2013 - The First Gate Crisis
It began on an ordinary day.
The first Gate appeared in the middle of an empty field in Montana, USA—a swirling mass of black and violet energy, pulsing like a heartbeat. No one knew what it was. Scientists speculated it was a weather anomaly, a tear in reality, or even an undiscovered phenomenon caused by the Earth's magnetic field. The world watched with curiosity, unaware that this strange rift would mark the beginning of an era of blood and chaos.
For months, the Gate remained inactive. A C-rank Gate, as it would later be classified. The military was stationed around it, watching, waiting. People came and went, some taking pictures, others treating it as a tourist attraction.
Then it broke.
The first monster that crawled out was grotesque—a twisted six-legged beast with elongated claws and eyes that burned with unnatural hunger. It moved faster than anything the soldiers had ever seen, ripping through armored vehicles and tearing soldiers apart in seconds. Then came more. Dozens. Hundreds.
The city fell in two days.
The U.S. government deployed its strongest weapons. Bullets barely scratched them. Explosives slowed them down, but only temporarily. Humanity, with all its advancements, was helpless. The monsters didn't stop. They spread, tearing through town after town. Millions would have died.
Then, a miracle happened.
They appeared.
Ordinary people, those who had been nothing but civilians the day before, suddenly felt something awaken inside them. A fire in their souls. A force unlike anything they had ever known. They stepped forward, facing creatures that could not be harmed by mortal weapons.
And they fought back.
With nothing but their newfound abilities, they pushed the monsters back into the Gate and sealed it. It took months. Cities burned. Thousands died. But for the first time, humanity had a chance.
These individuals were called Ascendants—humans blessed with power beyond reason. Some could summon fire, others could command the wind. Some had unbreakable bodies, while others could see into the future. They defied logic, defied death itself.
The world changed forever.
But for Kael, it was just another part of history.
---
Kael sat at the back of the classroom, staring out the window as the lesson droned on. His teacher, a middle-aged man with graying hair, went on about mana theory—a subject that had become mandatory in schools ever since the First Gate Crisis.
"Ascendants are humanity's greatest shield," the teacher said. "Without them, we would have perished when the first Gate appeared. To this day, new Gates open across the world, and it's thanks to our brave warriors that we are safe—"
Kael tuned him out.
None of this mattered to him.
It had been seven years since the first Gate. Six since the government officially started testing for Awakening potential. Four since his siblings had become S-rank Ascendants. And three since Kael had given up.
He glanced around the classroom. Nearly half of his classmates had awakened in the past few years. Some had weak abilities—minor enhancements or small elemental tricks. Others, like Jace, had enough power to be scouted by top guilds even before graduating.
Then there was Kael. Ordinary. Powerless. Forgettable.
At first, he thought it was just a matter of time. Everyone thought so. His older brother and sister had awakened—both had become legends among Ascendants. Surely, Kael would follow.
But the years passed. One by one, his friends awakened. He didn't.
They moved forward. He stayed behind.
And eventually, they left him.
Kael's best friend, Ara, was the last. She had awakened two years ago, right before they graduated middle school. Now, she was a B-rank Ascendant training under the military, preparing for deployment.
At first, she tried to keep in touch. But things changed. The gap between them widened. What could an ordinary person like him talk about with someone who trained to fight monsters?
So she left, just like the others.
Now, Kael was just another student in a world that no longer had a place for him.
Thud.
Kael slammed into the lockers. The metallic clang echoed through the hallway, drawing a few bored glances from passing students. Jace and his group laughed, standing over him.
"Still no Awakening, huh?" Jace grinned, rolling his shoulders. His mana flared slightly, a warm golden glow radiating from his body. "What's it like being the only normal person in a school full of Ascendants?"
Kael said nothing. He simply picked up his books.
That wasn't the answer Jace wanted.
A sharp pain bloomed in Kael's side as a fist connected with his ribs. He stumbled, catching himself against the lockers. The world blurred for a moment before settling back into focus.
"You don't even fight back anymore,"Jace scoffed. "No fun. You're really just a punching bag at this point, huh?"
Kael didn't reply. He knew better than to give them an excuse to hit harder.
The beatings had started a year ago. At first, they were casual taunts, mocking him for being weak. Then, when Jace awakened, they turned into something more.
It wasn't even that Kael had done anything wrong. He was just an easy target—a reminder that not everyone was meant for greatness.
The teachers didn't care. The world didn't care.
Kael was nothing.
So he endured. In silence.
Kael walked home under the glow of streetlights, clutching his bag against his side where Jace had hit him. Bruised, but not broken.
This was fine.
He just needed to graduate. Get into a university. Become an engineer.
That was something he could do. Unlike Awakening, unlike Ascendant rankings, this was something based on effort. He could work, he could study, and no one could take that away from him.
Magic? Power? That life was never meant for him.
So he would build a different future.
Or at least, that's what he thought.
Until the sky split open above his school.
---
It started with a low hum, like a distant earthquake rumbling beneath the city. Kael stopped in his tracks, glancing toward the school gates.
The air shimmered.
Then it ripped apart.
A swirling mass of pure darkness tore through the sky, a vortex of shadows and energy. The streetlights flickered before dying completely, plunging the area into darkness.
A Black Gate.
Not just any Gate. Something new. Something worse.
Terror gripped Kael's chest.
This wasn't like the stories from 2013. Those Gates had appeared in remote locations. This was inside the city. Right above his school.
Screams erupted in the distance. People ran. Some fumbled with their phones, trying to call for help. But deep down, everyone knew the truth.
Help wouldn't come in time.
Kael stood frozen, staring up at the Gate.
Then he heard it.
A growl. Low. Hungry. Inhuman.
The darkness inside the Gate shifted, and something began to emerge.
A monster.
Not just one. Dozens. Hundreds.
And there was no one to stop them.
---
End of Chapter 1