The morning sun filtered softly through the kitchen window as Aiko, a gentle-faced woman in her early 40s, hummed an old lullaby while flipping eggs in a frying pan. Her black hair was tied in a loose bun, apron dusted with flour. The peaceful sound of the sizzling pan was soon interrupted by her voice.
"Haruki," she called without turning. "Go wake up your brother, Koji."
Behind her, Haruki stood with arms folded. Seventeen, tall and broad-shouldered, with burning red eyes and jet-black hair that spiked slightly at the tips—he was the image of cold detachment.
Without a word, he nodded and walked up the stairs. The house creaked beneath his heavy steps.
Inside the room, Koji, just 14, was still half-asleep when Haruki stormed in and, without hesitation, kicked him hard in the stomach.
"Get up," Haruki barked.
Koji choked, curling in pain. Kisara, their 16-year-old sister, dashed in.
"Haruki!" she screamed, stepping between them. "What the hell is wrong with you?!"
Haruki simply shrugged. "He should've been up already."
He turned and walked out, uncaring.
Kisara knelt beside Koji, helping him sit up. Her long black hair framed her sharp brown eyes, filled with protective rage.
"You need to tell Mom."
Koji shook his head, wincing.
"It's fine. He's probably just in a bad mood."
"Koji... he's not supposed to treat you like this. This isn't grief—it's cruelty."
Koji stayed quiet. The two headed downstairs, where Aiko, still unaware, smiled and placed their plates on the table.
"Hurry up, kids. You'll be late for school."
They ate quickly. Kisara kept close to Koji, her eyes never leaving Haruki, who walked silently behind them as they left the house.
At Tsukuyomi High
In the bustling courtyard of the elite academy, students of all ranks and backgrounds mingled. Elemental auras shimmered faintly—some students crackled with electricity, others had steam rising from their skin or shadows that moved unnaturally.
Koji walked closely beside Kisara, who whispered,
"Remember what I said—come straight to me at recess. Don't go near Haruki."
Koji nodded silently.
Across the courtyard, Haruki stood with his gang—six girls, five guys—laughing as he kissed his girlfriend, Nana. But Koji noticed the way she flinched, the way her smile never reached her eyes.
No one dared say anything. Haruki was the school's top-ranked student. A fire attribute user—and a terrifying one at that. His white fire had earned him countless victories in national tournaments. His girlfriend? Timid, soft-spoken, and seemingly trapped.
They entered class. Their professor, Ms. Ayane, strode in, commanding the room.
"Today, we study the history of the Awakening."
Forty years ago, the world changed. A global purple storm bathed the skies for hours, striking people with a mysterious energy. Those struck developed elemental powers—categorized into ten attributes: Fire, Water, Earth, Air, Metal, Electricity, Wood, Ice, Light, and Dark.
The strongest in each field became known as the Guardians—ten individuals beyond comprehension.
One student raised a hand.
"Do we know who the ten Guardians are?"
Ms. Ayane smirked.
"Information is limited, but we know their countries."
She wrote on the board:
🇺🇸 Steel Guardian – USA (Rank 1)
🇵🇰 Earth Titan – Pakistan (Rank 2)
🇨🇳 Electric Ghost – China (Rank 3)
🇮🇹 Wind Phantom – Italy (Rank 4)
🇮🇷 Dark Warden – Iran (Rank 5)
🇨🇦 Light Bearer – Canada (Rank 6)
🇷🇺 Ice Valkyrie – Russia (Rank 7)
🇦🇺 Water Reaper – Australia (Rank 8)
🇰🇷 Wood General – South Korea (Rank 9)
🇯🇵 Flame Sovereign – Japan (Rank 10)
Koji, hesitant but curious, raised his hand.
"Light and Dark are unique, right?"
"Yes," Ms. Ayane nodded. "Light boosts the energy of allies. Dark suppresses the energy of enemies. Together, they're dangerous."
Koji nodded quietly. He was a water user—decent, but not strong. Kisara wielded wood, elegant and sharp. Haruki… fire. The school's unspoken king.
Recess – Under the Stairs
As Koji headed toward the cafeteria, Nana suddenly yanked him under the stairs.
"Stay here. Just for a minute."
Before he could speak, Haruki and his gang passed above them, laughing loudly. Nana gave him a small nod, then walked off to join them.
Koji took a moment, then hurried to the cafeteria and sat beside Kisara and her friends. One of them asked casually,
"What's up with Haruki and Koji?"
Kisara scowled.
"He's an asshole. That's what's up."
Koji stayed quiet but then murmured,
"It's because… he thinks I killed our dad."
Silence.
Kisara slammed her palms on the table.
"That's not true, Koji! Stop saying that!"
She glared at her friends.
"It was Koji's tenth birthday. Our dad went out to get cake. It started raining hard, and the roads got slick. His car skidded and hit a truck. He died on impact."
She gritted her teeth.
"Haruki blamed Koji. Said if it wasn't for his birthday, Dad wouldn't have left. But Koji cried for three days straight, praying and blaming himself."
She grabbed Koji's hand.
"He didn't lose his mind out of grief. He chose to be cruel."
Battle Class – Instructor Rei Arrives
Later that day, the students entered the combat arena, glass barriers rising as Instructor Rei stepped into the center. Tall, muscular, and commanding, she was Japan's 3rd strongest attribute user, master of Earth, ranked 14th in the world.
Whispers spread quickly.
"Isn't she the one trained by the Earth Titan?"
Rei smirked.
"Yeah. I trained with him in Pakistan for six years. Even now, I can barely scratch his level. The man caused a magnitude-10 earthquake just by activating his aura."
She cracked her knuckles.
"Let's begin. I want a duel. Two volunteers."
Haruki and his friend Tetsuya stepped forward. Fire vs. Earth.
The duel was brutal.
"Did you know," Haruki said mid-fight, holding a flame in his palm, "that there are five colors of fire?"
The flame changed — red, orange, yellow, blue… and finally white.
"This… is the hottest fire can get."
Tetsuya, alarmed, raised wall after wall of stone. Haruki's white fire blasted through them all, sending Tetsuya crashing into the wall.
Rei clapped.
"You have potential, Haruki. But don't mistake that for being a Guardian."
Then, Haruki asked to fight Rei herself.
He lunged. She sidestepped, grabbed him by the collar, and flung him upward. A column of stone shot beneath her as she created diamond fists and punched him out of the sky.
Haruki hit the ground, coughing, bruised and burnt.
"Class dismissed," Rei said, as water attribute students rushed in to heal him.
That Night – The Spark
After dinner, their mother and Kisara went shopping. Koji stayed behind to finish homework.
The door creaked.
Haruki entered.
Without warning, he punched Koji and kicked him against the wall.
"Where are they?! Did you kill Mom and Kisara too?! Like you killed Dad?!"
Koji, dazed, whispered,
"Shopping…"
Haruki tossed him onto the bed and stormed out.
Koji lay still, tears sliding down his cheek. He reached for an old photo of Haruki hugging him as a child, both smiling.
That warmth… gone