The village was burning all around him—a sea of orange flames devouring everything Anazitis once knew, everything he once loved.
Smoke clawed at the sky, turning daylight into a sickly twilight. The screams of the doomed echoed through the night, but they were swallowed by the roar of the inferno.
The once-vibrant homes, now charred ruins, lay scattered in the wreckage of a life that had been his joy and refuge.
Anazitis knelt in the ashes, silent, watching everything burn.
He saw his grandma and grandpa smile at him one last time. Their tired eyes whispered, "Don't think too much on it, Anazitis. We were old enough anyway. All this—our fault." Then they were consumed by flames, fading to nothing, as if they had never been.
His black hair was matted with soot and sweat. His sharp eyes, hollow and void of emotion, stared blankly into the smoke-filled air. The fire had taken everything—the faces, the memories, the people he loved—and left him with nothing but the scorching heat.
Amid the chaos, a man stood before him, silhouetted against the blaze. His voice called out, but the roar drowned the words. The flames whispered a familiar call to action, but the village—his village—was beyond saving.
The man screamed for Anazitis to run. To the water. To the tree. To the water that could save him.
While carrying Anazitis away, the man asked, "What were you researching that brought all this upon you?"
Anazitis didn't answer, but the man nodded toward a strange item Anazitis wore. "Good thing you had that weird thing on you—I don't know whose it is, but thanks to it, you're alive."
The air was heavy with loss, but in the quiet of his heart, a single phrase took hold.
Eternal happiness is the solution.
His path forward was no longer grief or memory—it was the future. In that moment, Anazitis decided to become a Seeker—a wanderer with nothing to lose and everything to claim. The ashes of his home scattered on the wind, and with them went the last fragments of the boy he had been.
Years later, Anazitis and Lion sat in the forest, passing a crystal between them.
Anazitis knew knights lurked behind them.
One knight spotted them and called out, "For the last time, idiots—no energy crystals are allowed in the kingdom!"
They exchanged tense looks.
Other knights, familiar faces, arrived. One said, "Just take them. They're smugglers. No need to investigate."
After a while, locked in a cell:
"Now," Anazitis whispered, calm and measured, "let's break these chains and get out of here. It's boring. Thank goodness these low-rank knights don't know who we are."
Lion grinned, teeth flashing, smirking. "You're always the dramatist. Why act like this? Isn't your name famous here? Just walk out the gate."
Anazitis took a breath. "We should investigate elsewhere. We're stealing for the academy, and we need to be smart. We were here in the ruins earlier—let's act like we belong."
Lion nodded. "Yeah, yeah, let's make it quick. We've got a show to watch in the arena. Hopefully, our little friend doesn't lose."
In perfect synch, they shattered their false bindings. Chains clattered to the floor.
"After all," Lion added, "Halfy's fighting for more than joy. He's after the power of the Monkey Soul."
Anazitis straightened, brushing dust from his tattered cloak. "In this world, you're either born with the power to wield souls, or you claim them yourself. Halfy's skilled, but he has limits. Let's hope he fights with his mind, not just his ambition. He's unstoppable if he uses his mind and doesn't let emotion take over."
They slipped through the canyon and into the North Forest—a dense, shadowy maze where towering trees whispered with the breeze. The ground was uneven, thick with the scent of wet earth and decay. Twisted roots clawed from the soil, and large ferns brushed their legs. Every footstep echoed like a whispered warning.
Anazitis moved like a shadow, sharp eyes scanning. The forest was alive, still but dangerous. Even the wind seemed to carry secrets.
"Stay alert," he murmured, barely above a breath. "The knights are searching for us. We can't let them see us. If they do, don't be too hard on them. The arena's too close for comfort."
Lion chuckled softly, confident. "If they come, we deal with them nicely. Simple."
As if summoned, armored footsteps echoed near. Anazitis pulled Lion into shadow.
A patrol of knights appeared, their silver armor glinting dully in sunlight, boots crunching leaves deliberately.
"Don't underestimate them," Anazitis warned. "They're persistent. If we're careless, one of the Ten Knights will find us."
Lion's brow furrowed. "You're saying we'd lose?"
Anazitis' voice sharpened. "We'd be outmatched. The Ten Knights don't fight like the others. They hunt and corner. If one finds us, we'll be surrounded in seconds."
Lion grinned. "But that's what you want, isn't it? A challenge?"
Anazitis glanced at him. A challenge, he thought. Like jumping into fire and saying, 'I won't burn.'
Lion laughed softly—like thunder rolling across the sky. "Fine. We'll do it your way. For now. Let's get to the arena before Halfy's fight starts. And don't forget—I can handle fire."
They moved steadily toward the arena as the crowd's roar grew louder. The forest thinned, revealing the coliseum's massive walls rising like a monument to bloodshed.
Inside the Coliseum, chaos reigned. The crowd's deafening roar bounced off cracked stone walls, the midday sun beating down hot and heavy. Dust and sweat thickened the air, mingling with anticipation.
Anazitis and Lion slipped through a narrow side passage, eyes drawn to Halfy in the center of the ring.
Halfy, a slender halfling, stood alone, armed only with a dagger. His opponent was a massive warrior wielding an axe so large it seemed to defy gravity. Muscles bulged beneath the brute's skin, imposing and terrifying.
The crowd jeered, underestimating the small fighter.
Halfy didn't care. His eyes locked on the giant with calm determination.
Easy fight. Just muscle. No brain. I'll show them what true skill means.
The brute's voice boomed. "What can you do with that child's toy, little man? My axe will split you in half before you blink!"
With terrifying force, the brute swung the axe down. For a moment, it seemed the world would split in two.
But Halfy moved like a shadow—vanishing. The axe struck empty air.
Halfy reappeared behind the brute, dagger flashing in sunlight as it carved a shallow, precise cut across his side.
The crowd gasped.
The brute chuckled, unfazed. "A scratch? That's all you've got?"
But inside, confusion gnawed. Why can't I move? How did he disappear? He only scratched me... impossible.
Halfy's smile was sharp and poisonous. "Idiots. You rely on strength alone and underestimate me. Wondering how I disappeared? That's your answer."
The Match Referee's voice echoed through the arena. "What you witnessed is the Moon Walk—a skill passed down through generations. Only those with the right bloodline can unlock it. Precise, elusive."
Halfy rolled his eyes. "Stupid Match Referee. Don't show off your knowledge."
The brute's laughter faltered as Halfy's poison took hold. His massive body stiffened, movements sluggish.
The crowd murmured in confusion.
"What have you done?" the brute growled. "I'm strong—I'm strong—I'm strong!"
Halfy laughed, madness shining in his eyes. "Look at that idiot! That's what happens to anyone who challenges a halfling like me!"
The crowd erupted into wild applause, shaking the arena with their cheers. Halfy's eyes gleamed, his smile widening as he soaked in the glory. He had proven something—not just to his opponent, but to the world.
The brute's knees buckled, his body crashing onto the sand with a thunderous boom. Dust billowed as the crowd roared.
Anazitis' gaze remained steady. "The Monkey Soul is at stake. If the Ten Knights are watching, this fight is more than a show. It's a test. He should win without giving it his all. Everyone does that."
The Match Referee announced Halfy's victory, but Anazitis knew the real battle was only beginning.
He turned to Lion, voice low. "This is just the beginning."