Prologue: Fire and flames

"Help! The robber Ax Noir was here!" shouted a woman from the window in the middle of the night, trying to attract the attention of the neighborhood.

A pair of amber eyes carefully scanned the surroundings, accompanied by quick, lightning-fast movements.

The mysterious shadow turned down one alley after another until it reached a small dilapidated house. Pieces of plaster were falling off the walls and the windows were broken by a swaying shutter that kept banging against the glass due to the strong wind.

The mysterious shadow became the silhouette of a flesh and blood human being under the dim light that illuminated the dwelling.

He had a flaming red mask on his face and a hood over his head to hide his hair.

"Eric! Where have you been?" A tall, petite young girl with a cascade of blond hair turned to the mysterious figure, ripped the mask from his face and threw it to the ground. "You said you were going to stop stealing and find something to do."

Eric pulled his hood off his head and his long, raven-black hairs covered his tired, angry face. "Leave me alone, Jessy," he emptied the pockets of his sweatshirt and tossed an envelope full of money at the girl's feet. "Buy food with it."

"Do not treat me like your maid!" the girl named Jessy repeatedly stamped the envelope with her foot, then turned back to the boy. "How long do you think this Ax Noir charade is going to work? Do not pretend to be him, no one knows who he is, and what if he's a dangerous guy? "

The boy sat down on a faded green couch full of patches and put his feet up on the low table in front of him, then uncorked a bottle of water and began to swallow it thirstily. "I ran a lot."

Jessy did not seem very happy with that scene and yelled at Eric again. "It's because of you that we live in this shack! Why in the world did I choose to live with a starving homeless man?" She covered her mouth as she realized what she had just said.

Eric looked at her with flaming, hate-filled eyes, clenched his fists, and then jumped up. He did not look like himself anymore, the aura he gave off had changed.

He grabbed his aching head and began to shout roughly. "You will die along with this house!"

Jessy knelt down in front of the boy and tried to make him think, but every attempt was in vain.

She tried to run away from the door, but suddenly sky-high flames rose in front of the exit.

Eric's hands were glowing, he had two huge flames on his palms. "Now I have nothing," he screamed as he set the house on fire one hand at a time.

The fire seemed to have no effect on him, he seemed to be one with the flames.

Jessy, frightened, looked for a way out, but she was now surrounded by flames and smoke.

And right between these flames and smoke Eric disappeared.

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