The First Step

"A dream… i'm having one of these dreams again." Evryn muttered, looking around in the immensely dark room. His eyes widened as he saw a woman with pale gray hair, wild and flowing, with sharp strands that give her an untamed look on her knees, crying under a light that shone on her in the vast darkness. 

Evryn approaches the women, "are you okay." he asks with concern. He moves closer squatting down. He looks at her, her face covered with her hands. "Everything will be alright." he said softly, reaching out to pull her into an embrace. Her body was cold, almost unnaturally so, as if the light itself couldn't warm her. Her cries quieted, and just as he thought she might speak. 

Evryn wakes up

Evryn sat up from his bed, sweat dripping down his face. He wiped some of it away with his hand. "Damn it, it's so hot in here." he muttered.

He looked around his room, cluttered with trash on the floor and empty food cans scattered everywhere.

Pushing the blanket off him, he sat on the edge of his bed, staring down at the floor. With a sigh, he stood up, lifting his left arm to stretch before doing the same with the other.

He made his way to the sink and turned on the water, letting it pool in his palms. Leaning forward, he splashed his face and scrubbed it with his hands. Then, he rested them on the edges of the sink and stared into his reflection in the cracked mirror. His short, messy hair hung loosely over his forehead, framing brown eyes burdened with unspoken doubts.

Evryn clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white as he stared at his reflection. The cracked mirror seemed to mock him, splitting his face into fractured pieces. He grit his teeth and muttered, "Pathetic... just look at you. Look at this."

His eyes darted to the mess in the room reflected behind him. the scattered trash, the empty cans, the stagnant air suffocating the space. It was a mirror of his life, or so he thought. "You're worthless." he spat at his reflection, the venom in his voice barely masking the hurt underneath. "When did it get this bad?"

The anger boiled over. With a sudden burst, he slammed his fist against the sink, the jarring pain shooting up his arm grounding him momentarily. The sound echoed in the room, but it didn't silence the storm in his mind.

The anger boiled over. With a sudden burst, he slammed his fist against the sink, the jarring pain shooting up his arm grounding him momentarily. The sound echoed in the room, but it didn't silence the storm in his mind.

He stumbled back, cradling his hand, the sting a sharp reminder of his frustration. His breaths were shallow, his chest heaving as he tried to steady himself.

"Why can't I get out of this...?" His voice wavered, softer now, almost a whisper.

Evryn sighed and pulled himself together. He slipped on his shoes and stepped outside, closing the door behind him. Looking up, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "It feels good." he muttered.

Opening his eyes, he noticed the sky was gray, with massive clouds blocking the sunlight from reaching him and the city below.

He Turned back to the door, locking it with his keys. 

Smacking his cheeks with both hands, he muttered, "Let's do this."

He heads down the stairs, his left hand resting on the railing. When he reaches the bottom, he steps onto grey dirt, his eyes catching the muddy puddles that have formed. *it must have rained hard last night.* he thinks, walking past them. 

He turns around, looking back at his shit shack of a home. It sat awkwardly in the middle of the stack, sandwiched between trailer above the one below. The rust-streaked metal walls were dented and faded. 

Evryn tsked and turned away, leaving the area. He walked down the sidewalk towards the station, shoving his hands into his pockets and quickening his pace. I hope I'm not late, he thought, his shoes kicking up the grey dust that clung to everything. The air felt heavy with the oppressive heat, the ground cracked and lifeless. The endless stretch of barren land was suffocating, but in the distance, the city stood—glimmering and untouched by the wasteland that surrounded it. The contrast always struck him. A place of steel and neon, yet it felt as cold as the desert outside.

When he finally reached the station, he paused to catch his breath, the faint hum of Aether energy in the air mixing with the damp, musty smell of decaying concrete. His eyes drifted over the cracked pavement and the graffiti-covered walls. The usual eyesores, the constant reminder of how little the city cared for anything outside its towering walls.

The low, grating sound of transport pulled his attention back to the tracks.

He looked to his right, spotting the old, rusted train coming to a halt. Despite its battered state, the sight was familiar, almost comforting. It was the same beat-up train that ran every day, creaking and groaning like it was held together by sheer willpower. It never gets old seeing this hunk of junk, he thought, chuckling softly.

Stepping onto the train, he was immediately hit by the stale air, thick with the scent of sweat and machinery. The cabin was dimly lit, the flickering overhead lights doing little to mask years of neglect. Taking a seat by the window, his gaze shifted to the distant skyline of the city, its jagged towers cutting into the grayish haze.

The hum of conversation around him caught his attention.

"Did you hear? Prices on Zorvathis are rising. Basic imports cost 7,000 Celestial Scripts now, maybe even more," a man grumbled, his voice tired and raspy.

"It's the damn council's new policy. They don't care about anyone except making more money." a woman responded sharply. "Meanwhile, we're left with scraps. My brother couldn't even afford to renew his work permit for one of the outer asteroid mining facilities."

Another voice chimed in, younger and tinged with hope. "They say Jyris is beautiful-grass everywhere, no factories, just a peaceful environment. My cousin's family just moved there. Plenty of jobs, clean air…"

Evryn leaned back in his seat, listening silently. The names of planets, policies, and struggles felt distant-whispers of a world far beyond his reach. Yet, a question lingered in his mind: *What's the point of staying here? There has to be more than this.*

The transport jolted forward, its battered Aether engine whining as it pushed toward the city gates. Evryn turned back to the window, watching as the grayish haze of the city grew thicker with each passing moment.

The train passes through the city gate into Noxhaven. Evryn gazes out the window, his eyes tracing the streets littered with trash and the homeless lying on sidewalks, begging for change. A wave of disgust rises in him. How do people allow this to happen? How can they just ignore it? He exhales sharply. Then again, I have no room to talk, not with the state of my own home.

The train jerks to a halt, rattling the transport. A robotic intercom crackles to life. "You have arrived at Noxhaven." Passengers begin shuffling off. Evryn rises from his seat and follows suit, stepping onto the station platform.

Trash litters the ground, some of it piled into neglected corners. He moves forward, descending the stairs and stepping onto the sidewalk.

A few cars pass in front of him, their engines humming with a distinct mechanical whir. He looks up, eyes drawn to the towering skyscrapers looming over the streets, their neon lights flickering against the grayish sky. 

Evryn walked down the sidewalk, Coffee would be really good right now, he thought to himself.

He looked up to his left, spotting a holographic billboard displaying a message:

"Have you seen this man? If so, please contact authorities immediately."

The image on the screen showed a man with piercing, predatory eyes gleaming with sadistic delight. His dark, messy hair framed a gaunt, scarred face, giving him a feral, unhinged look.

"What is wrong with that guy?" someone muttered nearby.

Another voice responded, "His name's Malrik. He's killed tons of people. No one knows why. Some say he does it for fun, others think he's doing it to satisfy a god."

Evryn turned his head toward the voices, spotting a man who seemed to be in his 40s. "Interesting." he murmured, placing a hand on his chin.

"Yeah, it's pretty fucking crazy," the older man continued. "Some say he turned an entire city into a battlefield, killing thousands-if not more-in the process."

"Do they know where he is now?"

"No, no one's sure. But pray to the gods he isn't here."

"You don't say..." Evryn replied.

The man sighed and stretched. "Well, I better head off to work. Stay safe out there."

Evryn gave him a soft smile. "You too."

Evryn continues his way down the sidewalk heading to the caffe. 

Boom!

A massive explosion shakes the area. Not deadly, but definitely enough to send people in a panic. 

Evryn freezes. "What the hell just happened?" 

Smoke rises from a nearby rooftop, and out of it jumps a wild-looking young man with black hair, laughing his ass off being pursued by pissed off security drones 

"HAHA WORTH IT!" 

He lands right next to Evryn, nearly knocking him over. 

Evryn stares at him "…the hell did you just do?" 

Before the guy could answer, a giant holographic billboard glitches to life showing his wanter poster. 

"Attention citizens! The menace known as Razek Quill is wanted for disorderly conduct, property damage, and reckless endangerment. Report his whereabouts immediately." 

The guy points at the bill board. "Fake news." 

Evryn blinks. "Did you-or did you not just blow something up?" 

The guy waves dismissively. "Pfft. Blow up is such a strong term. I modified the mayor's statue. Now it breathes fire! It's an improvement, really." 

The security drones lock onto their location. 

"Target located. Engaging" 

Razek looks at Evryn with a wide grin. 

"Hey, new guy. Ever wanted to be accomplice?"

Without waiting for an answer, he grabs Evryn and bolts.