As the evening bleed into the sky Agrios Theon age sixteen, met with the girl of his dreams Lyra who was the same age. For Agrios, this small meeting meant everything. It was a brief escape from the life that pressed down on him every day, from the sect that claimed him but never truly accepted him.
Agrios was a frail boy with long dark hair that touched his shoulders. He wore elegant golden clothes that marked him as a disciple of the Golden Throne. The Golden Throne were a prestigious, powerful and respected, sect that did not take kindly to their disciples forming relationships outside the sect.
Agrios was taken in as an orphan at a young age when his parents had left at the sect's gate, ever since he had trained at the sect but had never gotten stronger.
Agrios was weak.
He had been stuck at the Qi Forming Realm for over a year although he excelled in the sects tactics other peers his age had already advanced far beyond him. Because of this, the others looked down on him. Some mocked him openly, others showed quiet cruelty. He had a hard time sleeping because members of the sect would bully him. At times, he found large venomous bugs crawling across his bed from his bullies. He said nothing. He endured it.
Because it did not stop him from meeting Lyra.
The Golden Throne sect had an inner wall where the Elders and cultivators stayed and an outer wall where normal traders and people lived. Outside of the walls beasts lived and thrived making travel beyond very dangerous. He had decided to meet Lyra inside the outer wall in the apple garden.
That evening, a boy named Edward watched from a distance as Agrios sneaked away from his training and slipped into the woods. Edward had short orange hair, a large nose, and rough skin. His eyes followed Agrios carefully, filled with something that was not concern.
The woods were beautiful. The air smelled of lavender and fresh wood. A gentle breeze moved through the trees and brushed against Lyra's beautiful purple hair.
"Hey..." Agrios said, smiling the moment he spotted her hiding above an apple tree.
"You're late."
Lyra jumped down and landed gracefully like a cat. She wore dark robes that made her pale skin shine in the moonlight. She was tall, her crimson eyes faintly glowing in the fading light of the evening. She tossed him an apple. Agrios caught it easily, smiling at her without a single worry in the world.
"Yeah... I had to make sure nobody watched me leave."
He took a bite and sat down against the tree. Lyra sighed softly and sat beside him.
For a moment, everything felt peaceful.
They had met a few years ago when Agrios got into a fight with Edward and his peers which lead to him being beaten to near death. He had been resting at this same tree outside the inner wall when he was injured when he met her. She nursed his wounds and ever since they had meet at the same tree.
"What if you left?" Lyra asked, looking at the moon. "Come to the Hidden Chain sect with me. We could stay there for a while, then go to the Imperial Gate city. Just us."
Agrios stared at her in surprise, then nodded slowly.
"When I finally break through the Qi Forming Realm...then let's do it."
Lyra groaned, leaning against him.
"I'll be an old lady before you break through that."
"Hey..." Agrios laughed and wrapped his arms around Lyra.
From a distance, Edward watched in horror. Or perhaps it was not horror. His expression twisted slightly.
Without hesitation, Edward channeled qi into his fist causing it to hum a bright gold. He punched forward and a golden bolt shot through the air.
"Wha...?"
Agrios barely had a chance to react before Lyra pushed him aside. The golden bolt skimmed by them and smashed into the apple tree behind them.
Crack!
The tree exploded sending shards of it everywhere Lyra shielded Agrios with her robes while retreating. She lifted him up and turned their attention to their new enemy.
Agrios surprise faded away quick when Edward rushed toward them. He reeled his hand back still covered in the golden qi and aimed at Agrios. Agrios ducked in the nick of time but could feel the back of his head burn with the Qi from Edward.
Agrios stepped back and with as much force he could muster then punched Edward right in the face.
Edward reeled back in pain and Agrios eyes lit up in shock he hadn't expect the punch to do that much damage.
"Augh!"
Edward clutched at his neck where a large needle could be seen deep in his neck. Lyra smiled at Agrios and flashed the needles in her hands he hadn't done the damage she had snuck a stab in while Edward was distracted.
"Y-You fool you dare speak to a Hidden Chain sect member." Edward coughed. "The Golden Throne sect has given you everything and yet you throw all that away for a Hidden Chain rat!" He said clutching his neck he grabbed the needle and pulled it out of his neck.
"The sect has done nothing for me but cause me pain I would have rather become a thief than live among you monsters." Agrios yelled clenching his hands in anger.
"How dare you!" Edward retorted he readied another Qi bolt and launched it at the duo.
Bam!
The blast landed in the middle spiraling Lyra and Agrios away from each other crashing them into the hard dirt.
A small cloud of dust went into the air and as it settled Edward was gone.
Agrios got up and helped Lyra up they both knew Edward was heading towards the Golden Throne's sect and both of them would not be able to stop him unlike them Edward had broken into the Qi Strengthening Realm and was much stronger than them.
"We need to leave now!" Lyra yelled and Agrios nodded.
...
Edward arrived at the sect hall gasping for air. He banged at the large red doors.
"Elders...Elders this is urgent!"
A slight breeze seemed to open the doors, and Edward fell onto the cold marble he quickly scrambled to his feet. The hall was swallowed in darkness, save for a few flickering candles illuminating a table where the Elders sat their faces hidden by the shadows.
A mysterious elder's voice echoed throughout the chamber.
"SPEAK, BOY."
Edward swallowed and quickly swiped at his nose glancing at the shadows that sat at the table. He couldn't tell who among them spoke, but he continued on.
"I caught Disciple Agrios Theon...meeting in secret with a girl from the Hidden Chain."
The temperature in the room plummeted. The air grew heavy with killing intent. The Hidden Chain was an insult to the Golden Throne there were little more than petty thieves in their eyes.
The elders were furious. If word of this spread, the Golden Throne would become the laughingstock of the other sects. The Hidden Chain were considered one of the weakest sects around unlike the others they relied on stealth and trickery to defeat their opponents.
"Tell me where this Agrios is. Now."
The silver-haired Elder whispered, and Edward felt the words like a shiver down his spine.
"He was at the apple garden outside the inner wall last I saw him Elder" He said "And from my injuries you can see I was attacked by them and almost killed if I hadn't escaped."
Edward stated motioning at his bruised eye and bleeding neck.
"Bring him to u-" An elder said before being interrupted by the silver-haired Elder.
"No... I will find him and bring him to justice for his crimes." The Elder said lifting themselves from their chair and walking toward Edward. The candles slowly reveled their features a tall man with silver hair wearing a white cloak a large scar went across his face into his left eye which was covered by an eyepatch.
Edward cast his eyes down struggling to meet the gaze of the Elder.
"Lead the way."
"Of course, sir" Edward said smiling in glee his face hidden from the Elder.
...
Agrios mind raced with fear and worry but his hand clutching Lyra eased it a bit the sect elders where strong enough to destroy mountains and Agrios could barely harm Edward. He pushed away the crowd of people that crowded the area who were busy selling or buying items.
He and Lyra had decided to head to the Hidden Chain sect the world outside was dangerous but being next to the sect was even more dangerous. The Golden Throne sect outer wall was a large white gate which kept away beasts, due to how dangerous the outside could be people usually needed cultivators as guards when they traveled.
As Agrios ran a figure seemed to shift into place that made him stop his tracks in fear. It was an elder and Edward was with him Agrios didn't know how they got here so fast the speed was mindboggling.
"Stop."
That simple word he spoke caused him to stiffen like a statue.
Agrios tried moving and even though he tried he couldn't force his body to move he couldn't even speak. He raised his head up and could see Edward smiling at him.
It was a mischievous smile.
It was filled with envy and hate.
"We will do the trial here." The Elder spoke looking down at him eyes unreadable "These rats don't deserve a trial with the Council."
The crowd of people around seemed to have noticed the Silver-haired Elder and had begun to stare then backed away and pretended to ignore them.
"Agrios Theon you haven been charged with treason against the Golden Throne and attempted murder against a peer" The Elder spoke coldly gazing at him.
"I give you two options. You and the girl from the Hidden Chain fight to the death so you prove your loyalty. Or be banished from this sect and sent to the Styx Forest."
Agrios lifted his head up and despite the pain in his body spoke clearly.
"I will not fight her."
The elder's expression darkened.
The Golden Throne had been a horrible place for Agrios he had been bullied and tortured just because of his weakness. He was not going to betray the only person who cared for him.
"Then you are no longer of the Golden Throne."
"You idiotic nobles think you can do whatever!" Lyra yelled shocking Agrios as he faced her.
The Elder turned to face her as if finally acknowledging her existence.
"Is this the Hidden Chain member?" He asked Edward not taking his eyes off her. Edward nodded and cracked an even wider smile.
"Looking down on othe-" The Elder gestured with his hand and Lyra fell to the ground like a corpse.
"N-No!" Agrios yelled he forced himself up and ran toward Lyra thankfully she was still breathing he noticed.
Edward stepped forward and used the Golden Throne's sect arts, driving his fist into Agrios's stomach. Agrios coughed up blood instantly, collapsing forward.
"You shame the Golden Throne. A weakling traitor like you has no place in this sect," Edward shouted as he continued beating him.
Agrios forced himself onto one knee, trembling he ignored the beatings he had only one goal in mind.
"Stay with me please..." he said quietly to Lyra. He focused on her as he felt his bones rattling.
Edward scoffed and kicked him away from her.
"You pathetic fool. You will die in the Styx forest and be eaten by beasts."
The large white gates of the sect rumbled open.
Beyond them was land filled with monstrous creatures. Countless cultivators who had reached Nascent soul the highest Qi rank struggled to survive there for long.
The Elder raised his finger and a flash of Qi erupted Agrios was struck and thrown beyond the gates. His body flew through the air outside of the gate he hummed with pain as he landed and struggled to move as the Elder gazed at him.
"Without strong cultivators out there to help you will die there in less than a minute the beasts will find you." The Elder whispered he turned around and as the gates closed behind him Edward flashed him a mischievous smile.
The doors closed behind him.
The elder's and Edward's words echoed in his ears.
"You are no longer of the Golden Throne."
Agrios lay in the dirt, bruised, bleeding, abandoned.
For a long moment, he did not move.
Then slowly, he clenched his fists.
His nails dug into the dirt.
"I will get revenge on the Golden Throne," he whispered to himself.
"No matter what."