The seven doors

In ancient times, where myth bled into reality, old scrolls told of the Seven Gates of Hell that tore open across the lands of Japan. Each gate was ruled by a dominant Arch-Demon. These catastrophic entities hunted humanity, feeding on human blood to grow boundlessly in power. This suffocating darkness reigned until seven of the world’s greatest warriors stepped forward. Using a mysterious, sacred seal, they managed to shackle the gates, locking the demons away for a hundred years. But a century was enough to erode the seal's strength. The shackles began to fray, and demons started slipping through the cracks once more, spreading death in their wake. Faced with this existential threat, the nations united to form the "World Government," establishing a global military to push back the demonic invasion. To ensure humanity's survival, the government enforced a ruthless law: within the first hour of a child’s birth, the father must take them to the World Government headquarters. There, a highly advanced bio-chip is implanted directly into the infant’s heart, filled with one of the primal forces of nature. Over time, failing to join the military became a permanent mark of shame, haunting a person for the rest of their days. Amidst this chaotic struggle for survival, a silent child named Rio Takeo was born. His father, Takeo, cradled the newborn and headed to the World Government headquarters to have the chip implanted. But the unexpected happened. Every time the scientists attempted to insert the chip, it was violently rejected and shattered into pieces, as if the infant’s body possessed an invisible, impenetrable shield. Panic stirred among the scientific development team, and they took Rio away for hours of intensive, frantic medical testing. Finally, the Chief of Scientific Development emerged, carrying the infant with immense care. He handed him back to his anxious father and spoke in a calm voice laced with sheer disbelief: "This boy's body contains a mysterious power that our technology cannot identify. It is my first time witnessing an energy like this. He is the first child of his generation to be born with his power already inside him, completely independent of a chip." Takeo asked, dread tightening his chest: "Does this mean... he won't be able to join the army?" The official reassured him: "No. He can enter, as long as he possesses a power that qualifies him to fight." Takeo breathed a heavy sigh of relief, a look of profound comfort washing over his face as he held his son close. "I don't know how to thank you. Goodbye." Fifteen years flew by. They were not ordinary years, but a decade and a half marked by bizarre, unsettling events that shook the village. Rio was an anomaly. Whenever he cried as a child, the sky would instantaneously shift, turning as dark as charcoal. (WHOOSH—RUMBLE) Torrential rain would pour down. Other times, the ground beneath their feet would convulse with violent earthquakes, mysteriously altering the landscape—swallowing hills and raising others out of nowhere. The most notorious of these phenomena was a terrifying cavern that manifested when Rio turned five. The villagers named it "The Cave of Disappearance," for anyone who dared to take a single step inside its gaping maw never returned. By the age of sixteen, Rio had grown into a remarkable young man, standing at an average height of 170 cm. He lived with his father at the peak of a towering mountain, inside a humble wooden cabin isolated from human civilization due to his father's financial struggles. This isolation left Rio distant from the complex social intricacies of human emotion, but he possessed a naturally optimistic heart, a razor-sharp intellect, and keen, highly observant perception. His appearance was striking, drawing the eyes of anyone he met. His hair was a wild, stunning blend of crimson red and snow white. His skin was as pale as mountain ice, while his right eye shone with a deep ocean blue, and his left gleamed with a piercing golden hue. He preferred wearing loose-fitting, traditional clothes that gave him total freedom of movement, and he turned to practicing yoga whenever a task frustrated him, using it to regain his inner equilibrium. One afternoon, Rio stood among his village friends as they trained. The powers of his peers were manifesting vividly. One of them unleashed blazing fireballs from his palms. (FWOOSH!) Another directed powerful torrents of water. (SPLASH! SHHH) Meanwhile, Rio stood completely still, unable to manifest anything unique. Observing this, his close friend Jin walked over and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Rio... has your power still not awakened?" Rio cast his gaze downward, answering in a heavy, somber tone: "No. I don't understand why it refuses to come out." Jin smiled, trying to comfort him: "Don't worry, my friend. Everything appears in its own right time." Rio returned home, weighed down by a burning envy. He walked straight to his father. "Father, I don't mean to bother you, but why hasn't my power shown itself yet? I truly feel a bitter jealousy watching my friends move so far ahead." Takeo sighed softly, looking deep into his son's mismatched eyes. "Rio, you possess a special power born within your very genes. None of us know its nature or its limits. All we can do is wait for it to activate on its own." Rio furrowed his brows in frustration. "But how? Is it possible that the World Government, with all its brilliant scientists, utterly failed to identify this power?!" The father replied with a cryptic tone: "That is the only explanation, my boy." Hoping to distract his son, he added, "Why don't you come with me to the market to buy some groceries?" Rio nodded quietly. "Alright. Going with you is better than staying here, letting my thoughts eat me alive." The two descended the steep mountain paths toward the village market nestled in the valley. On their way down, they had to walk directly past the perimeter of The Cave of Disappearance. As Rio neared the pitch-black mouth of the cavern, a sudden, icy shiver ran down his spine. He felt a strange sensation stirring deep within his chest. For the first time in his life, a warm, surging current of energy raced through his veins, as if responding to a hidden, primal frequency calling to him from the depths of the cave. He took an involuntary step toward the entrance. (SNAP!) His father's strong hand clamped down firmly on his shoulder, pulling him back. "Don't you dare, Rio! This place is a death trap. You are the last thing I have left in this world after your mother's passing. I cannot lose you." Rio snapped out of his trance, stepping backward. "I'm sorry, Father." They continued their journey in silence. When they arrived at the bustling market, Takeo stopped to haggle with a vendor over some vegetables. Recognizing Rio, the vendor smiled warmly. "Hello, Rio! How are you today? Are you ready for the upcoming military entrance exam?" Rio forced a smile, trying to mask his underlying anxiety. "Absolutely. I'm ready." Upon returning home, Rio couldn't rest. Driven by a burning curiosity, he decided to search through his father’s study, taking advantage of the fact that his father was a former historical researcher. He spent hours flipping through old, weathered manuscripts until his hands fell upon a massive, dust-covered tome entitled "The History of Power." (FLIP, FLIP, FLIP) He opened the book eagerly, scanning the pages for any mention of a hybrid energy or an unknown anomaly. He found no answers regarding his specific condition. However, he came away with a vital piece of information—the ancestral ranking of the seven natural elements based on dominance and priority: Fire Element Water Element Darkness Element Air Element Earth Element Wood Element Lightning Element Closing the book as the sun began to dip below the horizon, Rio felt a desperate need to clear his mind. He headed to a lush, grassy plateau near their house at the mountain peak. Sitting cross-legged on the earth, he adopted a yoga posture, closed his eyes, and began to breathe deeply. After fifteen minutes of absolute, serene silence, nature itself began to warp violently. (CRACKLE—RUMBLE) Massive, ink-black storm clouds rolled in rapidly, blotting out the twilight sky. A ferocious wind whipped through the plateau, howling like a caged beast. (WHOOSH! HOWL!) The sky plunged into pitch-black darkness, as if midnight had arrived in an instant. Rio snapped his eyes open in shock. He let out a tense sigh and stood up to head back to the cabin. But in that exact microsecond, the heavens ripped apart. (CRACK-BOOM!!!!!) A catastrophic bolt of lightning—a blinding vortex of white and electric-blue energy—struck the mountain peak with absolute, pinpoint precision, swallowing Rio whole. The thunder roared, making the entire mountain shake. (zzzzzZT—ZAP!) When the blinding light finally vanished, the plateau was empty. Rio had vanished completely, leaving absolutely no trace behind.