"LET ME BREATHE " a dark haired boy screams as he is being crushed in this crowd of millions as he tries to enter the port, considering this crowd one would think that this was a slum but in reality this was the wealthiest port city in the Republic of Baltair , Port city ordania. A city that is normally the epitome of luxury and marvel is at this moment filled to the brim with people, the reason for that being a dream that every soul has , a dream to be wealthy and powerful.
This world was a place filled with mysteries: stories of gods who descended into the world, myths of monsters beyond imagination, tales of races that came from th beyond and humans who had gained wondrous abilities. These were stories that Bram had heard from people since childhood. There is a believe that such myths are the answer to unlock those unbelievable powers.
Ordania also housed such a mystery—the Island of Genesis, as people called it. But unlike the other mysteries, this one was factual. The people who completed the Genesis Island trials gained abilities, and those who completed it were called pioneers—the people touched by divinity, mysterious humans with abilities that surpass common sense. With these powers came some wealth and happiness. It is said that the rapid development of the cities and technology happened solely because of the first pioneers, who went on to become kings and started an era unlike any other.
Every year, on a specific day, when the sun turns ashen in the city of vibrant ports, a mysterious island surfaces in the distance. It is said that whoever enters this island, braving the dangers, can gain power and wealth beyond their hopes. Bram, who had nothing to lose, had come to Ordania for this exact purpose.
Bram getting out of the cursed crowd after almost being trampled to death climbs up a steep set of stairs too look upon the grandeur. salty air was truly a new experience for Bram. Looking at the backdrop of the vast ocean felt magical. This was Bram's first time seeing how grand this thing called the sea was, blue as far as the eye could see. When he first heard about the sea from the slum kids, he always thought they were lying. Who would believe in such a thing? Especially not Bram, who had only seen solid land and small lakes since childhood. But here he was, marveling at the sheer scale of this blue monstrosity, which made his life seem worthless in its scale.
Bram's life was the same story as every orphan's: born with nothing in a slum, fighting tooth and nail to get food scraps while understanding the harshness of the world and how it works. His name, Bram, was given to him by someone he considered a mother: a traveling gypsy woman who scammed people by telling their fortunes in the streets. She was saddened to hear that Bram had no name, so she chose Bram as his name, hoping he would grow up to be a leader. The same woman who vanished suddenly without even saying goodbye. As Bram was a brat, she was the closest thing he had to a mother.
To survive, Bram worked countless odd jobs to earn minuscule amounts of money, moving from city to city, trying to get closer to this place—the wondrous city of ports, Ordania. A place said to be able to grant you wishes, a magical city that is said to be a painting come to life. And a painting it was: the streets bustling with color, people dressed in vibrance. The houses and stalls living in glamour, the aroma of sweet perfumes and food filling the street with a brilliance like no other city. Bram had been to many large cities while on his journey to this place, and as someone who had experienced many grand cities, this was still magical.
The bystanders, looking at the young boy who looked 15, with a skinny, reasonably tall build, black hair, and unusually brown eyes, were not very kind—and for good reason. Bram didn't look like he belonged. With his drab clothing and his overgrown hair, he looked out of place in this city of colors.
But the reason Bram was in Ordania was not for the food or the clothes. It was to compete in something called the Island of Genesis, which granted anyone who completed its trials power.
For an orphan like Bram, the Island of Genesis was a way to quickly gain wealth and fame, but first, he needed to find a boat willing to take him to the island. With the amount of lor he had, he doubted anyone would be willing to take him.
Bram, putting on the best business face, as he called it, tried to go to the ports. It was midday, with the sun at its highest position. Bram had about 6 hours until the pathway opened, but there was a small problem: there were too many people. Like Bram, many aspired to become pioneers, so everyone was looking for a proper sea-faring vessel to take them to the island. But Bram didn't have good luck, as the huge port spanning multiple kilometers seemed to be filled. Bram, who had climbed to a vantage point to look at the sea, realized how his idea might have been stupid, considering the people were now looking like grains of sand, with no spot left to take a boat. Bram's dream was shattered even before he went to the island. He couldn't step into the port, much less the island. Sullen, Bram sat on the bench next to him, muttering,
"Becoming a pioneer? What a joke."
He sulked in his own self-pity for a moment before deciding on a last-ditch plan: go to the noble's port and offer up his services. A plan he came up with having no other option. The noble's port was different from the common one. The ships docked here were much grander and more ornate, with gold and silver fitting the noble look.
Bram tried offering his services to dozens of people who were maintaining the ships, but to no avail, trying for hours on end. He had one last idea: stowing away on a ship. Bram was against ideas like stowing away, but he had no hope. Just then...
"You are going to the Divine Island as well?"
Hearing the soft voice, Bram was shocked as he hurried to wipe the tears that were trickling down his face. As he turned to look at the owner of the voice, Bram was stunned to see the person he was looking at: a golden-haired girl who looked about his age with unnatural beauty, unlike anything Bram had seen, with eyes blue that were shining like the ocean. And she was speaking to him. Bram, with a confused expression, answered the girl briefly while standing up.
"No, my lady. That was just a fool dreaming of something bigger than him."
Bram, although a slum rat, at least knew common courtesy, like calling a noble-looking woman "my lady" or knowing not to share a seat with a noble. The girl spoke.
"I was watching you from the ship. You have been trying for 5 hours now to get on a ship. Your tenacity is commendable."
Bram, stunned by the fact that he had been doing this for 5 hours and only had an hour before the sun became ashen, suddenly heard the clacking of metal from a distance and a deep voice yelling.
"My lady, I finally found you. I was worried when you wandered off."
The owner of the deep voice was a tall man who seemed to be in his 60s, with a big burly brown mustache.
"Orden, just the right timing. Didn't you say you wanted someone to carry your stuff to the ship? I found just the right person." She pointed at Bram, who was a bit confused.
Bram, having understood what the young lady meant, quickly introduced himself to the man.
"My name is Bram, sir knight. I can do any odd jobs that most people don't want."
The young girl, looking impressed with how quickly Bram understood the situation, spoke.
"Now then, shall we go to the dock? We don't have much time till the ashen sun rises."
The young girl and knight seemed to be arguing about something, and then the tall man glared at Bram, sending chills down his spine. With a sigh, he said,
"Come on then, boy. You'll be worked enough to cover your trip."
That, of course, did not matter to Bram. As someone who had been surviving his whole life with nothing, he finally had a clear way to achieve more.