Ascendant Awakening

Chapter 1: The Call of the Abyss

The city of Eredia had always been a peaceful place, nestled between mountains that reached into the heavens and rivers that shimmered with the light of dawn. To the ordinary eye, it was a simple town, filled with bustling markets, children's laughter, and the echoes of a harmonious life. But beneath that tranquility, a world far more dangerous had begun to stir.

Kai Sun, an unassuming 19-year-old, stood alone in the shadow of a towering building. His reflection in the glass showed nothing more than a tired face, black hair that fell messily over his eyes, and a slender frame that looked ill-suited for battle. Little did the world know, this ordinary teenager was about to be thrust into a reality where power was the only thing that mattered.

"Another day, another rejection," Kai muttered under his breath. His phone buzzed with a message — another notification reminding him of the job he didn't get. It didn't surprise him. The world had long stopped noticing people like him — invisible, unremarkable.

As he began to walk home through the narrow streets, a strange sensation crept up his spine. It was subtle at first, like the lingering chill of a storm. The air felt heavier, and the distant rumble of thunder echoed in the sky, though the skies were clear. The streets, usually alive with the sounds of the evening market, seemed eerily quiet.

Kai paused.

He turned around, his eyes catching a faint shimmer in the distance. It was like a crack in reality — a tear in the fabric of the world itself. As he took a step closer, his vision blurred, and before he could react, he was no longer in Eredia.

Instead, he stood on the edge of a vast, empty battlefield. A dark abyss stretched before him, filled with shadows that seemed to pulse with malevolent energy. The sky above was a swirling vortex of clouds, crimson and black, as though the heavens themselves were bleeding.

"What... where am I?" Kai whispered, his heart pounding. His legs trembled beneath him as the reality of his situation set in. This was no dream. He could feel the cold wind biting at his skin, the ground beneath his feet solid and unforgiving.

A voice, deep and ancient, echoed from the abyss.

"You have been chosen."

Kai spun around, but there was no one in sight.

"Chosen for what?" he called out, his voice trembling.

Suddenly, the ground shook violently. From the darkness emerged towering beasts, their eyes glowing with an unnatural fire. They were monstrous, their bodies twisted and grotesque, like creatures born from nightmares. And they were coming straight for him.

"No!" Kai's mind raced, panic gripping his chest. He tried to run, but his legs wouldn't move. The weight of fear paralyzed him. The first of the beasts lunged forward, claws extended, ready to tear him apart.

In that moment, something inside him snapped.

A surge of energy exploded from his core, raw and overwhelming. His eyes glowed with a fierce light, and his body felt as though it was burning from the inside out. He screamed, but it wasn't a scream of fear — it was something primal, something powerful.

Before the beast could strike, a blade of pure energy formed in Kai's hand, instinctively slashing through the air. The creature howled in agony as the blade cleaved through it, dissolving into nothingness.

Kai stood there, panting, staring at his hands in disbelief. He had never fought before. He had never known power. But now... now he was different.

The voice returned, quieter this time, but unmistakable.

"Welcome to the Ascendant Trials, Kai Sun. Survive, and you will ascend beyond your wildest dreams. Fail, and you will become one with the abyss."

Kai's heart raced. The monsters were far from defeated, and more were coming. But this time, he wasn't running.

For the first time in his life, Kai felt alive.

Next time: What is this mysterious power surging within Kai? And why has he been chosen for the Awakening?