Some time later, Anyael woke up dazed, not knowing what to do.
—Where the hell am I? —he muttered, confused, looking around. All he could see was a room that looked like an infirmary.
—So, the beautiful sleeper finally wakes up, —said a female voice beside his bed. He quickly turned and realized it was that mysterious girl.
—Who… are you? And where am I?
—I'm just a normal girl… or at least I think I am, —she replied. Anyael looked at her discreetly—"Normal my ass," he thought.
—Well, you can call me Kael. Kael from the renowned Thorne clan… "Thorne clan??" —Anyael thought, not recognizing it at all.
—And you are? —the girl asked disdainfully.
—Well… I'm Anyael Revenant…
At that precise moment, Anyael tensed up. Every muscle in his body stiffened, every hair stood on end (literally every single one), and his instincts screamed D-A-N-G-E-R. He saw Kael radiating intense pressure. The girl asked again—
—Revenant? Are you sure that's your last name?
—Yeah, it's my last name. I wouldn't lie about that, —he replied, still trembling in fear.
Suddenly, the other girl placed her hand on Kael's shoulder and said softly—
—Calm down, please.
—Ugh, fine… but really, did it have to be a Revenant? —Kael retorted.
Anyael didn't understand anything, but then the girl introduced herself—
—Hi, Anyael, right?
Anyael just nodded.
—I'm Elara Sinphony, and although I'm not from a powerful clan like Kael, I'm pretty strong. So… welcome to the Eighth Division of the Transcendent Guardians.
—What are you talking about? —Anyael asked, confused.
—Oh, right. Follow us…
They led him to a separate chamber where a tall, burly man was waiting. Elara said—
—This is the captain of the Eighth Division…
—Hello, boy. What's your name?
—My name's Anyael Revenant, —he replied hesitantly.
—A Revenant, huh? Interesting. Tell me, boy… what do you want to know?
—First… what's your name, sir?
—Ah, right. How rude of me. My name is Rhys from the Solstice clan. "Another clan member, huh," Anyael thought.
—What else do you want to know, boy? —the man asked excitedly.
—Uh… what are you guys? —the young boy asked cautiously.
—We are the Transcendent Guardians. As you might know, this world is divided into two: West and East. Likewise, the Transcendent Guardians are divided into an Eastern branch and a Western branch. Each branch has divisions tasked with protecting a sector. Since we're based in the eighth sector, Aldebaran, we are the Eighth Division.
—Protect the world… or sectors from what? —Anyael asked, curious.
—From creatures like the one you saw, and… other things.
—Speaking of which, what else do you want to know?
—What are those powers? —the boy asked eagerly, but he pondered over the "other things" the man had mentioned—"Other things, huh…"
—Well, those powers originated long ago and are divided into two branches: the Bondages, wielded by the Sinners, and the Virtues, wielded by the Saints. Each has different types and a base energy. For Bondages, it's Ego. For Virtues, it's Karma.
—Hmm… what else, sir? —asked a curious Anyael.
—First, let's talk about Bondages. You need to know that Bondages are the manifestation of Ego. They're born from obsession, vice, and extreme indulgence. Each Bondage is a distortion of the soul, a channel through which a person's own darkness becomes a supernatural force. They're powerful, but often come with a cost, corrupting the wielder if not controlled.
—Ohhhh, that's super interesting! And what types are there? —the boy asked, totally absorbed in this new knowledge.
—Well, the types are: The Bondage of Wrath: Fist of Collapse. These are physical Bondages whose wielders push their physical abilities to the max and develop powers tied to anger, stress, destruction, etc. The Bondage of Gluttony: Devouring Void. This Bondage isn't just about physical hunger—it goes beyond that. It's an insatiable need to consume, acquire, and absorb. Its wielders have a variety of powers based on these principles.
—I'm totally blown away right now, —Anyael said, astonished.
—Seriously, haha, —Rhys laughed heartily— and you haven't even seen anything yet…
—Ugh… I can't even imagine what's coming next.