Prologue – The Rotten Alley

The stench of rot was unbearable.

It seeped into the lungs, a mixture of mold, sour liquor, and the lingering staleness of decay. The narrow alleys of Duskrow, the city of gutters, were places where light itself came to die.

And in that alley, under the crooked shadows of broken roofs, a boy crouched low against the damp wall.

Kael Ardyn was only eight years old, yet his eyes lacked the fire of childhood. They were not lively, nor bright. They were calm, stagnant, and cold, like a muddy swamp in the dead of night.

His body was fragile—bones poking through skin, ribs sharp against his torn shirt. The shard of broken glass in his hands trembled, but not from fear. His hands were simply too weak to hold it steady.

The sack beside him was small, barely stuffed with half a loaf of bread. To most, worthless. To him, priceless.

“Hand it over, brat.”

Three figures blocked the exit of the alley. Older boys, their skin toughened by years of filth, their stomachs slightly fuller than his own. The leader had a jagged scar running down his cheek, marking him as a predator among scavengers.

Kael’s lips were dry, but his voice was flat. “Try and take it.”

The scarred boy grinned, revealing yellow teeth. “Bold for a rat.” He snapped his fingers. “Break him.”

The first boy lunged. Kael did not move. At the last instant, his glass shard slashed upward. Flesh parted. Blood sprayed. The attacker screamed, clutching his arm.

The second came next, fists swinging. Kael ducked low, rolling across the damp stones, his frail body fueled only by desperation. He thrust the shard deep into the boy’s thigh. A howl echoed.

Finally, the leader charged, fury in his scarred face. He was bigger, stronger, more dangerous. His fist cracked against Kael’s cheek, snapping his head to the side. Pain burst through Kael’s skull, but his grip never loosened. The glass bit into the leader’s throat.

The alley fell silent.

The rain continued to fall, washing the blood into crimson puddles. Three bodies twitched weakly, collapsing into the filth.

Kael’s chest heaved. His cheek throbbed. His small hands dripped scarlet. Yet his expression did not change. His dull eyes stared at the sack of bread, safe beside him.

Life was cruel. And he had learned its lesson. Those who hesitated died. Those who pitied starved.

It was then that the light appeared.

A faint glow flickered before him, strange and unreal.

\[System Initiated.]

Welcome, Kael Ardyn.

Condition Met: Survive against overwhelming odds.

Quest Unlocked: Rise Above the Filth.

Reward: +5 Strength, +5 Intelligence.

A translucent panel hovered in the rain, glowing faintly blue.

Kael blinked. His breathing steadied. There was no shock, no scream. For someone who had spent his life drowning in misery, the appearance of a miracle did not shatter his mind. It only sharpened his suspicion.

Power.

That was what this was. A path carved by unseen hands. A path the world itself was offering him.

Kael picked up the bread, ignoring the corpses. The blood on his hands no longer bothered him.

“I see,” he murmured. His voice was quiet, but it carried weight in the stillness of the alley. “Even the heavens acknowledge me.”

For the first time, a spark flickered in his stagnant eyes.

Not joy.

Not hope.

Ambition.

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