The evening sun shined across the streets of Velryun, the symphony of the chatter, the construction work with the occasional laughter here and there danced in the air. The air hummed with purpose, like a wounded beast regaining its strength. The people were weary, and yet they smiled.
Two girls, Mira and Suka, walked the streets at a slow pace, their steps deliberate. Their eyes glanced around the streets before turning to one another.
Mira's eyes glanced at her sister, her voice filled with worry. "You saw it too, didn't you?" The creases in her face grew more pronounced. "Kai was different today, it's like he lost his spark…"
Suka glanced at her sister in quiet worry, her hands gripping the edges of her robe a bit tighter. Of course you notice, you big ball of worry. You have a crush on him after all. She whispered back to her, "Sister… you know what happened with his mother. He will get back up, okay?"
Mira turned to the side. It wasn't as if she hadn't noticed—the way Kai merely smiled at the dumbest of jokes, the way his legs trembled at the start. He was afraid… afraid I would ask something personal. Her heart tightened a bit as she felt at a loss.
She turned towards her sister. "The Kai before this disaster used to smile and laugh… he was witty and charming… most of all, I think he was happy. I just hope he recovers." Her voice was a tad bit quieter. Something in her chest ached, yet Mira couldn't tell what. She had this premonition, a sinking feeling that something about Kai was about to change… and that scared her.
Suka, seeing the troubled state of her sister, wrapped an arm around her figure. "Now now, Mira, it's going to be fine. Don't worry so much, let's go eat something. The school just ended and I am starving." Her calm and caring voice broke Mira out of her reverie.
Mira nodded, pointing towards the meat sizzlers they used to eat ever so often. Yet she couldn't help but think again. It was scaled as a Crimson Rampage—a mystic beast so strong that high-level martial artists had to be called. Why do I have this sinking feeling in the gut the moment I think about it? Her thoughts ran chaotically through her head, yet it was clear she wasn't getting any answers anytime soon.
.
.
.
Kai trembled as he glanced at the book beside his bed. The cover looked pristine and was soft to touch, the words glittering in gold. He raised his eyebrow. Volume 1?… This is too suspicious. One book was something I was willing to not think about, but this… He noted. His heart thumped a tiny bit faster. He was truly startled seeing the book appear out of nowhere.
Am I being targeted? Is this the work of some high-level martial artist? he pondered, his mind running tandem, intent on finding the reason behind such a mysterious incident. It started ever since the incident, he noted, his heart hurting just thinking about it… but he pushed himself.
Even if someone targeted me… I am not that important. I don't even have a gift, something that prodigious martial artists have. I am just a simple school senior. His eyes once again glanced at the rich exterior of the book. It can't be a prank either… it's too vague and elaborate to be one.
He closed his eyes, taking deep breaths to calm himself. Narrowing his eyes once again at the book, he decided, The only way to know is to first read the book.
His hands shot forward, grabbing the edge of the cover, bringing the book close to him. His heart thumped in some twisted form of excitement. He was scared, yet the possibilities made his heart wander. He sighed in his characteristic manner. Here goes nothing.
The pages of the book unraveled like some forgotten and old tapestry, the words familiar yet the text alien. It spoke of a boy, someone addressed as the true son of prophecy.
Kai's eyes remained locked in, his fingers just tightening near the edge of the leathery book. He read as it talked about his adventures in the land of the Night Panthers, which itself was located in the forgotten lands of Tayern—a land so dreaded that few attempt to enter and even fewer exit.
It spoke about how the boy was rescued by the matriarch of the Night Panthers, just a second before a young panther was about to kill him. They accepted him, despite what his father had done.
His father, one of the most famous heroes of the Seiryun Empire, was in the third stage himself. His beast a Night Panther .
And it was common knowledge that to bond a beast, one had to spiritually and physically kill their will… their essence. That was the basic requirement to beast-bond.
Yet as Kai read through the pages, his astonishment grew. They taught him their own form of beastly martial arts, one that focused more on instinct than it did on any basic technique.
What surprised Kai more was the fact that the boy adapted their martial arts in human form, utilizing all four limbs. Mystic animals had instinctual Ki control, they didn't need to be taught like martial artists do… and yet the boy at such a young age had replicated parts of their nature.
What kind of prodigy would someone be to do something like this? Kai wondered, yet subconsciously he still treated it as a book, something out of words of fiction. Just living in the Night Panthers' territory was too far-fetched… yet out of curiosity or unique wonder, he kept reading.
He read as the boy grew fifteen and finally went back to a human town—how a human family, a mother and her little daughter, took pity on the boy, fed him, clothed him, gave him shelter.
He could read the emotions of the boy… no, not boy. He had a name—one given by the matriarch of the Night Panthers: Yoru Ryun, the son of one of the greatest martial artists of the Seiryun Empire.
Kai kept reading: how the boy went to the greatest collegium of all of Seiryun, the Collegium of the Grand Martial Path. The entrance exam, his meeting with the son of another legend—the White Sun's son, Haru Jinryong.
Their rivalry, and another few students.
Kai almost had a smile blossom on his face as he read through the texts. Unlike what was said in the previous book, this child of prophecy didn't seem like he would bring the end of martial arts.
As he continued reading, a heavy sinking feeling appeared in his gut. Goosebumps ran amok his entire body, even his Ki felt like a cold stream moving across his physique.
He took a sharp intake of breath as he turned another page—an attack on the Collegium.
His mind paused—something about some blood cult? A terrorist organization launching an attack on the kids. As he continued reading, his breathing grew heavier, his eyes once alert now growing drowsy. The attack… it felt like it was connected to something personal.
And then it happened, a conversation among the members of the blood cult: " this attack should occur with the same efficiency as the one we did in Velryun."
Kai's blood went cold. The same as Velryun? There has only been one attack in Velryun—the Crimson Rampage. His mind wandered chaotically, considering the implications of what was written. No no no… this is in the future. What if another attack occurred? His mind tried to rationalize the chaos, yet all he could do was read forward.
The next words nearly broke him.
"The Crimson Rampage of Velryun was our most efficient operation. I expect similar results."
The words were spoken by some leader of the group. The book nearly fell out of his hands, his desire to read forward crushed in an instant.
His eyes turned glossy as he stared at empty air, his thoughts running rampant. Can someone even artificially do a rampage? That should be impossible—the mystic beasts don't form like that.
Fresh tears stung at the edge of his irises. So does that mean Mom was murdered… it wasn't an act of nature, it wasn't the god that priests worshipped… no, it was an act of man. It was intentional. And just like that, fresh tears started rolling down his eyes.
His body felt weak, as if holding onto the pain was crushing him from the inside.
A recent memory played in his mind, one that occurred on the day of the rampage.
Kai quickly opened the door, his smile widening at the familiar smell of something delicious cooking. Throwing his shoes near the shoe rack, he rushed in, his voice mixed with joy and excitement. "Mom, what are you making?" Appearing in the kitchen, his breath paused.
His mother, with perfect skin, had her black hair tied in a bun. Her hands, free of calluses or marks, neatly stirred the pot beneath her. Her face, hearing his voice, turned towards him.
Two round eyes stared back at him, her smile widening into a motherly and kind form. She opened her mouth, her words sweet as honey and calm as a pond rang out, "My little baby, how was school?"
Kai, hearing the words, put on a fake scowl, his hands up in mock protest. "I am not a baby, okay? I am fifteen years old now, exactly today. Now I am a man." His words brought a warm chuckle from his mother.
His scowl turned real this time. "As for school, it's so bad. They are so boring, always about some history or some homework. Like, can't they teach us something simple like actual martial arts?" He gripped his neck, trying to act like he was about to barf.
Her hands moved from the pot, calmly stroking his hair. "Now now, my little baby. School is important. How else will you become a strong martial artist who makes Mom proud?" She smiled as she looked at her teenage son.
She remembered how he used to dream about being a martial artist as a kid, but as teenage years came, he had grown a lot more rebellious. She smiled, lightly comforting him. Today was her son's birthday after all, she had cooked up a feast for him.
Kai, while making faces, enjoyed the little show of warmth. He always loved her pets, ever since he was a child. I bet Mother will be shocked when she hears about my level of Ki control. I have been exercising to improve it after all. Her lavender smell wafted through the air, bringing a small smile to his face.
His mother smiled. "Now now, Kai, first, wash up, alright? No touching food with dirty hands." Her soothing voice traveled through the air.
Kai nodded. It was a habit to wash up before eating. He turned, attempting to exit the kitchen, humming a quiet little tune to himself.
Boom.
A loud sound occurred around him, pieces of dust and gravel stung at his back. The huge shockwave nearly flung him off his feet, making him land in a dangerous manner on the ground.
Yet, before pain could even register, his eyes opened in panic. Mom—a single thought reigned in his mind. His joints ached, his back hurt with pieces of gravel embedded in his skin, yet he pushed himself up. His mind felt light as he walked towards the kitchen.
As he entered, a gruesome scene presented itself. His eyes widened, his breath hitched, his body couldn't move, as if rooted to the spot through sheer fear.
In front of him was his mother… no, it was all blood. The roof of the house just above her had a huge hole in it, as if something had broken it and fell right on top of her.
She was just a civilian. She didn't have a hole in her body—no… she burst at the sheer pressure, her body painting the walls a ghostly red. Her tattered clothes lay across the room, one of them… a little piece landed right near Kai. The lavender smell stuck to it like a passing reminder of what was lost.
Before tears could even envelop him… Kai went unconscious.