The Last Shadows.
An extraordinary title, once passed down through generations of Ascendants, being granted only to the twelve most exceptional warriors that the world had ever known.
At least, that's how it used to be... before the Collapse.
Years ago during the Collapse, under the rule of the great Emperor Alexandra the Great, the last generation of the Last Shadows suddenly fell from grace.
Once revered as human champions, they became something else, turning corrupted, demonic, and no longer loyal to the Twelve Temples, but instead to the Mad Deity of the Abyss.
The shadows that used to be part of the representatives of the great Temples betrayed the sacred cathedrals, thus invoking their wrath.
The details of what happened to them on that day remain buried.
The Temples, for some reason, never revealed the truth. In fact, the subject itself was declared blasphemous, and discussion of it was banned entirely.
So one may wonder why I am thinking about this?
The answer's simple
" I'm bored."
Kael sat at the left window of the train, his jaw resting on his palm. His eyes stared out at empty air, his earlier excitement long since drained away by the passing hours.
Waiting for four hours for a train to depart was, unsurprisingly, dull. And honestly, he deserved it. After all, no one had told him to show up as early as he did.
The train was said to depart at 11:00am, so Kael, in his overexcitement, decided to arrive at 7:00 am sharp.
So all this boredom, he could only blame himself for his impatience.
But he couldn't help himself.
He had waited for this day his whole life.
So, in his enthusiasm, he became absurdly punctual, arriving four hours before the agreed time.
At that time, the train hadn't even arrived at all.
He sighed and tapped his fingers on the windowsill in a lazy rhythm, each beat echoing softly in the quiet train. A few other passengers sat scattered around, most too tired to care about the delay. All were students like him, even though "student" might've been the wrong word for where they were heading.
No one really knew what to call them until they came out the other side, and that's if they came out at all.
Kael had always imagined this moment differently. He thought he'd be brimming with energy, with nerves and adrenaline, maybe pacing the aisles or making awkward small talk with a fellow initiate.
Instead, he just felt… hollow. Like his mind had left an hour ago, still wandering the platforms.
Maybe it had something to do with the unexpected revelation of his potential endowment, or maybe it was the reminder of disgraceful memories of his family's atrocious past and its legacy.
Anyway, all of it didn't matter anymore.
He had made it, he was halfway away from becoming an Ascendant.
He glanced at the empty seat across from him, half-expecting to see someone, maybe his rival twin brother Sam, or perhaps his half blood sister whom he hadn't seen for a long time.
But as expected, what met him was nothing but empty air.
He sighed again.
'I guess they didn't make it?' He added inwardly.
This was their shared dream ever since they were kids, that one day they would board the Joyous Train together, but here Kael was, alone. Fate was truly a.... something.
Kael was about to say a blasphemous phrase before he remembered that Fate was one of the seven Deities that governed this world.
As his thoughts turned adrift, he suddenly recalled his unusual experience, during his calling.
The memory of his first phase of awakening suddenly resurfaced.
The strange dream, the hooded hunched man with eyes like burnt glass. The way he looked at Kael through him, really, before whispering something Kael couldn't quite hear.
The only words he caught were.
"Shadows are your domain, boy."
Kael sighed as he thought of this.
'I am overthinking it.'
He thought, trying to comfort himself.
Or maybe he had heard it and just didn't want to believe it.
"Shadows."
Kael blinked.
He hadn't told anyone what the man had said. What would he even say? That a random prophet looking hobo muttered a cursed word from a banned mythology and disappeared?
He shivered slightly and tried to push the thought away.
As he was busy with his thoughts, it didn't take long for the other initiates like Kael to fill up the train.
Upon seeing the train fully fill up within minutes, Kael couldn't help but release a relieved sigh.
Finally, it was about time they left.
As soon as everyone arrived, the train immediately departed, its destination, the Moonlight church.
It departed slowly at first, swaying gently as it picked up speed.
The muted clatter of the rails filled the cabin with a low, constant hum.
Kael kept his head down, his neck still sore from all the waiting, and his eyes distant seemingly preoccupied by distant thoughts.
A scuffing sound soon broke him from his trance.
Someone slid into the seat beside him.
A wiry boy with a mop of messy brown hair and a grin too big for his face. His clothes were simple and rough, patched in places with mismatched cloth. A battered canvas bag hung from his shoulder, and he smelled faintly of cheap soap and metal.
"Mind if I sit here?" the boy asked, not really waiting for an answer.
Kael shrugged without looking up.
After the boy took his seat, he suddenly leaned in near Kael and then spoke in a conspiratorial voice.
"You feel it too, right? The signs? I can tell."
Kael stiffened slightly. "Feel what?"
"You know," the boy said, eyes bright. "The buildup of strength, and the hardening of the skin.
Like your whole soul is waking up.
From what l have heard, people say that these are signs of awakening.
It's how you know what kind of Gift you're gonna have and I'm betting mine's something with fire. Maybe even a Flamecaller's Gift. Imagine that!"
He chuckled, thumping his palm against his chest. "Bet I'll be shooting sparks before the night's done."
Kael forced a polite nod but said nothing.
He hadn't felt anything abnormal ever since the calling.
The only weird thing he had experienced that he would say was weird, was the strange dream at the beginning of his calling.
Upon seeing Kael not responding, the mop-haired boy suddenly showed a look of disappointment.
"So you don't feel it? What a shame."
A frown appeared on Kael's face.
This boy was starting to get on his nerves.
As if wanting to irritate him even further, the boy continued.
His expression turned into one of pity.
"It's okay if you don't feel it, I am sure it will come to you someday. l mean not every-"
Kael couldn't take it anymore and retorted defensively.
"Whoever said that, I don't feel it. What if I just don't want to reveal it to you?"
The mop-haired boy sized Kael up and down, and asked him doubtfully.
"Sooo you do feel it ?"
Kael was provoked even further and shouted.
"Look, man, what the heck is your deal? Can't you find someone else to bother?"
His sudden outburst caused the other passengers to stare at him.
Kael could only shrink back under their stares.
The boy ignorant of the reaction of the passengers shook his head,
I have already tried that at first, but it didn't end well the first time. I met this scary guy, who didn't seem too friendly, and upon talking to him, he suddenly turned very angry at me. Then I saw you, and I figured you were the ideal friend."
'What..?'
Kael was simply at a loss for words.
Ignoring his puzzlement, the boy continued.
"Name is Liam by the way. What about you?"
Kael stared at the boy for a few moments, simply puzzled by his remarks.
Liam, who had asked the question, was now focusing on opening a packet of snacks.
The look Kael was giving him, was not even bothering him.
Kael hesitated, then replied briefly. "Kael."
"Good to meet ya! Guess we'll be seeing a lot of each other in the trials, huh?" Sam leaned back, resting his boots against the table leg with casual disregard for the rules.
He casually threw a snack into his mouth, and suddenly brightened up after tasting the flavors.
"You gonna show off your Gift first or should I?"
Kael smiled thinly. "Maybe later."
Sam laughed, not noticing the distance Kael had put between them. "Suit yourself."
Kael leaned his head against the window, pretending to doze, but his mind churned.
He tightened his fists and closed his eyes.
Whatever his endowment was he had to keep it hidden, not just from Liam, but from everyone.
Although he didn't know what type of endowment he had, nor had he bothered to figure it out after receiving it, due to his fear of what he might find.
He knew that it was something that was related to the taboo legends.
An unmistakable legacy from his heretic family.
He could feel it, he was on a path toward something far worse.
Something that had already destroyed his family once.
Something the churches had spent centuries trying to erase.