The sky was overcast, a thick blanket of grey clouds threatening to pour rain over the city of Lysval. Beneath them, the world moved on—cars, lights, conversations. But within the Orphanage of Saint Mira, nestled in the quieter outskirts, Kael Daven sat by a rain-specked window, watching droplets race down the glass.
Kael was sixteen, tall for his age, with raven-black hair that fell just below his eyes. His gaze was sharp, often too intense for someone so young. He didn't smile much. He didn't talk much either—unless necessary. There was a cold, deliberate air about him, the kind that made most of the younger kids hesitate before approaching.
Kael (POV): Another grey day. Fitting. I guess the weather has good taste.
The matron's voice echoed through the hallway. "Everyone, hurry up! The forest trip won't wait for slowpokes!"
Kael sighed and stood up, his hand instinctively going to the silver ring on his middle finger. It was old—strangely ornate for something he'd found among his father's few remaining possessions. He didn't know why, but he never took it off.
Kael (POV): Just a walk in the woods, huh? Probably another 'bonding' experience. As if bonding is something I'm good at.
---
Soon, the orphans were packed into a transport vehicle, chattering excitedly. Kael sat near the back, earphones in but no music playing. He just wanted quiet. The drive was long, but eventually, the concrete faded into trees, and the forest welcomed them with chirping birds and the scent of pine.
The group scattered under supervision, exploring or playing games. Kael, of course, drifted to the edges.
And that's when it started.
A burning sensation.
It started in his palm.
Kael (POV): What the hell?
He looked down. The ring—it was glowing. Faintly. And his skin burned beneath it like it was touching molten metal.
"Ugh..." He staggered away from the group, heart racing. Something was pulling him. A sensation like... a magnetic tug, deep inside.
The further he walked, the stronger the burn. The air grew colder, darker—more still.
Then, he saw it.
A clearing.
Bodies.
Shredded.
Blood soaked the earth in wide arcs. And in the middle—two figures.
Fighting.
One was cloaked in pale fire, hands wrapped in bright runes. The other... darker, moving like smoke with a blade forged from shadows.
Kael instinctively ducked into the underbrush, heart hammering in his chest.
Kael (POV): What the hell is this?! This is insane. I need to leave. Now.
He began backing away—slow, careful steps. But a twig snapped beneath his foot.
The fire wielder turned sharply. Eyes met Kael's.
And a bolt of pure flame shot toward him.
Kael (POV): No—NO—
He barely had time to scream.
The world exploded in light—
But he didn't burn.
Instead, a black tendril shot out from his ring, intercepting the fire midair and swallowing it whole.
The dark figure in the battle paused.
The flame wielder stared in disbelief. "What—?"
A low, ancient voice echoed in Kael's head.
"Finally awakened, little heir. You really were going to die like a bug. Tsk, disappointing."
Kael (POV): WHAT?!
A small, shadowy figure materialized beside him—barely the size of a cat. Eyes like slits of silver stared at him from the void.
"What... what are you?" Kael asked, voice trembling.
The shadow creature floated, smirking.
"I am Zeroth. Fragment of the Daven Legacy. And you're my responsibility now, Kael."
Kael (POV): Daven? Legacy? What the hell does that mean?!
The enemy was charging. Fire gathered in his hands again.
Zeroth: "We can chat later. That guy's about to roast you. Let me take over."
"No!" Kael barked. "I don't know you. You could be some—some demon!"
Zeroth: "How dramatic. You'd rather die? I'm here because your father left you more than bad memories."
Kael's breath caught.
Kael (POV): My father...?
The fire wielder roared.
Kael clenched his fists.
"Fine! But just this once!"
"Good boy," Zeroth chuckled.
And then the world shifted.
Zeroth's essence slipped into Kael's body—and power surged.
From Kael's feet, shadows erupted—coiling upward, forming armor over his limbs. A sword of darkness materialized in his hand, vibrating with untold energy.
The enemy hesitated. "You... You're not just a kid..."
Zeroth's voice hummed through Kael's lips, fused with his own.
"Let's dance."
The shadow sword felt foreign in Kael's hand, heavy yet balanced. His feet moved instinctively—no, guided. But still, it wasn't full control.
Zeroth whispered, "Left. Slash. Duck. Again."
Kael followed the instructions.
He charged forward.
The enemy hurled a firebolt. Kael raised the sword and deflected it—barely. Heat singed his shoulder, the pain sharp and real.
He pressed on, swinging clumsily.
Kael (POV): I can do this. I can—
The flaming warrior ducked and countered with a sweep of his blade. It sliced across Kael's thigh.
"Ahh!" Kael stumbled back, gasping.
Zeroth: "You're too slow. You're thinking too much. Let me—"
"No!" Kael growled. "Not yet!"
Another exchange—Kael barely dodged, parried, struck.
A shallow cut opened on his cheek.
Another on his arm.
Blood dripped.
His grip faltered.
Kael (POV): I can't... I'm not strong enough...
The enemy raised both hands, gathering a blaze that roared like a sun being born.
Kael fell to one knee.
Zeroth's voice turned cold. "That's enough."
"No—!"
"You've proved your will. Now survive."
Kael closed his eyes.
"Do it."
And then, silence.
His body stood on its own. Darkness wrapped around him like a second skin. Shadows pulsed with deadly rhythm, and his wounds stopped bleeding as Zeroth fully took control.
Zeroth (possessing Kael): "Formation One: Shadow Flash."
In a blur of speed, Kael's figure vanished.
The flame wielder's eyes widened—
He tried to block—
Too late.
A single black arc cut across the air, trailing mist.
The shadow blade cleaved through his neck.
Silence.
The body dropped.
The enemy's head rolled into the grass.
Kael—no, Zeroth—stood still, sword dissolving into tendrils of smoke.
The remaining figure from the earlier battle, dressed in grey armor streaked with blue lightning, stepped into the clearing. His face was bloodied, but he held his weapon ready.
He stared at Kael.
At the corpse.
At the lingering shadows.
Kael's body began to shake.
The control slipped.
His knees buckled.
And then—
Darkness.
He collapsed.
Unconscious.
The armored man blinked, lowering his sword.
"What in the world... was that?"
Rain began to fall, soft at first, then heavier, like the forest itself was trying to wash away the blood.
The man stepped closer to the unconscious boy, shadows retreating around Kael's body. The child was young—sixteen at most—clothes torn, skin cut, breathing ragged.
The man knelt beside him.
"That attack..." he murmured. "That wasn't natural."
His fingers hovered above the strange black ring on Kael's hand. It pulsed faintly, as if still alive, still watching.
The man narrowed his eyes. He had seen many awakened ones in his time, but this—this was different.
"Shadow constructs? At this level?"
He exhaled.
No emblem. No guild marker. No academy uniform.
He wasn't part of any known group.
The man looked around. Corpses littered the clearing—charred, shredded. The remaining heat in the air hinted at high-level elemental techniques.
"Who were they fighting?"
His gaze turned back to Kael.
No answers.
Only questions.
He rose and pulled a small crystal from his cloak, whispering into it.
"This is Solian. I found something... unusual. A boy. He's alive. Barely."
A pause.
"No. He's not one of ours. I've never seen anything like what he just did."
Another pause.
Then:
"No, he's unconscious. I'll bring him in."
He ended the call and knelt again, gently lifting Kael's limp form.
The boy's face twitched—just slightly—as if caught in a nightmare. Or maybe something deeper.
Solian glanced toward the darkened trees.
"What are you, kid?"
He stepped out of the clearing, rain washing over them both.
Behind him, the last wisps of shadow faded into the soil.
Unseen.
Silent.
Watching.