At first, reports of monsters were considered mere legends, but everything changed when a portal opened during a grand celebration, releasing Level 1 monsters that caused destruction and death.
The government was forced to take action and created shelters to protect the population. However, new portals continued to appear, bringing increasingly powerful monsters. It was then that, mysteriously, guild portals began to appear in various places around the world. These portals brought new hope: humans were blessed with special powers to fight the creatures and protect humanity.
With this new ability, humans were determined to fight the monsters and reclaim their world.
The government, recognizing the potential of humans with special powers, offered sponsorship to create organizations and guild teams.
These teams were formed by individuals with unique abilities, working together to combat the monsters and protect the population. With the government's support, the guilds became an important force in the fight against the creatures, and many humans saw this as a chance to make a difference and secure a safer future.
The 7 great guilds - Gold Guild, Heaven Guild, Luna Guild, Celestial Guild, Phoenix Guild, Adventurer's Guild, and Centaur Guild - have emerged as powerful forces in the fight against monsters. Each with their own strengths and specializations, they have become essential to the safety and protection of humanity. Their power and influence have made them respected and feared by both monsters and other humans.
That was how Axel's younger brother, Kairos, ended up joining the Celestial Guild. On the day the first portal opened, Axel was working, immersed in his daily responsibilities. When it was time to pick Kairos up from school, Axel had no idea that the world was about to change drastically. Kairos was in his final year of high school, full of dreams and plans for the future.
Axel remembers that day vividly. He entered the school, searching for Kairos amidst the chaos. The monsters had invaded, and the two had to run for their lives. As orphans, they were each other's only family, and Axel did everything he could to protect his younger brother. They found refuge in a government shelter, but were soon attacked again. It was then that a guild portal opened, bringing with it new hope. Kairos was one of the chosen ones, gaining the power of the black flames. With this incredible ability, he could transform the flames into any weapon or shape he desired, making him able to fight the monsters effectively. Axel remembers the look of determination on Kairos's face when he discovered his power.
The government, recognizing the potential of those with powers, announced a sponsorship plan to support these exceptional abilities. They promised that by joining the guilds, these individuals would be instrumental in protecting the world from monsters and restoring safety. The promise was enticing: with the guilds working together, the world could be freed from the constant fear and threat of the creatures. Many, including Kairos, saw this as a chance to make a difference and protect their families and communities.
Many joined the guilds out of a sense of duty and responsibility. However, others were drawn by the promise of wealth and power that came with government patronage and the opportunity to excel in the guilds. The mix of motivations created a complex scenario, with some fighting for the common good, while others seeking personal gain.
Those who were once considered common and powerless found an opportunity to make a difference by joining guilds. However, they knew that without powers, their contributions would be limited compared to those who possessed special abilities. Driven by the desire to contribute and be recognized, some of these individuals would risk extreme challenges in the hopes of awakening their own powers and becoming more valuable in the fight against monsters. This pursuit of power often came with great risks and sacrifices.
Axel did not want to be a hindrance to the future of his brother, Kairos, who had become the number one in the Celestial Guild. Even with the enormous responsibilities that came with his position, Kairos never neglected his older brother, Axel. Some members of the guild criticized Kairos for spending time on someone without powers, but he ignored their comments.
Until a critical situation involving the opening of a government-controlled portal made Axel realize his inability to protect himself or others. When his brother's guild, led by Kairos, arrived to intervene, Axel was saved, but he felt ashamed. Guild members criticized him for being useless, incapable of contributing to the safety of himself or others. These words hurt Axel deeply, reinforcing his feeling of being a burden to Kairos and the guild.
The situation became even more painful for Axel when the families of the victims of the attack blamed him for being the only one saved by his brother. They saw him as someone who did not do enough to protect himself or help others, and that it was only because he had a powerful brother that he had been rescued. These accusations weighed heavily on Axel, increasing his feelings of guilt and inadequacy. He felt not only helpless, but also hated by those who had lost loved ones.
Then, the Celestial Guild President summoned Axel and suggested that he stay away from his brother, Kairos, claiming that his presence could harm the powerful young man's future and reputation. This conversation was a hard blow to Axel, who already felt like a burden to his brother. The idea of leaving Kairos, the only family he had left, was almost unbearable, but Axel began to question whether this was the best choice for his brother's sake.
So Axel walked away from Kairos, hoping that things would improve. However, new challenges soon arose. The government, sensing the discontent among ordinary citizens who did not have powers, launched a secret project with the aim of awakening latent abilities in these individuals. This project promised to give ordinary citizens a chance to become as powerful as those who already had special abilities, but Axel knew that such experiments often came with enormous risks and unpredictable consequences.
It was then that Axel discovered that not all people subjected to government projects to awaken powers survived or had positive results. Many disappeared mysteriously, and Axel began to suspect that the government was hiding information about the true goals and risks of these projects.
Axel was eventually captured and subjected to the government's cruel project. His power turned out to be a low-level, support ability that only gave anyone energy for 10 seconds. Deemed useless, Axel was abandoned in the camp along with other low-powered individuals, forced to work in degrading tasks such as cleaning up monster remains. Despite the inhumane situation, Axel found brief moments of information about the outside world when some guilds visited the camp, allowing him to hear news. He also followed the newspapers and TV, trying to stay informed about what was happening outside of that dark place.
Axel was sometimes brought into these guilds to perform minor tasks, but it was evident that he did not receive better treatment due to his low-level power. He was often ignored or treated with disdain, and his limited ability did not earn him much use or respect.
When Axel learned of the massive portal collapse that had drawn all the high-level hunters, including his brother Kairos, he decided to head there after learning that Kairos had been fighting and had not returned. The portal collapse, which had lasted for 3 days, was a large-scale and dangerous event, and Axel knew that his brother was among the most powerful who had been called upon to deal with the threat. With a mixture of concern and hope to help, even with his limited power, Axel headed to the site of the portal collapse, determined to find Kairos and do what he could to support him.
Axel saw the body of his brother, Kairos, lying on the ground, severely injured and with a frozen expression of pain on his face. The last words Kairos could mutter were that the government was responsible for everything, a weak accusation, but filled with conviction and anger. At that moment, an intense pressure hit Axel, as if the weight of the world had fallen on him, making him stagger and spit blood. When he looked up, his eyes clouded with tears and pain, he saw the leader of the Gold Guild, Arriana, standing before him with a cruel, satisfied smile on her face. Anger and despair took over Axel as he realized that Arriana seemed to have a direct role in his brother's death, and he felt a deep, burning hatred grow inside him, a feeling that threatened to consume him completely.
Arriana glared at Axel, her cruel smile widening as she said
"Kairos got too close to the truth, didn't he? He discovered things he shouldn't have."
Axel, still reeling from his brother's death, felt anger and pain mix in his words.
"The government is dirty, corrupt to the core. They don't care about anyone but themselves."
Axel's voice shook with hatred, and his eyes were filled with tears of pain and anger as he glared at Arriana with an intensity that seemed to burn. Arriana laughed, a cold, humorless sound, as she said.
"You will join your brother right now."
With one swift, merciless movement, she struck Axel with a bolt of lightning that pierced his chest. Axel felt excruciating pain as he fell to the ground, dying beside Kairos. In his final moments, Axel wished he could go back in time, to when he and his brother were still free and had not become involved with the government. He wished they could have lived a simple life, far from the intrigue and violence that had consumed them. With that last memory, Axel closed his eyes, his life slowly slipping away.
[...]
When Axel opened his eyes, he thought he was having a fleeting vision of the past, but he soon realized that he was actually back in the day when Kairos was thinking about joining the guild. He saw his brother enter the room, with his black hair and eyes of the same color, always protective and concerned. Kairos was taller and stronger, and Axel always felt safe around him. At that moment, Kairos approached him with a worried expression and asked.
"Axel, are you okay? You seemed to be having a nightmare."
Axel sat up abruptly, still trying to process what was happening. When he realized that he had actually returned to the past, a mix of emotions invaded him. With a wide smile and tears in his eyes, he stood up and hugged Kairos affectionately, holding him tightly.
"Kai, brother..." he whispered, trying to contain his emotion. Kairos, surprised by the intensity of the hug, returned it, worried.
"Axel, what's happening? Are you really okay?"
Axel just shook his head, holding back the tears, feeling the warmth and security of his brother's embrace. At that moment, he knew that he would do anything to change the course of events that led them to that tragic end.
Axel looked at his brother with a serious expression and said.
"Kairos, don't join the Celestial Guild or get involved with the government. They're not what they seem." Kairos smiled confidently and replied.
"I'll help the people, Axel. I'll make sure we have a better, safer life." Axel frowned, feeling a weight on his chest.
"I don't have a good feeling about this, Kai. Something's not right." Kairos noticed the concern on his brother's face and his expression changed to one of concern as well.
"It's okay, Axel. If you're that worried, I won't join. What do you want me to do?" Axel felt a momentary relief.
Axel, with his beautiful, striking blue eyes, looked at the light coming through the window and smiled slightly.
"Kairos, let's go to the countryside," he said, an idea forming in his mind. "There are people there who might want to help, and there are smaller portals where we can make a difference, really help." He stood up, excited at the prospect of a new direction, away from the shadows of the Celestial Guild and the government. Kairos looked at him, puzzled, but trusting his brother, he nodded.
"Okay."