“B

ack off, Azura,” Sorren said. “Stop getting in my way.” “No,” snapped Azura, “you back off. Darek hasn’t
done anything wrong!”
“You won’t change your mind?” asked Sorren.
“No,” answered Azura. “I’m not that pathetic.”
Without warning, Sorren’s shadow on the floor started to move on; it became a solid black form that lashed out from the ground beneath his feet. The attack was aimed for Darek, but Azura jumped to intercept. The impact of the shadow knocked her into the wall. Azura got back up immediately, unfazed. “I guess we can’t resolve this peacefully.”
After closing her eyes for a split second, she disabled her nociceptors to avoid pain. A quick stretch of her arms and legs made her feel ready for anything. Sorren broke out a smile, but it was different from his usual calm smiles; his smile was now much more savage and beastly.
“I’ll give you this warning: this fight won’t end until someone dies.” Sorren stretched out his hand and his hardened shadow began bombarding her with bludgeoning attacks.
Azura dodged the onslaught of his dark powers. The attacks he threw were fast, but she was able to evade them by sensing their movement in the air. She was used to this and was able to maneuver around it easily. Azura slipped past his dark arts and got close to him; once in close range, she hammered her fist against the pit of his stomach, causing him to buckle.
Sorren almost tipped over as he lost his breath. He recovered, straightening without so much as a wince. “You could have landed a few more blows.”
Azura cracked her knuckles one by one. “I could’ve. But I’m still trying to figure out what you’re doing here. You’re acting really strange.”
Sorren raised his sword vertically to cover half of his face, his lips mouthing words. Then, in the blink of an eye, his body vanished into a wisp. A loud ringing sound from his pulsating blade resounded throughout the chamber. Azura occasionally swung her head left and right, glancing about the room, her pupils bouncing rapidly. It was only by unwavering focus that she was able to catch glimpses of Sorren’s afterimages as they were dispersed across the room. Darek remembered this technique from his dreams. He wanted to utter words of advice, but his distraught state of mind left him unable to do anything but mouth words helplessly. His fears came true: the same Sorren, who had helped them out mere moments ago, was now seeking to take their lives. His blood thirst knew no bounds; his killing intent struck deep into Darek’s mind, inducing terror. The feelings Darek had were similar to when he faced Sorren in his dreams. The only difference was that death would be real. Azura heightened the speed of her eyes even further. Her eyes shifted from side to side, blurring her pupils. When she saw the fleeting image of the tip of his blade, she thrust her knuckles ahead. Her strong fist smashed into Sorren’s grip on the hilt and the bones in his fingers cracked from the blow. Sorren reappeared, crouching on the ground. Wincing, Sorren clutched his hand. Several fingers were broken.
Azura sharply kneed Sorren in the face with such an impact that made him stand upright. He staggered back, but she did not relent. Azura let her fists fly; the might of her punches whistled through the air and struck him all over, nearly crushing the bones in his body. As she tried to catch her breath, Sorren rotated his body and slipped off one of her punches. Having broken free from her assault, he rammed his shoulder against her. While his body was close to hers, he grabbed her arm and pushed up with the strength of his hips, initiating a body throw that tossed her across the room and out the window. She reflexively let her hand fling out and barely managed to cling onto the edge of the windowsill with her fingertips. But that was enough for her and, using only one hand, she pulled herself up. Seeing as Sorren was right there waiting for her to jump back up, Azura spun her whole body, kicking to clear out a path. Sorren retreated and they returned to their initial positions, as if nothing ever happened.
“This could take a while,” Azura grumbled.
They stood just a few feet of each other, closing the gap between them with small steps. Tension mounted as they exchanged glances, wondering whether to attack or to wait for a chance to counter. Azura struck first. Her punch just barely slipped off his cheek, but because she forced it through with the full strength of her body, she still managed to knock him off balance. Taking this chance in her favor, she floored him with a sweeping kick. The back of his head hit the ground first, sending him into a daze. Azura kept him pinned down. She pulled her arm back, maximizing her strength. Desperate to escape from her hold, Sorren clenched his fingers against her throat, but she ignored it and smashed him into the ground with a single punch. The floor crumbled away; everyone fell into the chamber below.
Sorren jumped out of a heap of rubble and dusted himself off. He felt a stinging sensation around his mouth and wiped his lip to discover drops of blood.
“It’s good that you’re serious,” he said, grinning.
In the midst of her rage, Azura growled. She shifted her strength into her legs. The result was a powerful pounce. Then, as she reached her prey, she shifted her strength back into her arms and bashed Sorren back. Azura did not relent. With blistering speed, she continued to pummel Sorren from one side of the room to the other. With one last roundhouse kick, she sent him flying into the wall. Then she got down on one knee, breathless. Normally, she’d have enough energy to keep going, but she had already expended most of her strength fighting immortals in the Tower of Legai.
Sorren got back up. Though battered and bloody, he didn’t seem to be in pain. A mist of darkness crept in through the cracks along the wall and floor. It gathered near his feet and he bent down to touch it. The thin wave of darkness lifted over him and wrapped tightly around his body like a cloak, turning him invisible. Azura didn’t know what to make of it. At first she thought it might be a simple trick similar to when he was moving too fast to see. Such a thing was easy for Azura to deal with. Her senses were far beyond a normal human’s. Though he may hide the body from sight, he cannot hide movement or smell, things she can detect fairly well.
Azura was rooted in place. She whipped her head side to side, analyzing every inch of the room with extreme scrutiny. But she could not detect a single remaining trace of Sorren’s presence. He had vanished, not only from sight, but hearing and smell as well. Could he have left the room without her knowing it?
There was a sudden draft by her fingers. She slipped her hand away as a cold blade tickled the hairs on the back of her hand. “You’re still here…” She could hardly believe it. Azura could not detect him at all, even though he was so close. It was now that she realized the truth. His anti-law only worked to hide his body. He had erased his presence by technique. His steps were absolutely silent; his movement avoided pushing air toward her; and he moved so swiftly that his scent was perfectly smeared across the room. But she was not about to be outdone so easily. Even though she was exhausted, Azura still had several techniques up her sleeve. Scowling, she started to snarl and growl ferociously. Then, like a lion, she let out a thundering ROAR!
Sorren stopped moving, not by his own will, but rather by hers. His body had been paralyzed by fear. It was an instinctual fear, like a prey being frozen in submission in the face of a predator. Sorren couldn’t help but be amazed at his helpless situation. He had learned to suppress fear through countless life and death battles, but now it was invoked by her stunning ferocity.
Since he was still, Azura took the time to accurately determine his position. She struck her fist forward, toward the air, where it looked as if nothing was there. The shadow veil was shattered like a broken mirror. The strike nearly crushed his Adam’s apple and left him gagging and paralyzed.
Azura was not letting this opportunity escape her. She knew he would not be as vulnerable if they dragged out this fight; all she could tell was that he was holding back. If she wanted to end this fight, now was the time. She viciously struck his vital points repeatedly in succession. Sorren wasn’t able to react because his brain was being jostled about.
However, perhaps out of mixed feelings, she missed her target once. Sorren could move again. He retaliated as fast as he could. There were no more tricks from this point forward. Azura knew that if he tried that invisibility anti-law once more, she might not survive. A head on fight was her forte and she was going to see this through to the end.
Azura unleashed her fists, landing several blows, while dodging Sorren’s strikes, which she was not able to escape from completely. Their attacks were imprecise, stemming from the bewilderment as to why they were fighting each other in the first place. Blood sprinkled like a gentle fountain, staining the walls and the floors with dots of crimson. But no matter how much they were being cut and hurt, neither side was willing to give in.
Darek watched them tear each other apart in this escalating brawl. He could only watch in horror and fear as his two friends were at each other’s throats, quite literally. However, while this fray prevailed on the outside, something was happening on the inside of his mind. Sealed memories of the past were being evoked piece by piece.
“This is just like that time,” uttered Darek, thinking upon the past. “When everything was taken away…” As Darek’s memories began to surface, his vision became fuzzy and warped. All he could see was flashing lights as the world before him faded away. Yes—he finally remembered the truth about that day, for it had been sealed through the passages of time.

The orphanage, which he had lived in, was never a normal orphanage. Those who knew its purpose also knew that it was nothing like an orphanage. The children who lived there were not necessarily orphans to begin with. In fact, even Darek wasn’t an orphan.

“Mom!” Darek came running full speed through the front door. “I did it! I finally did it!”
His mother, Allys Wayker, scolded him, “You should know better. Someone could hear you. Call me Miss Kurt.”
“I’m sorry,” said Darek, looking abashed. “I forget when I’m excited.”
“And please,” Allys warned, “speak softly. No one must overhear our conversation.”
Darek nodded glumly, bowing his head.
Allys shook her head for a moment and then broke into a smile; she couldn’t stay angry with her son for long. “Now, what did you do?”
Though excited, he said softly, “I manifested my power.”
“Really?” Her eyes widened. “Show me.”
Darek gazed at his hands with complete concentration. After a few seconds, they were illuminated with a fiery glow. The strings of light coiled around his fingers and slowly materialized into black gloves.
Allys’s eyes glittered when she saw his newfound power. She embraced her son tightly. “That’s great! I’m so proud of you. You accomplished it just in time!” She examined his hands and said, “But what do they do? What kind of power is this?”
A little dejected, he shrugged and said, “I don’t know. It doesn’t do anything.”
Allys could see the worry imprinted on his countenance. She smiled and said, “This is the first step. No one can use their powers fully when they first get them.”
Darek frowned. “Slade and Elize have no problems with their powers.”
Allys said, “I’m sorry, Darek. I wish I could help you, but I can’t. I’m only a Vespar. I don’t know anything about your powers. But tonight, when you meet with the others, they’ll be able to teach you everything you need to know.”
Rex barged into the room. “Oh, there you are, Darek! Did you finish your chores yet? I need you to help me look for something.”
“Okay,” said Darek, as he jammed his hands into his pocket nervously. “I’ll be right there. Wait for me at the backyard.”
Rex ran off. Darek was about to leave as well, but his mother clung onto his shirt. He turned back with a quizzical look on his face.
Allys said, “You mustn’t let Rex see your power. He’s a normal person.”
Sounding annoyed, Darek said, “I know, I know. You’ve told me a million times! Do you really think I’d forget something that important?”
Allys said, “I’m more worried that you might accidentally trigger your power. You haven’t had experience controlling it yet. If your power manifests, do your best to hide it.”

On that day, three strange visitors wandered the streets of the small town of Marwood. These mysterious men wore brown trench coats. They strolled around town, careful to hide their faces.

“Khris,” said one of the men, “according to our information, they should be here.”
Khris nodded. “No doubt we’ll encounter Vespar patrols.”
“Vespar? Oh, is that the name for those—”
“Yes,” replied Khris. “The Vespar—the independent division of Heroes who work for the Judges. They’re trained warriors. It’ll be dangerous to deal with them.”
The man said, “Can you locate them?”
Khris said, “I can spot them easily. I’ve worked closely with them before. But it won’t be easy to get rid of all of them. I estimate five or so patrolling the neighborhood and fifteen or more at the outskirts of town.”
“It shouldn’t be too hard for you to clear the town, right?” said the other man. “By nightfall, we can make our final move. The only question is if we can find the right house in time. We can’t storm the houses carelessly or else the other guards will react.”

While lying in bed, Darek looked out at the moons that clear night. He was filled with mixed feelings and couldn’t sleep. A part of him was excited, bursting with joy and adrenaline. It was time for his life to change—time for him to move on. He was finally going to be a Judge with Slade and Elize. This is what he wanted to do, but there was another part of him that deeply regretted this. It was because they would no longer be complete. Out of this close group of four friends, there was one who didn’t match. Rex was not one of them and, by the morning, Darek would never see Rex ever again.

Rex was truly an orphan. His parents died in the war when he was young. But there were no orphanages around and no one wanted to take care of him. Was it luck or destiny that brought him to their doorstep? Darek wasn’t sure. But Darek did understand that Rex had become a firm part of their group. However, not everyone could become a Judge. Candidates for Judges were chosen at birth. Rex could never become a part of their secret world.

“Darek!” Slade was outside the house, peering through the window. “Get out here, now!”
Darek grunted, “What’s going on?” He tied his shoes in a hurry.
“Rex isn’t in his bed,” Elize explained quietly. She grabbed her bag and motioned for Darek to follow her out.
“Did you double check?” said Darek, unconvinced. “Maybe he’s hiding somewhere.”
“We’ve checked everywhere,” said Elize. “He has to be outside!”
“Then we should probably tell Mom,” said Darek. “We shouldn’t be going out tonight. She warned us it could be dangerous…”
“Are you kidding? She’d kick out Rex,” said Slade. “He was never one of us. If she finds out he disobeyed the rules—”
“No,” said Darek. “We’ll all be in big trouble if she finds out we snuck out!”
Slade said in a strong whisper, “Hush! You’ll wake her up! Who cares about that anyway? The Judge will be coming soon to take us. We won’t be in trouble! Let’s just go get Rex and come back!”
Darek conceded and followed them out, closing the door behind them gently; once they were outside, they darted through the streets.
“Rex must be looking for his paper airplane,” said Slade. “He looked pretty bummed about losing it this afternoon. I told him we could call it off, but he still—”
Elize pointed down the road. Though it was dark and there were no lights, she could make out several silhouettes. “There are some people there, maybe they’ve seen him.”
Rex was actually among the group of four people who were standing suspiciously in the streets. Darek overheard Rex say to the other men around him, “Who are you people? What do you want?”
“Just tell us where the orphanage is in this town,” said one of the men. The three men were strangers in trench coats.
Rex growled, “No! I don’t even know who you are!”
“Rex!” said Darek, running to meet him. “What’s going on here?”
“There they are!” said one of the men. “Those are the children!”
One of the men grabbed Rex from behind, pulled a knife to his neck and then said to the children, “Stop where you are or your friend here will bleed.”
Wary of the dangerous confrontation, Slade pulled Elize and Darek back. Slade knew that Rex wouldn’t be able to defend himself in a scuffle. He wanted to avoid a conflict at all costs.
“Calm down,” said Slade. “We only want to know what you want.”
“You are what we want.” A man stepped forward. “More precisely, we want you dead.”
Darek rubbed his eyes and looked upon the man’s visage once again. It was a tall thin bearded man that Darek knew.
“Dad?” said Darek. “Is that you?”
The man beamed at Darek. “Look at you,” he said. “My, you’ve grown so fast.”
The man was Khris Wayker, a Hero among Heroes and father of Darek.
“What are you doing here?” said Darek. “You shouldn’t be here.”
“I’ve come to take you home,” Khris replied. “You don’t have to be a Judge.”
Darek snapped, “You of all people should know that this is my destiny!”
Khris said scornfully, “Destiny? You’re just spewing the nonsense your mother has been feeding you! The life of a Judge is no laughing matter. You’ll live your life in hiding, stalking through the shadows and seeking blood. After you’ve become a Judge there is no way to escape it except by death. Is that what you really want?” His lips curved into a smile. “Come with me. We can go home and you can live a normal life.”
Darek knew what he wanted. He always wanted to be a Judge. There were many tales that his mother had read to him about the courageous deeds and the suffering they endured to make it possible for the hopes and dreams of others to thrive. He always wanted to change the universe for the better, even if it meant throwing his life away. Darek yelled, “Stop putting words in my mouth! I want to be a Judge and that’s that!”
Darek’s mother, Allys Wayker—who had taken on the alias of Jess Kurt to protect her son’s identity—heard the outside commotion of barking dogs. Since it was the middle of night, she was still in her rose-patterned pajamas and her hair was a mess, but she was always cautious and decided to inspect the cause of commotion, regardless of her attire. Allys was concerned when she saw that the kids were not in their beds.
But Allys did not storm out the house; instead, she crept quietly above the tree branches, and when she saw everyone on the streets, she listened to their conversation from afar. Allys recognized her husband, a Hero who was sworn to secrecy about the Judges, and knew without a doubt that he was up to no good. But her highest priority was to rescue Rex, for he was but an innocent child.
Allys drew a thick needle from her side and licked the tip with her tongue. Her saliva was poisonous, but to refrain from killing, she normally used only trace amounts to paralyze opponents. With pinpoint accuracy, she flung the needle and it penetrated the shoulder of the man who held onto Rex. The man released his grip; his entire arm went numb and he flailed it about, appalled at his arm’s condition. Rex tried to run, but the other man pulled out a gun and was prepared to open fire.
Allys landed near Rex and fired off several more needles, which she had hidden under her clothes. The man wanted to pull the trigger, but the needles had already slipped into the barrel of the gun and jammed it. She then finished him off quickly, impaling him with ten needles in a fraction of a second. The man convulsed a bit, then slumped to the ground as his limbs seemed to wither; only his eyes could move now and he did nothing but stare wide-eyed at the one who paralyzed him.
“Ah, Allys,” said Khris, grinning. “Another person I wanted to see. Don’t you want to run away with Darek and me? We can go somewhere nice. I’ve already quit being a Hero.”
“What do you think you’re doing?” snapped Allys. “Have you gone mad? Don’t you understand how serious the situation is? Go back to Fallence this instant and maybe you can be pardoned by the Overlord for this crime.”
“Mad?” barked Khris. “What’s wrong with a man who wants to stay with his family? Why should some garbage of a destiny pry my wife and kids out of my hands? Who cares about the Heroes and the Judges? There are enough of them! We don’t need to get involved. This is our life we’re talking about. I’m not letting anyone else tell us what to do with it!”
Then he softened his voice and said tenderly, “It’s been so long since I’ve last seen the two of you. It took me forever to find you. I even had to go to the underworld to seek help in locating you. At the very least, can’t this whole Judges thing wait until Darek is older?”
“What’s gotten into you?” said Allys. “This is the way it’s always been throughout the generations. How can we step away from tradition for selfish reasons?”
“I see you’re as stubborn as always,” said Khris. “No matter. I’ll take Darek with me. He’s barely thirteen years old! He should have a real chance at life. If you want to come, great, but if not, then…this is goodbye.” Khris approached Darek, but Slade and Elize tried to stop him.
Khris swung the flat of his blade against them, knocking them unconscious. He had a beautiful amber-colored sword. Its form was clean, perfect and stainless. Its cross-guard was crafted to look like the wings of an angel.
With a quick snap of her wrist, Allys hurled a wave of needles against Khris, but he deflected it skillfully with his sword. Allys continued to bombard Khris with wave after wave of needles, her hands and arms moved so fast that it gave off the illusion of having over ten arms. She kept drawing needles from all over her body; her clothes were packed with them, but how she kept hundreds of these needles from being even slightly visible was a mystery known only to her. However, her barrage had no effect, and so she engaged in a close-combat battle, thinking that all she needed was one clean hit to leave him disabled.
They were both overly cautious, without even a pinch of killing intent. Khris only wanted to be a family again, but Allys knew that they could not go against the way of things, out of fear of the consequences. Though they fought each other, they both knew in their hearts that they did not want to hurt each other.
But even so, Khris was stubborn. But did he have a right to be? When his son had turned five, the Vespar had told Khris that his son had been chosen to become a Judge. It was unfair. Khris would never see his son ever again—unless he disobeyed the Legion.
Ever since Darek had been taken away, Khris had communicated with everyone he could, even the most dubious of characters, on the subject. He had gone deep into the underworld, the place of chaos and villainy, to gain their trust and aid in the matter. He had also made agreements he wished he had never made. This was one of them. Khris had agreed to hand over the other children to the leaders of the underworld to confirm the existence of the Judges.
Bang! A loud shot echoed through the small village. The blood on her garments and the pained expression upon Allys’s anguished face said it all: she had been shot. Her assailant was a sniper from the distance who was watching Khris’ back. The fired shot alerted Vespar around the forests and they quickly detained the sniper and any others hidden with him.
Khris was as shocked as Allys was. He had never intended to hurt his wife, but the others had recruited snipers to ensure their success. In tears, he watched his wife bend down in agony. Khris wrapped his arms around her, embracing her and shielding her from any further attacks.
“Look…what you did…” said Allys in a feeble voice. She had been hit in a vital area and the bleeding wouldn’t stop. “You fool…” Emotionless, she buried her face into his chest.
Khris’s hands trembled uncontrollably as he held onto her lifeless body. Gently, he pressed his cheek against hers and sobbed; they remained on the ground, interlocked and motionless.
Interrupting this tranquil, sorrowful moment was a Judge; he had appeared out of the strange door that stood in the middle of the road. Upon seeing the scene before him, he deduced what had taken place.
The Judge drew forth his sword. With the tip of his blade he tapped on Khris’s shoulder.
“You should know very well the penalty for meddling in these affairs, Hero.”
Khris laid his wife’s body on the dirt road and turned to the Judge. “I know,” he replied, his voice trembling. “It is my fault. I will accept responsibility.”
“No—wait!” Darek ran to stop the Judge, but it was too late. The Judge slashed him.
Placing his hand over the huge wound on his chest, Khris staggered to the cliff overlooking the valley below.
“Dad!” Darek cried out.
“Stay back.” With an open palm, Khris gestured for Darek to stay where he was. “Darek, I’m so sorry…I didn’t think it’d end this way…I only wanted…” Khris lost his footing and fell off the cliff, disappearing into the woods below.
“NO!” Darek crawled to the edge of the cliff and looked down, searching for the body of his father. “No…what is this…this isn’t what I wanted…” Shaking his fist, he screamed to the heavens, “THIS ISN’T WHAT I WANTED! COME BACK!”
The Judge helped Elize and Slade up. “So you are the candidates. We must leave quickly before anything else should go wrong.”
Elize looked over her shoulder and glanced at Darek. “Darek’s one of us too.”
Darek stormed up to the Judge and shouted, “You’ve already taken away my family…I have nothing left here! Take me with you!”
The Judge looked at Darek with sorrowful eyes and said, “I’m sorry, but it is no longer your time. I don’t quite understand it, but destiny has changed.”
“What do you mean?” stammered Darek.
“Show me your power,” said the Judge. “Your power is your proof.”
Darek held out his hands. In his grief, he tried to force out the gloves upon his hand. The gloves would not appear no matter how hard he tried. “What…this can’t be…I don’t understand. I could do it this morning!”
“I suppose it was the interference by the other boy,” said the Judge. “I was the one who should have died tonight. Somehow, destiny was changed. You, Darek, were to be my replacement. I am taking Elize and Slade with me. With my life still intact, we have twelve.”
“You can’t be serious!” said Darek, frustrated. “You kill my father, you let my mother die, and you won’t even respect my last wish?”
The Judge turned away. “This is the way it has become. I cannot do anything about it.”
Darek said out of anger, “If I kill you, then will it be okay? Can I set things straight? Will I get my powers back? Will I—” Tears ran down his cheek. Vexed, his face was red in anger. Darek ran to the Judge, but his foot tripped over a rock. He fell on his face, weeping.
The Judge shook his head, disheartened by the way Darek was responding. “You do not have what it takes: an iron heart—a cold heart. Maybe this is why your destiny was changed. You are not yet fit to be a Judge. With that weak heart—you never will be a Judge.” The Judge turned away again and told Elize and Slade, “Let us go. It is time.”
“Elize! Slade!” said Darek, wiping away the tears. “Don’t you guys dare leave me here!”
Elize picked Darek up and hugged him. “Be strong, Darek.” Then she pushed Darek away and ran into the portal. Darek could hear her faint cries from the other side of the mystical door.
Slade simply acknowledged Darek by raising his fist while disappearing into the door. His voice echoed through, “I’m sorry. But I’ve got to do this. You understand, don’t you?”
Darek kneeled on the ground before the portal. The Judge walked into it without so much as a goodbye. The door closed behind him and, shrinking away, it vanished without a trace. Darek was left behind. His dream of being a Judge would forever remain a dream. The last seven years of training had been in vain.
There was no point to remember those years wasted. There was no point in remembering his dreams of becoming a Judge. There was no point in remembering the death of his parents and the disappearance of his friends. There was no point to remember the truth. And so he conjured up a fictitious story, believing that his friends r