CHAPTER 21: SETH RONDO

"Drive Core Release: Silent Crescent," Seth whispered.

In an instant, everything around him seemed to slow down. His heartbeat steadied and his breathing synced with the rhythm of the air.

His senses sharpened, clearly seeing everything. Every speck of dust in the air, every ripple in the wind and every shift in Gray’s muscles.

A field of absolute concentration had unfolded around him. Within a 700 meter radius, nothing could escape his perception.

This kid. Something changed in him. His aura alone is suffocating me. Gray thought as he tightened the grip on his hammer.

—-----------------------------

Seth had always been the quiet type even as a kid. After all, his life wasn’t exactly what you’d call easy.

When he was just nine, his mother walked out on them for another man. That broke his father as a person, and more so, as a parent. The man he once knew turned into a stranger, drowning himself in the quiet poison of alcohol and drugs.

Without the warmth and love a child needs, Seth found his escape elsewhere.

He would often wander off, climbing to the rooftop of the tallest building in his hometown, Veltrax Haven. Sitting up there, he felt like he could breathe, like the pain below couldn’t reach him.

But don’t let the name of the city fool you.

Unlike Aetherpolis, where chaos is loud and out in the open, Veltrax Haven wore a mask of peace. On the surface, it looked clean and orderly but the underground world was rotten to its core, darker than most could imagine.

On a bright, sunny day, Seth made his way to the place he always went to when he needed silence.

As expected, it was quiet. Or so he thought.

Once he reached the rooftop, he saw someone already standing there, another boy about his age or a bit older. The boy was frail looking, with pale skin and white hair. The boy stood at the edge, gazing out over the city.

"Are you trying to end your life?" Seth asked casually. "I’d suggest you don’t. At least not in front of me."

The boy turned to him. His features were delicate, almost too pretty, but his body looked far too thin and weak to pose a threat.

"Huh? No," the boy replied. "I was just wondering, why would a place like this be called Haven when it’s so rotten on the inside?"

"You know about that?" Seth muttered, a bit surprised. "Anyway, that’s my spot."

"Your spot? It doesn’t belong to anyone. If you want it, try taking it."

Seth grinned, cracked his knuckles, and dashed toward the boy, aiming for a punch.

But the boy ducked easily and countered with a kick to Seth’s gut, knocking the wind out of him.

What? Seth stumbled back. He looked like he couldn’t even stand, let alone fight!

"You underestimated me just because I look like this?" the boy said, smirking as he extended a hand to help him up.

"Yeah, kinda," Seth admitted, grabbing the hand and pulling himself up.

"It’s just that I haven’t eaten in days," the boy continued. "My friends and I have been scavenging, but every time we find food, the local thugs take it from us. It’s been rough."

He brushed some dust off his clothes before glancing at Seth. "Anyway, what’s your name?"

"Seth. Seth Rondo."

The boy smiled gently. "Nice to meet you, Seth. I’m Shin. Shin Amano."

In the days that followed, Seth always found Shin at ’his’ rooftop.

It was starting to annoy him. After all, what used to be his personal quiet space was now shared, or rather, stolen. Every time Seth tried to reclaim it, Shin would beat him in a scuffle without fail.

"You’re getting stronger," Seth muttered one day, rubbing a sore spot on his shoulder.

"Well, food’s been decent lately," Shin replied, stretching lazily. "We had a good haul."

"Why are you always scavenging anyway?" Seth asked, still slightly irritated.

"To survive," Shin said simply. "My guys and I, we don’t have families. Orphans. Well, former orphans. Our place was wiped out by a syndicate."

"Sorry," Seth mumbled, realizing he may have touched a nerve.

"It’s fine."

They sat in silence, side by side, legs dangling over the edge of the rooftop as the wind blew gently against their faces.

"Don’t you want a world where real peace exists?" Shin asked, breaking the silence. "Not just on the surface, but deep down, in its core?"

Seth exhaled slowly. "Sounds nice. But it’s impossible. People aren’t that kind. There’s always going to be evil in some form."

"No." Shin stood up, his eyes burning with conviction. "We’ll make peace. Step by step. We’ll get stronger and destroy every piece of evil that pollutes this world."

"And how do you plan on doing that?"

"Me and my guys, we have a gang. We’re gonna grow stronger and make real change."

"We’re kids," Seth muttered. "What could we possibly do about problems caused by adults?"

"Join us."

"No."

"Join—"

"No."

Shin locked eyes with him, serious and unblinking, as if he won’t go away if Seth says no again.

"Tch. Fine."

The moment the word left Seth’s mouth, Shin grabbed his hand and dragged him all the way down the building and into what he called their hideout.

Just as Seth expected, it was a dump.

An old warehouse filled with scrap metal and rusted beams. The sound of water dripping from the broken roof was the only thing that echoed inside.

Standing at the top of the pile of rusted pipes were two boys. One had messy black hair covering his eyes, and the other had spiky violet hair. Both were wearing tattered, mismatched clothes which probably came from something they’ve scavenged.

"I think I just changed my mind," Seth said as he turned to leave.

But Shin grabbed him again. "No! I’m serious. These guys are crazy strong. The one with his face covered is Michael. The other’s Zed. Guys, this is Seth."

Seth sighed, looking at the two boys. There was something in their eyes, fire, determination, the same thing Shin had.

They’re serious. Guess I’ll stick around for now. Not like Shin would let me out anyway. Seth thought.

And just like that, two years passed.

Their numbers grew fast. What started as four misfits turned into a gang of over thirty. Seth was now eleven. Shin had just turned thirteen.

They were just kids. But even so, they were making a real difference. One by one, they took out small thugs that had long infested the alleys and corners of Veltrax Haven.

The city didn’t notice at first. But soon enough, the underground started whispering about a nameless group cleaning up the streets.

Veltrax Haven was about to meet a new kind of storm.

Then one night, everything changed. Shin called everyone in for a meeting.

Their hideout hadn’t changed much, still the same rusty warehouse, but now it was more crowded. Less scrap, more people. More unity.

At the top platform stood Shin, Michael, Zed, and Seth. All of them had grown sharper and more focused. Even though they still looked like kids, there was no mistaking the fire in their eyes.

Shin raised his voice.

"Tonight!" he shouted, fists clenched. "We take down the Black Order!"

A wave of gasps and murmurs swept through the gang.

"They’ve been ruining this city for far longer than we ever imagined," Shin continued, his eyes fierce with resolve. "It ends now!"

The group roared in unison, their cries echoing through the warehouse like thunder.

From a band of orphans to a rising rebellion, this was the night that Rose made its mark. A name born from contradiction, pain and beauty, thorn and bloom.

Just a few days ago, scouts from their gang had discovered the hideout of the Black Order, a notorious syndicate that had been pulling the strings behind Veltrax Haven’s decaying underworld.

Shin didn’t waste a second. The moment he got the report, he mobilized everyone and laid out a plan.

Now, they stood outside the enemy’s den, dozens of them, lined up with burning resolve, as members of the Black Order intercepted them, already expecting a fight.

"I told you," Shin said, glancing sideways at Seth. "We’d make a change."

Michael and Zed gave firm nods in agreement.

"CHARGE!!" Shin yelled.

And war broke loose.

Fists flew. Knives clashed. Bodies slammed against walls and gravel.

It was chaos.

But amidst the brawl, the four at the front, Shin, Seth, Michael, and Zed pushed forward like a storm. Their strength, honed through pain and purpose as it began overwhelming the enemy. Despite their age, they were winning.

Until everything changed.

BOOM.

A man in a black tuxedo dropped from the sky, landing hard enough to crack the ground beneath him. Dust shot out in all directions as silence fell over the battlefield as everyone froze.

"An Awakened," Zed muttered.

"But we’ve got the numbers!" Michael shouted. Without hesitation, he rushed in with Zed.

But in a blink.......

SLAM.

Zed and Michael were grabbed mid-air, choked, and smashed to the ground like paper. It wasn’t just speed, it was dominance.

The man didn’t seem particularly powerful by Aetherpolis standards, but in Veltrax Haven where Awakened were rare, he might as well have been a one man army.

"Tch! Seth, cover me!" Shin called out as he dashed forward.

But just like the others, he was intercepted and slammed into the pavement.

"Ugh!" Shin groaned, looking up, only to see Seth still frozen in place.

His body was trembling.

"Seth?" Shin muttered as he coughed out blood.

Seth’s eyes widened, his voice barely a whisper.

"Dad?"

The man stepped forward slowly with authority.

"Did you really think I wouldn’t find out?" His dad muttered.

Each step echoed like thunder.

Seth could barely breathe. He wasn’t facing the syndicate anymore. He was facing a nightmare.

"I let you play gang with those little strays," his father said. "But running straight into us? You really thought I wouldn’t notice? I’ve had eyes on you twenty four seven, Seth. Every move. Every word. Every friend. You could say, anyone who dies here will be on your conscience."

"N-N-No..." Seth’s voice trembled, and tears welled up in his eyes.

"Seth! Wake up!" Zed shouted from behind him, voice desperate. "We can still win this!!"

Without hesitation, Zed and Michael charged again.

But it was hopeless.

Both were caught mid-strike and slammed into the ground with terrifying force. They didn’t even scream, just the sickening thud of bodies hitting concrete.

Then came Shin, bloodied but determined.

He threw himself forward but Seth’s father met him with a single kick to the gut, sending him flying across the battlefield like a broken doll.

By the time Seth came to his senses, everything had fallen still.

Everyone, Zed, Michael, the others were lying on the ground, lifeless.

Except for one.

Shin.

Still breathing, but barely.

"No...Dad... No!!" he screamed, his voice cracking, tears spilling uncontrollably.

But then, everything began to slow down.

His heartbeat steadied into a calm rhythm. Yet his senses and awareness sharpened to an extreme. He could feel it all. Every shift in the wind, every footstep across the rubble, every heartbeat within the battlefield. It was as if the world had entered his domain.

W-What is happening? Why is everything... slowing down?