Eruption

My sixteenth birthday was supposed to be a quiet, simple day, to enjoy with my twin brother, Sacer, and my father in the safety of our little home on the outskirts of nowhere. But instead, I found myself standing in the heart of the capital, surrounded by crowds that buzzed like bees. The air was thick with cooked meat, baked goods, and way too many people.

"Can you believe this, Luca?" Sacer said, his golden eyes wide with wonder as he took in the city. His white hair was practically glowing because of the sun. Honestly, he always looked like he belonged in a painting. Next to him, with my messy black hair and piercing red eyes, I might as well have been an accidental smudge on that canvas.

"It's just a city," I muttered. I continuously kept getting bumped into by those around, and I had to fight the urge not to shove people away. "Loud, crowded, and smells worse than Father's stew."

My Father clapped a hand on my shoulder, his grip steady and reassuring. 'Relax, Luca. It's a celebration. Try to enjoy yourself."

"Right." I said, forcing a smile.

After weaving through the city, we finally reached the center square, a vast open space surrounded by statues and towering buildings. At its heart was a raised platform, and in the middle of it stood a stone pedestal. My breath caught when I saw what was embedded in it.

A sword.

It was longer than I could have ever expected, its hilt wrapped in weathered leather, the blade shimmering with a faint golden glow that seemed to pulse in time with my heartbeat. Runes were etched along its edge, symbols that I couldn't read but felt in my bones. My feet moved forward on their own, carrying me closer to the platform, my eyes locked on the blade.

"That's the Mirage Sword," Father said from behind me, his voice full of awe. "The weapon Gabriel used to defeat Damon, the Demon King."

I felt a wave of cold run through me at the name, like it was sinking into my skin. I'd heard the stories a hundred times, read about Gabriel's battles and the final fight that ended Damon's reign. But seeing the sword itself felt different, like something was pressing down on me, urging me forward. I stared at the blade, and a strange feeling twisted in my chest- fear.

Beside me, Sacer was just as captivated, his gold eyes wide as he gazed at the blade. I could feel him tensing beside me, his fingers twitching, almost as if he wanted to reach out. I glanced at him, but he didn't meet my eyes. He looked lost, caught in his own spell.

I took another step forward, and then another, drawn to the sword by an invisible force. It wasn't until I heard the whispers in the crowd that I realized people were watching. I glanced around, noticing the glances that darted between me and my brother. Murmurs drifted through the crowd, quiet but sharp, the words digging into my skin.

"Look at his eyes," one woman whispered, her gaze darting away as I looked at her. "They're... red."

"It can't be..."

"I heard the last one with red eyes was..." A man's voice trailed off, his words swallowed by the crowd.

"Did you see that other boy's hair? White as snow."

The crowd pressed in closer, their eyes narrowing as they took in every detail-my dark hair and strange eyes, Sacer's bright gold gaze and hair that seemed almost to glow in the sunlight. I could feel the weight of their stares, their suspicion filling the air like a heavy mist.

I wanted to turn away, to pull Sacer with me and disappear, but I was rooted to the spot. The blade pulsed, the glow around it intensifying, and I couldn't shake the feeling that it was looking right at me.

Sacer shifted beside me, his expression mirroring my own unease. He glanced back at Father, but he was just confused, glancing between us and the crowd around.

Then, without warning, a sharp, searing pain tore through my body.

I gasped, doubling over as fire burst from my skin, spreading up my arms in black, twisting flames. The pain was overwhelming, raw and consuming, like I was being burned alive from the inside out. I stumbled back, barely aware of the crowd around me, of the screams and the horrified faces staring at me.

"Please," I choked, reaching out, desperate for something to hold onto. I fell to my knees, the ground beneath me scorching over.

"Father! Sacer!" I gasped, my voice breaking. I looked around, searching for them, but my vision was blurring, swallowed by the darkness that twisted around me, binding me in shadows that pulsed with a life of their own. The flames wrapped tighter, growing hotter, until I could barely breathe.

Sacer stood a few feet away, his face pale, his eyes wide with horror. He took a step back, shaking his head, and I saw his hand twitch like he wanted to reach out-but he didn't. He just stared at me, his gold eyes full of something that looked like... pity.

"Luca..." he whispered, his voice barely audible over the roar of the flames.

"Help me!" I screamed, my voice cracking.

"Luca, what's happening to you?" My Father cried out, his voice full of disbelief. He looked between me and Sacer, like he was seeing us both for the first time, and the confusion in his eyes only made the pain worse.

"I don't know!" I choked, my voice raw. I felt the fire clawing deeper, pulling at something buried inside me, memories that weren't mine flashing through my mind-faces, battles, blood spilled on cold stone. I clutched my head, fighting to hold onto myself, to push back against the darkness that felt ancient and endless.

Then, from somewhere deep within the flames, I heard a voice, cold and echoing, whispering a name.

Damon.

The darkness surged, growing thicker, hotter, wrapping around me until I could barely feel my own heartbeat. I looked at Sacer one last time, desperate, pleading. I needed him to see me, to know I was still his brother. But in his eyes, I saw something else-something that felt like betrayal.

"Sacer... please... don't leave me..." I whispered, my voice breaking. But he just stared at me, his face filled with a terrible understanding, as if he'd known something about me all along.