Eighty Years Ago
The village was divided into two clans, each carrying hatred toward the other. The enmity had been deeply rooted in their hearts for generations. There was nothing between them but bloodshed and conflict. Then came the day of colonization. When the invaders' feet touched their land, the two clans had no choice but to unite. They forgot their hatred and joined together as one fist. They fought side by side, shoulder to shoulder, and pushed the colonizers away from their land.
After the victory...
Peace reigned for a short while.
But peace was fragile.
As the years passed, the flames of hatred slowly ignited again in secret.
Everyone forgot the sacrifices of the past.
Hatred grew, and the divide between the two clans widened.
Until the day they split once more.
Then, a mysterious prophecy emerged, spreading like a plague among the people:
"From the lineage of the Kaji clan, a child will be born with great power, a power that may either destroy the world... or immortalize it forever."
The other clan could not bear to hear these words. Fear of the future led them to plan an unforgivable crime.
One dark night...
They attacked the Kaji clan while they slept.
They left nothing behind but blood and ashes.
Most of their men, women, and children were slaughtered.
Only six people survived—three women and three men.
The survivors fled far away.
They escaped to a remote area nestled between tall mountains, surrounded by dense forests and cold rivers.
There was no sea, no desert, no civilization.
It was as if they were trapped in a natural prison, with no escape.
The children of Kaji grew up surrounded by fear.
They learned from an early age that the danger wasn't just outside the mountains,
But that the world itself was lurking, waiting for them.
They were raised on caution and isolation.
They lived as though they were still in a bygone era.
No technology, no cities, no freedom.
Decades passed.
While the world outside was building massive cities,
Inventing strange machines,
The Kaji children remained prisoners of the past.
But...
Among them, a child was born.
The child of prophecy.
The child whose power would change everything...
And then, something strange began happening in the world.
A mysterious energy started to manifest in the bodies of some humans,
A force that they could not explain.
They later named it "Raikono."
Raw energy, invisible to the naked eye,
But its effects were clear...
Incredible speed, strength beyond human limits,
A destructive, unnatural force.
At first, the appearance of Raikono was extremely rare.
One in every thousand humans was born with it.
But over time, the number increased.
Now, one in every hundred children was born with this power.
As the world tried to understand Raikono,
The great catastrophe occurred...
When someone lost control of their Raikono energy,
Or when they were consumed by feelings of anger, hatred, and fear,
Their power transformed into a monster.
A monster with no mercy,
A deformed body pulsating with hatred,
A creature with only one goal: destruction.
They named these monsters "Ashin."
The Ashin appeared everywhere:
In cities, forests, and even among the innocent. They only appeared at night for an unknown reason.
They became a nightmare, preventing anyone from sleeping peacefully.
Nations created special academies,
To train those who possessed Raikono to control it,
And to teach them how to fight the Ashin.
But the children of the Kaji clan...
At first, some wanted to kill the child, fearing the threat to the cities and other clans, but over time, that desire faded.
They remained in their isolation.
They knew nothing about the world's development,
Nor about the academies or the Ashin wars.
They were merely relics of an ancient age...
Waiting for their fate in silence.
Meanwhile, in the advanced cities...
The city sparkled with lights that never went out. Skyscrapers reached for the sky, and the streets were filled with noise and movement. A city made of iron and glass, full of life but devoid of soul.
At the top of one of the high towers sat an unknown figure. His long hair reached his neck, his back leaning against a metal column, and his legs dangling from the edge as if he feared no fall.
He wore a long black coat, and a red scarf fluttered in the wind. His face was covered in shadow, and his eyes watched the people below with indifference.
The world beneath his feet was alive with activity. Children laughing, men shouting, women running among the crowds. But his eyes were empty.
Suddenly, blurred images flashed before him. Screams, blood, and faces distorted with pain. Vague memories, yet real.
In the present day, in the age of technology, in the dense forests where the mountains met the rivers, there was the Kaji clan. There was a boy named Ryoma Kaji, and behind him stood his friend, Leo Kaji, who had long, blonde hair and dark green eyes that leaned toward blue. Ryoma, on the other hand, had dark blue hair, not too long or too short, and deep green eyes. They were arguing when a group of bullies approached them, five in total.
One of them stepped forward and said, "You're Ryoma, aren't you? You insulted me yesterday in front of your parents. Do you remember? When you're alone, you're scared and terrified!" They all burst into laughter, mocking Ryoma. He lost his temper, and Leo waited for his signal to start the fight. Suddenly, Ryoma punched the bully in front of him, and the moment turned into chaotic fighting. The bullies attacked Ryoma, but Leo intervened quickly, and the battle began. Punches flew back and forth, and Ryoma's team was about to lose when a beautiful girl appeared. Her hair was gray with a hint of purple, long and beautiful, and her eyes were dark violet.
This girl was no ordinary person; she was from one of the most powerful families of Akaji, known for their martial arts skills. As she arrived, Leo exclaimed, "Awesome, Akari has come!" While Ryoma looked firmly, as if sure he would win now. The fight ended quickly with their victory.
Ryoma then approached the leader of the bullies and said, "Do you know what I hate most in the world?" He paused for a moment and added, "People who laugh without a reason." The leader was covered in blood, his face full of bruises, and soon lost consciousness from the painful blows. Ryoma left him there and said to his friends, "Come on, let's go to a nice place."
When they reached the mountain, they stood together, gazing at the sky, where the clouds were close to them. Leo and Akari were very happy. Ryoma said, "Come on, look!" When they looked ahead, they saw mountains, rivers, and forests stretching before them. Ryoma began speaking, "I've always wanted to leave my village. I want to see the outside world. We live here like we're in a cage. I want to see wild animals and other creatures. There must be many wonderful animals. I want to live freely." Leo and Akari listened to him, and they were very happy with what he said.
Then Leo said, jokingly, "I heard there are ferocious animals out there, ones that eat humans and have huge fangs!" He laughed, saying, "Hahahaha!" But Akari, who had been silent, said, "Even I want to leave, but..." She stopped speaking, and they continued talking. They said to her, "When you grow up, you'll leave here, no doubt."
After a long conversation, the sun set, and it was time to return home. They then parted ways, with Ryoma going straight, Akari to the right, and Leo to the left.
When Ryoma returned to his hom
e, his eyes were wide, and he was breathing heavily, as if something had changed in his heart.
End of Chapter.