CHAPTER 1: EPISODE 1 BALANCE
THUD!
Kael's head slammed against the concrete. Pain exploded behind his eyes. His ears rang, and the world felt distant, muffled, as if he were underwater.
I'm back,
he thought, staring at the cracks in the alley wall above him. The patterns twisted in the shadows, familiar yet strangely different. He had crossed dimensions here, survived trials meant to break mortals and somehow, against all odds, he had returned.
Slowly, he sat up, brushing dust from his tattered clothes. Each movement reminded him of the harsh days he had endured. His gaze fell to his left forearm. A new mark had appeared overnight: lines twisting and intertwining like an impossible code. He didn't understand it, but he could feel its faint hum of power beneath his skin. Whatever this is… it's not done with me yet.
Sunlight spilled into the alley, casting warm beams onto the bustling marketplace beyond. Kael rose carefully, every sense alert. Relief washed over him the shouts of merchants, the clatter of carts, the barking of dogs, and the scent of warm bread mingling with smoke and dust. Life went on. Life didn't wait for him while he was in the trials it moved on.
That's when Kael felt an unwelcoming smell that made his nostrils beg to be tarnished.
Reality hit him like a cold slap. It was him that reeked. His clothes were in tatters, worn and filthy from weeks no, months of surviving the trials. Even the boots someone had gifted him were barely holding together.
Kael pressed a hand to his face. New clothes would cost money. He had none. But he had learned to rely on what the trials had given him: control, cunning, patience and his Veil Resonance.
He slipped into a quiet side alley, far from prying eyes, and whispered, "Veil Resonance."
Mana flowed into him, weaving into his clothing. Slowly, from feet to head, his body vanished. The market became a maze to navigate carefully. Every footstep, every subtle shift in aura or heat could reveal him to someone capable. He moved like water, slipping between people and shadows, barely noticed.
As he approached a clothing shop filled with bright, new styles, Kael's eyes drifted to his forearm, tracing the new mark. Walking around like this… someone might notice. He needed gloves. Not for fashion or warmth but to hide what could attract attention.
Inside the shop, racks of clothing sprawled before him. He didn't care about style only cleanliness. A few touches of mana, and several garments merged with his aura, vanishing silently. Gloves added, he moved back into the shadows, heart pounding. Exhaustion tugged at his limbs; sustaining this much mana left him drained. Sweat stung his eyes, but he allowed a small grin.
I'm back, he thought. And the first thing I do is steal. Some things never change.
The streets led him toward his home, a section of the city few dared to enter. Every shadow, every corner, felt familiar, like old friends. His apartment waited small, leaky roof, thin walls that did little against the northern cold. But it was his. That was enough.
The door creaked as he opened it. Silence. Unchanged. Waiting. A small, satisfied smile tugged at his lips. This was his sanctuary, fragile yet steady in a chaotic world.
The shower gushed cold water. Rust threatened to burst the pipes, but Kael welcomed it. Weeks of trials had made him prefer cold it sharpened the senses, cleared the mind. Clean and invigorated, he gathered the clothing that had accompanied him through everything and fed it to the flames. The fire consumed it, taking pain, memories, and trials with it.
But one thought refused to burn. Raphael. The name hit his mind like a hammer. Anger flared, sharp and sudden, before fading into memory. He sank onto his makeshift bed a thin mat on the cold floor. Not much, but better than anything in the trials.
A soft smile formed. Relief. Satisfaction. Exhaustion.
I truly am back, Kael thought. And this time, he wouldn't rush forward blindly. Not anymore.