"Brother, don't go. Please don't leave me alone."

The boy's voice trembled as he clutched his brother's limp, bloodied body, tears mixing with the rain pouring down his face. Kneeling on the cold, muddy ground, he pleaded, his voice breaking with desperation.

"I'm sorry…"

The young man, barely sixteen, whispered through gritted teeth, summoning the last of his strength. He looked at his younger brother, hoping that the future will change and there will be hope for them. The young man looking behind him, an ominous black portal with a timer, its presence a bitter reminder of their fate. 

In a world where dungeon and supernatural systems had emerged, those with powers were feared and oppressed. Both of them had just awakened their new powers, abilities that marked them as a target for the government's relentless hunt for Awakeners. The young man knew that staying together would only endanger his brother more.

"Eamon, remember don't ever tell others that I'm your brother and there is no blood relation between us, alright?"

"..."

"You have to be strong and I love you, little brother." the young man continued, his voice barely audible over the sound of the pouring rain.

"Stay with your new family and they'll protect you."

Thunder roared above them, and the sky wept in torrents. Eamon's cries were drowned out by the storm as he watched his brother push him away, each step a struggle against the swirling chaos. The rain drummed an unrelenting beat of sorrow, its rhythm echoing Eamon's heartbreak.

The Ground began to tremble. A rumble shook the earth beneath their feet, at the edge of wherever they were, diligently tearing them apart. Eamon watched in horror as a chasm split the ground between them, widening with each second. He reached out, helpless, but the gap only grew larger. His brother stood on the other side, a mixture of resolve and heartbreak in his eyes.

"Goodbye."

With those final words, he disappeared into the portal, his figure swallowed by the darkness and chaos. There was suddenly a ringing sound and the portal disappeared without a trace.

Eamon collapsed to the ground, sobbing uncontrollably, his brother's sacrifice weighing heavy on his heart. The world around him had changed forever since then.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Knock. Knock."

Eamon's concentration returned to the present as the memories of that unspeakable night surfaced from his mind and the pain still lingered around his heart like a poison.

"Knock. Knock." The sound echoed through the room once again.

Nine years had passed since that harrowing night. The world had changed, and so had Eamon. The Awakeners had gained protection and held a majority voice after drafting new laws.

Rising from his seat, Eamon took a deep breath, steeling himself before reaching for the door. He opened it to find his butler, Evan standing there with a cup of lavender tea.

"Good evening, Master Eamon." Evan greeted, his voice steady and reassuring.

"I thought you might appreciate a warm drink after a long day."

"Thank you, brother Evan," Eamon replied, taking the cup. The warmth seeped into his hands, grounding him in the present.

"Master and Madam Drake will be late today." Evan informs. His voice is respectful as always.

"Mother and father are busy with the guild it seems." Eamon sighed, knowing that his adopted parents' responsibilities with the guild often took precedence.

"It seems their duties are never-ending," he remarked, taking another sip of the calming lavender tea.

Eamon turned towards the direction of the clock, its hands inching closer to the hour when his younger brother, Leo, would be back from school.

"Evan, when is Leo expected back from school?" Eamon asked, looking out of the window at the darkening sky.

"He should be back by now, Master Eamon." Evan replied, a hint of concern in his voice.

"I will call the driver." Evan in speed of light dialled the driver number but there is no response.

Eamon's heart skipped a beat. As an elder brother, the protective instinct surged within him. Without another word, he grabbed his coat and hurried towards the door, Evan swiftly following in his wake.

The drive to Leo's school was filled with a tense silence, both Eamon and Evan sensing something was off. They arrived to find there is a group of hunters belonging from Vinci Guild, surrounding throngs of worried students and parents near the school gates.

The imposing figure of a guard, clad in the official armour of the Vinci Guild, stepped forward as Eamon and Evan approached the school gates.

"Identification please." the guard barked, his voice echoing through the tense air.

Eamon didn't hesitate. He flashed his ID, letting the guild hunters see his rank and affiliation.

The guard's eyes widened as he noticed Eamon's S-rank status. His demeanour shifted immediately, showing respect.

"What's going on here? My brother should have been home by now." Eamon demanded, worry lacing his words.

"S-rank Hunter! Apologies, sir. The school has been locked down due to a dungeon appearance. We're handling the situation, but only authorized personnel are allowed inside."

"How much time has passed by since the dungeon appear?"

"Based on the report we received, it's been 10 minutes."

Eamon's heart pounded in his chest as he absorbed the guard's words. Ten minutes. Time was of the essence in these situations, and every second counted.

Without wasting another moment, Eamon turned to the guard and said.

"Dear hunters, please call your guild master and tell him that we will be going inside as you guys are slow as snail in subjugating the dungeon." Eamon stated firmly with a smile.

The guard, visibly taken aback by Eamon's confident declaration, nodded quickly and began making a call to his superior.

Eamon turned to Evan, eyes pleading to let him going into the dungeon.

"Young master…"

"No. Let me in just this time. Brother, please." Eamon's voice cracked with urgency, every fiber of his being calling out for action.

Evan stared into Eamon's eyes, seeing both the determination and the vulnerability of the young master he had sworn to protect. After a tense moment, Evan nodded.

"Alright, but stay close and be vigilant. The portal—it might be unstable. "

"We need to get Leo and the other students out of there."

Moments later, the guard came back with an urgent expression.

"You have authorization to enter, sir. Please proceed with caution."

Eamon and Evan walked past the gate, the tension in the air growing thicker with each step. The smell of sulfuric and decay hit them the moment they stepped into the school courtyard.

"There's the rift," Evan pointed out, his voice steady but alert.

The black portal loomed ominously at the centre of the courtyard, its swirling energy casting an eerie glow. Eamon could sense the malevolent forces within, his psychic abilities tingling in response.