Awakening Hunger
The sun barely peeked over the jagged peaks of Veyros, painting the sky in streaks of crimson and gold. In a quiet village on the edge of the Broken Wastes, a boy named Kaiden Reign sprawled across a pile of crates, snoring with one boot dangling off his foot.
Kaiden was notorious in his village. Not for his strength—he had none, yet—but for his insatiable appetite and uncanny knack for finding trouble. Villagers often whispered, "That boy is nothing but a trash hero waiting to rot."
Today, however, his life was about to change.
From the ruins beyond the village, a strange growl echoed, deep and resonant. Kaiden stirred, scratching his head lazily. "Another wolf? Please… make it a small one," he muttered.
But when he stumbled into the ruins, the sight stopped him cold. Before him lay a creature unlike any he had ever seen—scales like molten metal, eyes glowing like coals, and limbs twisted with unnatural strength. It lunged. Kaiden instinctively dodged, heart hammering, but something deep inside him stirred.
A voice, cold and echoing, whispered in his mind:
"Consume… to ascend."
Before he could react, Kaiden's hands moved of their own accord. The creature barely grazed him when he bit into its shoulder, feeling its power surge into his veins.
He staggered back, eyes wide. Strength, speed, senses—every muscle and skill of the beast flowed into him. And yet, a hunger gnawed at him, deeper than any he had ever known.
"W-what… what is this?" Kaiden gasped, trembling with newfound power.
From the shadows, a figure watched silently. Amber eyes glimmered with amusement. "So… the one with Gluttony awakens," said a melodic voice. "Interesting… very interesting indeed."
Kaiden blinked, looking around. "Who… who are you?"
The figure merely smiled, vanishing as quickly as she appeared. The wind carried her laughter.
Kaiden sank to his knees, panting, heart racing, hands shaking, yet a grin slowly spread across his face.
"This… this is just the beginning," he muttered. His stomach growled—not from hunger for food, but for power, adventure, and chaos.
And with that, the Pre-Adventure Era of Kaiden Reign had begun.