Blaze Through Worlds

Chapter 1: The Night Everything Changed

Bright walked leisurely, hands stuffed deep in his pockets, following behind the other kids along the cracked sidewalk.

He was ten—lean, average-looking, with messy black hair and light brown eyes that always seemed half-lost in thought.

He wasn't the loudest or the strongest. He didn't pick fights or crack jokes like the other boys. If anything, Bright's most defining trait was how forgettable he was.

Nobody at the orphanage really knew where he came from. He'd been there as long as anyone could remember, just another kid left behind.

Life was… fine.

Not good. Not bad. Just fine.

Bright was the type of kid who didn't think too hard about the future. What was the point? The best he could hope for was surviving one day at a time, maybe scoring an extra piece of bread if Matron Agnes was feeling generous.

He walked a few steps behind the group, letting their chatter fade into white noise as he stared at the cracked pavement beneath his feet. His mind wandered, imagining how cool it would be if superpowers were real—like in the comics some of the older kids passed around.

Maybe he could fly. Or shoot fire from his hands.

Or turn invisible.

Yeah… invisible sounded nice.

Nobody would bother him then.

"Hey, Bright!"

He blinked, snapped out of his daydream. One of the boys—a scrawny kid named Toby—was waving him over.

"You daydreaming again, loser?"

Bright scowled. "Maybe I was imagining you shutting up."

The other kids laughed, and for a second, Bright smirked too.

Yeah… life was fine.

That night, the orphanage was quiet—not peaceful, just quiet.

The kind of quiet that came after Matron Agnes threatened to take away breakfast if anyone made a sound after lights out.

Bright lay on his bed, staring at the cracked ceiling. The mattress beneath him was thin and lumpy, barely more than a few layers of fabric stuffed with whatever the orphanage could scrounge up.

He could hear the soft snores of the other kids filling the room.

Tomorrow would be the same as today. School. Bread. Maybe a fight or two over who got the last piece of candy.

Nothing ever really changed.

Bright's eyelids drooped, his mind drifting back to his superpower fantasies—

BANG.

His eyes shot open.

At first, he thought it was Toby kicking the wall again. The kid had a bad habit of fighting invisible monsters in his sleep.

But then came the shouting.

Loud. Angry.

Bright sat up, heart thudding in his chest.

"What was that?" someone whispered from the next bunk.

Heavy footsteps echoed down the hallway.

Another crash—furniture being knocked over.

Then—

BANG.

Bright flinched.

That was a gunshot.

Panic spread like wildfire.

Kids screamed. Some bolted for the door. Others froze in their beds, eyes wide with fear.

Bright's heart pounded in his chest. He felt the urge to dive under his bed—until he realized there was no way in hell he'd fit under there.

He scrambled toward the door, eyes scanning the chaos.

That's when he saw her.

Emily.

The little girl clung to the wall, her stuffed bunny crushed against her chest. Her wide, tear-filled eyes locked onto Bright like he was the only familiar thing left in the world.

Everyone doted on Emily. She was small, cute, and had the kind of big, round cheeks that made adults go soft.

She was always following the older kids around, asking to hold hands.

Bright swallowed hard.

"Big brother Bright… what's happening?"

Her voice was barely a whisper, trembling.

Bright's own hands were shaking, but he forced a smile.

"Don't worry, little girl. Everyone's just… really excited."

Even in chaos, he couldn't help trying to lighten the mood.

Emily didn't laugh.

Bright grabbed her hand, lifting her into his arms. She clung to him instantly, her little fingers gripping his shirt like a lifeline.

He made his way toward the stairs, every step feeling heavier than the last.

The gunshots kept coming—closer now.

Screams echoed from downstairs. Matron Agnes. Some of the other kids.

Bright's heart hammered against his ribs.

What the hell was happening?

At the entrance of the orphanage, three men staggered through the broken-down door.

They were drunk—slurring their words, reeking of cheap alcohol. Two of them clutched pistols, waving them around like toys. The third carried a bottle, taking sloppy swigs between hiccups.

"You… sure this is the place?" one of them slurred.

Bang!

A shot rang out, hitting a light pole.

"I hic think I killed something!"

"You idiot! This is a secret job!"

"Shhh… keep your voices down!"

They weren't just here to rob the place.

They were looking for someone.

Or so they thought.

They were just too high to realize they were doing a despicable.

Bright's legs trembled as he climbed back up the stairs, clutching Emily tighter.

He didn't know where he was going—just that he couldn't go down.

He reached the top landing—

BANG.

A bullet slammed into the wall behind him.

Emily screamed, burying her face into his shoulder.

Bright's heart nearly stopped.

He turned—

A man stood halfway up the stairs, gun raised, swaying on his feet.

Bright's instincts kicked in before his brain could catch up.

He dove to the side—

Pain exploded in his leg.

Bright cried out, clutching his thigh as fire seared through his body.

His vision blurred.

Emily sobbed into his chest, clinging tighter.

Bright's whole body shook, every nerve screaming.

He couldn't move. Couldn't breathe.

He was going to die here.

Somewhere in the distance—

Sirens.

The man cursed and stumbled away, disappearing down the hall.

Bright barely heard it. His eyelids felt heavy.

He blinked slowly, fighting to stay awake.

Emily's tiny fingers clutched at his shirt, her small body trembling against his.

"Big brother Bright…?"

He forced a smile through the pain.

"It's… gonna be okay."

Liar.

The last thing Bright heard before everything went black—

The distant wail of police sirens cutting through the night.

The night everything changed.