Chapter 1: The Orphan’s Gamble

Chapter 1: The Orphan's Gamble

The sun dipped beneath the horizon, casting long shadows over the wasteland. This was the Outer Zone—a forgotten graveyard where crumbling ruins were the only remnants of a once-thriving world. For those born into this forsaken place, life was a daily battle for survival, with demons roaming the edges and death a constant companion.

Beyond the wasteland's ruins lay the shining metropolis of New Eldra, a towering beacon of light where the wealthy, the powerful, and the Mask Bearers resided. The city was a paradise for those fortunate enough to live within its fortified walls, protected by warriors who wielded the power of Demon Masks—artifacts forged from the essence of slain demons. But only a select few were compatible with the masks, and even among the elites, many had failed to bond with the strongest ones.

The masks that no one could control—the ones forged from Catastrophe-class demons, creatures so powerful that their mere presence threatened to wipe out entire cities—were deemed too dangerous. After numerous failed attempts and countless deaths among New Eldra's most privileged, the government devised a new plan: test the masks on the orphans of the wasteland. If any survived, they would be brought into the city, trained to become part of the prestigious Mask Bearer Academy.

The orphans of the wasteland became expendable guinea pigs.

Fifteen-year-old Sunny Walker stood at the edge of the facility, staring at the towering structure that loomed in the middle of the wasteland like a dark monument to humanity's desperation. This was the place where orphans were chosen—if they survived the masks, they were taken to New Eldra, far from the ruins and demons that plagued their lives.

But survival was rare. The masks were unpredictable, the bonding process dangerous. Sunny had seen dozens of children go in and never return. Yet here he was, ready to risk it all.

"Sunny, are you sure about this?" Dylan, his best friend and only real companion in the Outer Zone, hurried to catch up to him. His voice trembled, a mixture of fear and disbelief. "You know what happens to most of them, right? They either die or the mask kills them."

Sunny shrugged, keeping his eyes fixed on the facility's gates. "We die out here either way, Dylan. At least this gives me a chance. If I can bond with a mask, I can protect us. I won't be another nameless orphan in this wasteland."

Dylan hesitated. "But… what if you're not compatible? What if you end up like the others?"

Sunny clenched his fists, remembering the day demons had ripped his family apart. The wasteland had taken everything from him, and he wasn't going to let it take his future. "I'm not afraid of dying. I'm afraid of doing nothing."

Dylan fell silent, his face pale under the dirt and grime of the wasteland. He glanced back at the crumbling remains of their home, the abandoned school where they had spent their childhoods hiding from the world. The choice was simple: stay here and rot, or risk everything for a chance at something more.

The gates of the facility hissed open as they approached, revealing a group of soldiers waiting inside, their expressions unreadable behind their helmets. This was routine for them—another batch of orphans lined up to see if they were compatible with the masks. Most wouldn't be.

Sunny and six other orphans were herded into the facility, their ragged clothes and hollow faces a stark contrast to the gleaming walls and high-tech machinery within. The orphans had no idea which masks they would be given. The process was entirely random, the masks assigned without warning or explanation. The scientists didn't care who got what—they only cared about results.

The facility had been built in the Outer Zone for a reason. After New Eldra's elite had failed to bond with the Catastrophe-class masks, the government had decided to test them on the expendable—orphans like Sunny, children who had nothing to lose and everything to gain. If any of them survived, they would be brought into the city, trained to become part of the next generation of Mask Bearers.

Inside the main chamber, seven pedestals awaited, each one holding a mask. They looked ancient, each one pulsing with a dark, foreboding energy. The masks were relics of war, forged from the essence of some of the most powerful demons humanity had ever faced. Each mask was unique—twisted, eerie, and brimming with demonic power. No one knew what power each mask contained until it bonded with its wearer.

A scientist, clad in a white coat and surrounded by armed guards, stepped forward. His cold, analytical gaze swept over the group of orphans. "You all understand the risks. The masks you see here are created from the essence of a Catastrophe-class demon. The bonding process is random. If the mask deems you compatible, you will gain extraordinary powers. If it rejects you…" He paused for a moment, his lips curling into a faint smile. "Well, you've all heard the stories."

Sunny's heart raced as his eyes fell on the wooden masks, which was quite different from the masks he has seen on bearers. One of them crackled with energy, sparks of lightning dancing across its surface. Another seemed to warp the space around it, distorting the air in a strange, unnatural way.

The orphans were instructed to step forward, one by one, and take a mask from the pedestal. There was no ceremony, no explanation. Just the cold, clinical assignment of power to those deemed expendable.

Sunny was the last to choose. The other six orphans had already taken their masks, each one looking at the artifact in their hands with a mix of fear and hope. Sunny walked forward, his hands trembling slightly as he reached for the seventh mask.

He didn't know what power it held. None of them did. But something about it called to him, like a whisper in the back of his mind.

As his fingers wrapped around the mask, a sudden surge of energy pulsed through his body, and for a moment, the world went silent. The mask felt cold against his skin, unnaturally heavy as he raised it to his face. There was no turning back now. He pressed it against his face, and everything went black.

For a long, terrifying moment, there was nothing but darkness. Then, with a violent surge, power exploded through his veins, raw and overwhelming. Sunny's heart pounded in his chest as the mask fused to him, becoming a part of his very being.

His body felt different—stronger, faster, enhanced in every way. He could feel the demonic energy coursing through him, changing him. And then, a voice—a low, growling whisper—echoed in his mind.

"You have chosen… poorly."

Sunny gasped, dropping to his knees as the voice faded, leaving behind a cold, lingering presence. His vision cleared, and the chamber came back into focus. He could feel the power within him, simmering just beneath the surface. But something else was there, too—a connection to something dark and ancient. Something far more dangerous than he could have imagined.