… You're doing great…. That's amazing Kishor!
… Oh my, you even learned that?
… What, are you asking if you're good enough? Let's not worry much about the future because obviously you are going to shine brighter than anyone!
A gentle female voice showered Kishor with praises. Her voice was ringing like music, a beautiful symphony! It's so soothing that it almost drowned Kishor in the sea of absolute tranquility. Such repose should never be broken. Although soon Kishor found himself starting to feel anxious as he asked that woman, "What happened to [...], why doesn't he come back to us?"
Kishor couldn't remember who he was talking about for the life of him.
"Don't worry, I'm sure [...] will be back before you know it!" That gentle, calming voice of this unknown woman tried to convince Kishor and it seemed to have worked… only for a while though.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
What followed the chain of massive explosions was a feminine figure before him being shredded to pieces. The ocean of peace turned into a bloody pool of horror, the blood for some reason froze and formed a shape of ice cold giant hand that grabbed him and threw him away.
Kishor screamed as he resisted but all was in vain.
… No, no, no, I have to help her. Please don't push me away, please don't. I have to save her… I can't stop myself. Where am I going? Please, I have to get back. Someone, please help me…
"PLEASE, HEEEELP!!!"
"Hey, hey, brother! You okay?"
A girl with disheveled brown hair, a few years younger than him, burst into his room from the one next door. Her eyes were wide with worry.
Kishor sat up, still shaken. "Ah… Don't worry Lilly. I just had a nightmare."
"The same one again?"
He nodded. "The same one."
"..."
Kishor looked at the time, it was well over 11 AM. "Oh no, I overslept."
"Yeah. Ash and I tried waking you up, but you didn't even budge," Lily said, her concern lingering. "We figured you needed the rest."
Kishor may not be her blood related brother but to Lily and Ash, he was the big brother they never had. They'd grown up together in the same orphanage, and when Kishor decided to leave at fourteen, they didn't want to be left behind.
Now he's sixteen and Ash and Lily are three years younger than him. While they both contributed to living together in a shack of a house, Kishor did the heavy lifting.
Ash and Lily always found something about him to be really special. In Abyssus where people can die of hunger, where you have to struggle to death to survive, Kishor was very strong, both mentally and physically for someone his age.
Ash and Lily often felt guilty they couldn't carry the same weight he did, but Kishor always brushed it off. "That's what big brothers are for," he'd say. "I do the hard stuff so you two don't have to."
"By the way," Lily said, snapping out of her thoughts, "Ash told he was going to collect the ration today, he's probably on his way."
Just then, a voice called from somewhere in the house. "Lily, I'm heading out!"
"Ash, wait! I'll go," Kishor said, springing out of bed.
Ash poked his head into the room, mildly disappointed. "Aw, man. I thought today was my chance to shine..."
Kishor ruffled the boy's already messy black hair. "Pipe down kid, you'll be robbed twice before you even get back home with the food. Bandits are everywhere. Go do something safer—hunt in the forest or fetch water from the southern river. And while you're at it, also take a bath, you stink."
"Ugh, stop treating me like a child! I'm already thirteen, you know. You're not THAT much older!"
"Okay, kid." Kishor smirked.
Ash groaned in protest, and Lily laughed at the two of them bickering.
After washing up, Kishor headed out to collect the rations himself.
This was a hectic life in Abyssus. The shortage of food was a huge issue. The so-called government did little to fix anything—assuming they even could. The empire only supplied them with the bare minimum, never enough to support the massive, starving population.
Lawlessness had become the norm. Constant mana depletion only made things worse, giving rise to more abyssborn—twisted remnants of those who had once been human. In this hellish domain, survival meant sacrifice—and sometimes, cruelty.
...…....
Huff huff...
It was somehow more tiring to stand in the never-ending ration line than to fight bandits, Kishor thought as he trudged through the dusty streets of downtown, today's food secured in his sack. His legs ached, and all he wanted was to collapse into sleep—but he smiled anyway. The thought of Ash and Lily back home, their faces lighting up at the sight of food, filled him with warmth. That joy made it all worth it.
Life is harsh—not just for Kishor, but for everyone in the Abyssus domain. A secluded and abandoned place like Abyssus is more than enough to break a person's mind and destroy the will to live. But there's more cruelty in this world's poorest place than one could imagine, as if the world wasn't cruel enough already. It's a miracle in and of itself that the people of Abyssus continue to exist in the midst of unimaginable turmoil.
Kishor kept walking, his legs threatening to give out beneath him. His home was still far from where he was and the more he walked, the more his stamina drained. Sweat trickled from his forehead to his chin. His long sleeve black shirt was drenched in sweat as well.
He unbuttoned the topmost button of his shirt to let the air come in a little. Although the scenarios that his eyes kept seeing weren't helping him to regain his strength mentally.
Everywhere his eyes went he witnessed the leftovers of carnage. The streets are littered with debris, buildings showing signs of decay and neglect. The air is heavy with the smell of smoke and desperation. Resources are scarce, and the people struggle to survive day by day.
There are remnants of past conflicts scattered throughout, like abandoned bunkers or crumbling fortifications. It all sounds very negative, but Kishor, just like everyone, believes that one day they could become free and live their lives without regrets. The inhabitants of Abyssus are clinging to hope amidst the despair.
Kishor was going from one alleyway to the other in order to avoid the eyes of bandits who might try to steal and unwanted starving people who occasionally challenge people to fight them to win and take food and other necessary things for day to day lives. Well, in a place where people starve to death almost every single day, it's not a surprise nor it is unacceptable that one would try to fight over the acquisition of basic needs. And bandits? They exist everywhere, more in places like Abyssus that are ruled by nobody, meaning law doesn't mean a thing here. A lawless domain is the heaven for criminals.
Finally Kishor stepped out of the alleyways. As he entered the bustling open area, a sense of relief washed over him. The street was alive with activity, merchants hawking their hoods, children playing in the streets. All of these made Kishor let his guard down. As he blended in the crowd of busy people, he thought he was safe for the time being, but he couldn't be more wrong as he noticed some movement from out of the corner of his left eye.
A group of people emerged from out of nowhere and surrounded Kishor. Their faces were obscured by masks and hooded cloaks. They advanced towards him.
From having a quick look at their appearances Kishor came to the conclusion that these are neither bandits nor those starved people in disguise. He had a weird sensation from them that he couldn't help but feel that they are ability users. —But it's impossible! Ability users in Abyssus? It's as absurd as the Emperor of Aurelian visiting this backwater place himself! But I don't know, for whatever reason, I strongly feel that they are ability users...—
Kishor didn't have to ponder for too long as one of the clocked individuals dashed forward and closed the gap between Kishor and him. By the looks of this person's overall structure, it's easy to guess that it was a male figure. — So fast! There's no doubt about it, they're ability users, without special ability it's impossible to move this fast. Then again, why are ability users here? The only time they're here when they're on their monthly expedition to eradicate the curse of Abyssus under the order of the emperor of Aurelian.—
Soon after the first guy approached Kishor, others followed suit. There were five in total. They closed in almost at the same time, their movements were swift and unnaturally graceful. Kishor, in the middle of the open street, surrounded by all kinds of people became tensed, realizing the gravity of the situation. With lightning reflexes he dodged a flurry of their attacks. The air is crackling with the force of each strike.
Seeing a fight break out, people started panicking and they started to run away as far as they could.
The cloaked individuals were not allowing Kishor to have any breathing space. To Kishor's surprise, he figured that he was able to dodge all of their attacks despite them using unknown advanced abilities. Not just that, he is very tired at the moment as well. So it was even more shocking that he was able to evade their attacks, it's almost as if he awakened an additional sense that was letting him observe and respond to everything!
In the midst of all these attacks one guy sneaked up behind him with a knife and he realized that his life was in danger.
At that moment....
Something very unexpected happened. He looked back at the guy with the knife, his glare was full of desperation and anger which is not the surprising part. What followed his strong glare was a burst of energy surrounding him that blew away all the attackers at once and all of them got knocked out by the impact of hitting different solid materials.
Kishor stood there dumbfounded. Unable to process what just happened.
— Whoa, did I just do that? —
"Impressive, very impressive indeed." Someone spoke up.
Kishor noticed someone from behind a shack looking house appeared. His figure became more clear the more he walked towards Kishor. Kishor hadn't let his guard down, in fact he's now more on guard.
"Relax, no need to be so hostile…"
Kishor's muscles tightened despite the calm voice. His instinct screamed at him to not let his guard down. He couldn't trust anyone, at least not here, not right after an ambush.
The stranger stepped out of the shadows. He was tall, well-dressed compared to the rags most wore in Abyssus. A long navy coat, imperial style. Black gloves. Silver hair slicked back. And a face too confident and too clean for a man from this wretched region.
"You are not from here." Kishor said. His voice low, rough from the dust.
The man smiled faintly as he nodded, "Correct, I'm what you might call… a visitor. From the empire."
"From the empire?" Kishor's eyes widened. The word 'Empire' made his pulse spike. He instinctively took a step back, almost as if he was expecting the man in front of him to launch a surprise attack.
"I'm not your enemy," the man added quickly. "Those people I sent? A test. I had to be sure."
"Huh? I don't follow…"
"Well, the fact that you didn't die proves enough of your worth." The man completely avoided Kishor's state of confusion by proceeding not to give him any clear answer. "In the moment of danger his innate hidden powers awakened." He muttered to himself which sounded like he was trying to remember something he read.
The man gestured to the unconscious attackers strewn across the street. "Even tired, even burdened—you unleashed a power most trained soldiers in the Empire can only dream of. That matters."
"So are you trying to say that I'm qualified enough to join the ranks of the imperial army? Not that I'm interested in the slightest."
"No, not at all. I am not implying that nor am I trying to persuade you to become one."
"Then, what exactly was the test for?"
The man sighs as if he's not prepared to explain the motivations behind his actions, "Well… I don't think you'd believe me even if I say this…"
He let go of his hesitation and formed a faint smile of confidence in his face.
"I'll be direct," the man said. "My name is Lucien Velemorne. I serve…well, let's say I serve a cause greater than the Empire. I came here for you, Kishor. Because the world is about to change, and I believe you're the one who is going to be the catalyst in the chain of events that is about to unfold, or more accurately, you have to be the one."
"I still don't follow and if anything it feels like I'm being scammed here. Besides, did you truly think I, a guy who's barely surviving his daily life here in Abyssus, a domain completely isolated from the outside world, is going to come with you to join a mission to change the world or something like that?" Kishor was still not convinced and the tone in his voice told that.
Lucien smiled again, but it didn't reach his eyes. "You're more than you think."
"…"
"I guess it's not enough to convince you. I knew I had to show you the truth for you to join me. After all, this deal needs to benefit you too."
He pulled something from his coat—a pendant, golden with a swirling green gem at its center. He tossed it to Kishor, who caught it reflexively.
"What is this?"
"The key for you to leave this place."
Kishor stared blankly at the pendant. Not sure what to do with it.
Lucien had turned to leave, his coat swaying behind him, when he suddenly paused.
"You won't be convinced just by words. You need to see it for yourself."
"See what?"
"I hoped it wouldn't come to this but I guess you are really going to drag it until the moment of absolute chaos." Lucien sighs after saying that.
He continued shortly after, "An hour from now, you'll notice something. I will try to keep you safe, you don't have to worry about that. Although I can't guarantee your mental health after seeing it."
"Just what the hell are you scheming?" Kishor angrily responded to Lucien, his fists clenched.
"Telling you won't change the outcome. It's better to see for yourself. I can't stop what's coming, I don't have the power to do anything here." Lucien sounded extremely pessimistic as he responded to Kishor's question filled with anger.
— He is a high ranking noble at the very least from the empire. It will be foolish to avoid his warning, let's play along for the time being. —
"What should I do now?"
"For your safety you had better come with me to the eastern tower. From there you'll be able to take a clear look and will be safe from whatever is about to happen."
Kishor followed him to the roof of the tower. It was the tallest tower, an ancient structure built by the empire. One of the very few advanced structures in the whole domain of Abyssus. Nobody knows why the empire built it but nobody questions it either. The answer to this question doesn't do them any good. People here were busy trying to live their lives, resources were scarce, a lot of people lost their life force and became The Hollowed Abyssborns—humans with nothing but a corrupt substance. It's almost a regular occurrence.
Upon reaching the rooftop they looked around. It was the very first time Kishor had the chance to get near to the tower, let alone reaching the rooftop. This was an imperial property and the imperial forces often used this as their temporary base every time they came to Abyssus for abyssborn suppression and purging expeditions. So nobody dared to get near it.
The time that Lucien mentioned was drawing near. Kishor waited with baited breath, he didn't know what to expect but his instinct was telling him to prepare for the worst. Being with an unknown man like Lucien with shady motivations didn't make him feel any better. Although he decided to put his trust in him.
Few moments passed. Neither of them said anything. Lucien's face is calm, almost deadpanned as if he had already seen what's to come. He had an expression completely different from Kishor's.
A blink later, the wind howled around them. Kishor staggered, nearly dropping the pendant.
"What the hell…?"
Lucien stood at the edge, staring into the distance beyond the maze of shacks, ash-paved roads, and the skeletal ruins of what had once been government buildings before Abyssus was forgotten.
"Look there," Lucien said, pointing.
Kishor followed his gaze—and froze.
Beyond the far ridge of Abyssus, in the grey sky, three massive airships could be seen, shaped like black arrows. The sun gleamed off their metallic parts. Kishor could see the imperial crest—a golden sunburst with a crimson eye at its center—painted on their hulls.
"What…why are they here?" Kishor's voice trembled.
Lucien didn't answer right away. The ships began to open their lower compartments, and with a soft series of thuds, giant cylindrical containers dropped—slowly, deliberately.
"They're not here to help," Lucien said quietly. "They never are."
Seconds later, fire engulfed the outer slums. One explosion. Then another. Then a chain. The sky turned orange, red, black. They could feel the earth shaking from the bombardment despite being far away from the source of the explosions. The ground of the roof beneath them kept shaking and the chain of explosions sounded like drums of war, except only it was a slaughter.
Kishor's eyes widened as he watched people—his people—running through the streets, scrambling for cover. Houses went up in flames like paper. Dust clouds consumed entire blocks. And it was also not typical explosives. It was anti-abyssborn explosives that shouldn't be used in residential areas.
Kishor couldn't speak, his legs nearly gave out.
Lucien looked at him. "Do you know what they call it? A purge. A noble and righteous act, they say, to rid the world of cursed places. Cleansing evil."
Kishor could barely breathe. "How can they…why…"
"Once in every two decades they launch a large-scale purge like this. That's the reason why Abyssus looks like this, a war-torn, devastated hell. You are still young and you probably weren't told by people of this mission from the past. Understandably so, nobody would want to talk about such catastrophic events."
Lucien added more, "Abyssus is completely cut off from the outside world, from all the other domains. A domain off limits to everyone and sealed off for everyone else other than the elite imperial force as the most contaminated cursed zone where abyssborns run rampant. People don't know that humans exist here…"
"What do you mean they don't know?" Kishor looked at him with utter disbelief.
"It is just as I have said. That's why I wanted you to see the atrocity…" He paused for a moment and then continued, "Do you not want to fight for your rights? Do you not want Abyssus to be liberated? You can clearly see that everyone here is wronged and antagonized by the empire and nobody is even aware of it outside."
"Why didn't you say anything up until now to the world? Why come for me? What can I do?" Kishor threw a bunch of questions at him.
"Unfortunately…" Lucien's expression became grim all of a sudden, he was emotionless up until now, "I have a lot of limitations. I wish I could do everything on my own. I hope you understand as I can't go into details about everything. Again, I'm sorry, I want to explain everything right now, but I can't."
There was something in Lucien's expression and the way he said it that made Kishor not ask for anything from him. Instead he felt like he needed to step up and take the opportunity that Lucien was trying to give him. If he really had an ability that could help his people, help Abyssus then he would do so in a heartbeat.
He was about to agree and accept Lucien's proposal to come with him but he remembered the two he used to live with. He started panicking, "Ash and Lily…"
Before he could complete his sentence, somehow Lucien knew what he was talking about and assured him by saying, "They are already safely evacuated to an underground facility. They're safe there. I'll make sure they escape this hell as well, you can trust me."
"How did you…" Kishor was stopped by Lucien midway through again.
"I know a lot of stuff, that's my specialty. I think it's about time you come and join me. We have to leave, otherwise you and I might be caught in an incident we don't want to be in. Hurry."
"I don't know what to do…"
"Use the pendant. Here, put it in front of this crystal." Saying so Lucien brings out a cube shaped crystal. "This will allow us to teleport to the Central domain of the empire. Now hurry."
Kishor hesitated for a moment but followed his instructions soon after.
!!!
There was an intense pressure surrounding him and Lucien, it felt like they were getting pulled by something from far far away. Kishor figured this was the effect of the teleportation. In a few seconds both of them teleported, while leaving the destruction behind.
The last few seconds of explosions would always echo in his memories and would drive him to get stronger for the cause of his people and for the sake of a better world.