A thousand years ago, the world trembled beneath the greatest battle in history—a clash of light and darkness that would decide the fate of all existence. Humanity stood at the brink of annihilation, yet by some miracle, they emerged victorious in what came to be known as the Celestial War.
In the aftermath of that victory, humanity's civilization flourished. Nations rose, borders expanded, and power shifted endlessly. But as centuries passed, greed and ambition poisoned the world once more. Endless wars erupted, splintering humanity into twenty rival nations. Out of them, four ascended above the rest, dominating all others. They came to be known as the Quad of Powers.
Among these four, one nation stood above the rest—a kingdom that produced warriors of unparalleled might, those gifted with the mysterious force of Astral magic. Within just two centuries, their supremacy was unmatched. This kingdom's name echoed throughout the world: Nevan.
Yet, what shaped Nevan's society more than anything else was not its armies or its kings, but a divine system—a decree from the heavens themselves. A thousand years after the war, this system had been carved into the very soul of civilization.
It was called the Astral Benediction.
A blessing said to descend from the cosmic realm, it determined one's destiny by granting supernatural abilities known as Astral magic.
Those chosen most strongly by the gods were revered as Divine Royals, worshipped as living messengers between the cosmic and mortal realms. Beneath them were sanctioned nobles, blessed with high-level gifts, and beneath them, the majority—the common folk, whose weak blessings brought nothing but ridicule and scorn.
And then there were those without blessings at all. The forsaken. The cursed. The outcasts.
――――
In the city of Everglade, located in the State of Ravenshade within the Kingdom of Nevan, there stood a modest academy: Orangefield Middle School.
Within the dim, buzzing confines of Class 3-F, a teacher droned on with a practiced voice.
"And that is the history of Nevan, children. Thanks to the Armstrong family, blessed as Divine Royals, our kingdom rose to prominence as the strongest of the four."
The bell rang. Instantly, the room burst into motion. Students shoved books into bags, chairs screeched against the floor, and the air filled with the chatter of relief.
"Alright, everyone," the teacher called out over the noise. "Prepare for your final paper. The graduation ceremony is in a month, so don't slack off."
"Yes, sensei!" the students shouted in unison, their voices bright with youthful eagerness.
But not everyone shared in that excitement.
Behind the school building, in a dim corner of the yard where teachers seldom came, three boys cornered a single student. His hair was cropped into a faint purple buzzcut, his body trembling as he pressed against the cold wall.
"Well, well, well…" The leader of the three sneered, his voice dripping with arrogance. "If it isn't the boy with not even a speck of Astral magic."
The boy's lips quivered as he tried to force words past his throat. "…What do you want, Ren?" His gaze avoided theirs, his fear obvious.
"You should already know," the second bully smirked. "An outcast like you ought to be calling us 'master.' You're nothing but trash the gods didn't even bother to bless."
The third one cracked his knuckles impatiently. "Hurry it up. Some of us have places to be."
[Ren — Leader of the trio. Society Rank: Common. Blessing Rank: D-tier. Skills: Orange Flames (Active), Agility Enhancement. Appearance: White hair, ear piercings, tattoos sprawling across his body. (How the school allows someone like this on campus is anyone's guess.)]
"I-I'm sorry," the boy stammered, voice shaking. "I don't… I don't have it with me right now…"
Ren's grin widened, his sharp eyes glinting like a predator's. "Then you've made the wrong choice, outcast. It's people like you who deserve divine punishment."
The other two grabbed the boy by his arms, pinning him in place. He thrashed, desperately trying to break free—only for one to drive a knee into his stomach. His breath fled his lungs, and his body sagged helplessly.
"This isn't even bullying," Ren declared loudly, raising his voice as though preaching to an invisible audience. "The Astral Benediction system is clear—the Blessed are always in the right!"
With that, he summoned a flare of orange fire in his palm.
"Please!" the boy cried, panic twisting his face. "Stop! Please… stop!!"
The words went unheard. The flare seared against the boy's face. His scream tore through the quiet yard as the stench of burnt flesh filled the air. Laughter followed—the cruel, heartless laughter of those who had never known powerlessness.
――――
An hour later, the boy stumbled home. His right cheek was charred, his clothes in tatters, his body covered in bruises and cuts.
The Astral Benediction had divided society into castes, and those deemed unworthy bore the heaviest weight. The weak were ridiculed. The powerless, abused. And those born with nothing… were branded cursed.
[My name is Kael Voss. I'm the boy who was just beaten. I'm seventeen years old. And in a world where every soul is blessed with Astral magic, I was born without a single drop of it.]
I was born into a proud family in Ravenshade. But when I failed the Benediction rites at twelve—and even after retaking them—I remained unblessed. My father abandoned me to my aging grandfather in Everglade. Even there, I was alone.
To survive, I worked as a servant in noble households, where abuse was as common as breathing. Yet somehow, I endured.
That night, Kael returned to his vandalized home, collapsed into the chair at his battered desk, and tore off a piece of stale bread. As he chewed in silence, tears spilled from his eyes.
"…Why do the gods hate me? What did my family do? Why… Why was I born like this?" His voice cracked, the sobs breaking through. "I hate it… I hate this life…"
――――
The following afternoon, on the school rooftop, Kael lay sprawled against the concrete. His skull-patterned mask covered his face, an eyepatch hidden beneath the bangs of his hair. Above him, the sky was vast and endless.
"…Man, I just want to die." His words were flat, carried away by the wind. "If I could reincarnate with Astral magic, that'd be great. But… I don't even have the courage to take my own life."
The sound of the rooftop door creaking open made him sit up slightly.
Golden hair caught the sunlight. A girl in their school uniform stepped forward, brushing her locks aside as she smiled.
"Ah, there you are. I finally found you," she said warmly.
"…Eve," Kael whispered.
[Eve Wilson. The most beautiful girl in our school. No—probably the most beautiful girl in the entire state. Every agency wants her. Nobles call her to their banquets. Boys and girls alike adore her. And… she's also my childhood friend.]
"I was wondering why you weren't celebrating with the others," Eve said, walking closer. "What are you doing up here alone?"
"…Contemplating how I plan to die," Kael muttered.
"…What?" She chuckled softly, then sat beside him.
The two talked for a while, until Eve noticed the truth.
"You were bullied again!?" Her voice trembled with anger. "Kael, I told that jerk to stop! Why didn't you fight back?"
"How am I supposed to fight three Blessed?" Kael muttered bitterly.
Eve's shoulders slumped. "…You're right. I'm sorry."
Her eyes lingered on his mask. "…Is that why you're wearing that?"
Kael removed it slowly, revealing the bruises and burns across his mouth. Eve gasped, her hand flying to her lips, eyes wide in horror.
"…Kael…" she whispered, reaching out to touch his cheek gently.
He looked away. "Don't apologize. It's not your fault."
The rooftop door creaked again. A flashy girl with red hair tied into a messy style stepped in, her uniform worn loosely with a jersey tied at her waist. Large earrings glinted as she called out, "Eve! Weren't we gonna hit karaoke with the boys?"
[Eris Wagner. Eve's friend. Loud. Flashy. A total gyaru.]
"Oh, right. Sorry, I'll come now," Eve said, standing. She turned back to Kael with a smile. "If anything happens, tell me, okay?"
"…Yeah," Kael managed, his face heating despite himself.
As Eve walked to Eris's side, the gyaru gave Kael a sharp, unreadable look. He returned it with confusion. Eve only waved one last time before leaving with her.
"…You still hang around that guy?" Eris muttered.
"Don't be cruel, Eris," Eve replied softly as they disappeared down the stairwell.
[She looks so innocent. But Eve… she runs with delinquents. I tried to pull her away from them, but it never worked. Last year, she even started dating Ren—the same Ren who bullies me every day. Because of that, the beatings only got worse. No matter how much she begged him to stop… nothing changed.]
――――
Kael descended from the rooftop. The stares of his classmates burned into his back as he walked. At his locker, he opened the door to find it filled with sand.
"…They're at it again," he muttered, lowering his gaze.
He dusted off his shoes, slipped them on, and left quietly.
On his way home, Kael scrolled through a webtoon on his phone, his other hand shoved deep into his pocket. At a crossroad, he noticed a crowd gathering. A truck was unloading something massive—something monstrous.
[Ashenfiends. Abominations from beyond. They appeared two centuries ago, slipping into our world through cracks in reality. They devour spiritual energy, growing stronger with each soul they consume. Their arrival was what forced humanity to halt the Quad Wars and fight together, or face extinction.]
"Oi, freak. What're you staring at?" one of the onlookers sneered.
"Sorry!" Kael yelped, clutching his bag tighter before darting away.
When he got home, he collapsed into his futon, tossing his bag aside. His room, already a mess, grew more chaotic as he distracted himself with a light novel.
[The ones who fight the Ashenfiends are the Astral Magus. Elite warriors who channel the Astral Realm to wield power beyond mortals. They are protectors. Heroes. Gods among men.]
[I once dreamed of becoming one myself. But me? A boy without a blessing? That dream is impossible. If I even dared to say it out loud, the people of Everglade would beat me to death. Still… I prayed. If there was even the slightest chance I could awaken, I swore I'd use that power to end this discrimination. But awakenings only happen before twelve. And I… I'm already seventeen.]
――――
Four days later.
Graduation loomed close. Kael had resigned himself to a path of medicine, far from battles and miracles.
But that evening, a knock echoed against his door.
When he opened it, his eyes widened.
"…Eve?"
She stood there, hesitant. Behind her, Eris and—most of all—Ren waited.
"Kael…" Eve said softly, her expression unreadable. "Can we talk?"