A night like any other dark, quiet, the air chilly, with street lamps flickering against the cobbled roads of the kingdom of Arden. Some people lay awake, lost in thoughts of their future. Others carried out their late night jobs, while the rest slept peacefully, wrapped in the safety of their homes.

I am neither.

I stare down at my mother's bloody body, her lifeless form slumped in front of my door. Deep, jagged slashes mar her once warm flesh, her stomach carved open, barely holding in what remains of her insides. Blood seeps from her throat, pooling around her body she must have choked on it before she died. My legs tremble, hot tears streaming down my face as I struggle to comprehend the ungodly sight before me.

Then I run.

Screaming. Frantic. My feet pound against the wooden floors as I search desperately for the rest of my family. The air is cold, but I barely feel it. My body is tense, my surroundings blurred, unreal like a twisted illusion I can't wake from.

I burst into my sister's room the smell of death leading me here.

And the world stops.

My father sits slumped against the bed, his arms wrapped around my sister in a final, desperate embrace. His head, discarded at his side, severed cleanly from his body. My sister, her once bright green eyes. Now hollow and has tears of blood streaking down her lifeless face. A gaping hole in her chest leaving a clear view the the wall behind her.

I want to scream. But nothing comes out.

I can't move. Can't breathe. My throat tightens, refusing to let even a single sound escape.

The stench of death is everywhere.

Rotting corpses. Blood. The pungent, metallic odor suffocates me, forcing itself into my lungs, daring me to inhale, taunting me making me remember the dead corpses that used to be my family. But I don't want to breathe. I don't want to be here. I don't want to see this.

What did my family do to deserve this wretched fate?

Who could commit such a vile act of hatred?

No human could do this. Only a monster.

And that monster… must die.

My fingers curl into fists, nails digging into my palms until I feel my own blood drip between my fingers. The grief, the horror, the emptiness they all melt away, leaving only a searing rage that burns through my veins.

I stare at my family one last time, letting the hate, the fury, the sorrow consume me.

And then, from the depths of my soul, a blood curdling scream tears from my throat.

"I'll FIND YOU !"

10 Years Later

"Class, can anyone tell me what a shard is?"

The teacher scans the room, waiting for a response. A boy in the back raises his hand, grinning.

"They're things that give people cool superpowers," he says.

The class chuckles.

"Calm down, everyone," the teacher says, smiling. "And thank you, Joseph. You're not wrong." She turns back to the board. "Shards are the blood and bones of powerful Hunters. Take the King, for example does anyone know his nickname?"

Almost every hand in the room shoots up. She points to a girl with long, curly black hair.

"Yes, Marsha?"

"He's called the Monarch of Shadows!" she exclaims, practically bouncing in her seat.

The class murmurs in excitement at the mention of the name, their faces lighting up with admiration.

"Correct, Marsha. It seems everyone here is familiar with the King. Now, let's begin today's lesson."

The teacher starts her lecture, and the students lean in, eager to listen.

I don't.

I hate this class.

How is any of this supposed to help me?

I didn't come here to learn history. I joined this school after discovering I had a shard, hoping to learn how to control it. But instead of real training, all we do is sit through these lectures. I want practical knowledge. I want to fight.

Every day, I push my body to the limit running, training. I've been training ever since that day so I can get my revenge. Now, at sixteen, I'm stronger, faster..

"People in this world gain shards either by finding them or being born with one," the teacher continues. "The latter, however, is extremely rare. Those born with shards are known as anomalies."

A hand shoots up.

"Miss, what's an anomaly?" Marsha asks, voicing the question on everyone's mind.

"I'm glad you asked," the teacher says. "An anomaly is someone capable of hosting multiple shards without the risk of their soul fracturing."

The classroom falls into a silence. Everyone already knows this. In the kingdom of Arden, it's common knowledge anomalies are feared, hated, seen as freaks who defy the natural order.

The King's laws on anomalies are strict. Those with multiple shards are closely monitored. Children born as anomalies are taken into the royal guard, where they will serve for most of their lives.

Personally, I can't help but agree with this sentiment. My heart has always held a deep hatred for anomalies I can't explain it, but just the thought of them makes me want to kill.

"Alright, class, that's the end of today's lesson. Today is a very special day we will be assessing everyone's shards," the teacher announces.

Some students grin excitedly, while others look nervous or shy, probably because they know their shard isn't that powerful. In this kingdom, power is everything. A strong shard can elevate a commoner's family to nobility, which, for people like us, would be a dream come true.

Nobody here isn't poor by any means, but who wouldn't want extra wealth and fame?

We all stand and follow the teacher to the courtyard, where a few soldiers are stationed likely to ensure no one gets hurt if someone has a particularly destructive shard.

"Alright, everyone, line up in alphabetical order. One by one, you'll demonstrate your shard's ability. We have various objects available if you need a medium." She clasps her hands together with a sweet smile as we form a line.

"Now, before we begin, let me explain the ranking system. There are four tiers of shard powers.

"First is Commoner these shards aren't particularly powerful, like enhanced strength or the ability to throw or shoot with perfect accuracy.

"Next is Hunter, the most common tier among hunters hence the name. Shards at this level include abilities like elemental control or illusions things with real combat potential.

"Then we have Royal these are powers capable of leveling cities, like large-scale lightning attacks.

"And finally, Godly these are the powers that could destroy entire kingdoms or even conquer the world, like the King's Shadows.

"That said, rankings don't define a great hunter. Even someone with enhanced strength could become world-class if they hone their abilities. It all depends on your determination."

She finishes her speech with confidence, sticking out her chest, and the class applauds. Even the soldiers crack small smiles at the enthusiasm.

One by one, students step up to demonstrate their shards. Most fall into the Commoner or Hunter tiers.

Then it's my turn.

"Okay, Kealon, do you need a prop or anything?" the teacher asks.

I haven't used my power much only once, by accident but I still remember how it works.

"Yes, could you hand me a short blade? Preferably a dagger."

The teacher walks over to a box filled with props and hands me a dull-bladed dagger probably to prevent injuries.

I take a deep breath and throw it. My eyes lock onto the blade as I try to pour energy into it. I feel a thin thread of energy connect to it and an instant later, I teleport right beside it.

The class reacts with mild shock but not too much.

A soldier scribbles something down. "Hunter class."

I'm not surprised. My shard isn't anything too special. I haven't heard of anyone with teleportation, but it could be useful.

"Name? And what does it do?" the soldier asks.

I hadn't thought of a name before, but every shard user instinctively understands their ability. Mine allows me to close the distance between myself and an object instantly.

"I call it Void. It lets me instantly close the distance between me and an object."

The soldier nods, and I set the dagger down, walking off as the adrenaline fades. Fatigue creeps in I hadn't expected it to drain me this much.

I watch the rest of the evaluations. Some shards are interesting, like Marsha's, which lets her inflict different poisons on people with different effects. That could be incredibly useful for espionage in the future.

"Okay, Joseph, it's your turn. Do you need any props?"

"No, miss. My shard doesn't need."

"Also, I don't really have control over mine, so be careful," Joseph warns.

He closes his eyes, and for a moment, nothing happens. Then his body tenses, his fists clench, and the ground begins to tremble. Even I have to hold onto something.

As he tightens his grip, the entire building starts to shake. Objects fall, cracks form, and the ground quakes violently.

Panic erupts. Students scream and scramble to escape, chaos breaking out all around me. I keep holding onto the pillar, trying to steady myself. Then, a soldier steps forward and places a firm hand on Joseph's shoulder and just like that, the shaking ceases.

Joseph opens his eyes, scratching the back of his head with an awkward smile, as if he didn't just nearly bring the whole building down. "Oh, uh, sorry, everyone. I really can't control it well… I feel weak."

The soldier, unfazed, speaks up. "I used my shard to suppress yours." He then looks down at his clipboard, jotting something down. "Royal… could be Godly."

A collective gasp spreads through the crowd. I'm not surprised if that was just a loss of control, then if left unchecked, he could probably shake the entire kingdom apart.

"Name and ability?" The soldier's voice carries an edge of authority, and every pair of eyes in the room locks onto Joseph.

"Geokinesis. I can control anything made of earth with my mind," Joseph replies.

Even I can't help but be shocked. The sheer potential of his power… if he trained properly, he could become the next king. And it seems like everyone else realizes that too.

The soldier simply shakes his head and walks off, signaling that Joseph was the last student.

"So, Joseph, with that power, are you planning to become king?" Marsha asks, her tone half-joking.

I notice several girls eyeing him with looks filled with both admiration and ambition power is an attractive thing for women.

Joseph grins. "Well, I wouldn't say that… it's still a long way off."

"Are you going to enroll in a noble school?" someone else asks, and whispers spread through the crowd.

For a commoner, a strong shard is a ticket to nobility. A once-in-a-lifetime chance to change everything. he'll also likely receive an offer to join the royal guard probably at an upper rank.

"Settle down, everyone," the teacher announces. "Class will end early today, as I have to escort Joseph to the king's palace."

The courtyard falls into stunned silence once again.

The king's palace.

A private audience with the king.

I swallow hard. This isn't just a big deal it's monumental. The king himself is going to evaluate Joseph. If he's deemed too dangerous… well, I don't know what will happen. But if he's deemed worthy?

Not many people are ever sent directly to the king's palace. Off the top of my head, there are maybe fifteen or so royal shard users in the entire kingdom. I might've just witnessed history in the making.

Joseph and the teacher walked toward the king's palace, escorted by guards. He looked nervous after all, almost no one was allowed inside unless it was of great importance. When they finally entered, the sheer grandeur of the castle overwhelmed him. Massive paintings lined the walls, gold chandeliers hung from the high ceilings, and every inch of the place exuded wealth and power.

They were led into the throne room, where the king sat waiting, as if he had anticipated their arrival. The moment they stepped inside, everyone bowed, while the guards knelt.

"Joseph, I've been expecting you," the king said, his deep, commanding voice echoing through the hall. "I felt your tremors from my throne. It seems you're destined to become a formidable royal guard one day if you accept my offer."

His presence was overwhelming, his voice laced with the kind of pride that suggested he stood alone at the top of the food chain. A ruler in every sense of the word.

Joseph swallowed hard and quickly bowed again. "Y-Yes, my king! I will accept anything you ask of me!"

The king let out a hearty laugh at Joseph's nervousness. "I'll ask you to remain in your current school for now, but I will provide you with the best training available. And in return, I offer you a place in my personal royal guard. With this, you will ascend to nobility, and who knows?" His eyes gleamed with amusement. "Perhaps one day, you may even take my place as king."

Another deep chuckle rumbled from his chest, but Joseph could hardly breathe. His entire body tensed at the weight of the offer.

He was on the path to becoming a king.