Location: Quezon City, Philippines
Time: Year 0, Day 1 of the Outbreak
It began on an ordinary afternoon.
The sky split.
Not with lightning or thunder—but with light. Harsh, unnatural light that poured through a jagged wound hovering high above EDSA. The Gate had appeared without warning, a churning whirlpool of silver and black, pulsing with ancient magic and humming like a storm caught mid-scream.
Below, chaos erupted.
Cars slammed into each other. Glass shattered. People screamed.
And from the sky, the monsters came.
They looked like birds at first—massive, winged beasts with skeletal faces and claws like spears, descending in shrieking flocks. Dozens. Then hundreds.
And in the middle of it all… was Khalil Reyes, 20 years old, standing outside a convenience store holding a bottle of water.
He didn't understand what was happening.
One moment he was just a college student.
The next, time slowed. The noise dimmed. Something... shifted.
And then—
[You have been chosen.]
[Class Identified: Mage – Variant: Elementalist]
[Elemental Affinity: Wind]
[A Contract Awaits.]
Khalil blinked. The world spun. His heartbeat pounded in his ears.
"What—"
[Do you accept the Elemental Contract?]
And there, hovering in the air in front of him, was a ball of glowing wind and light — soft and pulsing, almost like a living thing.
"…I accept."
The moment he said it, the ball burst apart—into laughter.
"Aha! Finally! You said yes!"
The light compressed and twisted, taking form: a small fairy-like boy with messy silver hair, glowing wings, and bright green eyes. His energy swirled like a playful breeze.
"Hi!" he said, hands on his hips. "I'm Zephyr! You're my new partner!"
"What—what's happening?" Khalil asked, the bottle of water still clenched in his hand.
"Short version? You're an Elementalist. Super rare. Super awesome. I'm your contracted Wind Spirit. Together we're gonna survive this mess, okay? Also—" he leaned close with wide eyes, "you look like you're gonna pass out."
Khalil took a shaky step back as the monsters above screeched, closing in fast.
Then something clicked inside him. Instinct. Magic. Connection.
The wind obeyed.
It surged around him as if welcoming him home. Invisible currents wrapped around his legs, lifting him slightly off the ground.
"Now we're talking!" Zephyr cheered. "Say the words. Focus on the wind. Let me show you!"
Khalil raised his hand.
"Wind Blade."
A sickle of pure air burst forward — fast, sharp, clean. It sliced through the nearest winged creature mid-flight. Blood and feathers rained onto the pavement.
The beast crashed.
Khalil exhaled slowly. "...Okay."
"That was amazing!" Zephyr spun mid-air. "Wanna try again?"
Another monster screeched.
Khalil narrowed his eyes. "Yes."
------
By nightfall, parts of Quezon City were in ruins.
But the first Gate closed. Or imploded. No one knew why.
And in its wake, the world changed. Systems appeared in people's eyes. Classes. Ranks. Skills.
And Khalil Reyes… was no longer ordinary.
He didn't tell anyone what his real class was.
Not yet.
Elementalist? That word meant nothing to a world still trying to define "Awakener."
But Zephyr knew. And Zephyr stayed.
Even when the government arrived. Even through the tests. Even when Khalil joined the TALA Guild months later — he kept quiet.
And Zephyr? Zephyr never did.