4 years ago…..
The aroma of freshly cooked rice and grilled fish filled the small dining room of the Kanzaki household. Kaito sat across from his parents, his chopsticks resting idly on the edge of his plate as he watched his parents chat. The warmth of their laughter wrapped around him like a cozy blanket—a fleeting moment of normalcy he would later wish to relive.
"Kaito, don't forget to eat your vegetables," his mother, Aiko, gently reminded him, her voice soft yet firm.
Kaito nodded, agreeing to his mother.
Bang!
The door burst open with a deafening crash. Government officials dressed in black stormed in, their boots stomping across the wooden floor. The sound of Kaito's mother gasping pierced through the chaos.
"W-What is the meaning of this?!" his father roared, stepping in front of his wife protectively.
"By order of the council," one of the men barked, his voice devoid of emotion, "you are coming with us."
"No!" Kaito screamed, his small hands clutching the table as his heart pounded like a war drum. "Leave them alone!"
One of the officials glanced at him, his cold gaze briefly meeting the boy's terrified eyes. Without another word, Kaito's parents were seized and dragged out of the house. His mother's cries echoed in his ears, and his father's voice, roaring in protest, grew faint as the officials disappeared into the night.
The boy tried to follow, but another man pushed him back, throwing him to the ground. He could only watch in helpless horror as the house behind them erupted into flames, the crackling fire consuming the only home he had ever known.
And just like that, everything he loved was gone.
Kaito rushed out of the home, to save himself from the flames. He stood outside watching his house burn and his parents being dragged towards the vehicle. Hopeless tears run down his eyes.
PRESENT….
"Seven Nations. Seven Powers. Seven Ambitions."
The world had fractured long ago, each nation embodying a unique elemental force. These nations, once united under a shared purpose, were now involved in endless conflict. At the center of their strife lay the Nexus, the legendary source of power said to grant godlike abilities to anyone who could claim it.
The Sovereignty of Void, shrouded in mystery and fear, stood as the most powerful and isolated. Its people wielded darkness, their abilities terrifyingly destructive.
The other six nations—the Sovereignty of Death, the Sovereignty of Life, the Sovereignty of Matter, the Sovereignty of Energy, the Sovereignty of Space, and the Sovereignty of Time….each vied for dominance, believing the Nexus to be the ultimate key to reshaping the world in their favor.
The Nexus was yet to be awakened, but the sovereignties were desperate to acquire it before it awakened, bounding them to endless conflicts. Within The Nexus somewhere, somewhere lies the ruler of all, someone said to be the God.
Kaito Kanzaki opened his eyes to the soft morning light coming through the wooden shutters of his grandma's house.
The faint scent of tea leaves lingered in the air as he stared at the familiar, weathered ceiling. It had been years since that night, yet the memories haunted him like an unshakable shadow.
"Kaito!" his grandmother called from the kitchen. "Breakfast is ready!"
"I'll eat later," he replied, pulling on his jacket.
Without waiting for her to respond, he stepped out into the bustling streets of the Energy's Nation capital. The market district was alive with chatter and the clinking of coins, vendors calling out to passersby to sell their wares. Kaito wandered aimlessly, letting the noise drown out his thoughts.
As he turned a corner, his shoulder brushed against someone's.
"Oi!" the man barked, spinning around. "Watch where you're—" His eyes narrowed as recognition flickered in them. "Ahh, it's the goddamn orphan whose parents were kidnapped. Poor fellow."
Kaito froze. His chest tightened as the man's words cut deeper than any blade. Without a word, he turned and walked away, his hands clenched into fists, his knuckles turning white.
Kaito stepped back into the quiet of his grandmother's house, the soft creak of the door announcing his return.
"You're home early," his grandmother said, glancing up from her sewing.
He stood there for a moment, his back against the door. "Grandma… why do they treat me like that?"
The old woman sighed, her hands stilling. She looked at him with weary eyes, filled with both love and sorrow. "People fear what they don't understand, Kaito. And in their fear, they lash out. They don't know the truth, only the rumors. But you… you must rise above their words."
Her voice was gentle, but her words did little to soothe him. He bowed his head, the weight of her response settling heavily on his shoulders.
That night, as he lay in bed staring at the darkened ceiling, his mind raced. The memories of his parents' abduction burned in his thoughts.
Why did they take them? Why did they burn our house? Why do they treat me like this?
He clenched his fists under the covers, his resolve hardening with each unanswered question.
"It's time to uncover the truth of what had happened that day…," he thought, his emerald eyes gleaming with determination in the moonlight.
He lay on bed as his eyes closed as his tiredness and sleep took over.
The air in the small house was thick with tension as Kaito lay awake, his mind refusing to let him rest. His grandmother's words echoed in his thoughts, but they offered little solace.
The room was quiet, save for the soft rustling of paper as Kaito folded a handwritten letter. His penmanship was careful, each word chosen with deliberate precision. He placed the letter on the small dining table, pinning it beneath a smooth stone—a keepsake from his childhood.
"Thank you for everything, Grandma," he whispered, his voice trembling with a mix of gratitude and guilt.
The early morning air was crisp as Kaito stepped out of the house. He cast one last glance at the modest home, the only sanctuary he'd known since his parents were taken. His heart clenched, but he forced himself to turn away.
He couldn't stay. Not anymore.
Kaito's footsteps echoed softly against the cobblestone streets of the Energy's Nation's capital. The world around him was slowly stirring to life: shopkeepers opening their stalls, fishermen preparing their nets, and the distant sound of a blacksmith's hammer ringing out.
But Kaito didn't pause to take it in. His goal was clear—find the truth behind his parents' disappearance, no matter the cost.
As he wandered through the bustling marketplace, the sights and sounds began to overwhelm him. He bumped into someone, his shoulder brushing against a man carrying a bundle of goods.
"Watch where you're going, kid," the man snapped. But then, recognition flickered across his face, and his tone turned mocking. "Oh, wait. It's you... the orphan boy. The one whose parents were kidnapped."
Kaito froze.
The man chuckled darkly. "Poor fellow. Must be tough living with that kind of shadow hanging over you."
Without another word, Kaito turned and walked away, his fists clenched tightly at his sides. The man's words stung, but they only reinforced his resolve.
Back at the house, Kaito's grandmother found the letter resting on the table. Her hands trembled as she unfolded it, her eyes scanning the neatly written words:
"Grandma,
Thank you for taking care of me all these years. I can't sit around anymore, not knowing the truth. I have to find out what happened to Mom and Dad. Please don't worry about me—I'll be okay.
Love, Kaito."
Tears welled in her eyes as she clutched the letter to her chest. "Oh, Kaito... you've grown so much. But this path you've chosen... it's full of dangers."
Kaito's journey led him to the outskirts of the city, where the charred remains of his childhood home still stood. The sight of it made his chest tighten, but he pressed on.
The ruins were eerily silent, save for the occasional rustle of the wind. Kaito knelt amidst the debris, his hands brushing away ash and soot as he searched for something—anything—that might give him answers.
That's when he saw it. A faint glimmer caught his eye, buried beneath a pile of rubble. He carefully unearthed it, his heart racing as he realized what it was: his father's pendant.
Kanzaki held the pendant up to the fading sunlight, turning it over in his hands as the symbols etched into its surface glimmered faintly. The engravings in the crystal of the pendant were intricate, a series of overlapping lines and curves that seemed to hum with a faint, unexplainable energy.
"What are you?" he murmured to himself, his thumb tracing one of the symbols—a three-pointed star enclosed in a swirling spiral. It was unlike anything he had seen before, yet it felt strangely familiar, as though it had been waiting for him.
He slipped the pendant into his pocket, casting one last glance at the remnants of his old life before setting off.
He didn't know where he was going, but something deep inside urged him forward.
For the next few days, Kanzaki wandered from village to village, following whispers and half-formed ideas. The pendant felt heavier with each passing moment, as though it were leading him somewhere, guiding his steps even as he questioned his sanity.
In one town, he met an elderly merchant who seemed unnerved at the sight of the pendant. "That symbol," the merchant said, his voice trembling. "It's… old. Older than this war. You'd do well to keep it hidden, boy."
Kanzaki pressed him for more information, but the merchant shook his head, retreating into his shop and refusing to say another word.
In another village, a faded mural on the wall of an abandoned temple caught Kanzaki's eye. The artwork was crumbling with age, but he could just make out a figure holding a pendant identical to his own. Surrounding the figure were seven swirling forms, each radiating a distinct energy.
"The Sovereigns," Kanzaki muttered, recalling the stories his grandmother had told him. The seven elemental forces are said to govern the world. Life, Death, Matter, Energy, Space, Void and Time—all bound together by the Nexus.
But what did the pendant have to do with them?
The next morning, Kanzaki ventured into the forest, drawn by a vague sense of purpose he couldn't quite explain. The trees were ancient, their gnarled branches forming a canopy that blocked out most of the sunlight.
As he walked, he noticed faint carvings on the tree trunks—symbols similar to the ones on the pendant. He paused to examine one, running his fingers over the weathered grooves.
Suddenly, a faint whisper filled the air. It was soft and indistinct, like the rustle of leaves, but Kanzaki could have sworn it formed words.
"Seek… the source…"
Kaito felt some unease and his instincts told him to run, turn back and leave the forest. Kaito couldn't shake off this feeling of unease, he ran ... .he ran as fast he could, after running for some time he finally came out of the forest. His breath Shaky.
He couldn't spend the rest of his day in the forest, he tried looking for a safe place then suddenly he met an old man.
"It's unusual to see kids here, is something wrong?," asked the old man softly.
Kaito, meeting the old man gaze, "No, everything is ok, it's just I am looking for a safe place to spend the rest of the day.
Old man seem to remember something, "Wait aren't you that kid, who parents were dragged away by the government officials"
Kaito seemed to be in a bit of shock, brushing off that feeling and said, "Yes."
"Well if you're looking for a place to spend the rest of the day you can come to my house." Old man said.
Kaito felt gratitude towards him but his part also felt suspicion towards the old man, but he brushed off that feeling. "Thanks for your help."
The old man took him to his house and gave him some food and water. "You look hungry," he said with a smile.
Kaito thought of asking the old man about the symbol of the pendant. He knew that he should not trust people so easily but his inner feelings won over him and Kaito asked nervously "umm, wo-would you ... .mind telling me about this engravement on the pendant?"
Old man was utterly shocked after seeing the engraving on the pendant. He wasn't able to believe his eyes. "Where did you get this pendant from, kid?"
Kaito didn't understand why the old man was shocked, however he told him "My father used to wear this pendant."
The old man told him about the pendant and about the engraving, his voice was a bit shaky "Listen carefully, In this world exists 4 types of people. People who possess basic magic. People who possess offensive/fighting magic. People who have Awakened element magic. People have Awakened 2 element magic, most rare. However there are rumors which say, people also exist with Awakened 3 element magic. And each of these magic types has its own engraving and the engraving on the pendant reflects Awakened 3 magic types. Hajime should have told you about this…"
Kaito couldn't believe the old man's words. He asked the old man "Does this mean that my father possessed the Awakened 3 element magic type!? b-b-but wait, how do you know my father's name?"
The old man replied, "Because I'm #@#@#@....."
to be continued…
Reference Map of the 7 Nations and Nexus: https://drive.google.com/file/d/11Cad7bDEQLSOSSLS_vcNbQA3cjmfAlJT/view?usp=drivesdk
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