CHAPTER 1: CRIMSON TWILIGHT
It was an ordinary day in the Aurelia Kingdom. The sky was slowly turning crimson with the last lights of the day; the people walking the streets were closing their shops and retreating to their homes with the unease of being close to sunset. Everyone living in this kingdom knew one truth: when the sun set, the Djinn would be set free. That's why evening here was not just a time of day, but also a herald of approaching danger.
Kaito was walking on the stone streets with a small shopping list in his hand. His mother had sent him to the market, but as always, she had strictly warned him: "Come straight back, Kaito. Don't linger." Those words were still echoing in his ears. But what truly occupied Kaito's mind wasn't his mother's warning – it was the looks people gave him on the street. A few children changed their path as soon as they saw him. One of them turned his head to avoid eye contact, another tugged his friend's arm and pulled him away. No one would openly speak badly to him, perhaps… but no one would approach him either.
Kaito was used to this. He had always been alone. He had never had a true friend, nor anyone who truly understood him. So walking alone, thinking alone, staying silent alone had become a natural part of his life now. He muttered to himself and quickened his pace. He had to get what his mother wanted and return immediately. If he could get through this night without trouble, everything would continue in the same silence.
When he arrived at the small market, the old vendor, Mr. Maito, was there as always. After Kaito told him what was on the list, he waited near the door. But Mr. Maito was taking longer than expected to find the items among the shelves. Kaito's eyes drifted outside a few times. The red in the sky was gradually darkening, the last lights of the day slowly fading away. His unease growing, he couldn't hold back and called out to the vendor.
"Mr. Maito… could you be a little faster? The sun is about to set."
The old man flinched, then hastily prepared the bag and handed it over. There was more than ordinary worry on his face. He seemed afraid not just of being late, but of something else.
"I'm sorry, son. Here, these are what your mother wanted. Now run straight home. Don't stop anywhere else. Go at once."
Kaito gave a quick thank you, took the bag, and stepped outside. But as soon as he walked out, his expression changed. When he looked at the sky, his heart tightened.
The sun… had already set.
The streets looked completely different than they had a few minutes ago. The people had vanished. Doors were closed, windows had gone dark, the stone roads had sunk into an ominous silence. Everything that had seemed ordinary moments ago now resembled an abandoned graveyard. Kaito's throat went dry. He gripped the bag tightly and started running.
Just as he reached the beginning of the street where his house stood, he heard a scream.
That scream was not an ordinary one. Inside it were fear, pain, and helplessness. And Kaito recognized that voice.
It was his mother.
Right after, another voice rose. More muffled, shorter, but equally full of horror.
It was his father.
Kaito's body froze for a moment. The world beneath his feet felt like it had been pulled away. Then the bag fell from his hand. The groceries scattered on the stone ground. But he didn't even notice. He ran toward the house with all his strength. His heart was beating so fast it felt like it would tear through his ribs and burst out.
The front door was wide open.
A heavy smell of blood came from inside.
Kaito's breath stopped.
When he stepped inside with trembling steps, his life split in two forever: the life before that moment, and the life after it.
In the middle of the living room stood a being that resembled a human but was far more terrifying. Its skin was darkened, and long, thin, beastly claws extended from its fingertips. Its eyes didn't look like human eyes; they felt like looking not at a living creature, but at the darkness at the bottom of a grave. That thing was crouched over the torn bodies of Kaito's mother and father. Blood had spread across the floor, splattered on the walls, creating a heaviness that suffocated the very warmth of the room.
And that creature… was devouring them.
Kaito's mind stopped at that moment.
He couldn't scream, couldn't cry, couldn't retreat. He just watched. Right before his eyes, the last two people in his world were disappearing, and he could do nothing to stop it.
The creature slowly turned its head.
Its bloody mouth opened slightly.
Its eyes locked directly onto Kaito.
"Human…"
That single word was enough to make Kaito's hair stand on end. Its voice was not like a being speaking, but like a cold whisper rising from the darkness.
Kaito's lips trembled. He barely managed to force a sound from his throat.
"Y… you…"
For a moment, a strange change appeared on the Djinn's face. First a hint of surprise, then a slowly growing, disturbing curiosity.
"You… can see me?"
This question changed the atmosphere of the room instantly. As if the Djinn was now looking at Kaito not as prey, but as an unsolved riddle. It slowly stood up. The sound of its claws scraping against the floor was like a thin metal screech digging into Kaito's nerves.
"Interesting…" said the creature, tilting its head slightly. "You must not be ordinary."
Then a chilling smile appeared on its lips.
"But that changes nothing."
It took another step.
"You will still die."
And then it attacked.
Just as its claw was about to tear through the air and rip open Kaito's throat, a violent crash echoed through the room.
BAM!
Kaito's eyes trembled.
Right in front of him stood a middle-aged man holding a sword. A faint but sharp energy flowed along the blade. The man's face showed exhaustion, but his gaze was hard. He had stopped the claw with a single strike.
"Run!" the man shouted. "Get out, now!"
Only then could Kaito breathe again. His body retreated on its own. Then he turned and dashed out of the house. His knees were trembling. His breath was ragged. When he got to the street, the sounds behind him tore through the night.
Metal clashes. Walls breaking. The ground shaking.
And then a loud crash.
About a minute later, the front door shattered and the man who had saved him was thrown outside, crashing to the ground. He rolled a few meters before struggling to his feet. Blood was at the corner of his mouth.
Kaito's eyes widened.
That man… had lost.
The man pushed him back with his hand. "Stay back, kid."
At that moment, the Djinn slowly stepped out through the door. It was calm, as if nothing had happened. There was not a single sign of panic on it. But this time, when it looked at Kaito, there was something different in its eyes.
Interest.
Pure, dark, and sick interest.
"Hey, kid…" said the Djinn, this time in a much clearer voice. "Listen carefully to my name."
It paused for a moment.
"My name is… Zaryx."
Even the way that name was spoken carried an ominous weight. As if it wasn't just a name, but a curse.
Zaryx slowly approached Kaito. Woli tried to raise his sword, but Zaryx completely ignored him. All his attention was on Kaito.
"I could kill you now," he said calmly. "Right here, with a single move of my finger, I could destroy you."
Kaito's body was trembling. But Zaryx continued.
"But I won't."
His eyes darkened.
"Because there's something strange about you."
He paused for a moment, staring intently at Kaito's face as if looking into his very soul.
"I don't know what it is yet. But I can feel it."
Then a cold smile formed on his lips.
"Get stronger."
His voice was heavier now.
"Find me."
Kaito's breath caught in his throat.
"I hate weak prey," said Zaryx. "But you… if you suffer enough… if you hate enough… maybe one day you really can reach me."
Kaito's eyes trembled. Zaryx took one more step closer, his voice dropping to a whisper.
"Until that day, live, human."
Then he turned his gaze to the blood-soaked house behind Kaito.
"And this night… never forget it for the rest of your life."
In an instant, his body turned into dark flames.
And the next second…
he was gone.
Silence returned to the street.
But this silence was no longer ordinary. This was the silence left behind by death.
Kaito's ears were ringing. As if the world had lost its sound. His eyes slowly drifted inside the house. Nothing inside was as it used to be. The place that had been a home moments ago was now nothing but blood, emptiness, and loss.
The man who had saved him walked over with heavy steps. He didn't say anything for a few seconds. Then he asked in a low voice:
"Do you know that Djinn?"
Kaito couldn't answer. His lips parted, but no words came out. His eyes were still inside. As if a part of his soul had stayed in that room.
The man spoke again.
"Were they… your family?"
Kaito's throat tightened. This time, he could answer.
"…Yes."
The man closed his eyes for a moment. Then he turned back to Kaito.
"There's another problem," he said. "You're not a Djinn hunter. So how did you see him?"
Kaito tilted his head slightly. His hands slowly clenched into fists. His nails dug into his palms, but he didn't even feel it.
"I don't know…"
His voice was weak. But the feeling inside him was not weak.
"The only thing I know…" he said slowly, "is that I have to find out what that thing was."
He lifted his head.
This time, there was something else in his eyes alongside the fear.
Anger.
Raw, sharp, newborn anger.
"And why he killed my family."
The man studied him for a long moment. Then he took a deep breath.
"Then come with me."
Kaito frowned.
"I'll take you to the capital. I'll teach you how to fight. And I'll introduce you to the Hunter Chief."
Kaito was silent for a few seconds. His world inside had already collapsed. He had nothing left to lose.
"I…" he said, his voice trembling. "I'm not someone who likes fighting."
He paused for a moment.
"But…"
The knot in his throat tightened.
"I have to avenge my family."
His breath hitched. His eyes welled up, but the tears still wouldn't fall.
"I'm so angry…" he said, his voice cracking, "that I can't even cry for them."
That sentence hung in the air.
The man's gaze softened, but his voice remained firm.
"Good," he said. "Don't lose that anger."
He stepped forward.
"My name is Woli."
He crossed his arms.
"And from now on, you will address me as Master Woli. Because I'm going to teach you how to become a Djinn hunter."
Kaito nodded without hesitation.
"Understood… Master Woli."
Woli turned and started walking. Then he noticed Kaito had stopped and paused.
"Move."
Kaito took one last look at the house behind him.
That house was no longer a warm home.
It was now the grave of his childhood.
He took a deep breath.
Then he turned his face toward the darkness.
"I'm ready."
Woli began walking again. Kaito followed behind him.
And that night…
Kaito didn't just lose his family.
That night, the child inside him died.
And in his place…
someone who lived for revenge was born.