The sky above Caelum Village was bright, the clouds drifting lazily as the ocean breeze carried the smell of salt across the small, quiet island. In this remote corner of the North Blue, life was peaceful. Few people lived in the village, each one knowing the other by name. Children played in the fields, elders sat in front of their homes, and the sound of the waves crashing against the shore brought a sense of calm.
Sargon D. Lucius, a boy of only eight, was running through the village paths. His blue hair, messy and wild, bounced with every step, his bright eyes filled with the carefree spirit of a child. Though small and thin, there was something about him, a spark in his eyes, that hinted at something greater. He had always felt a bit different, though he didn't know why. Today, though, he wasn't thinking about any of that. He was simply racing the wind, laughing as he went.
But the peace wouldn't last.
Out of nowhere, a ship appeared on the horizon, dark sails cutting through the sky. It wasn't long before the pirates arrived, storming onto the island like a plague. Fires were set, homes were torn apart, and the peaceful village was turned into a scene of horror. Screams filled the air. The smell of smoke and blood hung heavy.
Lucius, who had run off toward the cliffs earlier, hadn't seen them arrive. When he returned to the village, his heart stopped.
People were dead. Bodies lay scattered like broken toys, some villagers he had known his whole life. Blood stained the ground, mixing with the dirt, and the once lively Caelum Village looked more like a graveyard.
His legs gave out beneath him. He fell to his knees, his hands trembling as his young mind tried to process the scene in front of him. His eyes widened with fear, confusion, and helplessness. "What... what is happening?"
Then, he heard it. A scream.
His heart skipped a beat. That voice... he knew it. "Mom?" He scrambled to his feet, stumbling as he ran towards the sound.
He found her in the middle of the chaos, a pirate towering over her. His mother was being dragged by the arm, her eyes wide with terror. The pirate sneered down at her, completely unaware of the small boy watching.
Lucius's fists clenched. "Stop it!" he shouted, but his voice was too small, too weak. The pirate didn't even flinch.
"Stop it!" He yelled again, running toward them. His voice, though louder, was still filled with helplessness. He could feel the fear twisting in his gut, but something else was building too, something deep inside him. It was anger—pure, unfiltered rage.
And then, in his next shout, it exploded.
"STOP IT!" Lucius's voice came out in a scream of agony, and with it, a wave of unseen energy burst out from him. The air rippled, and the pirate suddenly froze, his body collapsing to the ground with a thud. Lucius didn't understand what had just happened. He didn't even notice.
He rushed to his mother's side, tears welling in his eyes. "Mom! Are you okay?" His small hands grabbed her arm as he knelt beside her. His voice was trembling. "I'll protect you... I promise."
His mother's eyes were wide, both from fear and shock. She looked at her son, not knowing what had just occurred, but for now, they were safe.
Lucius knelt beside his mother, panic tightening in his chest as he examined her. Her breathing was shallow, and her once-kind face was twisted in pain. There was blood—too much blood. Her knee was swollen and badly injured, and her head had a deep cut, with blood slowly trickling down her face.
"Mom, you're hurt…" Lucius whispered, his small voice trembling. His hands were shaking as he touched her arm. He had never seen her like this before—so weak, so helpless. His heart felt heavy, and his eyes burned with tears that refused to fall.
His mother tried to smile, but it was faint. "I'm okay... Lucius..." she whispered, her voice soft and filled with pain. "We need to get... away…"
But Lucius couldn't hear her anymore. His eyes had locked onto the pirate lying nearby, unconscious. The sight of him—the one who had hurt his mother, who had turned their peaceful village into a nightmare—set something off inside Lucius. The fear that had gripped him moments ago began to fade, replaced by something much darker. Rage.
Without thinking, Lucius stood up, his eyes narrowing as he walked toward the pirate. His small fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white. He didn't understand what was happening inside him, but all he could feel was anger, a burning, wild anger that seemed to take control of his body.
The pirate groaned, still unaware of the danger he was in. His weapons had been scattered when he fell, and nearby, a dagger gleamed in the sunlight. Lucius bent down, his fingers wrapping around the cold handle of the blade.
He looked at the pirate's face—this monster who had hurt his mom, who had destroyed their home. His heart pounded in his chest, and his breath came out in short, shallow bursts.
"You're the reason..." Lucius muttered under his breath, his voice barely a whisper. His grip tightened on the dagger. "You're the reason this happened."
With a sudden surge of rage, Lucius plunged the dagger into the pirate's neck. The blade sank deep, and the pirate's body twitched. Lucius didn't stop. He pulled the dagger out, then stabbed again. And again. Over and over. Blood splattered across the ground, staining his hands, but he didn't notice. He couldn't stop.
Each stab felt like a release, a way to let out all the pain and fear that had been building inside him. He wasn't a child in that moment. He was something else—something broken.
Finally, after what felt like forever, Lucius stopped. His chest was heaving, and the dagger slipped from his blood-soaked hands, clattering onto the ground. The pirate lay motionless, his lifeless eyes staring at nothing.
Lucius stood there for a moment, staring at what he had done. His breath was shaky, but the rage was still there, simmering just beneath the surface. Slowly, he bent down and picked up the dagger again, wiping the blood on his shirt. He wasn't the same boy who had run through the village just hours ago. Something had changed.
He turned back toward his mother, who had been watching the whole thing with wide, horrified eyes. Her sweet little Lucius… had become something unrecognizable. She couldn't speak. Couldn't find the words.
Lucius walked back to her, sliding the dagger into his belt. His face was cold now, his bright eyes shadowed with something dark. "I'll help you, Mom," he said quietly, his voice flat. He gently took her arm, lifting her to her feet. She winced, leaning heavily on him.
They walked slowly, Lucius supporting her as they made their way into the thick forest, leaving behind the village that had once been their home—a village that was now a graveyard.
The forest loomed ahead, thick with trees and shadows. Lucius moved slowly, his small body struggling to support his mother as they limped deeper into the woods. Every step felt heavy, his legs trembling beneath the weight of everything that had happened. The blood on his hands had started to dry, but it still felt warm, reminding him of what he had just done.
Behind them, the sounds of destruction still echoed from the village—the laughter of pirates, the crash of broken furniture, the cries of survivors. Lucius tried to block it out, focusing only on helping his mother move forward. But his heart was racing, his mind still swirling with images of the pirate he had stabbed over and over again. He gripped the dagger tighter at his waist, as if the cold metal would keep him grounded.
"Lucius..." his mother's weak voice broke the silence. "We... we need to hide... they'll... find us..."
Lucius nodded, his face set with determination. He wouldn't let anyone else hurt her. Not again.
Back in the village, the chaos continued. Pirates ransacked homes, tossing aside anything that wasn't valuable. The village, once peaceful and lively, was now in ruins.
A large, broad-shouldered pirate walked lazily through the destruction, a smirk plastered on his dirty, scarred face. He had dark, greasy hair that hung in his eyes, and his teeth were yellow and crooked. He wore a tattered brown coat, with a large sword strapped to his back. His boots crunched against the dirt as he strode through the wreckage, looking for more things to steal.
This pirate was called Jasper, a cruel man with a temper that made even his own crew cautious around him. He was tall, with muscles built from years of fighting and looting. His arms were covered in tattoos of skulls and crossed bones, and his face bore a long, jagged scar across his left cheek, a reminder of some past battle.
Jasper was grumbling to himself as he walked, kicking aside the broken remains of what used to be a merchant's stall. He looked around for his crewmate, a man named Cobalt, who had wandered off a little while ago. "Where the hell did that idiot go?" Jasper muttered under his breath, his boots stomping through the dirt.
As he neared the edge of the village, he called out. "Cobalt! Oi, Cobalt, where'd you wander off to, ya lazy bastard?"
There was no answer.
Jasper frowned, his pace slowing as he approached the area where Cobalt was last seen. The smoke from burning buildings swirled around him as he pushed past a half-collapsed wall. "Cobalt! You deaf or somethin'?!" His voice was louder now, tinged with annoyance.
And then he saw it.
The body lay sprawled in the dirt, lifeless, surrounded by dark red blood that had soaked into the ground. Jasper's heart skipped a beat. His eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at the familiar figure.
"Coba—" his voice cracked before he finished. "COBALT!"
The name ripped from his throat in a furious roar, echoing through the village. Jasper rushed to the body, dropping to one knee beside his fallen crewmate. Cobalt's eyes were open, staring blankly at the sky, his throat slashed with brutal precision. The blood pooled beneath him, thick and sticky.
Jasper's hands shook with rage as he clenched his fists, his face contorted with fury. His mind raced, trying to make sense of what he was seeing. "Who the hell… did this?"
His shout carried through the village, cutting through the noise. Pirates stopped what they were doing, turning toward the sound. One by one, they gathered around Jasper, staring down at the lifeless body of their fallen comrade.
A murmur spread through the group, fear mixing with confusion.
"What happened?" "Who did this to him?" "He was alive just a while ago..."
Jasper stood, towering over the other pirates, his face red with anger. "Find who did this," he growled, his voice low and dangerous. "And bring them to me. I'll make 'em pay."