1 PROLOGUE: Departure

Alex and George glared at each other in the wreckage of a city that had been completely destroyed by their battle.

They had clashed many times before, but this time was different. Only one could leave alive today. In the beginning they had been pit against each other by forces at work, but after all that they had made each other lose, there was no way for them to possibly reconcile by now.

The air between them seemed to stand still and was filled with emotions cultivated over many years, dense enough to choke anyone who stood close.

George raised his red sword that had been his companion for years on years, and uttered one word.

"Flash."

Immediately, thunder struck and lightning fell from the sky, encasing him in a golden glow. Golden armor formed around his body, his sword turned to black lightning and his eyes went black.

He gazed at Alex who stood far away, and breathed out a challenge.

"Come. Today, we will end this."

Alex didn't respond, but raised his twin black daggers that were so jagged that they looked like they would tear through anything.

He too narrowed his eyes and spoke.

"Monarch of the Night."

Nothing happened for a few moments, but then darkness fell. Black so thick and all encompassing that it seemed to bring with it, the end of the world.

No one moved, but they both knew. They only way for them to be truly free would be to end each other's life.

At the same time, they took a step. 

Instantaneously,  a light so bright so that it was like a star came to prominence. Within that light, two lives fought to the death, knowing that only through this, could they become free.

-

-

-

[An Unknown Amount of Time in the Past]

"George, your father and I have something to tell you."

George Chukwueze Okoye, a six year old child with curly black hair and brown eyes, turned o face his parents who gazed at him with a intense expression while holding a school uniform.

This was Barilan Federation, a small country at the northern tip of the continent. It was not officially recognized as an independent state, so it's political status was always ambiguous.

It was founded by former slaves who wanted a better life. Due to their former status, they were not knowledgeable enough to run a country, and ended up running it into the ground.

They looted the country's coffers and left for greener pastures. This led to the current state of Barilan. The land where Barilan is located is in a northern, rocky area, which doesn't have  fertile soil or natural resources, which didn't encourage investors, so the country just runs on fumes. 

The Okoye household was an upper lower class income family that always managed to make ends meet. Despite their financial situation, they lived a happy  life.

The small apartment where they lived was cramped, with barely any room to move around. It had only five tiny rooms, a kitchen, bathroom, living room and two small bedrooms where the family slept at night.

His father, Paul Okoye, worked in a public school as a janitor, while his mother, Amanda Okoye, worked as a bagger at a supermarket. 

"Mom, what's in your hand?"

"Never mind about that George. You know we love you, right?"

George smiled at his mother.

"Of course I do."

"You also know we would never do anything that would put you in danger, right?"

"Yes."

'There's an opportunity for you to leave this country."

"Many people don't get an opportunity like this."

  His father added to the conversation from the side.

"Paul, shut up."

"Sorry."

"We won a lottery. The prize is a full scholarship to an academy in Pain Federation. It's called Freestone Academy. It's the best academy in the whole continent of Kalida and one of the best in the world of Deva. If you go to this academy, you can become like those Ranked people you see on TV. You've always said you wanted to become Ranked."

"Really?"

The expression on his face was one of hopefulness and delight.

"Yes, really."

"Am I really going?", George said. His face had stretched into a big smile.

"Yes, you are. You know, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity for those of us who live in Barilan. There are no academies to teach anyone how to become Ranked. "

"It isn't long until you have to go, so let's go pack."

With that, George ran off, with his mother following close behind him. However, his father stayed behind, with a sad look on his face.

'Why do we still do this? What's the point?'

-

-

A few days later, George, who was wearing the uniform, and his parents were at the train station. 

Well, that's if a rundown building next to a railway could be called a train station? It had trains resembling those from the early twentieth century, with a dirty environment.  People stood on the platform overlooking the tracks, searching for their trains manually. George and his family stood on the platform overlooking the tracks, amongst the crowd, searching for George's train. There were two big suitcases by George's side. 

As they were doing this, a complicated expression could be seen on his father's face.

"Oh, there it is! Let's go", his mother said, and took off running. George was about to start running as well, but his father held him back.

"George, before you go, I need to tell you something. And you must follow this advice I'm going to give you, no matter the situation. Even if someone insults you or your family."

"What do you mean, Dad?"

A perplexed look could be seen on George's face.

"Listen closely to what I say. Do not be impulsive when you go there. Always think about the consequences of what you want to do before you do it. You might not fully understand this now, but you will when you get there."

George now looked even more confused. 

His father ruffled his hair.

"Don't think about it too much. Like I said, you'll understand when you get there."

"Now let's go before your mother comes looking for us."

They then walked off into the crowd towards the train. However, George couldn't help but look back at the city and wonder.

'When will I see this place again?'