As Akira was living his chaotic yet peaceful life in Japan with his family and friends, he didn't know at that time that somewhere in the hidden corners of the world, a storm was brewing that could change his life forever.
In the depths of a dark forest, hidden beneath the ruins of an old mansion, a shadowy group gathered together. The dim basement of the crumbling mansion was filled with hushed murmurs and the occasional crackle of the dying fire. The leader sat on his broken throne, leaning forward, his fingers steepled under his chin. His sharp, commanding voice cut through the heavy silence.
"Have you gathered any information on the boy?" he asked, his voice a low growl that seemed to seep into the stone walls.
One of his followers, a cloaked man, stepped forward and bowed slightly. "My lord, our informants have reported sightings of the boy outside his house, he was with his parents and that cursed vampire's descendants. Getting close to him has proven nearly impossible, so they could only observe from a distance."
"Can this information be trusted?" an older follower asked, his tone laced with scepticism. "Rangan, I'm not doubting your words, but no one has seen the boy since his birth. How can you be certain it's him?"
"It's impossible to mistake him, sir Duran," Rangan replied. "Members of the Starlight family are unmistakable, their snow-white hair, their purple eyes, their inherent arrogance, and the immense mana each of them possesses. The boy matches all these traits and reportedly has more mana than any Starlight ever recorded."
"The highest mana capacity ever recorded?" another follower, younger and more impatient, interjected. "We can't let him reach his full potential. If he does, we'll never achieve our revenge. We must act quickly!"
"But my lord," Duran said hesitantly, "is it wise to challenge the Starlights? The boy's parents are two of the strongest mages in the world, with powerful allies. If we attack, even if we succeed in killing the boy, we'll surely die. Perhaps it would be better to target the vampire descendants instead."
"Are you suggesting we abandon our only chance for revenge?" the hot-headed follower snapped, his voice trembling with rage. "What future do we have? We are the last remnants of our pack, the rest are all slaughtered by the Starlights. This is our final opportunity for vengeance. We are not cowards!"
Duran tried to respond, "Mok Tok, I'm not saying we shouldn't seek revenge, but..."
"Silence!" the leader's powerful voice thundered, commanding instant quiet. The room fell into a tense hush.
"We will have our revenge, but we are not fools. Killing that boy is almost impossible. The Starlight family will protect him with everything they have. Attacking recklessly would be suicide," the leader said, his voice low but venomous. He leaned back in his throne, his gaze distant as memories stirred.
"The Starlight family. That cursed bloodline," he thought, his fists clenching. "They meddled where they didn't belong. I was so close to ending both that vampire and his pathetic human wife. But the Starlights intervened, shielding them, slaughtering my clan, and leaving me broken."
His lip curled in a sneer as his thoughts darkened. "Most of my followers were slaughtered, my power shattered. That vampire vanished, along with an entire generation of Starlights. No one knows where they went. But they left behind his descendants, his daughter and his grandchildren, they who are sheltered by the Starlights, I will kill them all."
The leader's grim reflection was interrupted by the older follower, Duran. "My lord, are we truly prepared? The Starlights… their magic is unlike any other."
"I know," the leader said, his voice heavy with hatred. "I faced their strength. I remember how they slaughtered our people while we fled like cowards."
He sank deeper into thought. "No one knows the origin of the Starlight family or their ultimate goals. But one thing is certain, they are overwhelmingly powerful. Once, their numbers were in the hundreds. Now, only three remain, the rest vanishing along with their followers as each generation comes of age. Each younger generation is inexplicably twice as strong as the one before, a phenomenon that leaves their enemies both awed and terrified. Many speculate that the older generation sacrifices their power to pass it down to the younger generation in some ritualistic act, but no one knows for sure. This strength only deepens the mystery of their purpose, with countless factions trying to guess at their hidden plans. That cursed vampire disappeared alongside them, and no one could unravel what they were plotting, that was, until that day, seven years ago."
A follower's voice broke his reverie. "What about the Starlights' other enemies? Wouldn't they want the boy gone?"
"Some have offered indirect support. Others refuse to involve themselves," Mok Tok said bitterly. "Cowards."
The leader laughed sharply. "Cowards? No, strategists. They're using us as pawns. If we succeed, they'll claim the rewards. If we fail, they'll gauge the Starlights' strength without risk. Let them watch. I'll show them our power."
Duran hesitated before speaking. "Why not wait for his parents to disappear? The older Starlights always vanish when the young come of age. If we're patient…"
The leader's fist slammed against the armrest. "By then, that boy will become a monster," he roared. "Don't you see? Each new generation is twice as strong as the last. You know the power of the Slaughter Princess and the Star Fortress. Their son will surpass them both. If we wait, none of us will survive."
He clenched his fist as his thoughts were swirling with a mix of fury and dread. "That day, seven years ago, every magical being felt it, the fluctuation in the world's essence. It was as if the universe itself bent to acknowledge his birth. A miracle. No… an abomination. Whatever the Starlights have been planning, that boy is their result. He's their hope. And I will crush that hope."
The leader's wicked smile spread as he stepped forward. "This isn't just about killing the boy. This is about revenge. The Starlights took everything from us, our people, our power, our pride. They left us broken, hiding in the shadows. But no more. That boy is their future. We end him now, or we lose forever."
The room fell silent. The followers exchanged uneasy glances, some were eager for revenge, their eyes gleaming with determination, while others were filled with unease, shifting nervously but remaining silent under their leader's intense gaze.
The leader's voice softened to a deadly calm as he returned to his throne. "Stay hidden. Keep watching. Do not act until I give the order. But make no mistake, that boy will die, and with him, the Starlight legacy will burn to ash, and our Borisin clan will rise again."
As he settled into his broken throne, his fingers crushed the armrest. His gaze burned with a mix of rage and anticipation.