Chapter 1 — The Golden Stars Part 1
After an unknown amount of time had passed since the Tower's creation…
—
—
"Rael… help us…"
Beep. Beep. Beep.
"I always knew you were a useless son."
Beep. Beep. Beep.
"It would've been better if you had never existed."
Beep. Beep. Beep.
"No… no, no… I'll save you! Please, don't leave me—"
"Aaahhh!"
Rael jolted awake, gasping for air.
The alarm clock continued ringing beside his bed as his chest rose and fell violently. Sweat drenched his clothes and sheets, and a tear slowly rolled down his trembling face.
"Another nightmare…"
---
[FIRST PERSON POV]
I dragged myself out of bed, my entire body soaked in sweat.
'I need a shower… and I need to hurry, or I'll be late again.'
After leaving my room, I stepped into the bathroom and stared at my reflection in the cracked mirror. My black hair was a mess, and I looked terrible.
"Ah… I really need to hurry."
I quickly showered, got dressed, and prepared to leave.
My name is Rael.
Rael Kazehiro.
I'm eighteen years old and currently finishing high school. My life is pretty ordinary. There's nothing special about me anymore…
…but it wasn't always like this.
As I passed by my room again, my eyes drifted toward the photograph resting beside my bed.
A man. A woman. A child between them.
A happy family.
'I wonder… am I truly worthy of carrying your name?'
"Rael, finish getting ready already or you'll be late."
An elderly voice suddenly pulled me from my thoughts.
"I'm coming, Obāchan."
I hurried downstairs and saw my grandmother calmly knitting a sweater in the living room.
She was my only remaining family.
"My dear, I prepared your lunch already. Take it before you leave."
I grabbed the lunchbox from the table, hugged her gently, and rushed outside with my bicycle.
---
By the time I arrived at school, classes had already begun.
I greeted a few classmates on the way in. I wasn't particularly close to anyone here, but I didn't have enemies either. Most of my relationships were superficial.
The closest thing I had to a friend was probably Kirishima.
He was a quiet nerd who spent most of his time reading books or playing puzzle games. Honestly, he sounded pretty boring.
"Good morning, Rael-san," Kirishima greeted while adjusting his glasses.
"Ah… morning," I replied absentmindedly.
---
---
Brrriiiing!
"Alright, class, that's all for today. Don't forget your homework," the teacher announced.
'Ah… boring as always.'
Studying sucked, but there wasn't much I could do about it. Without finishing school, I wouldn't get a decent job, and I desperately needed one.
Right now, I worked part-time at a convenience store, but someday I wanted to follow in my parents' footsteps and start my own business.
"Rael-san, you look exhausted," Kirishima said. "Don't you think you're pushing yourself too hard?"
"Kirishima, if I were half as talented as you, maybe I wouldn't need to."
I sighed deeply.
Kirishima stared at me with a complicated expression for a moment.
'Hm… what's on his mind?'
"Anyway," he said while quickly changing the subject, "people who stress too much age faster."
He pulled out his phone and invited me to play a game.
---
After school ended, I headed straight to the convenience store.
The neighborhood wasn't exactly safe, especially at night, but I didn't have the luxury of choosing. The money my parents left behind was slowly running out.
---
"Thank you very much. Please come again."
I waved goodbye to the final customer before checking the time.
'Thirty minutes overtime… guess it's finally time to go.'
After changing clothes in the staff room, I grabbed my bicycle and headed home.
'Better not take too long. Obāchan will worry.'
The streets around here became dangerous after dark, so I pedaled faster.
…but then—
"You little shit! You think you can fool me?!"
"I-I swear it wasn't me!"
BAM!
I froze.
That voice…
'Kirishima?!'
I turned toward a nearby alleyway and immediately saw two large men pinning Kirishima against the wall.
One of them punched him directly in the face, causing blood to pour from his nose.
"Please! I told you it wasn't me! Don't hurt me!"
"And you expect me to believe that?"
I stood there silently as my heart pounded inside my chest.
I wasn't close enough to Kirishima to risk my life for him.
…but this scene…
…it reminded me too much of the past.
Wasn't that exactly how I lost everything?
Because I stayed silent?
Because I ran away?
Kirishima was the only person at school who genuinely treated me like a friend.
Shouldn't I at least try to help him?
But…
…what if I got hurt?
Would it even be worth it?
---
The scene before Rael felt almost surreal.
Like something straight out of a movie.
"You little bastard," one of the men snarled. "I'm going to break every finger in your hand."
"Please, I told you—"
"HEY! LET HIM GO!"
Rael's voice echoed through the alley.
The men paused and turned toward him.
"Huh?" One of them frowned. "Kid, get lost. This has nothing to do with you."
"Rael-san!" Kirishima shouted in shock.
Rael took a deep breath and pulled out his phone.
"Let him go, or I'm calling the police."
…
Silence.
Then—
"HAHAHAHAHA!"
The man burst into laughter.
"Kid, do you even know where you are? The police don't give a damn about places like this. We're abandoned by society."
His expression twisted into something ugly.
"You think you can threaten me with that?"
He gestured toward his companion.
"Grab him."
"Rael-san, RUN!" Kirishima shouted desperately.
---
[1st Person POV]
Without thinking, I grabbed a loose stone from the ground and swung it toward the man rushing at me.
Thunk!
The hit landed weakly against his forehead.
"You little bastard!"
He barely flinched.
Before I could react, he grabbed me by the collar and slammed me beside Kirishima.
The difference in strength between us was overwhelming.
'Shit!'
My mind raced desperately for a way out.
"Now then," the man sneered, "let's teach this brat a lesson—"
But before his fist could land—
A crimson light suddenly erupted nearby.
My eyes shut instinctively.
BOOOOOOM!
A deafening explosion shook the alley.
Buildings crumbled.
The ground trembled violently beneath my feet.
Dust and debris flew everywhere.
'W-What…?'
When I opened my eyes again…
…the man beside me was gone.
No—
Half of him remained.
The crimson beam had completely erased the upper half of his body.
His corpse collapsed onto me, spilling blood and organs across my clothes.
"AAAAHHHHHH!"
I screamed in horror.
Kirishima and the remaining thug stared toward a massive hole blasted through the alley wall.
"What the hell…?"
"Hahaha… Did they seriously think people like you could kill me?"
An unfamiliar male voice echoed through the smoke.
"You bastard… don't get cocky!"
Two men slowly emerged from the destruction.
They ignored us entirely.
As if we were nothing.
Then—
A crimson energy erupted from one of them, wrapping around his body before condensing into the shape of a blade.
My eyes widened.
That energy…
…I remembered it.
The night everything was taken from me.
Back then, I thought those memories were hallucinations caused by trauma.
But now—
I knew they were real.
The screams.
The blood.
My parents…
BOOOOM!
Another explosion erupted.
This time, the remaining thug was sliced clean in half by the aftershock of an invisible slash.
Fear overwhelmed me instantly.
"KIRISHIMA! RUN!"
I grabbed him and shoved him toward the bikes.
"R-Rael-san—"
"DON'T WORRY ABOUT ME! JUST GO!"
Kirishima hesitated briefly before climbing onto one of the motorcycles and speeding away.
I turned back toward the two unknown men.
"You and the Association really overestimate yourselves," the crimson-haired man laughed. "Did they send you here as cannon fodder?"
The two stared at each other for a brief moment—
Then both suddenly looked at me.
"Oh?" the crimson-haired man smiled. "Looks like we have a spectator."
The moment our eyes met—
A chill crawled down my spine.
WHOOSH!
BAM!
"Tch. Damn it, kid! RUN!" the other man shouted as he intercepted the incoming attack meant for me.
That snapped me out of my frozen state.
I grabbed my bike and pedaled away as fast as I could.
Behind me, I heard laughter.
And screams.
---
[THIRD PERSON POV]
The man dressed in black crushed a still-beating heart in his hand before casually tossing the corpse aside.
"Next time," he muttered calmly, "I hope they send someone more entertaining."
Then he smiled faintly.
'Still… there's one left.'
Rael.
---
*Heavy breathing*
Rael burst into his house after pedaling nonstop through the night.
The lights were off.
His grandmother was already asleep.
Yet despite being home…
…he still felt uneasy.
'Why do I feel like I'm not safe here…?'
Then his eyes widened.
'Obāchan!'
If that man had followed him—
BOOOOM!
The wall exploded inward.
Dust filled the room as a massive hole opened beside him.
The man stepped through the shadows slowly, smiling.
"There you are."
'Shit!'
Rael instantly tried to move toward his grandmother's room.
But his body froze.
He couldn't move.
Couldn't scream.
Couldn't even breathe properly.
---
Under the silver glow of the moonlight, a young man hovered high above the city.
His eyes shimmered like twin stars as he gazed down upon the chaos below.
"Let's see…" he murmured softly, an enigmatic smile appearing on his lips.
"…who my golden star truly is."