Part 1: The Day Everything Changed
📍 City of Hero City – June 04, 2006
Explosions shook the buildings. Smoke and fire danced across the sky as if the heavens themselves had been torn apart. The city was in ruins, consumed by terror. The Order of Tyrus advanced — hooded figures wrapped in shadows, moving like relentless predators.
Amid the chaos, a woman bled as she shielded two boys. Her arms wrapped around a baby, her eyes pleading for one final chance.
— "Run, Lorien… take your brother. Now!" — she said, her voice trembling but firm.
The golden-haired boy with blue eyes stood frozen, staring at the blood running down the side of his mother's face.
— "Mom… you're… bleeding…"
She smiled, even through the pain.
— "Promise me you'll protect him… Promise you'll shine, Lorien. Because this light… the light you carry… is what might save the world."
Lorien didn't have time to respond. A nearby explosion forced him to run. Holding his baby brother — Darius — tight against his chest, he fled through shadow and fire.
Behind him, his mother vanished into the darkness.
That day, Lorien Valtier tasted the bitter sting of loss… and sparked the promise that would guide his life.
Five Years Later... Hero Training Academy – High Aurora
Lorien slept with his mouth wide open, his messy blond hair falling over part of his face. Sunlight filled the room, but he didn't seem to care.
The door slammed open.
— "LOREEEEEN! Let's go, sleep king! Draft Day is today!"
Kai stormed in, kicking his friend's bag. Red-haired, athletic and full of energy, he looked more hyped than usual.
— "Get lost, staircase clone…" — Lorien mumbled, covering his face with the pillow. — "What time is it…?"
— "Time for you to get up and become a legend. The Association's picking Ray Stormbreak's successor!"
Lorien yawned and laughed, turning lazily.
— "Screw Ray Stormbreak… I'm Lorien Valtier — hottest blond on this continent. I'm my own hero."
Kai made a face.
— "Sometimes you say the dumbest stuff… that ends up making sense."
National Draft – Registration Field
The place was packed. Teens in training uniforms — some with visible auras, others just sweating bullets. Lorien and Kai stood among them, filling out forms while teasing each other.
Then, silence fell.
A girl cut through the crowd like she was made of blades. Red hair. Sharp eyes. A stride of sheer purpose. Diana.
Lorien's eyes widened as he turned to Kai.
— "Did you see that redhead? Bro, I'm in love."
— "You don't even know her name, idiot."
— "Her name is… future Mrs. Valtier."
Lorien tried to chat her up, but she completely ignored him. Diana walked right past him — cold as steel.
Kai laughed.
— "She's gonna break you in half, man."
— "And I'll thank her with a smile."
Aura Measurement Hall
A floating orb hovered in the center of the room. Each candidate was tested for the amount and purity of their Primordial Aura. When Lorien touched the orb… it cracked.
The monitor nearly dropped his clipboard.
— "What the…? This kid… he's got more aura than Ray Stormbreak himself!"
Whispers erupted around the room. All eyes turned to Lorien.
Kai stepped up next — the glow was almost as strong.
— "Well… guess we're both prodigies."
Lorien gave a small smile — this time, more serious.
— "I can already smell our epic showdown, bro."
Kai raised his fist. Lorien bumped it.
— "To the top, brother."
The Hero's Arrival
The murmuring stopped as a man entered the hall.
Short blond hair, intense green eyes, a black cape with a golden crest on the shoulder: Ray Stormbreak.
In his arms, he carried a child with dark hair: Inavy.
Silence. Some students knelt. Others stepped back, awestruck by the presence of the greatest living hero.
Ray scanned the crowd… but his gaze landed on two boys in particular.
— "The first generation… is blooming."
Inavy stretched his tiny arm toward Lorien — as if he already knew him.
Ray smiled.
— "Keep an eye on them, son… Someday, you'll fight beside them."
End of Chapter
"Heroes aren't born ready.""They shine… even in pieces.""Radiant. Not perfect."