Chapter 1 : Brotherly Love
Raven Cross moved like a shadow through the narrow, winding alleys of the city, his steps quick and silent. The night wrapped itself around him, its darkness a familiar ally.
His rugged clothing was designed for stealth and freedom of movement, rough leather and dark fabric blending seamlessly with his surroundings.
His white hair glowed faintly under the moonlight, a stark contrast to the blackness around him. His black eyes were sharp, always searching, always calculating.
At nineteen, Raven had become a thief out of necessity. The once-wealthy Cross family, known for their beauty and influence, had been brought to ruin by betrayal. False accusations placed upon them by their own close relatives had resulted in the deaths of his father and grandfather.
The surviving members—his mother, his older brother Grim, his twin sister Lyra, and himself—now lived a modest life, struggling to manage. Mostly, they survived through the money Raven earned from his thievery.
Tonight's target was a corrupt merchant's mansion, a crumbling structure desperately trying to cling to its old grandeur.
Its owner, a man whose wealth was built on exploitation and greed, kept his treasures well-guarded. But nothing was ever truly safe from Raven.
He slipped past the guards, his movements fluid and precise. When he reached the upper floors, he came across a heavily locked room marked with strange runes.
His curiosity flared, and after a frustrating effort, the door finally gave way. Inside, he found shelves lined with ancient texts and bizarre artifacts displayed like trophies.
One particular object caught his eye—a stone, small and rough-edged, but intricately designed with patterns he couldn't understand. It gave off a faint glow, something almost alive. As Raven reached out and touched it, a sudden wave of energy coursed through him.
Visions flooded his mind—images of forgotten places buried in darkness, roaring fires consuming entire land, and shadows moving with malevolent intent. The force of it knocked him back, leaving him panting and shaken.
But when he took the stone with him and escaped from the mansion, its strange sensation faded.
Now, whenever he pulled it out, it felt like nothing more than an ordinary stone. Whatever power it once held seemed to have vanished.
The merchant, it turned out, knew nothing of the stone's significance. He had bought it out of curiosity and simply kept it there as a mere decoration.
Raven couldn't understand why the stone had felt so strange the first time he touched it. But whatever its secret, it would have to wait.
After stuffing a pouch with stolen cash from the merchant's house, Raven had quickly made his escape.
No one noticed him coming or going, his stealth too well-practiced.
With the money he'd taken, he bought food and essentials for his family from the bustling market, the thrill of the heist still coursing through his veins.
Now, he stood at the entrance of their modest home, a rundown structure far from the life of luxury they once knew.
His hand rested on the door, the weight of the stone still pressing against his chest, hidden beneath his clothes.
As he prepared to push the door open, a sharp, panicked scream tore through his mind like a blade. Lyra's scream.
Raven's heart lurched, and he burst through the door, his gaze snapping toward the source of the scream. His eyes widened at the sight before him.
Grim, his older brother, stood towering over Lyra, his presence like a shadow of death itself.
His white hair, the same as Raven's and Lyra's, seemed to glow with an ethereal, cold light under the dim lantern glow.
His strikingly handsome face held a twisted, vicious sneer, his dark eyes filled with a cold, merciless rage.
Grim's fingers were tangled in Lyra's hair, his fist clenched around the back of her head with cruel, unyielding force. Thick veins pulsed along his muscular forearm, bulging as he yanked her toward him, her neck craning painfully from the pressure.
Lyra's beautiful face was streaked with tears, her eyes wide and terror-filled as she struggled against his iron grip. Her hands clawed desperately at his wrist, her nails scraping against his skin, but Grim didn't even seem to notice.
"I said, think before you speak," Grim hissed, his voice a low, venomous growl that seemed to suck the air from the room. "Or do I have to teach you the hard way?"
Lyra whimpered, her voice cracking under the weight of her terror. "P-Please… Brother… I'm sorry…"
But Grim only tightened his hold, a twisted satisfaction flickering in his dark gaze. The cruelty in his eyes was enough to make Raven's blood run cold.
"Let her go. Now." Raven's voice cut through the tension like a knife, his words sharp and unyielding despite the tremor of rage boiling beneath the surface.
Grim's head slowly turned toward Raven, his eyes locking onto him with the intensity of a predator disturbed from its hunt. For a moment, his grip only tightened, as if he was considering ignoring the interruption entirely.
But then, Grim released Lyra's hair, shoving her away from him like she was nothing more than a nuisance.
She collapsed onto the ground with a choked sob, her arms wrapping around herself as she cried, her beautiful face twisted in pain and fear.
"Oh, it's you, little brother." Grim's voice was a mocking drawl, his gaze filled with a dark amusement as he stared Raven down. "Back from your little scavenger hunt, I see."
Raven's fists trembled, his rage clawing at his chest like a wild beast desperate to break free.
Without hesitation, he lunged forward, his leg swinging in a powerful kick aimed straight at Grim's side.
But Grim was fast. Too fast.
With a fluid, almost lazy motion, Grim twisted to the side, dodging the kick with ease. Before Raven could even regain his balance, Grim's leg shot out like a whip, sweeping beneath Raven's other leg with brutal precision.
Raven's feet were ripped from the ground, his body crashing down onto the cold, hard floor with a heavy thud. Pain jolted through his back, but the sting to his pride was far worse.
Grim stood over him, a smirk curling his lips as he looked down at Raven like he was nothing more than a bothersome insect. His dark eyes glinted with amusement and something far more sinister.
"Is that all you've got, little brother?" Grim sneered, his voice dripping with mockery. "Do you really want to be beaten to a pulp, or are you smart enough to stay down this time?"
Raven's body throbbed with pain, but his anger burned hotter, his gaze never leaving Grim's face.