Arc - Genesis of Flux, Chapter 1

Chapter 1 - Tragedy of theology - Saint Volgenov's warmth

Date: August 27 989

South - 10 years old

North - 9 years old

The wind howled outside, so intense it could be heard from inside the thin walls of the torn down house where four children huddled together under dirty blankets. The eldest, a boy with sharp, blue eyes that seemed too old for his young face, sat at the edge of their bed, his arms wrapped tightly around his younger siblings.

"South," whispered a tiny voice from beside him. It was his sister, her voice trembling with the cold. "I'm so hungry... when will we eat again?"

South clenched his jaw, forcing himself to stay strong. "Soon," he lied, his voice soft. "I'll find something, I promise. Just hold on a little longer."

The youngest, a boy no more than five, whimpered, burying his face into South's side. South squeezed his shoulder, his heart breaking at the sight of their sunken cheeks and scared eyes. He couldn't stand to see them suffer any longer.

With a quiet motivation, South gently untangled himself from his siblings and stood up. "Stay here," he whispered, tucking the blanket around them. "I'll be back before you know it."

"Where are you going?" his sister asked, worried.

"To get us some food," South replied, forcing a smile he didn't feel. "Don't worry, I'll be quick."

He ran out of the house, the breeze was heavy. The city was a dark, but South needed to do this for his loved ones. He knew the risks, but desperation overrode caution.

He made his way to the church, its tall spire towering over the city. The church was a place of sanctuary for many, but tonight, it was his only hope.

The wooden doors of the church creaked open, and South silently walked inside, his breath fogging in the warmth of the sanctuary. He moved quickly, his eyes scanning the room for anything he could take. There, near the altar, a basket of bread sat, and his heart leaped with relief.

He reached out, but before his fingers could close around the loaf, a voice echoed through the empty hall.

"Stealing from the house of God? Have you fallen so low, child?"

South froze, his heart pounding in his chest. He turned slowly to see an elderly priest sitting down, his eyes soft with understanding rather than anger.

"I... I'm sorry," South stammered, taking a step back. "I didn't mean to... I just—"

The priest raised a hand to stop him. "You are not the first to find themselves desperate, my son. The Lord does not condemn those who seek to survive. Tell me, where are your parents?"

South's heart rate lowered, shame tightening his throat. "We have no parents. It's just me and my siblings. We're... we're all alone."

The priest's expression softened further, and he took a step closer, his voice gentle. "Then bring them here to Saint Volgenov's. No child should suffer alone in this world. We will care for you all."

South looked up, his eyes wide with disbelief. "Why would you help us? You don't even know us."

The priest smiled warmly, placing a hand on South's shoulder. "Because the Lord teaches us to love our neighbors as ourselves. You are not alone, my child. Come, bring your siblings. This place shall be your home."

For the first time in what felt like forever, South and his siblings experienced warmth and safety. Saint Volgenov's parish was a haven.

His siblings thrived in this new environment, their laughter returning. South watched them with a happiness. They were safe, and for once, they were happy.

One evening, as they sat around the dinner table, South looked at the priest, who had become a father figure to them. "Thank you," he said quietly. "For everything."

The priest smiled and patted South's head. "There is nothing to thank me for, my boy. It is you who have brought joy to this place. You and your siblings have a strong spirit."

South nodded, a smile on his face. For the first time, he dared to hope that perhaps this was the life they were meant to have, a life of peace and warmth.

But fate had other plans.

The peaceful days came to an end one fateful morning. South was wide awake by the sound of explosions in the distance, the ground trembling beneath him. His heart pounding in his chest as the walls of the parish began to shake violently.

"South! What's happening?" his sister cried out, her voice trembling with fear as she clung to him.

"Stay close!" South shouted, his voice tight with panic. He grabbed her hand and pulled her along. "We have to get out of here!"

As they ran through the narrow corridors of Saint Volgenov's, the sounds of destruction grew louder. The walls cracked, pieces of the ceiling crumbling down around them. The air was thick with dust and smoke.

They burst into the main hall, where they found their two younger brothers, huddled together in terror. "South!" they cried.

"Come on! We have to go now!" South urged, gathering them up, one under each arm. But as they made their way towards the exit, another explosion rocked the building. The ground beneath them shook violently, and South felt the floor give way.

He barely had time to react as the ceiling above them began to collapse. "No!" South screamed, throwing himself over his siblings in a desperate attempt to shield them from the falling debris.

The sound of collapsing walls, the screams of the dying. He felt his sister's hand slip from his grasp as a massive beam came crashing down, crushing the life out of his younger brothers in an instant. Their small bodies went limp in his arms, their cries silenced forever.

South's heart shattered as he struggled to pull himself free from the wreckage, his body bruised. "No... no..." he gasped. He could barely see through the smoke and dust, his vision blurred by tears.

He found his sister, pinned beneath a pile of rubble, her eyes wide with fear. "South..." she whispered, her voice barely audible.

South reached out to her, his fingers brushing against hers. "Hold on! I'm going to get you out!" he cried, trying to move the debris. But it was too late. Her breathing slowed, her grip on his hand weakening until it slipped away completely.

As the last of the building collapsed around him, South was left alone amidst the ruins. The once loving sanctuary of Saint Volgenov's was now nothing more than a graveyard of memories.

Months had passed since that fateful day, but the pain in South's heart had not lessened. If anything, it had grown sharper. It fueled him, driving him to the brink of exhaustion day after day. He had nothing left but his desire for vengeance and the faint hope that somehow, somewhere, his sister North might still be alive.

In the mountains, South built his own training ground. Every day, he pushed his body to its limits, forging himself into a weapon.

South stood alone in the mountains. He set up makeshift targets that moved unpredictably, simulating real combat. His hands were blistered and bleeding, but he ignored the pain, focusing solely on the task at hand.

He raised his rifle, a weapon forged from the Flux energy that now coursed through him, as he took aim. South's eyes, sharpened by weeks of training, locked onto it with precision.

"Steady... breathe..." he muttered to himself, the words a mantra that kept him grounded. He squeezed the trigger, and the shot rang out. The target exploded, the bullet hitting dead center.

South allowed himself a moment of satisfaction before he set up the next target. There was no time for rest. He needed to be faster, stronger, better.

As night fell, South didn't stop. He trained in the darkness, relying on his enhanced senses and the Flux energy that now felt like an extension of his very being. He practiced transforming his knife into various weapons, from a sniper rifle to an assault rifle, until the movements became second nature.

He pushed himself harder, his body screaming in pain, but he didn't care. The memories of his lost loved ones, of his siblings' lifeless bodies, were embedded into his mind, fueling his drive. He would find North. He would make those responsible pay.

Finally, as dawn broke over the mountains, South stood alone, the snow falling from the sky. He had trained until he could barely stand, but his discipline had only grown stronger. He was no longer the scared boy who had watched helplessly as his family was torn from him. He was Snezhnaya Pantera, God's Chosen Emperor.

And he would not stop until his mission was complete.