Chapter 1
Eighty years ago, the world was ordinary, same as what we all call a normal world, until the first Void appeared.
It was a swirling mass of darkness, a rift in the middle of a crowded street in the heart of Tokyo. At first, no one dared approach it. The air around it felt heavy, like a thick fog pressing down on the soul. People reported nausea, dizziness, and a strange pressure behind their eyes whenever they got too close. Scientists called it a spatial anomaly, the military cordoned it off, the media speculated wildly.
But for thirty full days, the Void did nothing.
Then it vanished.
A week later, a teenager in Brazil ignited a car engine with his bare hands. Across the world, a woman in France lifted a bus off a toddler. People began to change. They called it "Awakening."
Soon after, the Voids returned, but this time, dozens of them appeared worldwide. From within them emerged creatures that defied science. Some were grotesque, hunched beasts with claws like scythes. Others looked nearly human, even capable of speech, but their hatred for mankind was pure and instinctive.
They called them the Fallen.
And soon, humanity adapted.
Today, 80 years later, the world is rebuilt, but changed. Cities are protected by massive barrier technologies and patrolled by registered Awakened individuals, now known as Exterminators. Organized into specialized factions called Orders, these modern warriors handle everything from minor Void anomalies to full-scale Fallen invasion.
They are ranked by their Mana Sync Index, a measure of how efficiently their body channels arcane energy, using a tiered system:
Ember – The lowest classification, limited aptitude.
Flare – Average potential, often foot soldiers or support.
Core – Reliable combatants with stable mana control.
Heart – Elite-tier fighters and tactical leaders.
Crown – Exceptionally rare and powerful, often Order executives.
Throne – Legendary status, almost mythical. Only a handful have ever reached it.
Exterminators are society's backbone now. Where doctors, engineers, and teachers once led, now it's the strong who make the rules.
---
Kael Evernight sat quietly at the edge of the rooftop terrace, legs dangling over the ledge. The late afternoon sun cast golden rays over the cityscape of Tokyo, sprawling skyscrapers rebuilt from the ashes of past Fallen invasions.
The wind ruffled his black hair, and his eyes, though calm, held a quiet storm.
He was the bastard son of his dad, whose life was filled with him seeking constant approval from his dad, and his brother constantly putting him down for not living up to some fucked up expectations.
He held a cracked bracelet in his hands. It was old, something he'd fixed himself. Not valuable, but it was a gift from his mother, she was one of the few people in the world who genuinely cared about him, if not the only one.
"Kael!" A voice called from behind him.
He didn't need to turn to know who it was. His younger brother, Ryker, stood behind him with that smug look plastered on his face.
"You're really out here daydreaming again? That's so like you."
Kael didn't respond. No point. Anything he said would be turned into a taunt.
Ryker stepped closer, his expensive raid-issued boots clicking loudly.
"Tomorrow's raid isn't going to wait for your little emo sessions. Try not to hold us back. You're already an embarrassment as it is."
Kael finally looked up. "Did Father approve me joining?"
Ryker smirked. "He didn't object."
Which meant nothing. Their father, Master Zephyr Evernight, leader of the formidable Blackthorn Order, had never once cared about Kael. Not when Kael awakened as a low-ranked Ember. Not when their mother, Kael's real mother, had fallen sick. And certainly not when Ryker started throwing his weight around as a Heart-class Exterminator.
Kael clenched the bracelet in his hand and stood.
"I'll be ready."
---
Back at their estate, Kael visited his mother's room. The house was extravagant, crystal chandeliers, marble floors, and automated everything. But her room was tucked into a quiet corner, modest, dimly lit, and far from the rest of the family.
She smiled weakly as he entered. "You're back early."
Kael sat beside her bed. "Ryker came to remind me about tomorrow's raid."
Her hand reached out and rested on his.
"You don't need to keep proving yourself to them, Kael. You're enough."
He looked down.
"No, I'm not. Not to him. Not to Father."
Tears welled up in her eyes.
"Then forget them. Just come home safe, please. That's all I care about."
Kael could feel hot tears threatening to well up in his eyes, but he tried hard to hold them back. He knew that breaking down now would only make his mother more reluctant to let him go. All he wanted was to earn enough to take care of her and pay for hospital bills.
Though his father was well off, not just well off, but stinky rich, he never once spared a dime on Kael and his mom. The most he agreed to do was give them shelter.
Kael always believed that if one day, he could make his dad proud, he might actually acknowledge him and finally pay attention to him, which was why he remained in Blackthorn Order.
---
The next day came swiftly. Too swiftly.
Kael adjusted his basic armor, breathing in the sterile scent of the staging area near the dungeon gate. Around him, seasoned Exterminators checked gear and laughed like they were heading to a party and not a possible death trap.
Ryker's squad was elite, fast, deadly, and cold. Kael didn't belong, but what choice did he have? Whatever little thing he got from today's raid would be deposited into buying medicine for his sick mom.
Ryker slapped his back mockingly. "Try not to trip over your own sword, brother."
Kael said nothing.
Soon, they all entered the Void, Kael let out a deep breath, then followed quietly.
---
The world instantly shifted.
The sky turned pitch black, and the air thickened like honey. Trees bent at unnatural angles, and whispers echoed from nowhere.
It was eerie, it felt like a place no one should come willingly.
Kael kept close, followed orders.
The first few battles were manageable. Fallen beasts and standard types. Nothing too challenging.
But halfway in, things started to feel off. The squad kept glancing at each other, whispering, exchanging strange signals.
Then Kael noticed it.
His HUD map feed had been cut off.
The team had split, supposedly to flank a monster.
He soon noticed he was left alone. His fingers tightened around his bloodied blunt dagger, which he had managed to finish off a low-level monster earlier, he could sense that something was off with the squad.
Then, when he least expected it, a strike came from behind.
Pain exploded in his side. He stumbled forward, blood staining his armor. Another slash tore through his back. He collapsed to the ground, gasping.
Ryker stepped into view, eyes gleaming with malice.
"Sorry, brother. Father wanted a clean house. You're a stain he needed to get rid of."
Kael's voice cracked. "What...? That's... a lie." No way his father actually planned this, no way his father actually wanted him dead.
"A lie?" Ryker asked with a snort, laughing mockingly as he exchanged looks with the other team members before looking back at Kael. "He ordered we get rid of you, accept the painful truth, brother, you were always and would always be an outcast."
Kael stared wide-eyed, speechless and unable to believe his ears. "I did everything... I tried so hard... for him..."
One of the other Exterminators sneered. "Tried, yeah. But you were born broken. Should've stayed in the gutter where you belonged."
They kicked him, laughed, cut him with their weapons, and let the monsters close in slowly, knowing the scent of his blood would draw them near. Then they left him there, alone, to get devoured by the monster.
Kael's vision blurred. Everything hurt. He could feel every pain as the monsters tore him apart limb for limb. First his arm, his leg, ear, flesh... he felt everything get torn apart, and all he could do was lay down, helpless.
His mother's smile flashed in his mind.
"I... can't die... here... I have to... protect her... I... can't..." He tried moving his remaining limbs, tried struggling to crawl away, but the hungry monsters didn't let go.
Soon, Kael felt his soul slipping away, blood pooled all around him, his eyes were slowly shutting down, but... just then... something flashed before his eyes.
[System Detected: Binding to Candidate...]
[Blood Monarch System Installation Complete.]
[Condition Met: Death Imminent, Activating Emergency Protocols...]
A red light surrounded him, and instantly, his body began to regenerate, but Kael didn't fully understand what was happening before he blacked out.