Centuries ago, humanity made a mistake.
A forbidden ritual, a whisper torn from the very cracks of the universe.
They tried to create balance—and unleashed chaos.
The Echo Entities emerged from the fracture, horrors formed by the universe's will to correct the disorder humans had caused.
Giants of flesh, shadow, and spirit—beings impossible to defeat.
Some faced them, others fled, and some tried to control them.
And thus, a new system was born: The Echoes, the Spirits.
The spirits were a gift from the universe; at least 99% of humans had one. These beings granted powers—some stronger than others—making it easier to fight the Echo Entities.
But even with the new order, errors persisted.
And among them all, Kael was the most inexplicable.
A boy born without a spirit—a silence in a world full of screams.
Kael wasn't remarkable for his strength or size, but there was something inside him… something that made the world notice.
His hair, dark as a starless sky, fell in disarray. His eyes, a gray so pale they were nearly white, didn't shine like a spirit-bearer's.
There was no fire, no energy… only emptiness.
But an emptiness that watched. That absorbed.
His body was thin, shaped by hunger and struggle. Every scar on his skin told of battles he shouldn't have won.
And yet, he won them.
He didn't carry the arrogant presence of the blessed warriors.
He carried the inevitable presence of a flaw.
Like a crack in a perfect mirror: flawless, silent, but impossible to ignore.
Kael didn't walk like someone searching for his place.
He walked like someone who knew the world had no place left for him.
—"HIT HIM WITH EVERYTHING!" — the crowd shouted.
Kael was in a small tournament, fighting for at least a crumb of bread.
But... the crowd wasn't cheering for him, but for his opponent.
A massive person, with a body like stone.
How could a 15-year-old boy, underfed and breathless, defeat such a monstrosity? It was impossible.
—"Ugh… I don't think I'll get out of here alive." — Kael thought. —"How am I supposed to beat that rock?" — He'd already given him a nickname without thinking.
The "rock" charged at him with considerable speed. Kael barely saw it coming but managed to dodge. He lost his balance but quickly recovered.
He jumped back a few times and regained distance. Apparently, the opponent was a close-combat fighter, so his skills only worked up close.
Kael realized this quickly, so keeping his distance was the best option. But it would be hard—he had nothing to fight at long range.
The opponent charged again, this time faster.
At first, he had underestimated Kael, but now he was getting serious.
Kael had no time to dodge. In a second, the enemy was just meters away.
He launched a barrage of punches that slammed into Kael's ribs.
The hits knocked the air out of him. Kael fell to his knees but didn't scream.
He clenched his teeth and stood quickly, trying to maintain distance again.
Bad move. The opponent launched a knee strike that hit Kael's nose.
Immediately after, he lifted him and slammed him into the ground.
—"AGH!" — Kael coughed up blood as he hit the dirt. It was so brutal the crowd went silent… but not a second passed before they roared with excitement.
The opponent walked away, raising his arms in victory, his back turned to Kael.
But... a silhouette stood behind him.
It was Kael, clenching his teeth, enduring the pain, standing tall.
The crowd fell into an awkward silence.
The opponent had no idea what was happening—until he turned and saw Kael.
He frowned and rushed toward him again.
He threw a punch. Kael twisted his torso and dodged; the punch barely grazed his jaw.
—"W-What?" — the opponent was confused.
Kael countered with a quick knee to his abdomen.
It wasn't a hard or strong hit, but it knocked the wind out of him.
It made him lose his balance.
A small win—but a win nonetheless.
Kael followed with a flurry of punches, striking the opponent's chin and leaving him dizzy for a few seconds.
But not everything was going well...
While he attacked, something hit his head—a tomato thrown by a man in the crowd.
—"What the he—" BAM!
A heavy punch struck Kael's jaw.
He had lost focus, and the opponent took advantage.
Kael lost balance, stumbling, but still standing.
A sharp pain bloomed in his mouth—he couldn't speak or think. His mind was blank.
The opponent kept going.
And going.
At one point, it looked like a massacre—Kael had lost consciousness, yet his body kept receiving brutal, heavy blows.
It was a cruel image. The crowd couldn't watch anymore, so they asked for the fight to stop.
The tournament had no rules, but they listened to the people's plea.
Kael wasn't responding—but the hits continued until a silver-armored knight intervened.
The knight rushed to stop the opponent… but didn't notice how badly Kael was hurt.
Minutes passed.
The arena was empty.
Only he remained—unconscious on the ground.