Aziel was born into the human world, a child of the human race. He knew that this world was divided into six races and six separate realms, and since childhood, he had dreamed of one day traveling through all of them.
But he was weak.
From the moment he was born, Aziel was adopted by a village family who already had a daughter named Rea, who became his stepsister. Rea was always kind to him.
One night, Rea did not return home.
Aziel, along with Mother and Father, began to worry. Unable to hold it in any longer, he asked them, "Where did Sister Rea go?"
Father answered calmly, "She is seventeen now. Today is the day her Type will be determined."
Mother added, "Rea went to the city to be tested—whether she possesses a Type, or if she is merely an ordinary human."
Aziel thought to himself.
That's right. Ever since she was young, my sister had been able to control fire. She could not be burned by the flames she created herself.
Good luck, Sister, he thought.
Not long after, rain began to fall. The sound of footsteps approached, followed by a knock at the door.
Father immediately went to open it.
Standing there was Rea, smiling.
"I'm home."
"How did it go?" Mother asked.
"Very well, Mother," Rea replied.
"Sister, what's your Type?" Aziel asked.
"I'm a Defender, my dear little brother."
"Wow, that's amazing. One day, I'll be just like you."
Rea smiled brightly and pulled him into a hug.
Two years passed. Sister Rea continued taking missions and never once returned home.
One day, Aziel asked, "Father, Mother… will Sister Rea come to the city to see my Type determination?"
Mother and Father exchanged a brief glance. Then Father answered without hesitation, "She will. Don't worry."
Mother stepped closer to Aziel and said, "This is your provision for the trip to the city. We're sorry we can't go with you—we have to tend to the harvest in the fields."
"It's okay, Father. Mother. I'm grown now. I can take care of myself."
And so, for the first time, Aziel left the village behind.
On the way to the city, Aziel met someone. The stranger greeted him first.
"Hey, my name's Gera. Are you heading to the city too?" he asked.
"Of course," Aziel replied. "Today is my determination day."
"Then let's go together."
Aziel nodded. "Hmm… alright."
As they walked, Gera shared some information.
"Lately, there's a group in the city that kidnaps slaves, then kills them or sells them again. The rumor says they're called The Cursed. You should be careful."
"Alright," Aziel answered.
Eventually, the two of them continued toward the city together.
When they arrived, Aziel and Gera entered an open field. Around two hundred people had gathered there to determine their Types. The determination ceremony soon began.
Names were called one by one.
Gera was called first.
He was told to endure boiling water. He failed.
Then he had to fight an examiner. He lost in less than five seconds.
Next, he was asked to control magical energy. He struggled and failed.
When he had to throw knives at a target, every throw missed.
During an obstacle course, he kept getting trapped and couldn't make it through.
Only when he was given an injured animal did he succeed—he managed to help it walk again.
His Type was Support.
Not long after, it was Aziel's turn.
But just before he stepped forward, someone shouted from the distance.
"EXECUTION! THERE'S AN EXECUTION AT CITY HALL! A SLAVE WILL BE EXECUTED FOR KILLING THEIR MASTER!"
Gera moved closer to him.
"Look, there's going to be a slave execution. How stupid—killing their own master. After your determination is over, let's go watch."
Aziel nodded.
But just as he was about to step forward, his body suddenly trembled. An uneasy feeling rose in his chest.
Without realizing it, he turned and ran toward city hall, abandoning his determination.
Seeing him run, Gera called out his name repeatedly and chased after him.
When Aziel arrived at city hall, he saw a woman hanging from a wooden frame. Her face was hidden behind long hair. Her hands were bound together and nailed in place.
A voice rang out from the execution platform.
"This slave stole a loaf of bread from her master. The master's child saw it, reported her, and she was punished. Unable to accept the punishment, she killed her master."
At that moment, Gera caught up to him.
"Are you crazy? You skipped your determination just to watch a slave's execution?" he said.
"Quiet," Aziel replied.
"Look at her… that hair… I feel like I know her."
Gera spoke again. "On the way here, I heard some townspeople talking. They said this execution is fake. The slave didn't steal anything. She was framed by the master's child and punished for it."
Aziel muttered, "The townspeople know… but no one cares?"
"Slaves are treated like trash in this world. Why would anyone care?" Gera answered.
The execution continued, and the uneasy feeling in Aziel's chest grew heavier.
Someone on the platform shouted again.
"Today, we will watch how an insect dies for daring to oppose those in power!"
The executioner smashed the wooden support.
The slave fell into a vat of boiling water.
Just before her body touched the surface, the hair covering her face slipped aside.
And Aziel saw her clearly.
It was Rea.
The moment he realized, Aziel ran toward the vat.
Tears streamed down his face as he screamed, "Sister Rea—!"
Two guards immediately blocked his path.
He struggled desperately, trying to push past them, but a heavy blow struck his shoulder.
His vision swayed.
His strength drained away.
Aziel collapsed.
Before losing consciousness completely, he caught a glimpse of figures—shadows moving through the city, chaos beginning to spread.
Then, slowly, his eyes closed.