[Vol-1 Rise of Vesvara]
[Chapter- 1]
The mud was cold, but Akito didn't mind. His tiny fingers pressed wet clumps into shapes—delicate little towers and crooked gates, molded with all the seriousness his young heart could muster. Beside him, three other children giggled and chattered, joining in his efforts—or at least pretending to help.
"Mine's taller!" one boy shouted triumphantly, stacking his mud high until the wobbly mess collapsed with a splat.
"Then make it stronger, dummy," Akito laughed, squinting as he adjusted the uneven wall of his own little mud castle.
Their joy, warm and fragile, didn't last long.
"Get up. We're leaving."
The voice was sharp, almost slicing through the air. A woman stood nearby, her eyes narrowed in disgust as she yanked her daughter's wrist like she was pulling her from a pit of poison.
"Mama, wait—" the girl whimpered, her hand still half-covered in mud.
"I said no. Don't talk to that boy."
Another mother stormed over and grabbed her son. "How many times have I told you? Stay away from him. He's cursed. His mother… his brother…"
The rest didn't need to be said. Fear did the talking.
One by one, they all left. Quick steps. Avoiding his eyes.
Akito stood still, his small hands still coated with clay and silence.
He wanted to cry.
He tried to.
But no tears came. Instead, his lips stretched into a smile—not of joy, but because sometimes, that's all his face knew how to do when words didn't work.
He walked home. Quietly. His bare feet kicked dust from the path, and his shadow shrank longer under the weight of the setting sun. When he reached the wooden door of the broken house he called home, he paused for just a second.
But the second wasn't long enough.
CLANG.
A metal dish flew through the air and struck his shoulder. Not hard enough to break bones—but hard enough to sting.
"You're disgusting!" the woman inside screamed. Her eyes were bloodshot. Her hands shook with rage—or maybe exhaustion. "Running around in the dirt like an animal! What do you think you are?"
Akito didn't answer.
She wasn't his mother. But she was the only one who remained.
"You're the reason she screamed like that! Your brother… all of it! It's all because of you!"
He froze in place. The words cut deep—deeper than any bruise. His chest began to rise and fall, faster and faster.
Screams echoed inside his skull. A woman's voice. Her voice. Screaming his name like it was the only thing holding her to life.
"AKITO!!"
His breath caught. His legs gave out beneath him. The world twisted—
---
He gasped.
Sweat soaked his neck. His chest thundered like a war drum inside him.
"That dream again." He whispered.
He sat up in the dimly lit room. Bare walls surrounded him. Cold air clung to the space like a secret. A cracked glass of water sat on the crooked table beside the bed. He reached for it and drank. It didn't help.
Outside his narrow window, just barely visible through the misty air, stood the towering gates of Vesvara's Selection Institution—a monstrous structure of stone and silver where dreams were judged and futures decided.
Akito stared at it like it was alive. Watching. Waiting.
"I'll keep going… until I find out why," he whispered to the night.
---
Morning.
The market square buzzed with voices and nervous energy. Teenagers gathered in clusters—some pacing, some laughing too loud, pretending not to be scared.
"The Weaver's exam? I heard they make us fight elite soldiers," one boy claimed.
"That's just a rumour, idiot," another snapped. "Still... they don't tell us anything."
Each candidate wore a number on their chest. Akito had "08" pinned to his weathered black coat. He leaned silently against a stone wall, eyes half-lidded, observing.
"They have no idea how this world really works," he muttered.
A sudden bump.
A boy with dark hair and a grey shirt stumbled into him, nearly dropping a scroll.
"Ah—sorry, man" the boy blurted, fumbling to catch it.
Akito bent down, picked it up, and handed it back wordlessly.
"Thanks. I'm number 07," the boy said with an awkward smile.
Akito smiled at him — wide and sudden.
07 stared. "You good?"
"I'm fine," Akito said brightly. "Unless that thing eats people. Then… slightly less fine."
07 gave a nervous chuckle. "You're… interesting."
Akito nodded, completely agreeing. "Yup."
---
A woman stepped onto the raised platform ahead. Her back was straight. Her uniform crisp and blue. A long scar curved down her chin.
She didn't smile.
"You all made it here. That means something," she began. Her voice was clear, powerful, no nonsense.
The crowd quieted instantly.
"I am Commander Jane of the 1st Defense Squad, Vesvaran Army."
A few kids straightened at the name. Akito remained still.
"This is your Pre-Qualifier for the Weaver's Ascension Trials. Today's ranks decide who gets attention from the association later. In short—don't screw up."
She gestured behind her to a massive glowing sphere, humming faintly and rotating slowly. Its colors shifted from gold to violet, then back again.
"That's the Veinshard Core. It scans your body. Measures your strength. Reveals your truth. Put your right hand forward, walk into it, and let it judge you. If you survive."
A few nervous gulps rippled through the crowd.
But contrastingly he raised his hand halfway. "So… does it bite?"
She stared at him.
He slowly lowered his hand. "…Noted."
"Begin."
Numbers were called one by one. When 07 was called, he turned briefly to Akito.
"Wish me luck," he said, trying to smile.
Akito nodded.
He gave a cheerful thumbs up. "If it bites, kick it back."
07 stepped into the Core. The sphere pulsed gold. The officials scribbled on their scrolls.
"Next."
"Name?" one official asked as Akito stepped up.
"Akito K—"
"Just Akito," he said quickly.
The man raised a brow. "Fine. Proceed."
Looked at his palm.
A flicker. A scream. His mother's voice. "Akito!!"
He blinked it away.
Akito placed his right hand on the surface of the Core.
Cold.
Then warmth.
Then something else. A wrongness. Like his own blood was rebelling.
His mouth opened, but no sound came. His knees buckled.
The Core trembled.
"What's going on?" someone whispered.
"His body… it's trying to override the core's signal," an official muttered.
Commander Jane stepped forward.
Before she could react—
The Core shattered.
Not into fire, but into light. Gold and violet shards floated down like stardust.
Akito's body was thrown backwards.
Commander Jane stepped forward, hands tense.
"…Medic," she snapped.
In the glow's aftermath, as the fragments faded, someone muttered:
"…Unranked."
Another official confirmed, wide-eyed:
"He....he passed?"
"How is this possible"
"The machine says the same—Ma'am
Jane stared down at Akito's unconscious body.
"What the hell are you?"
—
Akito blinked against the dim light.
The herbal smell was stronger now—sweet, sharp, earthy. A cool paste had been applied to his chest, its sting already fading.
Beside him, the boy from earlier—Number 07—sat on a small wooden stool, arms crossed, watching him.
"Finally! Sleeping Beauty rises."
07 sat cross-legged on the floor nearby, sleeves rolled up, hands tucked in his coat pockets like he lived there.
Akito groaned softly. "You're still here?"
07 grinned. "You nearly exploded. I wanted front-row seats for the sequel."
Akito tried to sit up. The pain said no.
07 tilted his head. "Woah, woah. Slow down, champ. You already broke physics once today, no need to race gravity again."
Akito stared at him. "What happened? Who are you?"
"Well the name is Henry" He replied.
"The Core tried to read you," Henry said, stretching his legs out. "You read it back. Then boom—light show. You flew like… elegantly. Like a dramatic paperweight."
"It was more than a vision," Akito muttered. "It felt like the Core was trying to… erase me."
Henry gave a slow nod. Then said, cheerfully:
"Well, it failed. You're too stubborn to be deleted."
Akito almost smiled.
The medic stepped away, done with the bandage. Akito sat up more carefully this time.
Henry stood, stretching.
"So," he said, rocking on his heels. "What's your story, Akito? Secret royalty? The 'chosen one' with memory loss?"
Akito replied flatly: "I just want answers."
"Oof," Henry winced. "That's heavy. And mysterious. I like it."
Then he clapped his hands. "Anyway. You've officially survived death and done something nobody's ever done before. Congrats. You're either cursed or legendary. Possibly both."
Akito raised an eyebrow. "And you? What's your story?"
Henry looked up at the ceiling for a moment, eyes thoughtful.
"Let's just say… I owe someone. And I'm not great at owing people."
A rare flicker of seriousness passed between them.
Then Henry snapped out of it. "But hey—can't pay debts if you die in a glowing orb, right?"
He offered Akito a hand.
Akito hesitated, then took it.
As Henry pulled him up, he added, with a grin:
"Also, I'm sticking with you."
Akito shook his head slightly. "You're interesting….. until it's in my favour."
Henry put his hands back in his pockets. "And yet… unforgettable."
"…Think they'll let me retake the test?" Akito asked.
Henry laughed. "Dude, you passed. You're in."
Akito blinked. "Wait, really?"
"You're the first unranked to pass the Weaver entrance in Vesvaran history. Everyone's losing their minds."
Akito scratched his head. "Does that mean I get a rank badge?"
Henry grinned. "Probably not."
Akito pouted. "Lame."
They walked out of the tent together—one calm shadow, one playful spark.
The streets buzzed—voices, wheels, vendors yelling about skewers and spices.
Akito walked ahead, coat still torn from the Core incident, quiet as ever.
Behind him:
Thud. Thud. Crash.
Henry caught up, tripping over a crate.
"Ow—okay, I'm good," he said, brushing himself off. "Nothing broken. Except maybe my pride. That's been dead for years anyway."
Akito walked forward without any hesitation.
Behind him, Henry strolled with his hands in his pockets, coat slightly too big, sleeves rolled up. He leaned a little as he walked, like the world didn't weigh much on him.
"You always wake up from unconsciousness like that? No dramatic gasp? No 'Where am I?' Nothing?"
Akito said, "looks like I'm special".
Henry smirked. "Man of few words. Intense eyes. You're the whole package."
Still nothing.
Henry tilted his head, walking backwards now, facing Akito.
"So. As I told you I'm Henry. Failed once. But passed out this time. But hey—alive is alive."
"…Akito."
"Mm. No last name?"
"Don't need one."
Henry nodded slowly. "Nice. Might steal that."
They passed a street performer juggling knives. Henry tossed a coin into the hat without breaking stride.
"You know, I used to be a juggler too."
Akito looked at him. "…Really?"
"No. But it sounded cool, didn't it?"
Akito blinked once.
Henry flashed a grin. "That was almost a smile. I saw it."
They turned a corner. A group of students stood nearby, whispering. One pointed.
"The unranked kid. The Core reject."
Henry glanced at them, then leaned slightly toward Akito.
"You want me to trip one of them? I'm good at accidents."
Akito didn't slow. "No point."
"Ugh. You're right. That's the worst part."
They passed a food cart. Henry bought two dumplings, hands still in his pockets. The vendor somehow managed.
He held one out with his elbow. "Feast, mystery boy."
Akito took it. "Thanks."
"Of course. Gotta feed the protagonist my boi."
Akito gave him a brief side-eye. "You talk too much."
"I balance out the silence you carry."
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then, Henry asked while stretching his hands, more serious now:
"You ever wonder if we're just here to play someone else's game?"
Akito looked ahead. "I don't care whose game it is. I'll break it if I have to."
Henry grinned. "Oof. That was cool. Say it again slower so I can write it on a wall somewhere."
They reached the gates of the Selection Institution.
It loomed. Heavy. Cold. Final.
Henry tilted his head back lazily, eyes half-lidded.
"I was really hoping for a nap today."
Akito flexed his fingers. "This isn't the part where you back off."
Henry slid his hands deeper into his pockets. "Back off? Nah. I've got the main character energy too. Mine's just… sneakier."
Akito glanced at him. "Then try not to die."
Henry smiled. "Only if you go first."
They stepped forward, side by side.
---
Elsewhere—
Wind curled around the spires of a tall clock tower balcony. Inside the tower, a marriage ceremony is taking place.
A man with slick blue hair, hands behind his back. His suit was immaculate. Cold.Behind him, a girl sobbed. Bound. Gagged. Clothes torn.
He turned. Smiled gently.
Closed the balcony gate.
"Two hours since we brought her in," he said softly.
Another man stepped forward from the shadows. "Should we begin, Jasper?"
"Not yet," Jasper replied. His eyes gleamed with calm menace. "First, spread the word. Tell them the President's daughter is missing."
The other man vanished without a sound.
Jasper looked out across the city.
"It's time they paid their overdue rent."
[Chapter 1 End]