a fire—a thirst for vengeance that had begun to consume him. He looked at the agent, his voice cold. "I don't care about mercy. I just want them to pay."

The agent studied him for a moment, nodding slowly. "I understand. But you'll need to be prepared. What you're about to face is far worse than anything you've known."

They arrived at a military base hidden deep in the Siberian wilderness. The air was sharp and cold, biting at Akio's skin as he stepped out of the vehicle. The place was massive, sprawling with complex structures and military equipment. It felt like another world, one built on the foundation of survival, discipline, and power.

Akio's pulse quickened. This was it. The place where he would be forged into something else. He could already feel the weight of his decision, the burden of what he had chosen. And yet, there was no turning back.

The agent led him into a building at the heart of the compound. Inside, several soldiers milled about, each absorbed in their own tasks, their gazes hard and calculating. A tall man with a stern face and an officer's uniform stood waiting for them, his posture rigid, exuding authority.

"This is Captain Ivanov," the agent said. "He'll be overseeing your training."

Akio met the captain's gaze, and for the first time, he felt the weight of what he had gotten himself into. This wasn't just survival anymore. This was a transformation—one that would require everything he had left.

Ivanov's voice was commanding. "You've been through unimaginable pain, boy. But in this world, pain is a tool, a weapon. You'll learn to use it, or it will destroy you."

Akio nodded, the fire in his chest burning brighter. He was ready. He had no other choice.