Loss is only the beginning
— unknown
The events of the day weighed heavily on Grapple's shoulders as he walked back toward his brother and the perpetrators. He thought about how he could possibly live up to being as great as his brother. Turning the corner, he spotted him and began to wave—before stopping mid-motion. The distance between them seemed to increase, and a feeling that something was wrong flooded his body.
Before he could identify the source of the feeling, a sound emanated from the distance, like the snap of someone's fingers. In an instant—less than a second, in fact—it was as if time stopped and restarted without anything passing. Within this time, or rather the lack of time, one thing had changed. His brother had a large cut across his throat, dropping the hero to the ground, bleeding out.
Grapple rushed over, hoping to help his brother, yet it was all in vain. He had already lost too much blood, dying instantly.
The most loved hero was dead—killed on a seemingly random day by an unknown assassin.
Following his brother's funeral, Grapple sat alone in his house, seated in a chair next to the one his brother used to sit in. His eyes were dry and red from weeks of sobbing. Feeling as though he had no reason left to continue living, he eventually fell asleep.
Following this string of events was Hacker, who observed from atop a penthouse he had obtained by becoming something of a mob boss. All of this was in the hope of keeping his time to himself—believing that if he was feared, he wouldn't have to interact with the world. For the most part, this idea worked. However, he still needed people under him to spread his fame. By "hacking" their memories, he gave himself followers with their own personalities and knowledge, yet who believed him to be their boss. This allowed him to live on his own and observe the most interesting moments purely for luxury.
After witnessing what happened between the brothers, he shifted his attention further down the road to another man who seemed quite intriguing.
The man in question had just walked out of a convenience store, holding a bag of snacks he had bought. This alone was no reason to be interested, yet something about the man was unique. On each of his hands, the ring finger and pinky were seemingly tied down to his palms, leaving only three usable fingers.
He wore a red, long-sleeved tee that fit loosely on his body, a pair of black pants, and, most eye-catching of all, a black cloak draped over his back and head. This made the man very recognizable and unique. The cloak appeared to be attached only at his shoulders, yet it stayed in place with no resistance. Upon closer inspection, however, very small strings could be seen wrapped around the man's shirt, originating from the cloak. This was likely how it remained attached.
His face was partially covered by shadow but still visible. He had a weathered, experienced look, with a noticeable scar on the right side of his chin's apex. The man had black hair, slightly longer than the hood itself.
Despite his outward appearance, the man was not a criminal but a magician—one who specialized in reality magic. He was known as the Pillar of Reality, the Magic Man, or more commonly, Strand.
He was one of the most famous individuals within the magician community, being both the most powerful and the most important.
Strand was what was known as a Pillar—a living concept of a specific power, his being reality itself. His magic could rewrite reality, making him incredibly significant. Despite this, Strand rejected the idea of being a god and instead forced himself to live and love as a normal human.
With all of this in mind, it wouldn't make sense for him to have attended the funeral—yet being the kind of man he was, he showed up anyway. During the tragic event, he spotted Grapple and approached him.
"How did you know the deceased?"
"He was my brother."
"I see. It's hard to lose a loved one."
"Some say loss is only a temporary feeling, yet I don't think I'll ever be rid of this pain."
…
"Some others say loss is only a beginning."
These words resonated deeply with Grapple, causing him to look toward Strand for the first time.
"How did you know him?"
"I met him on a few occasions."
"Odd. I've never heard of you before."
"That would make sense."
Strand chuckled, having erased the memories between the two many times in order to keep him safe.
"Why do you say that?" Grapple asked, mildly surprised.
"Well, I suppose I could tell you."
Strand paused slightly before continuing.
"I am a magician. I met your brother due to his incredible magical ability called Charge. However, this ability is quite difficult to control without proper training, so he confided in me to erase the magic ability. This is not something that can be done without unimaginable pain and suffering. Think of it as open-heart surgery performed on an awake person. Knowing this, I instead chose to erase the memories he had regarding the ability—including those of me."
Strand stated this without much effort.
Upon hearing this, Grapple took a step back, disturbed by the sudden revelation. He thought he knew his brother better than anyone, yet his brother had possessed a magical ability this entire time without telling him—something he never would have expected.
"So… do I have the same ability?" Grapple asked, fear laced into his voice.
Strand exhaled, then turned to look at him.
"Yes. That's why I'm here."
Strand stated, his tone unintentionally hostile.
A cold shiver ran down Grapple's spine, freezing him in place.
.