The wind howled through the broken streets of Everfall, carrying whispers of a
forgotten past. The skies above were painted in shades of rust and violet as the
sun surrendered to the horizon. A boy, no older than seventeen, wandered
through the crowded market, his eyes distant and clouded with questions. His
name was Kael — an orphan raised by the streets, a boy with nothing but a
restless heart and a burning ache he couldn't explain.
He wasn't special. Or so he believed.
"Oi, Kael!" a voice called from behind, rough but familiar. It was Dren, a
burly man with a beard as wild as his temper. "Daydreaming again? You're
gonna get yourself robbed blind one of these days."
Kael managed a faint smirk. "Nothing left to steal, Dren."
The old merchant laughed, shaking his head. "Aren't that the truth. But the
world doesn't pity empty pockets. Keep your head up, boy."
Kael nodded and moved on, but the weight in his chest only grew heavier.
Every day felt the same — wake, wander, survive. He couldn't shake the
feeling that something, somewhere, was calling to him.
The first sign of his truth came when the ground trembled beneath his feet.
The crowd stilled. Merchants froze, their wares forgotten. Even the wind
seemed to hold its breath. Kael's pulse quickened. He wasn't sure why, but his
heart hammered in his chest as though it recognized something his mind
couldn't.
A cloaked figure emerged from the shadows. His voice was a whisper, yet it
echoed across the entire street.
"The King has awakened."
People murmured in confusion, but Kael felt his throat tighten. The figure
stepped closer, revealing a weathered face and eyes like molten gold.
"You," the man rasped, pointing directly at Kael. "You are the King of
Emotions."
The world seemed to tilt beneath him.
Kael stared, stunned. "You've got the wrong guy."
The figure smiled sadly, as if he had expected that answer. "They always say
that, in the beginning." He tossed something toward Kael — a ring, silver and
etched with symbols that looked like flames and tears entwined.
Kael caught it instinctively. The moment his skin touched the metal, his veins
burned. He gasped, falling to one knee as his mind was flooded with visions —
joy, sorrow, rage, love — emotions crashing through him like a tidal wave.
The market erupted into chaos. People screamed, scattering like frightened
birds. Kael's body trembled, his heart racing faster than ever before.
"You don't know who you are yet," the man said, voice low and steady. "But
you will. And when you do, the world will either follow you... or fear you."
Before Kael could respond, the figure vanished into the smoke and dust.
Kael's breath came in ragged bursts. He stared at the ring, his hand trembling.
The metal felt cold now, like it didn't belong to him — and yet, it pulsed
faintly, matching the rhythm of his heart.
For the first time in his life, Kael felt something other than emptiness. He felt
powerful. And that terrified him.
As the sun disappeared, leaving Everfall in twilight's embrace, Kael rose to his
feet. The streets were empty now, and the silence felt heavier than before.
The King of Emotions.
What did that even mean?
He didn't know.
But something told him he was about to find out.
The market square was alive with chaos. The sound of metal boots slamming against cobblestone echoed as guards fought to push through the sea of terrified townsfolk. Stalls collapsed, baskets of fruit rolled aimlessly across the ground, and panicked voices blended into an incoherent roar.
Kael didn't run. He couldn't. His feet felt like they were rooted to the stone beneath him. His eyes stayed locked on the silver ring lying in the dust. It seemed to call to him — not with words, but with a pull, like an invisible thread wrapping around his soul and tugging.
A distant shout barely registered in his mind.
"Get him! The thief!"
Kael blinked, snapping back to reality. His heart slammed against his ribs. He wasn't the thief. The boy who stole the bread had vanished into the crowd long ago. But that didn't matter to the guards. He was the one standing still, the one hovering near the commotion.
And the one standing next to the ring.
His body moved on instinct. He dove forward, his hand closing around the cold, dusty metal. The moment his fingers touched it, the world shifted.
Everything went silent.
The chaotic noise of the market stopped, frozen mid-shout. The people — the guards, the vendors, the bystanders — all stopped moving. A mother's terrified scream hung in the air, stuck on her lips. A toppled fruit cart remained in mid-fall, apples hovering as though held by invisible strings.
The only sound Kael could hear was his own breath, ragged and uneven. His chest rose and fell in the deafening stillness.
"What the…?" Kael's voice was barely a whisper.
The ring, still gripped tightly in his hand, pulsed softly. It wasn't a glow — it was more like a heartbeat, gentle and rhythmic. The pulse matched his own, thudding in sync with his chest.
His heart raced faster. So did the ring.
Ba-dum. Ba-dum. Ba-dum.
Kael swallowed hard. "This… isn't normal."
A voice answered — deep, low, and unfamiliar. It wasn't loud, but it filled his head, resonating from somewhere beyond the world he knew.
"No, it isn't."
Kael's breath hitched. His eyes darted around the frozen market. No one moved. No one spoke. The voice wasn't coming from anyone nearby — it felt like it came from inside him, wrapping around his mind.
"It's been a long time, Kael."
His throat tightened. "Who… who's there?"
"You don't know me yet. But you will."
Kael spun in a slow circle, scanning the motionless crowd. His pulse hammered in his ears, drowning everything else out. His fingers curled tighter around the ring. He didn't know why he held onto it — only that letting go felt like the worst idea he could possibly have.
"Show yourself!" he shouted, his voice cracking.
"In time." The voice was calm, steady. "For now, wake up."
The pulse from the ring exploded, burning through his palm like fire. Kael gasped, falling to his knees as the world snapped back into motion. The sounds returned in a rush — the shouting, the clanging metal, the stampede of footsteps. The fruit cart crashed to the ground, apples spilling everywhere.
A guard's voice cut through the noise.
"There he is!"
Kael's head shot up, his mind reeling from the shift. He barely had time to think. His legs moved on their own. He bolted, pushing through the crowd. His muscles screamed in protest, but fear burned hotter than pain.
The guards were fast — faster than they should have been in heavy armor. He could hear them gaining on him, their boots striking hard against the stone streets.
"Stop him!" one barked.
Kael's lungs burned. His legs felt like lead. He rounded a corner, nearly crashing into a stack of wooden crates. He stumbled, barely keeping his balance.
And then he saw it.
A dead end.
"No, no, no," he breathed, panic rising in his chest. His heart hammered in his ears. The ring pulsed again, faster now, almost frantic.
The guards were right behind him. He could hear their footsteps echoing off the narrow alley walls.
Kael's mind raced. He couldn't fight them — he wasn't a fighter. He couldn't outrun them — they were faster, stronger.
The ring burned hotter against his palm. It didn't hurt. It felt alive.
"Trust it," the voice whispered again.
Kael squeezed his eyes shut. He didn't know why he listened. He didn't have a choice.
He clenched the ring tightly and wished — no, begged — to be anywhere but here.
The world exploded.
A blinding flash of light filled the alley. Heat roared through Kael's veins, but it didn't burn. The stone beneath him vanished. His stomach lurched as the world turned upside down.
And then — silence.
Kael gasped, eyes flying open. He wasn't in the alley anymore.
He was standing on a rooftop. The marketplace stretched out below him, distant and safe. The guards were still in the alley, looking around in confusion.
Kael's legs gave out, and he dropped to his knees, panting. His head spun.
"What… the hell… was that?"
"The beginning."
Kael didn't answer the voice this time. He didn't have the strength. His hand shook as he looked at the ring, still pulsing gently in his palm.
The voice echoed one last time, softer now.
"This is only the beginning."
Kael stared at the horizon, his mind a mess of fear, confusion, and something else.
Hope.
The ring pulsed again — and this time, Kael didn't let go.