The streets buzzed with the careless chatter of teenagers—sneakers scraping pavement, laughter like tiny daggers, and Osei Jerry stood among them, rehearsing normalcy.
"Hey guys, never thought I'd see you here," he said with a grin too perfect, too sculpted.
Joe—the cool kid, leader of the pack—nodded at him. "Yo, what's up? We were just talking about the latest trends online."
A couple heads turned. Harry smirked.
Osei scratched his head, sensors up, feeling every flicker of judgment in the air.
"Um, yeah, uh…," he stammered.
Joe tilted his head. "Why are you stuttering? Don't tell me you don't know. Don't be John."
Laughter, light but laced with malice.
Osei panicked. "No, not exactly—I mean, of course I know! The sock trend, yeah… where it talks and—uh, you know…"
Harry raised an eyebrow. "Bro… that trend's prehistoric. You seriously don't know the new stuff? Look at this guy… clueless. It's almost cute."
Joe chuckled. "It's alright, man. He's just living under a cave. Probably doesn't even have a phone."
Georgia giggled from the side. "Bet his mama still bathes him too."
Osei's voice cracked under the weight of his nerves. "N-no… I have a phone. It's just—"
Harry cackled, "Let me guess—your mom seized it? Haaa!"
Joe waved a hand. "Alright, cut it out. We all know he's a momma's boy."
Osei's breath caught. His eyes burned. Without another word, he turned and walked away.
---
Home.
The door creaked open to reveal his mother, Nancy, arms folded, eyes stern.
"Where have you been, eh? I told you to stay inside."
His face twitched.
"Well, maybe I wouldn't have to find distractions if you didn't take my phone," he snapped.
Nancy's eyes widened. "Excuse me?"
"You don't get it, Mom! I hate it here. I hate you. You don't understand anything about me!"
The silence was like thunder.
Nancy stepped forward, reaching for him. "You're following those boys again, eh? You think you're grown?"
He jerked away from her grasp.
"I'm done being your puppet!"
He stormed out—blinded by emotion, fists clenched, the world spinning.
---
Two Hours Later.
The house was dark. The air, thick.
Smoke slithered down the hall like a serpent.
Osei's voice trembled. "Mom…?"
No reply.
He stepped forward. Something squelched beneath his foot.
Blood.
"Mom… no…"
His eyes adjusted. Her body lay still—lifeless. A knife nearby. Red everywhere.
His scream never fully formed. It caught in his throat, knotted and buried beneath disbelief.
"MOM! Please… wake up… I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…"
A voice slithered into his ear.
"This is your fault… You killed her…"
He froze.
"You wanted this. You liked it. You wished her gone… and now, she is."
"No… I didn't…"
"You wanted freedom… didn't care about the cost… and now you have it."
Tears fell freely now. He dropped to his knees.
"Succumb, child… bask in that twisted truth."
Then came the grin—an involuntary smirk of the soul recognizing its own darkness.
"Yes… that's it," the ghoul whispered. "Accept it. Let the filth inside you breathe."
But before the grin could twist into madness—
A light. Brilliant. Raw. Real.
"No, child."
The voice was calm thunder, eternal wind.
"You didn't do this. The darkness is not yours. You are pure of heart, Osei Jerry. Naïve… yes. But pure."
He looked up. The Creation Stone hovered in front of him, radiant, pulsing with warmth and clarity.
"She didn't kill herself. The ghoul did. You were tricked. But now… you have a choice. Rise."
And rise he did.
His spirit, once twisted in shame, snapped straight with resolve. His instincts—a curse in the world of men—became his gift in the eyes of Avia.
A pulse of Avian energy coursed through him. His consciousness merged with the nature of foresight itself.
His eyes glowed.
Avian Affinity Activated: Instinct Manipulation.
Osei's voice echoed, soft but steel-edged:
"I will not succumb to the darkness… even though it's hard. Strength isn't in fists—it's in the will to stand, no matter the odds. I'll walk the longer road, the harder path… because shortcuts never lead to truth."
His aura erupted—pure, devastating, blinding.
The ghoul screamed as it evaporated like mist.
The room exploded with light.
---
Elsewhere.
Osei opened his eyes.
He was in the antique store. Dust settled around glowing artifacts and ancient maps.
A man waited for him.
Kainen.
His voice, deep and filled with ancient sorrow: "Hello, Earthling. I'm sorry… for what happened. But once you've chosen this path, there's no turning back. You must give up everything you know."
Osei didn't hesitate.
"I'm ready."
The Orphan HEALER
Scene: The Orphanage and Yyvone's Journey
---
The orphanage buzzed with activity. Its bright walls, once dull and uninspiring, now gleamed with warmth as children were eagerly adopted by families who expected nothing less than excellence. A picture-perfect future was always the goal—beautiful homes, well-behaved children, and dreams as pristine as the paint on the walls. But amidst the joy, there was one child who sat in silence. Yyvone, bound to a wheelchair, sat quietly, smiling through the cracks in her heart.
She watched as children, faster and stronger, were picked one by one. Adopted. Given a chance at a life she could only dream of. Yyvone never seemed to catch anyone's eye. She knew this truth well, and though it stung every time, she never let it show. She tried her best to help others, her small hands guiding the others, always pretending that the loneliness didn't eat away at her soul.
In a world where only the strong survive, Yyvone was a whisper of kindness. But kindness often led to pain. And though her heart was pure, the universe seemed to grind her down. She didn't blame anyone for her suffering, but it felt, at times, like being good only meant being stepped on.
Life wasn't kind. The world was not the magical place it promised to be. Every day she woke up, she reminded herself: Do your best, and the world will thank you. But it never did. In fact, the world took, took, took. And in return? It gave nothing but bitterness.
---
One fateful day, Yyvone was rolling her wheelchair down the corridor of the orphanage, the clatter of her wheels echoing in the quiet halls. Without warning, a nurse burst through a door, her arms wide and her mind elsewhere. The force of the door knocked Yyvone off balance, sending her careening toward the stairs. In the split second that it happened, Yyvone's world turned upside down.
The crash, the scream, the blur as she tumbled down the stairs—it was all too much. A crippling fall. Her body was broken, and her spirit wasn't far behind.
---
Scene: The Hospital
In a sterile hospital room, Yyvone lay motionless, her breathing shallow. The harsh light above flickered like a dying star. A ghoul appeared, creeping slowly, as if it was a shadow trying to merge with the darkness. It was tall, its form flickering, like a being caught between worlds.
The ghoul's voice was soft, its words laced with sorrowful mockery.
Ghoul: "So sad... The world is so cruel, even a fragile thing like you is paying the price. They don't deserve your kindness. They know you're not worth it. No one will ever choose you. You are nothing more than a forgotten child."
Yyvone felt a chill run down her spine, but something inside her resisted.
Yyvone: "You're wrong... People deserve second chances. Maybe it doesn't seem fair, but they deserve it. Even if I can't be chosen, I'll choose myself."
The ghoul tilted its head, dark amusement in its eyes. It chuckled, then began to show Yyvone the true nature of humanity. The emptiness of the world. It whispered the harsh truths of selfishness, of abandonment.
---
Outside her room, the doctors were discussing Yyvone's condition. The conversation was grim.
Doctor: "I understand your frustrations, but her condition is dire. If we don't act now, she may not survive this."
Orphanage Attendant: "I didn't think it would be this expensive... We can't do anything. If that's the case... then... then we'll leave her for a while."
Doctor: "What? You can't be serious!"
The attendant's silence spoke volumes. They'd given up on her. They couldn't afford to care for a broken girl.
Yyvone's eyes, already heavy with despair, began to water. The truth stung. The world didn't care for her. In that moment, the ghoul's words found their mark.
Ghoul: "See? No one cares about you. If you were valuable, they'd move mountains to save you. But they'll always choose convenience over kindness. You're just a burden."
Yyvone: "I'm just a child… Why would they do this to me? I don't understand…"
The ghoul's voice grew darker, but then, just as all hope seemed lost, something changed.
---
The Creation Stone. Its ethereal light bathed the room, and in the presence of its glow, the ghoul's influence seemed to evaporate like mist. The stone pulsed with warmth, calling out to Yyvone's spirit.
Creation Stone: "No, Yyvone. Don't do it. The world isn't fair, but that doesn't mean you should become like them. Don't let the bitterness turn you into what you hate. Heal, instead of destroying. It may not be the logical path, but it's the right one. You have a choice, and it's one that will change everything."
Yyvone's heart beat faster. The stone's words were clear, guiding her away from the precipice. She understood. She wasn't meant to let pain turn her into something dark.
Yyvone: "I know what I must do…"
She reached out and touched the Creation Stone. It flooded her with warmth, filling her with power she never thought possible. Her body, though physically fragile, transformed into something stronger. She could feel her spirit rise as she ascended. She was no longer broken. She was whole.
She floated above the sky, the world below her fading into insignificance. Her heart lightened as she realized that there was more to her than the body that had once held her down.
Yyvone: "Thank you, Stone... I thought I lost hope…"
Creation Stone: "You never lost anything. You're about to gain everything."
With that, Yyvone's transformation was complete. She ascended to the High Grounds of Airious, a place of peace and power, a world of beauty that seemed to stretch infinitely before her.
Yyvone: "So, this is the fantasy come to life... I've seen it all…"
Her voice held wonder and resolve, a smile tugging at her lips. And then, she met Osei Jerry and Kainen.
---
Osei Jerry: "Yo... I guess I wasn't alone after all... good to see someone else here."
Yyvone looked at him, her smile widening. She wasn't the same girl she once was. The pain of her past no longer weighed her down. She was stronger, and she was ready to make a difference.
---
Kainen: "Your journey is just beginning, Yyvone. The trials ahead may be difficult, but with your healing power, you can change more than just your own fate. You can heal the world."
Yyvone: "I'm ready. No one else can choose me... but now, I choose to heal."
---
Her path was now clear, and the world awaited her touch.