Chapter 1: The Depths of Despair

When the universe is ravaged…

…and all life is dying…

…a new tribe of people shall…

…come unto the universe…

…from many colours, creeds, classes and races…

…and who by their actions and deeds…

…shall bring order to the universe again…

…they will be known as… the Luminaries!

Blood dripped from the tip of the bone-forged sword, painting red ripples in a growing puddle. The thick, iron scent clung to the air, mingling with the faint remnants of burning fuel from the wreckage outside. Kalvis stood frozen, his breath caught in his throat.

His wide, tear-filled eyes locked onto the lifeless body of his mother sprawled across the cold floor. Her unblinking eyes reflecting the sterile ceiling lights. Her outstretched fingers were frozen mid-reach, as if trying to call him back one last time.

His father's heaving chest rose and fell, agony carved into his features. The man had fought. Had fought with everything he had. And yet, here he was, his strength fading, his fate sealed.

Siniferre yanked his blade free from the man's torso with a sickening sound. Kalvis flinched as his father crumpled, his face turned toward his children.

"Run..." he croaked, barely louder than a breath. His fading eyes settled on them, pleading.

Kalvis and Karina stood there, frozen, their hands still clutching the bags of supplies they'd picked up from the city. Then instinct roared through their veins. The bags hit the ground. They turned and ran.

Behind them, the setting sun cast their elongated shadows forward, pushing them into the unknown.

A Cosmic Warning: Eight Hours Before the Fall

As the neural alarm activated, a gentle wave of bio-synchronised pulses rippled through Kalvis' mind, seamlessly pulling him from his dreams and into the soft glimmer of the morning.

Then, a rustle. A pause. A sudden burst of movement—Kalvis flung himself from his bed with uncontainable energy.

"Today's the day!" he beamed, landing fully on his feet.

He spun toward the mirror, examining himself.

"It's my birthday!" He grinned. "The one day in the year where it's all about me! The one day everyone has to cater to me! The one day where no one can tell me anything…" He smirked. "Not even Karina."

Downstairs, the smell of his favourite breakfast, Ferran gravity-tempered silver fruit, filled the air. His mother moved gracefully between the stove and the table, her hands a blur of practiced efficiency.

Karina sat nearby, arms crossed, watching her with mild disinterest.

"Now remember," their mother said, flipping the fruit on the stove. "Today is Kalvis' day, so no fighting."

Karina sighed. "Yeah, yeah, I've gotten this speech nine times already."

"And yet, you still need the reminder."

"I can't help it sometimes."

Their mother chuckled. "You two are siblings. One day, you'll be all each other have. Learn to play nice."

Kalvis strolled in, still beaming. He snatched a piece of silver fruit from the table, taking a victorious bite while locking eyes with Karina. She tensed, clearly holding back a remark.

"Where's Dad?" he asked between bites.

"Lab, of course," his mother replied. "Why do you even ask?"

Kalvis rolled his eyes and turned to leave. "Don't eat my breakfast while I'm gone!"

His father looked up from his work as Kalvis entered the lab.

"There's my birthday boy!" he greeted with a warm smile. "How does it feel to be eleven?"

Kalvis straightened. "I can feel my voice getting deeper, and I finally see my first facial hair." He leaned in dramatically, pointing at his chin.

His father laughed. "Well, that's good to hear."

Kalvis eyed the equipment cluttering the workspace. "What are you working on?"

His father's expression darkened for the briefest moment, a flicker of unease that Kalvis nearly missed. Then, the man forced a smile.

"Today isn't about me, it's about you."

"Has Karina taken you to get your surprise yet?"

Kalvis blinked. "Huh? First I'm hearing of it."

His father feigned shock. "Oops. Looks like I ruined the surprise. Just act surprised when she tells you."

Kalvis exaggerated an over-the-top shocked expression. His father chuckled.

"Perfect," he said. "Now go enjoy your day."

His Arrival: A Shadow Looms Over the Cosmos

As Kalvis and Karina left the house, their parents stood at the doorway, watching them.

"They really are the best of us," their mother whispered.

Their father nodded, but his gaze was distant, troubled.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

He hesitated before replying. "It's the crystal. I think I've finally got a lead."

She exhaled, relief washing over her. "That's great! That means he'll almost be out of our lives."

But her husband's face remained troubled. "Yes... but the more I learn, the more I know I can't hand this information over to him. If I do, it won't just be us at risk. It'll be all life as we know it."

Then, a deep, rumbling sound echoed in the distance.

Their heads snapped up.

A ship was descending from the sky.

His blood ran cold. "It's him. No, no, no. Not today of all days."

They stepped outside just as the ship landed. Its doors opened, revealing a figure standing at the edge.

Siniferre leaped from the ship with an unnatural grace, his presence both commanding and otherworldly. Striking white hair, with a single dark coil resting above his forehead, framed a face dominated by sharp turquoise eyes—piercing, calculating.

Large, pointed ears twitched slightly, attuned to the subtlest shifts in the air. His toned torso, partially concealed beneath a dark green garment, hinted at a body honed through discipline and purpose. The fabric draped naturally over his frame before giving way to dark trousers, gathered at the ankles for ease of movement.

From his lower back, two long, fluffy white tails extended, shifting ever so slightly as if responding to some unseen current. They completed his fantastical appearance—an entity caught between myth and reality, his very presence unsettling yet undeniably captivating.

He landed soundlessly, his weight seemingly nonexistent.

He smiled. "Why hello, doctor. Good to see you again, Mrs..."

The doctor instinctively stepped in front of his wife.

"No need for hostilities," Sini said, his voice smooth. "I've just come for our regular check-in."

The doctor's hands clenched into fists. "I wasn't expecting you for another week."

"Yes, well, things happened. I'm here early." Sini's gaze sharpened. "Now, what's the news on the crystal?"

The doctor hesitated. "There's been no progress."

Sini tilted his head. "Is that so?"

He could tell the man was lying.

"You see, doctor," Sini mused, "I hate liars. And I hate my time being wasted. Are you sure this is how you want this to go down?"

The doctor remained silent.

Sini sighed. "A shame."

Then, in an instant, he was behind Cassia. Before anyone could react, he snapped her neck.

She collapsed.

The doctor screamed, rushing him. Sini barely moved, sidestepping effortlessly.

Clash of Fate: A Battle That Changes Everything

The forest clearing trembled beneath them. Dirt and grass tore apart under the sheer force of their clashing prana. Towering pines loomed, their branches quivering with each seismic blow.

Sini flickered—a ghostly mirage wrapped in shifting white mist. Phantom Prana pulsed through his veins, weightless, fluid, adaptive. Opposite him, Juris stood like an iron monolith, silver energy crackling over his skin, the sheer density of his Metal Prana distorting the air around him.

Juris struck first.

A thunderous stomp split the ground as he lunged, fist descending in a devastating arc—Goliath's Strike. Air compressed with a deafening boom. Sini twisted, narrowly escaping as the blow cratered the earth where he'd stood. The aftershock sent a tremor through his ribs.

He retaliated in a blur. Bone swords unfurled from his prana, twin arcs slicing toward Juris—Serpent's Sliver. Juris raised an armoured forearm, sparks igniting as the first strike clashed against his hardened skin. The second found flesh, carving a thin red line across his shoulder. He grunted, swinging a backhand. Sini melted backward, vanishing into mist before reappearing a few feet away.

Juris wiped the blood off his arm, eyes narrowing. "Not bad."

His silver aura surged. He stomped again—Iron Bloom. The ground beneath Sini detonated, jagged metal shards erupting like blooming steel flowers. Sini sprang back, but a blade-like spike grazed his thigh, slicing through fabric and flesh. Pain flared, but he had no time to falter.

His Phantom Prana pulsed. His bone blades elongated. He feinted left—then vanished into mist.

Reappearing at Juris' blind spot.

Spectre's Grasp. A skeletal hand lunged for Juris' spine, mist solidifying into a claw. If it connected, it would drain him, siphoning his prana, weakening his defences.

Juris had anticipated it.

The air shifted. He dropped his stance—Anchor Point. Metal Prana surged through him, his weight multiplying. His feet sank into the ground, rendering him immovable. The moment Sini's spectral grip closed in, Juris pivoted, palm thrusting forward in a brutal counterstrike. The reinforced blow slammed into Sini's chest.

He hurtled backward.

Wood splintered as his body crashed against the side of the cabin. Dust and debris rained down.

Sini groaned, rolling his shoulders as he rose. A grin tugged at his lips. "You're strong," he admitted. "But this is over."

His aura darkened, mist thickening like a living storm. His hands formed a sharp mudra. He exhaled—then slammed his palm into the earth.

Marrow Genesis.

The ground trembled. Bone spires burst upward in a spiralling formation, aiming to skewer Juris where he stood. He leapt back, Metal Prana flaring to shield him—Exactly what Sini wanted.

He was already there.

A final pivot. A flash of white steel.

Hollow Fang.

Juris barely registered the movement before the blade sank into his abdomen.

Silence.

He staggered. Blood bloomed across his torso, dripping onto torn grass. His once-unbreakable defence flickered, shattered. His knees buckled.

A distant engine roared.

Laughter echoed through the trees—Kalvis and Karina approaching, unaware of the scene awaiting them.

Sini stood over Juris, breath heavy, hand tightening on the hilt.

The fight was over.

Blood dripped from the bone sword, a crimson pool spreading beneath Juris's body. The sickening crunch of pierced flesh echoed in the air, a sound swallowed by the oppressive silence. His breath came in shallow gasps, his strength fading.

Kalvis and Karina rounded the corner of the cabin, their faces alight with excitement—until they saw him. The hoverboard slipped from their grasp, clattering to the ground. Their world shattered in an instant.

Juris's fading gaze locked onto his children. With the last of his strength, he rasped, "Run." The word was barely a whisper, a final plea torn from his dying throat.

Karina reacted first. Her amethyst eyes, wide with terror, darted to Kalvis. She grabbed his hand, yanking him back. The thrill of the birthday surprise twisted into sheer horror. They scrambled onto the hoverboard, their hands trembling, their hearts pounding. They rode until the cabin was nothing but a shadow in the distance.

Awakening to a New Reality: The War Begins

They burst into the local authorities' office, breathless and disoriented. Their words tumbled over each other, a desperate attempt to explain the nightmare they had witnessed. The officers listened, their faces grim.

By the time the authorities reached the cabin, the sun had begun its descent. The fading light bathed the gruesome scene in eerie hues. Cassia lay still, her indigo hair matted with blood. Juris's body remained a grotesque tableau, the bone sword still protruding from his abdomen.

Karina broke down, her small frame shaking with sobs. Kalvis stood rigid, his face pale, his mind struggling to grasp the enormity of what had happened. The weight of their loss pressed down, suffocating. And in that moment, something shifted. Karina, the younger, was a broken child. Kalvis, the elder, became her shield.

Social workers arrived soon after, their expressions filled with pity. They spoke in soft reassurances—"You'll be taken care of." "We'll find your family." But the words felt empty, hollow against the vastness of their grief.

Then, a tall figure appeared.

Artex.

His elongated blonde cornrow hair, streaked with black, fell over weary yellow eyes—eyes that mirrored their pain. He spoke briefly with the authorities, his voice low, grave. Then he turned to them, his face etched with sorrow. He knelt, arms open.

Karina collapsed into his embrace, sobbing. Kalvis hesitated, his mind still numb, before following. The warmth of his uncle's arms was a small comfort in the void.

Artex led them into the city, to his home—a penthouse in the centre of Sideris, much unlike their previous home. It was chaotic, cluttered, filled with wires, papers, and the remnants of unfinished projects. The contrast was jarring.

Then, the house came alive.

Nanites and small robots whirred into motion, cleaning, sorting, restoring order with quiet efficiency. Within moments, the chaos transformed into something liveable.

Artex gestured towards two rooms. "These are yours." His voice was rough, strained.

Karina curled up on the bed, silent tears streaking her face. Kalvis lay on his back, his eyes fixed on the ceiling. A single tear traced down his temple and holding his hand upwards in the form of a fist. He wasn't crying.

He was thinking.

On the balcony overlooking the city, Artex stood alone, taking out a synthstick. His hands trembled slightly as he wiped his face. A single tear escaped, lost in the dim glow of the city light.

"I'll take care of them, big bro." His voice was thick with emotion, a whisper swallowed by the night.

Because he knew—their lives had changed forever.

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