NAYRAX: The Half Chain

NAYRAX Chapter One: Half of the Chain Ten years ago, Irav's life changed forever. The afternoon sun shone over the quiet streets as the young boy hurried home from school, his backpack bouncing against his shoulders. He smiled at the thought of his mother's cooking, eager to return to the warmth of home. But that happiness disappeared the moment he reached his house. The front door stood open. Irav slowed down, staring at it in confusion. His mother never left the door unlocked, let alone open. “Mother?” he called as he stepped inside. Silence answered him. Broken furniture lay scattered across the floor, shattered glass glittered beneath his feet, and deep marks covered the walls. Something terrible had happened here. Before he could understand what he was seeing, a scratching sound came from behind him. Two crimson eyes appeared in the darkness. A massive demon emerged, its black horns curving above its head and its long claws glinting ominously. “At last,” it growled. “I've found the son of the Chain Guardian.” Fear tightened Irav's chest. “What are you?” The demon lunged toward him, but a desperate voice interrupted its attack. “Irav! Run!” His mother lay injured beside a wall, clutching a broken silver chain with a small blue stone at its center. Irav rushed to her, barely noticing the danger behind him. “Mother! What happened?” With trembling hands, she placed the chain around his neck. “This chain is your responsibility,” she whispered. “I don't understand!” “The other half is with your brother. You must find him.” Before Irav could ask another question, the demon's footsteps echoed through the ruined house. His mother gripped his shoulders. “Never remove this chain. And never trust anyone who asks you about it.” “Please, come with me!” She touched his cheek, her eyes filled with sorrow. “Irav… live.” Then she pushed him toward the back door. He stumbled outside and turned just in time to see unnatural black light erupt from the house. “Mother!” The explosion threw him to the ground. As he struggled to rise, the blue stone around his neck began to glow. Within it, the faint silhouette of a tiny girl appeared, her transparent wings barely visible. A mysterious voice whispered, “Sleep now… Guardian of the First Half.” Then the figure vanished. That night, Irav lost everything he loved. He had no idea that the chain he wore carried a secret that would one day change the fate of his world. Ten years passed. Irav grew into a quiet high school student, known for his inability to use magic. While other students summoned flames and formed powerful barriers, he could barely produce a spark. Still, he never removed the silver chain his mother had left him. One morning, he stood in the academy courtyard beside his closest friend, Nirok. “Still trying to use magic?” Nirok asked. “Every day.” “And?” “Nothing.” Nirok sighed. “You don't have to be the strongest person in the academy to matter.” Irav smiled faintly, though the words did little to silence his doubts. A familiar voice interrupted them. “Irav! Are you coming to watch the magic assessment?” Silva asked. “I don't see the point.” “Maybe you'll discover you're wrong.” Her quiet confidence made him agree. As they headed toward the training grounds, Nirok noticed the way Irav looked at her and grinned. “You wouldn't miss an opportunity to spend time with her, would you?” “Nirok, stop it,” Irav muttered. Their brief laughter ended when the city alarm suddenly rang. A demonic gate had appeared in the eastern sector. Darkness spread across the sky as a black rift opened above the buildings. Demons poured into the streets, sending civilians running in terror. City guards raised magical barriers, but one enormous demon shattered a barrier with a single strike. “We need to get out of here!” Silva shouted. “And leave everyone behind?” Irav asked. Before she could answer, a child screamed beneath the wreckage of a carriage. Irav ran toward him. “Irav, wait!” Nirok called. Ignoring the danger, Irav struggled to lift the wreckage until the child was free. But as the boy escaped, the massive demon turned toward Irav's neck. “The First Half… it's here.” Irav instinctively touched the blue stone. “What are you talking about?” “Give me the chain, and I'll let the humans live.” “Never.” The demon attacked before Irav could escape. One powerful strike sent him crashing across the road. He tried to stand, but pain overwhelmed him, and his legs trembled beneath his weight. “Weak, just as I expected,” the demon sneered. Irav barely avoided another attack. For the first time, he understood how powerless he truly was. Nearby, Silva was helping civilians when a collapsing building trapped her path. A smaller demon approached her, but Nirok rushed forward and pulled her away. Dark energy struck his arm. “Run!” he shouted. Silva hesitated, worried about him, before hurrying toward Irav. “We have to leave!” “I lost,” Irav admitted. “I can't fight it like this.” “Then change the way you fight,” she replied. “You don't have to defeat it alone. Just don't let it reach the people behind you.” Irav looked toward the rescued child. Something inside him refused to let another innocent person suffer while he stood helpless. The chain began to tremble. Suddenly, the sounds of battle disappeared. Irav found himself in a mysterious darkness surrounded by floating silver rings. Before him stood a tiny girl with silver hair, transparent wings, and glowing blue particles drifting around her. “Who are you?” he asked. “My name is Lumiera. I am the spirit of the guardian fairy. Your mother carried my covenant.” “Then you know what happened to her?” “I know part of the truth.” “Who killed her?” “The demon before you is not the only one responsible.” Lumiera studied him carefully. “The First Half responds to the desire to protect. If you surrender now, you'll never discover the truth.” “But I don't have magic!” “You don't need to begin with strength. You need a reason to fight.” Irav remembered the frightened child, Silva's determination, and Nirok risking himself to save her. “I want to protect them.” “Then allow me to merge with you. But your body cannot withstand my full power.” Irav extended his hand. “Let's stop that monster.” Lumiera placed her hand over his. “Begin the merging!” In the real world, the chain erupted with blue light. Its silver links separated and wrapped around Irav's right arm, forming shining armor. Blue markings appeared across his skin as white energy surrounded him. For a brief moment, transparent wings unfolded behind him. Silva stared in astonishment. “What is this power?” Irav opened his eyes. “I can hear her.” The demon attacked, and Irav raised his armored arm. A circular shield formed from the chain, stopping the demon's claws for an instant. But the power was unstable. The demon shattered parts of the armor and struck the ground with dark energy, forcing Irav to his knees. “Your power isn't yours yet,” it declared. When another attack threatened Silva and the child, Irav refused to retreat. Instead of confronting the demon directly, he stretched the chain around broken pillars and redirected the blast toward an empty road. The explosion shook the street, but Silva and the child were safe. Although exhausted, Irav continued fighting alongside the arriving guards. Together, they restrained the demon and destroyed the black mark on its chest. The creature dissolved into dark smoke. Before disappearing, it stared at Irav. “The other half… will awaken the war.” Irav collapsed from exhaustion. Silva rushed to his side, relieved when he managed a weak joke about needing a week of sleep. After the battle, Nirok sat with his injured arm wrapped in a bandage. Irav thanked him for saving Silva, and the two friends exchanged jokes. However, Silva noticed thin black marks spreading around Nirok's injury. He quickly hid his arm, insisting that it was nothing. Elsewhere, a mysterious man named Orfan watched the place where the demon had vanished. “The First Half has finally awakened,” he murmured, examining another chain glowing dark red in his hand. “But the Second Half hasn't moved yet.” A small black gate appeared behind him before disappearing. “I hope he hasn't discovered the truth.” That night, Irav sat alone in his room, studying the chain. “Lumiera?” The fairy appeared in a faint blue glow. “I'm here.” “Did my mother know about you?” “She knew more than you do.” “And my brother? Is he alive?” Lumiera hesitated. “I cannot confirm that yet. But the chain responded to you today because you wanted to protect others.” She explained that the First Half transformed protective feelings into energy, while the Second Half drew power from anger. Then Irav noticed a small black mark appearing on his wrist before fading away. Lumiera's expression changed. “That's impossible…” “What happened?” “Something else responded to your fusion.” “What is it?” “I don't know yet.” Far away, inside a black castle surrounded by demonic gates, a cloaked figure held the Second Half of the chain. Its dark red glow illuminated the demon kneeling before him. “My lord, the First Half has awakened.” The figure slowly raised his head. “So it has finally begun.” “Shall we move?” “No. I want to see whether my brother can endure the truth.” Beneath the hood, his eyes gleamed in the darkness. He looked down at the chain. “Forgive me, Irav… but you have no idea what you're carrying.” End of Chapter One NAYRAX — To Be Continued…