The voice was everywhere.
It echoed through the cobblestone streets, climbed the towering walls of the Kyrios Empire's capital, and settled deep into our bones. Cold, commanding, and impossibly loud, the Grand Herald's voice rang out—amplified by the Acarna-infused crystals embedded across the city.
> "Citizens of Kyrios," the voice began, each syllable weighted like iron. "By decree of His Imperial Majesty, the nation is now in a state of emergency. All citizens are to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to the nearest Arcane Knight outpost. Failure to comply will result in severe penalties. Long live the empire."
The message played again. And again. Every time it repeated, it sank deeper—like a stone dropped into still water, rippling through the hearts of everyone who heard it.
Merchants froze mid-transaction. Faces paled. Whispers spread like wildfire. Even the kids stopped playing. Just for a heartbeat. Just long enough to feel the tension crackle through the air.
And then… the world resumed. Because that's what it always did.
I pulled my satchel tighter across my shoulder and picked up my pace, head down, weaving through the thick crowd. I knew what was coming. The others had been relentless all week, and I could already feel their eyes on me.
There you are, you bastard.
I gritted my teeth, but I didn't stop. I knew that voice. Ryn. Son of a fat, smug merchant with too much coin and not enough parenting.
"Where's your daddy, Kael?" he jeered, stepping right in front of me. "Oh wait—he's off pretending to be a hero while you're here, worthless as ever."
The laughter behind him was sharp and hyena-like. His usual cronies—two meatheads who didn't know the difference between a sword and a spade.
I didn't look up. I couldn't. Looking up would only give them more to work with.
One of them chimed in, "Your mom's a prostitute, isn't she? That's why you're weak. Bet you're not even a real deviant."
My chest clenched. I kept walking. Step. Step. Step. I'd heard it all before. At fourteen, I'd already been called every insult in the book. A disappointment to my father. A joke to everyone else.
"Hey! I'm talking to you!" Ryn grabbed my arm and yanked me to a stop. "What's the matter? Too scared to fight back?"
I looked up then. Just enough to meet his smug, punchable face.
For a second, I wanted to swing my satchel into his nose. Just once. Just hard enough to make it bleed.
But I didn't. I knew how that story ended. So I yanked my arm free and walked away, burning with shame as their laughter followed me like smoke.
---
The kiosk came into view, finally. The familiar striped awning was like a flag of safety.
Mom—Lira—was there, arranging baskets of apples with that calm grace she always had. She looked up and frowned the moment she saw me.
"Kael," she said gently. "You look pale. What happened?"
"Nothing." I dropped my satchel by the bench. "Just tired."
She gave me that look—the one that knew I was lying but chose not to push. She always seemed to know when to let silence speak for her.
"Come help me with these apples," she said instead, handing me a basket. "The festival's close, and we need everything ready."
I nodded and got to work, glad for something—anything—to keep my hands busy. For a while, the noise of the Empire and the sting of the insults faded.
---
Later that afternoon, I stepped out behind the kiosk to fetch a crate of oranges. I had one hand on the shed door when—
Thud.
Something—or someone—slammed into me.
I stumbled back, heart leaping into my throat. A cloaked figure stood in front of me, face hidden, clutching something tight to their chest. Breathing hard. Unsteady.
"Help me," they whispered.
A girl. I was sure of it now.
I froze, eyes flicking toward the street. A group of men were shoving their way through the crowd, armor dull and unmarked, movements wild and sharp.
They weren't Arcane Knights. That much I knew.
Spies? Thugs?
Didn't matter.
I grabbed the girl's arm and pulled her into the kiosk, locking the door behind us. She collapsed against the wall, still clutching her box like it was the only thing keeping her alive.
"What's going on?" I whispered. "Who are you?"
No answer. Just silence—and then, she opened the box.
Inside was a cube. Glowing. Humming like it had a heartbeat. The light seemed to reach out, tugging at something deep inside me. It didn't make sense, but I felt it.
Then she lunged.
Before I could react, she pressed the cube against my chest.
And it sank into me.
I gasped—no, screamed—as energy exploded through my veins. My mind shattered into pieces and reformed. I felt every bone, every cell, every thread of my being stretch and twist and burn.
And then… nothing.
I was on my knees. Breathing like I'd just outrun a wildfire.
The girl was staring at me like she'd just seen a ghost.
"What… what did you do to me?" I croaked.
She backed away slowly. "What are you?" she whispered.
---
Footsteps. Closer now. Heavy. Unforgiving.
---
I could feel it. The thing inside me. The Arcana Core—though I didn't know the name yet—was pulsing in my chest. Not just a thing. A part of me now. Energy moved through me like a second heartbeat. It was… terrifying.
"We need to go," the girl hissed. She grabbed my arm and pulled me up. "They're close."
"Who are they?" I asked. "And what did you just—"
"No time." Her voice was sharp. "If they find us, we're dead. Move!"
My legs didn't want to cooperate, but I forced them to. I slung my satchel over my shoulder and followed her out the back door, heart pounding like a war drum.
---
The capital blurred around us—twisting streets, ancient towers, alleyways flooded in shadow. She moved fast. Too fast. But I didn't dare lose her.
We ducked into a hidden alcove after climbing what felt like a mountain of stairs.
"Stay here," she whispered, peeking around the corner. "They're still searching."
I slumped against the wall, lungs screaming. My whole body felt wrong—buzzing, jittery, like lightning coiled under my skin.
"What's your name?" I asked, barely able to speak.
She glanced at me, eyes hard. "Lyra. And you?"
"Kael."
She nodded. "Listen, Kael. That cube… it's not something you're supposed to survive. No one can. Not unless they're a deviant."
I blinked. "But I'm not. I've never shown any ability. I'm just—ordinary."
Lyra didn't answer at first. She looked down at my chest, where a faint glow still pulsed beneath my shirt.
Then she said softly, "Not anymore."
---
Another shout. Closer.
Lyra grabbed my wrist. "We need to keep moving. Now."
I nodded, adrenaline flooding me again.
I didn't know what the Arcana Core had done to me. I didn't know who this girl really was. Or who was after us.