Kael Veydris Quinn walked through the ruins, his cloak tattered, his boots kicking up dust with each step. His magic was broken, a hollow remnant of what it once was, but that didn't matter—not yet. He had a goal. Find the Ember. Destroy it.
Around him, the whispers of those who had once wielded magic drifted through the empty streets. The Broken, as they were called—former mages whose power had crumbled like the world around them. They sat in the shadows, their hollow eyes glowing with faint traces of the arcane. They had read his mind the moment he entered their decayed sanctuary, and now, their laughter echoed in the air.
"He wants to destroy the Ember!" one cackled, his voice filled with mockery.
"But without the Eclipse Hunters? What a fool!" another sneered.
Kael ignored them. He didn't need their approval. He didn't need their help. He had an arrow—a single, black-tipped arrow strapped to his belt. It wasn't much, but it was something.
A Mirage of Hope
Then, he saw it.
A figure standing in the distance, its presence radiating power, its form flickering between reality and nothingness. The Ember.
Kael stopped. Stared. Then sighed.
"Nah, it's just an illusion."
He walked past it without a second glance. If the Ember were that easy to find, someone would've killed it by now.
A Book of Secrets
After hours of searching, Kael stumbled upon something else—something real. A book, half-buried in rubble, its cover inscribed with a single word:
"The Ember."
Kael picked it up, brushing off the dust. His lips curled into a smirk.
"Ohhhh, good," he muttered, flipping it open.
The first chapter painted a picture of pure destruction:
"A mysterious man, one said to have defeated ten Eclipse Hunters single-handedly."
"They could not touch him. He could not die."
"The Ember is immortal."
Kael frowned. That… complicated things.
The Hunters Arrive
Before he could process what he had just read, a sound cut through the silence—footsteps.
Not the slow, clumsy steps of ordinary men. These were sharp, deliberate, predatory. Kael felt his blood turn cold.
He turned his head slightly, catching glimpses of armored figures emerging from the shadows. Their presence was suffocating, their aura of power unmistakable. These were no ordinary Eclipse Hunters.
These were SSS-ranked Eclipse Hunters.
Kael exhaled, gripping the book tighter. He didn't know if they were here to kill him or recruit him. Maybe both. But the real problem?
He had no magic to fight back.
Kael stood in the midst of the Eclipse Hunters, his expression as lifeless as ever. No fear, no defiance—just cold indifference.
One of them, a tall figure in a crimson cloak, stepped forward, his voice calm yet commanding.
"It's Kael. Good. There's something we need you to do."
Before Kael could react, the hunter snapped his fingers.
Everything went dark.
Awakening in Pain
THWACK!
Kael's eyes flickered open just as something heavy slammed into his ribs. His body jolted, sharp pain rippling through his core.
He exhaled slowly. "Ow. That hurt, you know."
He looked down—or up, rather. He was hanging upside down, bound by thick iron chains. Every slight movement sent electric currents surging through his body, torturing him in waves.
Still, his face remained unchanged.
His gaze swept across the dimly lit space—an open industrial lot. Rusted machinery, concrete barriers, and distant city lights. But what caught his attention was the ten speeding cars heading straight for him.
Ah. A test. A spectacle. A warning.
He blinked slowly. How dramatic.
The engines roared, the ground trembling as the vehicles closed in.
Kael did not flinch.
As if responding to an unseen command, he extended his hand.
And in an instant—the first car stopped.
Not gradually. Not naturally. It just ceased all movement.
Then the second. Then the third.
One by one, all ten cars froze in place, their momentum crushed under an unseen force.
The Eclipse Hunters watching from the shadows stiffened. The air grew tense.
They had expected desperation. Struggle.
Instead, they got something far worse—Kael Veydris Quinn was still calm.
Hanging upside down, trapped, tortured, and yet… he had stopped them effortlessly.
Kael exhaled, his fingers relaxing.
"Well… that was interesting."