The sun hung low in the sky, casting a sickly orange hue over the ruins of the city. The streets, once full of life, were now quiet—too quiet. Not a soul stirred in the wreckage of the marketplace, where charred remnants of stalls and broken carts lay strewn across cracked cobblestones. The air smelled faintly of smoke and ash, remnants of a war that had never fully ended.
Kairo's footsteps echoed down the empty streets, his boots crunching against the debris as he strolled carelessly through the desolation. His dark hair ruffled slightly in the breeze, the only movement in an otherwise still world. His smile, wide and carefree, seemed out of place in a city that had long lost its soul.
He wore no armor, no weapons, just the tattered remains of a shirt and pants, as if he hadn't a care in the world. And, truth be told, he didn't. To him, the gods and their divine chaos were nothing more than a sick joke. After all, what were they but tyrants hiding behind their so-called 'power'? Kairo had seen enough of their reign to know they were nothing to fear.
As he turned a corner, he saw her—a familiar face amidst the wreckage.
"Liora," Kairo greeted with a grin, his voice a mixture of amusement and something darker, "Still trying to save me, I see?"
Liora, her long brown hair tied back in a practical ponytail, stood with her arms crossed, her face tight with concern. She was younger than Kairo by two years, but her seriousness and determination made her seem older. Her brown eyes, full of worry, watched him carefully.
"Kairo, you can't keep doing this," she said, her voice sharp. "You know they're looking for you. The gods... they won't stop until they find you. You're playing with fire."
Kairo's smile never faltered. He took a step toward her, his eyes glinting mischievously. "Fire's the only thing worth playing with in a world like this."
Liora sighed, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "You're going to get yourself killed one of these days. I don't want that."
The seriousness in her tone was unlike her usual demeanor. Kairo's grin softened for a moment, but only briefly. He couldn't let his guard down, not even with Liora. She was his oldest friend, his closest ally, but even she didn't understand what he was really up against.
"I'm not the one you should be worried about," he said quietly, his eyes turning toward the horizon. "It's the gods who should be worried about me."
Before Liora could respond, the air seemed to shift, becoming thicker, heavier. The sky above darkened as if something immense were looming just beyond the clouds. Kairo's eyes narrowed, a shift in his body language, an almost imperceptible change that signaled he was no longer the carefree boy he had been moments ago.
Liora's voice trembled. "Do you feel that?"
Kairo nodded slowly, his grin never leaving his face. "They're here."
From the center of the marketplace, the ground trembled with an almost unnatural force. Then, as if parting the very air itself, a figure descended from the darkened sky—a creature cloaked in light and shadow, its form barely visible against the sudden storm that had appeared overhead. The wind howled, making the ruined buildings creak and groan.
The Celestial Herald had arrived.
Liora stumbled back, fear flickering in her eyes. Kairo's stance remained relaxed, his expression still one of amusement as he observed the figure descending before him. The Herald's wings unfurled in a flash of divine light, their sheer size blocking out the sky.
The Herald's eyes—pale, almost blind with an otherworldly intensity—locked onto Kairo. "So you are the one," the Herald's voice boomed, its tone resounding in Kairo's chest like a hammer strike.
Kairo tilted his head, still grinning. "The one? I'm just a kid, don't you think? A boy who laughs at the gods."
The Herald's face tightened, its expression one of frustration. "You mock us. But you do not understand what you face. The gods have chosen you, Kairo. You are marked to bring judgment upon the heavens, whether you accept it or not. You have been chosen to become the Heavenbreaker."
Kairo's laughter filled the air, echoing off the ruined buildings. "Heavenbreaker, huh?" He stepped forward, his laughter sharp and mocking. "You gods really do have a way with words. But you must have misunderstood. I'm not your puppet. I won't play by your rules."
The Herald's wings flared, the air growing colder with every movement it made. It spoke again, its voice no longer calm, but filled with growing wrath. "You cannot escape your fate. All who are chosen must serve. You have no choice."
Kairo's grin widened. "That's where you're wrong."
In that moment, something within Kairo stirred. A sudden rush of energy surged through him, his body glowing faintly as his heartbeat quickened. He couldn't explain it—this power, this burning sensation that coursed through his veins—but he didn't care. The mark that had appeared on his arm was now glowing bright, pulsing with a divine energy that seemed to resonate with the very air around him.
"You're the ones who need to fear me," Kairo muttered under his breath.
The Herald raised a hand, a spear of light materializing in its grasp, aimed directly at Kairo's chest. But before the attack could land, Kairo's laughter rang out again, louder, more defiant than before.
With a burst of energy, he stepped forward and, using his raw power, slammed his fist into the Herald's chest. The impact sent a shockwave through the air, knocking the Herald back, its wings flapping violently to maintain its balance.
Liora gasped, staring in disbelief. "What the hell was that?"
Kairo didn't answer her. Instead, he turned to the Herald, his eyes burning with determination. "I'll show you why the gods should fear me."
The Herald, recovering quickly, glared at Kairo with fury. "You will regret this, boy. The gods will make you regret your defiance."
Kairo shrugged casually. "Maybe. But for now, you'll have to catch me first."
With a burst of speed that seemed almost unnatural, Kairo sprinted away, weaving between the wreckage. The Herald flapped its wings, causing gusts of wind to whip through the streets, but Kairo was already gone—vanishing into the shadows.
Liora stared after him, her heart racing. "Kairo… What are you doing?"
Kairo's voice reached her from the distance, carried by the wind. "The gods are nothing but puppets. If they want a Heavenbreaker, they'll get one. But I won't be the one they expect."
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