Years ago in immemorial times, the world was introduced to Chaos. A raw, primal magical force that fuels all abilities introduced.
It can be labeled as pure energy that exists beneath reality itself. No one knows the true source of its origin as the records of how it came to be had been kept secret or destroyed long ago.
With the emergence of Chaos came threats, born from the greed of the scales of balance.
Primordials.
Magical creatures designed by fate as a way to balance the power scales of creatures that existed in the world.
To combat such monsters, an alliance between the different factions of humanity was made. The Order Of Kan, an enforcer organization with the goal of eliminating the threat of Primordials.
The war between the Order and Primordials had been going on for centuries. Even till this day....
*****
The war between Man and Beast never really piqued the interest of young Jason. To him, he had even bigger problems at hand. Problems like the one before him.
An imposing gate of a mansion loomed before him, its black iron bars reached for the sky like skeletal fingers. The entrance was flanked by stone pillars, each adorned with vines and leaves.
A silver buzzer was mounted on the right pillar, with carvings of the mansion's address etched in an elegant script.
Jason reached to press the buzzer, a faint hum filled the air as the gate's metal bars shuddered.
Three individuals, dressed in black tailored suits approached the entrance as soon as Jason entered.
They looked at the boy with wary eyes, from attire to the way he carried himself. Their eyes felt cold and sharp but Jason was not bothered by it even in the slightest.
The reason behind their gaze was obvious. Jason's entire facial appearance was hidden by a black hoodie and a mask, leaving only his violet eyes visible. He could tell what their eyes were saying.
Who are you? Why is your face hidden?
Almost everyone he met had the same questioning look in their eyes.
His brows furrowed a little when he saw a fourth individual approach. It was a black haired young lad with black eyes. Every step he took conveyed confidence, or maybe it was because of the sword on his hip.
He looked to only be a few years older than Jason and the latter could detect a hint of arrogance in the young man, more especially when he smiled.
It made Jason's eyebrows twitch.
"Welcome, Jason. Father has been expecting you."
Even the way he spoke made him sound like a sophisticated jerkass.
Jason smiled with his eyes and followed the young lad, with the three men in suits walking behind him. Almost as if they were studying his every move.
Jason turned his head and looked at the three.
"Hm, you enjoying the view?"
He asked in a playful tone.
"Forgive them. They are still a little dismissive of your assistance."
The young lad spoke.
"I mean, you can't blame them either. Who would expect that someone as young as you would know about a dead language."
Jason understood what he meant. His visit to such an esteemed mansion was not random. He was hired by the head of a very powerful Syndicate.
The Vasco Mafia Family.
Led by Ercell Vasco, the family rose to prominence 12 years ago. Since then they have been involved in Human trafficking, Drug dealing, Prostitution, Underground Fight clubs as well as Arms dealing.
The reason for hiring Jason was because one of Ercell's men was tipped about the emergence of a new dungeon of the Elders.
The Elders were believed to be the first of Mankind and were said to possess immense power, treasure and artifacts. Having any of these in his arsenal could potentially make Ercell the strongest mafia boss in Ember.
****
Jason was led through a corridor lined with polished marble floors that reflected the golden glow of the chandeliers above. Paintings framed in gold watched his every step, frozen in expressions of pride and conquest.
The young lad with black hair pushed open a pair of double doors carved with intricate patterns, leading Jason to the master of the mansion.
Ercell Vasco.
He was not alone. Ercell appeared to have been in a meeting with a young man of color. The boy looked to be in his early 20s, same as the black haired lad that had been escorting Jason.
Despite Ercell seated down, the boy still looked taller than him. He had a light brown complexion and bruises all over his face. From behind, he appeared to have an imposing physique.
When he heard the door open, he turned around. His eyes were as dark as onyx, well one of them was. The other was crimson red.
He had a scar that ran from the left corner of his lip all the way to the jawline. Inked dark black below the right eye was a tree — but its root stretched upwards while its branches clawed downwards. The trunk split cleanly down the middle as if divided by an unseen force.
The boy excused himself after Jason's arrival. Ercell greeted the young Jason with a smile.
"Ah, you must be Jason. Welcome to my humble abode."
You call this humble?
Jason commented in his thoughts.
He removed his hood as he approached the table Ercell was sitting behind. His hair fell naturally to his shoulders as he did.
An unusual mixture of black and white, his hair was divided cleanly in the middle — one side a deep obsidian black, the other a stark winter white.
"Please."
Ercell gestured for Jason to take a seat. He then turned his eyes to his son.
"That will be all, Cassian."
Cassian nodded. Before turning to leave, his eyes met those of Jason and the former couldn't hide the curve of his lips.
After Cassian's departure from the room, Ercell let out a heavy breath.
"To think that bastard came from my seed."
He spoke in a tone of disappointment.
"I invested a lot into him and yet how does he repay me? By being completely useless."
Before Ercell could continue to complain about Cassian, Jason cut him off.
"This may sound rude but I'm not here to listen to you complain about your failed sperm. I am a very busy person, Ercell. Don't waste my time."
The atmosphere seemed to change as Jason spoke. Looking at his eyes, Ercell felt a strong pressure — one that should not belong to someone of his age.
'This bastard... Is he threatening me?'
Ercell tried to hide his irritation but his lips kept on twitching.
One of his guards drew a weapon — a translucent sword and placed it on Jason's neck.
"Watch your tongue, boy!"
The man threatened.
For a second there was silence and then a playful chuckle echoed throughout the walls of the room.
"Go ahead, I'd love to see which is faster. Your weapon... or mine?"
The man's expression conveyed confusion as he had not seen a weapon being pulled out. He quickly paled when he felt something placed on his groin.
His eyes lowered and he froze when he saw a strange artifact. The object was compact and angular, forged from a matte-black material that absorbed light rather than reflected it. Its body was smooth yet rigid, with sharp edges and unnatural symmetry. A hollow circular opening stared forward at the tip — dark and empty, like the pupil of a dead eye.
Beneath its frame hung a curved metallic lever, clearly meant to be pressed.
It was a gun.