"Some men are forged by misery. Others are shattered by it first."
As twin moons shone in the desolate dark night, a pale boy stood alone on a cliff , his right arm missing, blood gushing from the stump. His tattered clothes were soaked in his own blood and pooled at his feet.
His breath came in ragged gasps, his body swaying from excessive blood loss yet his grip remained firm on his dagger. His body trembled, yet it body refused to kneel before death. His eyes burned not from fear, but with a glimmer of hope that his trial might still end. But even that hope was shattered by the horde of monsters before him. As his scream broke the silence of the desolate land, hoarse but unbroken.
"Come get me, you damn dogs! Let's see who has the last laugh"
And then, he lunged forward, as a hungry beast toward its prey.
To understand his current predicament, we must go back in time...
November 1, Year 211.
In the Outer Sanctum of Sector 4
A sleek, black RFC ( It's a kind of self-driving car that doesn't have tires and it floats above the surface of the road in a simple term a Road-Floating Car ) came to a silent halt, its smooth, tireless frame hovering just inches above the road. Unlike other old time conventional vehicles, it glided effortlessly, untouched by the rough terrain beneath. The doors slid open with a soft hiss, releasing a gust of warm air that clashed against the frigid winter night. A lone figure stepped out of it. He wore a long, high-collared coat, its seams made of a heavy fabric tailored precisely, with a complex series of buttons. Beneath it, a layered vest hugged his frame and wore black gloves giving him an air of quiet nobility despite the harsh wind brushing his skin.
As he exited the RFC, he ran a hand through his hair with his left hand, pushing back unruly strands while glancing at the sky. A Redrone ( it's a drone equipped with an Artifact of resonance that helps in detecting potential rifts between with worlds ) hovered in the distance, its sensors scanning for any signs of gate openings.
"It seems the rumors were true. A rift toward another world has opened in the outer Sanctum of Sector 4. But at least it seems that no one has died." With that thought, his gaze shifted toward the pristine building ahead. For a brief moment, he cast a quick glance at the RFC as it silently glided away, its sleek frame vanishing into the darkness of night. The area is filled with the smell of blood, decay and rust, a sharp contrast to the polished air of RFC which he had just stepped out of. The streets were empty, as expected due to the safety protocols during a rift opening.
He slowly exhaled his breath curling into the frozen air. As his tall, enigmatic figure towards above, his pale skin contrasting sharply against the dim streetlights. His chiseled jawline was tense with quiet confidence, but his eyes were dull and heavy of sleep, yet they had not lose their sharpness or the unique glow that could pierce through anything. Under the shining night his body was shrouded in exhaustion. If he were given a bed right now, he would collapse into a sleep for eternity. His long, untamed black hair fell over his face, partially veiling his unreadable gaze, as if he carried many untold stories at a very young age. Without any hesitation, he moved forward to his destination, his deliberate steps echoing through the freshly made ruins of Sector 4.
After what felt like an eternity of walking, he stopped in front of an enormous structure as if it could store the entire population of the outer Sanctum in it. Unlike the fallen buildings around it, its polished surface shone under the pristine white lights telling about the story that this building would remain untouched by any kind of power that tried to destroy it. Above the massive doors, an illuminated sign glowed:
"Human Domain Awakening Center"
Though physically located in each of the nine sectors both in the inner and outer Sanctum of the sectors but in reality this building belonged to Sector 0, where the Alliance Of Nine Shrines headquarters lay as symbol of their control over the entire human domain. As he stood before the imposing structure of the Outer Awakening Center, he let out a slow breath. This place wasn't for the privileged it was for the ones without status, the forgotten, the non-privileged — the commoners. It is quite the contrast, the Inner Awakening Center stood at the heart of Sector 4. Officially, it was said to be for everyone, but the truth was well-known that it belonged to the top tier noble families, especially the divine families, particularly the divine house of storm, the so-called descendants of the God of Thunder and Storm. As they ruled over the entire Sector 4. Nothing much changed between the two facilities in purpose, yet the differences were undeniable. Everything there was meticulously arranged from personalized guidance, specialized support my top-tier psychologists who help the young awakeners navigate their mental situations and state-of-the-art medical systems all designed to protect and preserve the body while the soul ventured into the Seekers Trial. In many Inner Awakening Centers across different sectors, awakeners were even provided with basic buffs to aid their survival during the trial. But the contrast between centers was visible in every detail. In the Inner Awakening Center, soft leather chairs lined the halls, offering calm and comfort. Meanwhile, here in the Outer Awakening Center, the seating was made of cold, reinforced metal. This wasn't just about luxury. It was a silent reminder of where one stood in the grand hierarchy.
And here, in the Outer Awakening Center, you are on your own. Not like that but in a sense yes you are on your own you won't be getting any kind of buff or personal guidance however they will provide a standard mandatory introduction book. With this, thought his fingers curled into a fist. He had known this truth for years, …yet he did nothing… and now he was standing before it, and it felt heavier. Even so, he had no intention of backing down.
This was it.
The Awakening.
He had waited his entire life for this moment.
Or perhaps… not.
In his thoughts, he murmured to himself:
"But Kael remember this don't get frozen at the sight of Beauty."