Void

Chapter 1: Genesis

In the beginning, God forged the heavens and the earth. The world lay formless, shrouded in darkness—a void where only the Spirit of God stirred above the waters. Then, a command split the silence: "Let there be light." And light erupted, defiant against the abyss. 

The winds howled like vengeful spirits, hurling dust and debris into swirling tornadoes. A band of travelers pressed forward through the storm, their lanterns—mere flickers against the gale—the only defiance against the consuming dark. Around them, crimson eyes gleamed from the shadows, hungry and waiting. Desperate, they scrambled toward the jagged teeth of a mountain, seeking refuge in its cavernous belly. 

Inside the cave, their ragged breaths echoed as a strange violet glow pulsed from the depths. Drawn by curiosity (or folly), they ventured deeper, the light swelling with each step—until they found it. 

A child.

But this was no ordinary infant. A suffocating aura radiated from him, warping the air, splintering their minds with visions of horrors yet to come. Was he a gift? A mistake? A omen carved into the fabric of existence? Or perhaps… the end of light itself?

--- 

BEEP-BEEP-BEEP!

X slammed his alarm into silence. 

"Hope today’s less of a disaster", he muttered, scrubbing sleep from his eyes. He slapped eggs onto a rusted pan, shrugged into yesterday’s clothes, and prodded at the bandages crusted over his wounds. The eggs sizzled, their yolks staring back like accusing eyes. 

The mirror showed a baby-faced 14-year-old, his hair strewn with straw. He plucked a strand free—then froze. His reflection glimmered with unnatural purple: his irises, his sclera, even the veins beneath his skin. Panic spiked—his legs buckled, and his face met the plate in a spectacular crash, yolk splattering across his cheeks. 

The door burst open. 

"Quit lounging! Move it!" barked Hawk Masamune, his katana already strapped to his hip. Hawk stood at 162cm of pure arrogance, his lineage a tapestry of swordmasters. He eyed X’s egg-smeared face and snorted. "Classy." 

X wiped his face, scowling. "You see this and still drag me out?"

Hawk hauled him upright. "Training. Now. Tomorrow’s the Shogun trials—I’m claiming that title and saving this dump!"

Snickers rippled through the street. X groaned. "You’re literally shouting delusions in public."*

Hawk jutted his chin. "Let ‘em laugh. I’ll cut their doubts to ribbons."

Their bickering died as a shadow loomed over them. 

A man—towering at 203cm, golden hair like a fallen sun—paused before them. His presence was wrong, too polished for their grimy world. 

"Hey, kid," he rumbled, offering candy. "Name's Ralph, want a treat?"

Hawk’s hand flew to his sword. "Only if you fight me first." The blade gleamed, aimed at Ralph’s throat. 

X’s breath hitched. A suffocating aura slithered from Ralph—a pressure like collapsing stars. His vision swam; purple swallowed his sight. Then—agony. He crumpled, vomiting onto the cobblestones. 

"X?!" Hawk dropped his sword, catching him as Ralph stiffened. 

"Those purple eyes." Ralph’s smile frayed. "Get him to the infirmary," he said, nudging the katana with his foot. A shimmer of light coiled around the steel before he handed it back. "And… be careful with that."

As Hawk dragged X away, Ralph melted into the crowd, his mind racing. 

"How did that boy see me?"

Deep in the forest, Ralph clenched his fists. "He recognized me. That’s impossible unless—"

"Planning to repeat your mistakes, Raphael?"

A shadow coalesced beside him—a figure woven from darkness and old hatred. 

Ralph’s golden eyes flashed. "[Divine Punishment: Ray of Light]—"

But the figure was already gone, leaving only a whisper: 

"You’d drown this island in blood… for the balance of the world?"

Ralph bared his teeth. "The Son of Adam will fall. Nature demands it."