Year 782 after the Cataclysm, October 17th. The land of beginnings, Ascendia.
Carefully wiping bloodstains off the rough surface of the bartop with a sour expression on his face, Lucian couldn't help but wish in his heart that he was anywhere else than here.
Here at the Dragon's Den, a smoky pub that served the worst of the worst: criminals, prostitutes, murderers, and gangsters alike. Every person who resided here at Stonekeep, except for Lucian, was long accustomed to living in this backwater town.
However, what he could not stand was the putrid smell and sticky feeling of fresh blood.
"Seriously, why does Skirk's gang see the need to have a brawl here of all places?" hissed the fluffy-haired ginger, Stussy, beside him. She offered him another fresh white cloth. Her headphones, littered with green gemstones on their black surface, complemented her bright emerald eyes.
Lucian dropped the blood-soaked cloth on the awfully tall pile beside him and took the fresh one from her hand.
"It's a sort of 'game' they partake in," Lucian recalled the conversations from his past shifts, "They drink bottle after bottle, and once they're drunk and in unstable and emotional states, they fight one another. The loser pays for the bill."
Stussy let out a tired sigh before grabbing yet another fresh cloth from the cupboard beneath her and starting to work on the other edge of the bar counter.
"Good thing you were here today, Lucian. You should ask Lady Kuro for a raise. I'm sure she'll give you a favourable reward for kicking the Skull gang's asses."
Lucian pressed the now red cloth under his freshly bandaged hand and forced a smile to his work companion.
"Nothing I couldn't handle. Guys like that are all talk until they face someone who can actually defend themselves. And as for a raise, I'd be surprised if our greedy witch of a boss would do something that sympathetic."
Stussy laughed hysterically for only a short while before she fell eerily silent, her lovely face twisting into a bitter smile.
Blinking a few times, Lucian felt a cold, baleful presence behind his shoulders, but it was already too late. He let out a yelp as his right ear was pulled back with terrible force, as if he were a kid to be disciplined.
"What were you blabbering about just now, ponytail!" exclaimed Lady Kuro, who was garbed in her signature black dress with two pistols hanging in holsters on her waist.
"Nothing, ma'am! Ouch!"
She now tugged on his ponytail. In a raspy voice, she added:
"Swear on the Sun goddess!"
Lucian clenched his teeth and twisted, freeing himself from his boss's iron grasp.
"I cannot, Lady Kuro. As you know, I'm a believer in the Moon goddess."
He told the truth, as he was taught to by the Red Cross orphanage he grew up in.
In this day and age, faith was still a factor, even after the Cataclysm. From the many books Lucian had read in the orphanage library, it was said that the world before the Cataclysm had many different religions and practices altogether. Just like the Old World, however, everything changed after the Cataclysm that decimated humanity.
After that dreadful time had long passed, and the Tower of Desire fell from the heavens, a new religion was established. A faith that believed in the twin goddesses of humanity: the Sun Goddess and the Moon Goddess. And ever since, people walked the path of the Sun, which provided its own fruitful benefits, while others chose to tread upon the path of the Moon. Of course, many practiced both faiths, and even more believed in neither.
As a devotee to the Moon, Lucian could not swear upon the Sun.
"Tsk. Whatever, brat." Lady Kuro looked towards the center of the pub, where a bunch of Skull gang members lay on the wooden floor, groaning in pain.
Lucian averted his gaze; however, Lady Kuro had already suspected what had taken place in her bar.
"You beat them up again?" Lady Kuro asked, already knowing the answer.
Lucian hesitated for a moment before nodding, looking at the brown-haired, hazel-eyed reflection of himself in the bloodied glass, frowning.
"As I told you before, I trained a lot in the past, not only to survive in Stonekeep, but also because of the orphanage. I thought that if I grew strong, my Desire might've awakened, and I'd be able to tackle the tower. I'd gain fame and earn a lot from exploring its dangerous environments, and use that money to give back to the Red Cross…"
"Aw… How gallant. Yet, you're stuck in this shithole," criticised Stussy frankly. Her words hinted at the truth, even though it was phrased harshly. Without a valid permit, one couldn't leave the "shithole," Stonekeep.
Lady Kuro shot Stussy a piercing glance, prompting her to put her headphones back on and continue wiping blood off the bartop. The fearsome boss of the Dragon Den shook her head and turned back to Lucian.
"Kid, you do know it's sporadic for a commoner like you to succeed as an Ascender, right? Firstly, you don't have any backing from any one of the major guilds, nor a notable clan. Secondly, your knowledge of what lies inside the Tower of Desire is surface level, at best—"
"I know, I know!" Lucian uncharacteristically raised his voice at the elderly woman, "It was just a childish dream of mine. Nothing more, nothing less. Besides, haven't we all wished to achieve something beyond us?"
It was the harsh reality for anyone not from a prominent family, a major guild, or of noble status.
Lady Kuro lingered for a moment before dismissing herself from the conversation. Walking outside to announce the pub is resuming once more, now that the fight has been settled.
'I should apologize to her for shouting later…' Lucian sighed and mentally prepared for another grueling round of barkeeping.
Shortly after, the Dragon Den was filled with its usual band of pitiful souls, except for one peculiar person garbed in a gray wolfskin coat. She had black hair with gray streaks, a sign of early old age, yet her brown skin and smooth face told a different tale.
"A bottle of your finest rosé wine. I heard your winery is the best in all of Stonekeep," she said expectantly. However, Lucian was paying far more attention to her unusual features than to taking her order. A crimson eye patch covered her left eye, and golden jewelry hung from her body. Her flashy attire indicated she was a northerner…
'A foreigner?'
Realizing he was staring blankly at a customer, Lucian equipped a more inviting mask and took the woman's order.
"Will that be all?" he asked after scribbling down her prior request.
She looked over her shoulder, and after confirming something, she added in a low voice:
"I'd love it if you could prepare for me a tragic ending as well."
Lucian's brown eyes narrowed as he heard the secret message. "Tragic ending" was code for requesting an audience with the boss. Only people in the know knew the code, meaning this woman was not a tourist.
'She has business with Lady Kuro?'
Lucian pretended to jot words down on his notepad in case someone was observing them.
"One moment, please."
After switching posts with Stussy—who was reluctantly against it—and gesturing to the supposed northerner to follow him to the exit, Lucian led her to an iron door behind the pub.
He quickly knocked five times, then paused for exactly two seconds, and added two more knocks in succession. The etherite crystals—a gemlike material extracted from the tower—embedded within the wall reacted to the rhythm of his knocking. The sound of steel bolts turning and locks loosening rang out for a moment, and then the iron door opened on its own accord.
What was revealed was an eerie staircase leading to the basement. The dim lights from flickering lightbulbs made the walk down feel far more foreboding.
"Lady Kuro really needs to get with the times. Secret underground lairs are so Old World coded," ridiculed the northerner. "Don't you think so as well, Lucian?"
"Huh, how do you know my name?" asked Lucian, feeling a sense of unease in his stomach.
The northerner's lips curled upward as she patted him on the back with a laugh.
"Don't be too suspicious of me. You're pretty well known in Stonekeep. How could I not? Lucian, raised in the Red Cross orphanage, was known as a combat genius in the past but fell from grace after failing to awaken his Desire after so many years. A sad and pathetic excuse for a loser that just gave up."
Lucian twisted his body and faced her, ready for battle. His pupils constricted at the sight of the enigmatic northerner.
"Don't you dare run your mouth as if you know my struggles! Now, who are you really? I'm not buying this 'You're famous' crap…"
"Oh," replied the northerner, stretching her arms, "I am in need of some entertainment."
But before either one could strike the other, a gravelly voice called out from below.
"Aurora?! By the Sun, you're still alive?" Lady Kuro revealed herself from the shadows, a rare smile on her elderly face.
Lucian lowered his fists as Lady Kuro showed some familiarity with Aurora, the untrustworthy northerner.
"Hey, do you think I'd forget that you owe me? I'm here to request some assistance with a certain job," said Aurora, walking past Lucian as if he were an afterthought.
Lady Kuro appeared hesitant for a moment and contemplated something. After a minute or so, she said, "...Let's talk in my office."
They soon entered her office. A weapon rack full of silver pistols, varying in design, and a scarred table holding empty beer bottles and unfinished paperwork came into view.
Lady Kuro gestured for Aurora to sit opposite her and for Lucian to stand quietly by the wall. He wasn't thrilled about being a spectator to their conversation, but Aurora insisted that he should be present for their talk.
"On with it. What exactly do you need?" asked Lady Kuro, her voice carrying a hint of curiosity.
"I'm after a Rogue. I've confirmed he currently resides here at Stonekeep," replied Aurora bluntly.
Lucian raised a brow at the mention of a Rogue being in Stonekeep.
A Rogue was an ascender who left behind their purpose to ascend the Tower of Desire, choosing a life bereft of virtue—often leading street gangs or abusing their abilities to enforce power on the weak.
Normally, Ascenders from the various guilds would be commissioned to handle the threats of Rogues. Still, Stonekeep, being the lawless slum that it was, made it the perfect environment for a Rogue to frequent.
"Interesting," replied Lady Kuro with a satisfied grin. "What do you know about the Rogue? Whereabouts, pictures, or any organization they might be associated with?"
Lucian watched in astonishment as Aurora drew several monotone photos from between her breasts. She spread them across the rough table, her finger landing on the picture of a cloaked figure sharing drinks with a man in a bone mask—whom Lucian recognized at first glance.
"Skirk, the leader of the Skull gang?" he blurted out unintentionally.
Aurora nodded her head and gave him a proud smile.
"Indeed, the Rogue I'm after has some connection with Skirk of the Skull gang. I plan to ask Skirk about him personally; however, that will not be easy, as I believe he, too, is a Rogue himself. Amassing a large criminal gang in a city as notorious as this one takes someone compelling. Well, that's my theory so far… I still have insufficient knowledge regarding the Skull gang."
Lady Kuro nodded her head and gave Lucian a dubious look.
"Well, it seems like the Sun favours you, Aurora. My lackey here has garnered a ton of animosity from members of the Skull gang. I suggest you use that to your advantage."
Aurora leaned back and snapped her fingers.
"Ah, yes. I did see the bodies on the floor when I arrived. That must've been our failed genius over here," she glanced at Lucian with an overjoyed expression. "Alright, I'll have you assist me with this mission."
"No, I will not!" Lucian declined her offer and gave his boss an exasperated look, "This is too dangerous, Lady Kuro. Even for me."
"Lucian," Lady Kuro shook her head exhaustively, "Open your damn eyes. This is an opportunity for you."
"What?" asked Lucian, failing to understand the true meaning behind her words.
Aurora's orange eye seemed to glow as she spoke in a serious tone:
"Lucian, it was Lady Kuro who told me all about you. Your strengths, your flaws, your fading aspirations, and your unrealized potential. I know it all. That passion of yours reminded me of my old self. Hence, this is an opportunity for you. If you help me hunt down the Rogue I'm after, I'll give you the secret needed to awaken your Desire."
Lucian's eyes widened. Shock, confusion, and fear all churned in his heart at the viable proposition.
Aurora stood from her seat and offered him a hand.
"What do you say? Will you wither and die in a shallow place like Stonekeep, or will you seize the chance to become someone you once dreamed of? Do you want to become an Ascender?"