Bronzewick never slept. It rumbled—like the chest of a giant animal breathing under stone and steel. Machinery clanged in the distance, smoke drifted from forge-towers, and the streets, wide as rivers, were filled with warriors boasting thunderous voices and arms thick as pillars.
Kai walked among them like a ghost.
He kept his hood low, arms wrapped around a pile of scavenged metal pieces sticking out of a ragged canvas bag. Around him, Brutalists laughed, shoved each other, challenged one another to lifting contests or street duels. Power defined everything here.
And Kai had none.
He slipped down a side alley that led to the salvage yard where he worked—if one could call it work. Mostly he fetched scraps for Old Bram, the one-eyed keeper of the Yard. Kai preferred it that way; Bram never asked for strength.
The alley opened onto a fence of twisted iron and heaps of metallic junk rising like small mountains. As Kai entered, Bram grumbled without looking up from his bench.
"You're late. Again."
Kai set down the bag. "The main street was blocked. A duel."
"A duel is always happening," Bram said, scratching his beard. "But you're always late. That's what concerns me."
Kai swallowed a sigh. "I— I'll do better."
Bram finally turned, his single eye narrowing. He wasn't unkind; he was simply a man shaped by a world that rewarded blunt efficiency.
"You're a good kid," Bram said, softer. "But this place will eat you alive if you don't grow a spine. Or muscles." He chuckled at his own joke. "You can barely lift a wrench."
Kai smiled weakly. "I try."
"No. You think," Bram corrected. "Thinking doesn't win fights here."
Kai looked away. Maybe that's why I don't belong here, he thought.
As Bram sorted the bag's contents, Kai wandered toward the back of the Yard—a forbidden area full of older, stranger ruins. Metal that hummed faintly. Chunks of architecture not made by any forge. Shards etched with patterns no one could decipher. Bram always kept this place locked, but the lock was weak today, hanging half-open.
Kai hesitated.
"Just a quick look," he whispered.
He slipped inside.
The air changed immediately. It felt colder, denser. The junk here wasn't rusted; it was… ancient. 🛐🐉
He ran his fingers along the surface of a smooth, black slab of stone. It was warm.
A faint whisper brushed his ear.
"You hear us." 🧙✨✨
Kai's heart pounded. He spun around, but the room was still. He leaned closer to the stone. A symbol faintly glowed—just a flicker, ✨ like a dying firefly. It illuminated a circular emblem: a crescent wrapped around an eye. 👁️🌙
Kai's breath caught.
He knew this symbol. Everyone did. It was carved into the ruins of old temples, printed on cautionary posters, paraded by government authorities:
THE MARK OF THE SORCERER AGE — NOW EXTINCT.
"No way…" Kai whispered.
The glow pulsed brighter.
"Touch."
He froze. "Who's saying that?"*
Silence.
Then the symbol pulsed again, lighting the whole slab.
Kai could turn back. Walk away. Pretend nothing happened.
But curiosity tugged harder than fear.
He reached out.
His fingertips touched the symbol—
—And the world rumbled. ⚡⚡✨
A shockwave burst from the slab, knocking Kai backward onto the metal floor. His ears rang. The air rippled with threads of light twisting like living strands. They swirled around his arms, coils of shimmering energy.
Kai gasped. The threads tightened—and sank into his skin.
He screamed.
Images flooded his mind: ancient battles, towers of crystal, storms shaped by human will. A thousand forgotten spells whispered at once. A voice boomed through the chaos:
"THE SILENT ART CHOOSES."
Then—
Everything stopped.
Kai lay trembling, his breath shallow. The slab dimmed to darkness. The whispering faded.
"What… what was that?"
He lifted his hand. A faint symbol— the crescent-eye—glowed beneath the skin of his palm before fading.
Footsteps thundered behind him.
"What in the blazing pits was that noise!?" Bram roared.
Kai scrambled up, hiding his hand. Bram shoved aside a metal beam, entering the chamber with fury in his eye.
"I told you not to come back here!" Bram barked. "Are you trying to bring the authorities on me? These ruins are forbidden!"
"I—I'm sorry! I didn't mean— something activated—"
"Nothing activates in here," Bram snapped. Then he paused, sniffing the air. "Though… damn. Something does smell burnt."
Kai felt heat pulse through his veins. He clenched his fist.
Bram narrowed his eye. "Kai… did you touch anything?"
Kai opened his mouth— but another voice interrupted.
A deep boom echoed outside, followed by fierce shouting.
Bram stiffened. "Brutalists. Sounds like a patrol squad." His face darkened. "We're done for if they find you here. Out. Now."
"But—"
"MOVE!"
Bram shoved him toward the front of the Yard.
As they reached the entrance, three Brutalists—towering, armored, their arms like stone pillars—stormed in.
The leader barked, "We detected an anomalous surge of energy near this district. Identify the source."
Kai's stomach dropped.
Bram stepped forward. "Just me and the kid. Nothing but scrap metal here."
The Brutalist leaned down, glaring at Kai like a predator.
"You! What were you doing?"
Kai forced his voice steady. "Just… sorting junk."
The Brutalist snorted. "Weakling like you couldn't sort a loaf of bread."
The other warriors laughed.
But Kai felt something. A spark. ⚡👁️ A faint tingle behind his eyes 👁️⚡. The same energy that had wrapped around him moments ago.
The lead Brutalist leaned closer. "If you're hiding anything—anything at all—your body will be broken before you can scream."
That spark burned hotter.
Kai clenched his fists. "I'm hiding nothing."
For an instant, the air vibrated. 💫 Barely noticeable—but enough that the Brutalist flinched.
His eyes narrowed. "What was that?"
Kai swallowed. Did I do that?
But Bram stepped in. "He's just scared. You're three grown warriors threatening a scrawny boy. Congratulations."
The Brutalist growled, but ultimately turned away. "If we detect another surge, we'll level this entire yard."
When they left, Bram exhaled shakily. "Kai… something happened back there." His voice was barely above a whisper. "Tell me the truth. All of it."
Kai hesitated—then opened his palm. The symbol glowed once more beneath his skin.
Bram staggered back. "By the gods… magic. Actual magic."
Kai nodded, trembling. "I think it… woke up."
Bram stared at him for a long moment.
Then he said the words that would change Kai's life forever: "Kid… you have no idea how dead you'll be if anyone else sees that."
And then, softer—
"Or how powerful you might become."