The Veiled Origin
Valen Rune's early life in a bustling tier two city– a hub defined by its advanced economy, infrastructure and towering buildings- shattered at the tender age of seven.During the brutal gang conflict, as a rival faction came to claim the city, Valen witnessed the senseless murders of his parents by the gangsters before his very eyes. Too young to be seen as a threat,he was ignored, but the trauma festered, transforming him into a boy consumed by a sense of oppression, loss, and a burning, aimless desire for revenge against the gang that now ruled his home.
A month later, Valen, along with countless other displaced residents, was forcibly relocated to a crumbling, lower-tier city. Eight years later, at the age of fifteen, his birthday serves as a stark reminder of his isolation, his parents long gone. His only solace comes from Sen, an older boy who is now like a brother, brought a humble cake to mark the day. Their lives are a constant struggle within the cramped building, sorrounded by trashes everywhere and shattered pathways and the pervasive grit of their new reality.
This oppressive existence continues until one fated night. A whispered sound, hauntingly familiar yet distinct, jolts Valen from his sleep: "Valen,Valen!"
Compelled, he follows the voice to a nearby park bordering a vast forest.From the deepest shadows, a cloaked man emerges, his form obscured by an unnatural gloom. The figure swiftly seizes Valen, chokes him until his vision blurs and he loses consciousness.
As the darkness claims him, he overhears a chilling whisper.
" This is the end of the Rune family."
Then, a different voice, undeniably familiar, breaks through the fading blackness–Sen's desperate cries: " Valen, Valen! Wake up bro! Valen!"
Valen jolts awake, panting and gasping for air, to find Sen hovering over him, concern etched on his face." It's okay, bro. It was just a nightmare," Sen reassures him, but as Valen regains his composure, an undeniable shift registers within him. Something has changed.
Later as he attempts to fall back asleep, the haunting dream replays in his mind.
"Was it really a dream?" he wondered, unaware that in the darkness, his eyes glow a faintly purple before he finally succumbs to sleep once more.
