In the world of Solveria, a realm of humans and otherworlders, a Celestial War once threatened to consume the world but it was prevented by a fragile peace treaty.
The sun hung low over Valen City, its golden light spilling over the rooftops. In the Stone Pit, an small arena cobbled together, a crowd of onlookers roared as two individuals danced round one another. Both fighters, slick with sweat and breathless, circled each other within the chalk ring, while bookmakers shouted odds in the background
Kain Veyr, a lanky and lean nineteen-year-old with unkempt red hair, rolled his shoulders and met his opponent's glare. His knuckles were covered in blood, his left eye puffy, but his footing firm. Before him stood The Butcher, a massive collection of muscle whose chest was bare and scarred.
"Still standing, boy?" The Butcher spat on the ground. "Let's fix that."
Kain didn't say a word as he drew a deep breath while the Butcher swung, Kain dodged to the left side, then struck to the kidney. The larger man groaned but wrapped his arm around, landing a blow that sent Kain stumbling back.
The crowd yelled louder, and Kain looked over at his friend Darius at the circle, his eyes were wide with concern.
The Butcher charged once more and waved his arm wildly, but Kain ducked under the blow, and delivered an uppercut directly on the chin of the Butcher. The eyes of the Butcher rolled up, and he collapsed onto the ground.
"Winner! The Ghost!" boomed the announcer as the crowd cheered.
Kain cleaned blood off his split lip and collected his wages.
Darius took a step closer, hitting him in the back. "Come on, Kain? The Butcher? You've got a death wish or something?"
Kain pushed the coins into his pouch. "Needed to eat somewhere. Landlord's going to throw me out again."
They proceeded along the Lower Ward, among the merchants and sailors closing their stalls for the evening.
"You know my offer is still on the table. My home isn't much to speak of, but..."
"I'm not your charity case, Dar," Kain interrupted, his eyes tiredly but with a smile on his face "Anyway, your uncle can hardly stand my presence to begin with."
They stopped at Kain's ramshackle apartment building propped against another one. He opened the door and walked into the room, removed his pack and winced at his bruised ribs.
Darius surveyed the room. "One of these days that gift of yours is going to kill you in that dive."
"What gift? Working harder than the other guy?" Kain grinned and dug through his belongings. He pulled out a small wooden box.
"That," Darius pointed at the box. "You've shown me that thing a dozen times. What's gotten into you?"
Kain ran his hand over the engraved panel. "All I had left. My dad gave this to my mom when they died. Told me that it was full of our 'legacy' or something."
"Well, whatever is inside, just hope it is worth more than this dump," Darius stamped around in reply. "Why don't you sell it and make a fortune?!, maybe that's the legacy they were talking about"
"I can't, it's all I have to remember them by..." Kain replied with a soft smile on his face
"Enough about me, you're uncle is going to be pissed if you don't show up on time so why don't you start going, we'll see tomorrow"
"Hmm" Darius stared and walked to the door, "Just don't kill yourself okay?"
"Yeah yeah I'll be fine" Kain replied.
Then Darius closed the door and left, immediately Kain laid upon the mattress and glared up at the ceiling, the box clutched against his chest. Then he closed his eyes and slept
A hard knock awakened Kain from sleep. Dawn hadn't yet broken. He growned and opened his eyes, then he slowly got up from bed and stumbled to the door.
"City Watch," a deep voice bellowed. "Inspection for illegal weapons."
"City Watch? In the Lower Ward?" He thought, slowly stepping away from the door. "No one sends patrols down here"
He looked through the window go see men in hoods at the door.
"One moment," he yelled, grabbing his bag and stashing the box inside. He laced up his boots, then ran to the upstairs window. Three stories up, but there was a balcony beneath.
But before he could jump out, the door burst open, and the hooded men poured in.
"Kain Veyr," the taller of them said, not a question. "You'll be coming with us."
Kain hurled a chair down the stairs and sprinted for the window, he jumped through, crashing through glass.
He hit the balcony hard, rolled, and grabbed the drainpipe at the edge, sliding down into the alley below. He looked up and saw the men already at the window, one of them leaping down after him.
Kain sprinted through the streets.
"They know my name..." His fingers tightened into a knuckle-white grip on the strap.
He pushed through the morning market crowd, knocking over fish crates to block the path of his pursuers. But around a corner, another hooded figure materialized, and then he plunged down a side alley.
He looked ahead and saw, two hooded men sneaking up on him then turned around and saw another coming for him.
"No need to make it complicated," replied the man, who had a scar on his chin. "We just want to talk."
"Armed men break down my door at dawn to talk?" Kain stood against the wall and looked around for a way out. "Sounds friendly to me."
The man smiled coldly. "We know what you are, boy. Last of the Bloodbound."
Kain's brow twitched, his lips parting slightly "I don't know what you're talking about."
"No? Then why have you been carrying around that sealed box your entire life?" The man gestured, and his companions spread out.
Kain clenched his teeth ad they slowly approached him.
The leader suddenly lunged towards him but Kain ducked then he gut punched him. As he fell the other two attacked simultaneously.
A fist swung toward his face. He ducked and countered with a punch to the ribs. His attacker gasped. Another lunged, but Kain swept his leg out, kicking the man in the face sending the man tumbling to the ground.
He looked around and saw a broken pipe on the floor, he rolled towards it, grabbed it and slammed it onto the last man, and he fell.
Then he wanted to run but he leader grabbed his leg and slammed him against the wall.
The leader was three times the size of Kain, with huge muscles. Then threw him up and grab his throat his fingers digging in.
"The Eclipse Order has waited generations for this moment," he hissed. "When the last Bloodbound falls, the balance will be restored."
Kain struggled, swinging his feets in the air trying to break free.
"The box," the leader demanded. "Where is it?"
One of the hooded figures reached for Kain's bag.
His bag pulsed with a bright red light. 'What the hell is that?!' one of the men shouted, stumbling back.
An explosion erupted and threw everyone in different directions. Windows shattered, debris rained down, and Kain found himself falling as the weakened wall behind him collapsed.
He landed hard in what appeared to be a basement storeroom, "What was that?!" He groaned, then checked his bag, there were no cracks "its still alright!" He sighed in relief.
"He's still alive!" one of them yelled. Kain scrambled to his feet and found a doorway leading to the streets, he jumped out and continued running.
They chased him through the city. Kain darted through alleys, vaulted over stalls. No matter where he turned, they were there...
Panic rippled through the streets as citizens scattered, drawing the attention of patrolling guards.
He ran into an open space and saw four hooded men, he quickly turned around but saw four more behind him, he was surrounded.
"Why won't you all leave me ALONE?!" he screamed.
His shout erupted into a wave, blasting them backward, each crashing into walls and carts.
He looked around and saw them scattered on the floor, groaning. He ran immediately.
High above, on a faraway rooftop, a figure in a flowing violet dress watched the chaos below. The wind whipped through her dark hair, her eyes flashing between violet and black
He sprinted toward Darius's home. Weaving through alleys and side streets, he finally reached it and began pounded on the door.
"Darius! Help me!" He yelled,
The door swung open, and Darius pulled him inside, eyes wide. "Gods, Kain, what happened? The entire Lower Ward is in chaos!"
"Men came for me," Kain gasped, struggling to catch his breath. "They knew my name, broke into my room..."
"Are you hurt?" Darius led him further inside, glancing nervously out the window.
"I...I did something, Dar. Something impossible." Kain's voice shook. "They said I'm something called 'Bloodbound'..."
Darius's expression changed, hardening. "They told you, then."
Kain's eyes widened, "What?"
The front door burst open, and the men who had been pursuing Kain entered, weapons drawn. Behind them stood Darius's uncle and more hooded men.
"You did well, nephew," the uncle said, nodding at Darius. "You've served the Order faithfully."
Kain's his face etched with shock "You... you betrayed me?"
Shame flickered across Darius's face. "I'm sorry, Kain. I didn't mean to..."
"You lead them straight to me..." Kain said softly
"I had to befriend you... it was the only way..." Darius replied
"Don't give me that crap!" Kain yelled. "I trusted you! You were my only friend! I thought you were on my side!"
"I am on your side..." Darius stuttered to explain, "y..you don't understand what you are... what you could become."
"You told them about the box! The only thing i have! You let it go like it was nothing" Kain yelled, backing away slowly his expression went dim "My only friend..." He whispered.
"Enough talk," the leader said, stepping forward. "The seal is broken. We must contain him before he learns what to do"
As they closed in on Kain, he was backed against the wall.
Then suddenly, the ceiling above them suddenly cracked and it collapsed onto Kain. The men backed away a little.
Through the dust and debris, a figure dropped directly onto Kain, knocking him to the floor.
When the dust settled, Kain found himself pinned beneath a young woman in elaborate clothing, her eyes wide with surprise. A gleaming tiara had fallen from her head and rolled across the floor.
The young woman lifted her head, brushing long black hair from her face to reveal her violet and black eyes. She looked down at Kain, then at the armed men surrounding them.
"Well," she said with remarkable composure, "this isn't quite the escape I had planned."