The sky was breaking.
Not with thunder.
Not with lightning.
But with silence.
Heavy clouds hung low above Astra City, thick and swollen, swirling slowly in shades of bruised violet, burning orange, and storm-gray. The air tasted metallic, charged, as though the world itself were holding its breath. Wind moved through broken skyscrapers in long, aching sighs, making shattered windows whistle like mourning ghosts.
Below that tortured sky, the city pulsed with nervous life.
Neon signs flickered erratically, reflecting off rain-slicked streets. Massive towers stretched upward, cracked and scarred from centuries of war between those gifted with power and those cursed with none. Flying vehicles drifted lazily through the air, their engines humming softly, like tired beasts barely awake.
Pedestrians hurried through narrow streets, hoods drawn tight, shoulders hunched, avoiding eye contact.
In Astra City, fear was a language everyone spoke.
Because power ruled everything.
And power belonged to the Kimyos.
---
Kimyos were humans born with supernatural abilities. Some commanded fire. Others bent gravity, shaped steel, twisted flesh, or cracked the sky itself. Their presence shaped nations. Their conflicts erased cities.
And the rest?
The rest survived quietly, if they were lucky.
Among those powerless millions was a seventeen-year-old boy named Che.
---
Che was running.
His breath tore from his lungs in sharp, ragged bursts. Each inhale scraped his throat raw. Each exhale burned like fire. Rain soaked his thin clothes, plastering fabric against his trembling body. His shoes slapped desperately against wet pavement, splashing through shallow puddles, sending ripples across flickering reflections of broken neon.
His chest tightened with every breath.
In.
Out.
In.
Out.
Faster.
Harder.
Pain spread across his ribs like fractured glass.
His heartbeat pounded violently in his ears—too loud, too fast—like war drums announcing his end.
Dark brown hair clung to his forehead, water streaming down into wide amber eyes glowing with panic and determination. His skin, warm bronze beneath the city's dim light, glistened with sweat and rain. His fingers were scraped raw. His knuckles bled.
But he did not slow.
He could not.
Behind him, the air exploded.
A wave of heat blasted across the street, scorching the sides of buildings. Glass shattered in glittering showers. A thunderous boom ripped through the night, echoing endlessly between towering walls of steel and stone.
Che stumbled, barely catching himself before crashing face-first onto the concrete.
He spun around.
Three figures descended from the sky.
Their bodies glowed with terrifying energy.
The first was tall and broad-shouldered, his skin glowing faintly red beneath dancing flames. His hair burned bright crimson, floating wildly as fire curled and licked around his arms. His golden eyes blazed with violent hunger.
The second hovered slightly above the ground, arcs of lightning crackling constantly along pale veins that glowed electric blue. His white-blond hair stood permanently on end, charged by endless electricity.
The third drifted silently between them, suspended by invisible forces. His long silver hair flowed weightlessly. His pale eyes were empty, cold, devoid of emotion.
Elite Kimyo Enforcers.
Hunters.
Che's stomach twisted violently.
His lungs seized.
He forced air back in.
Slow.
Control it.
Panic kills faster than blades.
He turned and ran.
---
Rain slammed against his face as he sprinted through collapsing streets, weaving between abandoned vehicles and fallen streetlights. His breathing became erratic, each inhale shallow, each exhale sharp. His legs screamed. His calves trembled. His vision blurred at the edges.
Above him, thunder rolled.
The fire wielder hurled a blazing sphere.
It detonated against the street, sending molten shards skidding across the pavement. Heat washed over Che's back. The air itself burned.
The lightning user raised both hands.
A spear of electricity slammed into the ground inches from Che's foot.
The blast threw him sideways.
His body skidded across the road, skin tearing, breath bursting violently from his chest. He rolled twice before slamming into a wall, ribs exploding in agony.
For a moment, he couldn't breathe.
Air refused to return.
His chest locked.
Dark spots flooded his vision.
He clawed desperately at his throat.
In.
Breathe.
Please.
Finally, oxygen rushed back in a painful, choking gasp.
He coughed violently, chest convulsing, lungs spasming as rain mixed with blood on his lips.
But still—
He stood.
Because somewhere in this broken city, a man waited for him.
And that man was his last hope.
---
Che ducked into a shattered alleyway, twisting through rusted pipes, collapsed fire escapes, and flickering holographic signs. The walls closed in, slick with moisture and mold. Garbage floated in ankle-deep water. Rats scattered as he charged past.
His breaths came in ragged bursts now, chest heaving violently. His heartbeat thundered against his ribs.
At the end of the alley stood a rusted steel door, hidden behind tangled cables and broken machinery.
Che slammed into it.
The door burst inward.
---
Dim lantern light flickered across a vast underground chamber.
The floor was smooth stone, scarred with countless battle marks. Wooden pillars lined the room, many cracked or shattered. Training dummies lay destroyed, limbs scattered like fallen soldiers. Ancient symbols glowed faintly across the walls.
At the center stood Master Rael.
Tall.
Broad.
Unmoving.
His silver-streaked black hair was tied tightly behind his head. Deep lines marked his face, carved by hardship and wisdom. His steel-gray eyes pierced the shadows with unwavering focus.
His breathing was slow.
Measured.
Controlled.
But the moment his gaze fell upon Che, his breath hitched.
"They followed you," Rael said quietly.
Che collapsed to one knee, chest convulsing. His breathing turned wild, shallow gasps barely filling his lungs.
"I tried… to lose them…"
Rael crossed the room in long strides, gripping Che's shoulders.
"Breathe," he commanded.
Che struggled.
Rael inhaled slowly.
Che mirrored him.
In.
Hold.
Out.
Again.
Slowly, painfully, Che's lungs obeyed. His heartbeat steadied. His vision sharpened.
Rael studied him for a moment.
Then the world exploded.
---
The steel door disintegrated.
Flames and lightning ripped through the chamber.
Stone shattered. Pillars cracked. Dust filled the air.
The three Kimyos stepped through the smoke.
Rael moved instantly, positioning himself between them and Che.
"Hand him over," the levitator said calmly. His voice carried no emotion. "Your resistance is meaningless."
Rael's chest rose slowly.
Then fell.
"No."
The fire wielder laughed, flames roaring higher. "Then you die first."
---
Rael vanished.
The air thundered.
His fist slammed into the lightning user's chest, compressing flesh and bone with devastating precision. The impact released a shockwave that tore across the room. The lightning wielder flew backward, smashing through two stone pillars before crashing violently into the far wall.
Rael twisted mid-air.
His heel cracked across the fire wielder's ribs.
Flames scattered wildly.
The man screamed, crashing into the ceiling as chunks of stone rained down.
The levitator lifted his hand.
Gravity bent.
Rael was hurled sideways.
His body smashed into the floor with bone-crushing force. Stone cracked outward.
Che screamed.
"MASTER!"
Rael coughed, blood splattering across the stone.
Still, he pushed himself up.
Still, he raised his fists.
Breathing slow.
Steady.
Unbroken.
The levitator descended, eyes cold. "You are wasting your final moments."
Rael inhaled deeply.
Then whispered, "I would die a thousand deaths for him."
Lightning and fire merged.
A single catastrophic blast swallowed the chamber.
---
The world vanished.
Sound dissolved.
Light erased everything.
When reality returned, silence followed.
Broken pillars lay scattered. Dust floated slowly through the air. Rain leaked through shattered ceilings, dripping steadily onto blood-streaked stone.
Che lay trapped beneath debris, his body trembling violently.
His breathing was shallow.
Weak.
Every inhale stabbed his lungs.
Every exhale rattled painfully.
He clawed at the rubble until his fingers bled.
"Master…"
He crawled.
Dragged himself across the floor.
Rael lay motionless.
His chest barely moved.
Blood pooled beneath him, spreading slowly like dark ink.
Che collapsed beside him, gripping his mentor's hand.
"Please… don't die…"
Rael's eyelids fluttered.
His breath came in faint, uneven pulls.
"My… stubborn boy…"
Che sobbed, chest convulsing, tears mixing with blood and rain. "Stay with me."
Rael struggled, lifting a trembling hand to Che's cheek.
"You must listen…"
Che shook his head.
"There is no time," Rael whispered. "You are not powerless. They fear what sleeps inside you."
Che froze.
Rael pressed a glowing crystal pendant into his trembling palm.
"When your heart breaks… when rage and despair collide… this will awaken you."
Rael exhaled.
Long.
Soft.
Final.
His chest stilled.
Silence consumed the chamber.
---
Che screamed.
The sound ripped through stone and shadow, echoing endlessly through the ruins.
His lungs burned.
His chest convulsed violently.
Grief crashed through him like a tidal wave.
Something inside him shattered.
Something else stirred.
The pendant pulsed.
Once.
Twice.
Dust lifted from the ground.
Hair and debris floated.
The air vibrated violently.
Che knelt over his fallen master, breathing harsh, broken gasps.
"They will pay," he whispered.
Thunder split the sky.
Rain poured harder, washing blood into winding streams across broken stone.
And in that storm, a powerless boy vanished.
A legend began to breathe.