Prologue — The Boy with the Mark

In a world of magic, weapons and man, a young boy's life was about to change drastically.

The first thing Shinji Sugimoto learned about magic was that it could be beautiful. The second thing he learned was that people were afraid of it. He was eleven years old when he first saw his mother's tattoo glow. It was a soft green light.

At first, Shinji thought it was sunlight. But there was no sunlight that morning.

The sky outside was grey, and snow clung to the branches of the trees surrounding their home.

The green light enveloped his mother's hand.

Tiny green particles floated around her fingers like ethereal bubbles, drifting lazily through the air before disappearing into the body of the small rabbit lying in her lap.

The rabbit was trembling.

Its hind leg had been torn open, blood staining its pale fur.

"Hold still," his mother whispered.

Shinji stood frozen beside the wooden table.

"Mum?"

His mother didn't answer. She was concentrating.

A small artificial tattoo covered the back of her right hand. Unlike Shinji's natural markings, hers had been carefully engraved into her skin years ago so she could channel magic.

The tattoo glowed brighter.

Green energy flowed from her fingertips.

The floating bubbles sank into the rabbit's wound. Slowly, the bleeding stopped.

The torn flesh began knitting itself together.

Shinji's eyes widened.

The rabbit stopped trembling.

His mother exhaled.

The green light faded.

The last few ethereal bubbles drifted away and vanished. She gently placed the rabbit onto the table.

"There."

The rabbit twitched its nose.

Shinji stared.

"You healed it." His mother smiled.

"Yes I did."

"With magic?"

"With a little."

Making the finger gesture of something small.

"Can I do that?"

She looked at him.

For a moment, her expression changed.

Then she smiled again.

"Perhaps."

Shinji looked down at his hands.

The dark markings across his palms all the way to his neck were completely different from his mother's artificial tattoo.

His were not drawn onto his skin.

They had been there since birth.

He didn't understand what they meant.

Not yet.

It happened on a winter morning; inside the old shack they called home.

Their house stood far beyond the walls of the main districts, where the roads became little more than muddy trails and the steam-powered railway was the only reminder that civilisation still existed beyond the forest.

The shack had once belonged to a railway worker. At least, that was what Shinji's mother had told him.

Now the wood was blackened by years of rain, the roof leaked whenever the weather turned bad, and the single iron stove in the centre of the house struggled to keep the cold away.

But Shinji loved it.

It was home.

He sat cross-legged beside the stove, rubbing his hands together. "It's so chilly."

His younger brother, Ren, sat beside him with a blanket wrapped around his shoulders.

"You always say that." "Because it's always cold." Ren stuck out his tongue.

Shinji stuck his tongue back.

"Do that again and I'll tell Mum you broke the cup." Ren immediately closed his mouth.

Shinji smiled goofly.

Across the room, his little sister Hana giggled while pretending to be asleep. "You're mean, Shinji".

"I'm the eldest, you should follow my example." "That doesn't make you the boss."

"It does."

"It doesn't."

"It does."

Hana folded her arms. "You're not Mum."

Shinji opened his mouth to answer.

Then stopped.

His mother was standing beside the stove.

She was watching them.

A small smile rested on her face. Her name was Elena Sugimoto.

She wasn't a particularly tall woman, nor did she possess the imposing appearance of the soldiers Shinji sometimes saw when they travelled into the nearby settlement.

She looked ordinary.

Too ordinary, perhaps, for someone who had survived as much as she had.

Her dark hair was tied loosely behind her head, and several strands had escaped and fallen across her face.

"Enough."

Shinji and Ren immediately became quiet. Elena sighed.

"You two are going to wake your sister." Hana was already awake.

She giggled again.

Elena looked at her.

"And you."

Hana stopped.

"Yes, Mum."

Shinji smiled.

He loved mornings like this.

They were poor.

Their food was often little more than bread, vegetables and whatever his mother could afford from the nearby settlement.

The shack was falling apart.

The nearest proper hospital was several hours away by train.

But they were together.

That was enough. Elena walked toward Shinji. She crouched in front of him.

Her eyes immediately fell upon his hands. Shinji noticed.

He always noticed.

There was a mark on his palms all the way to his neck.

Two dark patterns ran across his skin like ink beneath the flesh.

They continued around his wrists and disappeared beneath his sleeves. His

tattoo.

His mother's fingers gently touched it.

"Does it hurt?"

"No." "Are you sure?" Shinji nodded.

She smiled.

"Good."

Ren looked at Shinji's hands.

"Why does Shinji have one?" Elena looked at him.

"Because Shinji was born special.

Ren started pouting.

"Am I not special?"

"You are special."

Hana raised her hand.

"Me too?" "You are especially." Hana smiled.

Shinji looked at his own hands.

"Why don't they have one?" Elena's expression changed.

Only for a moment.

But Shinji noticed.

"Because my kids were all born differently which is what I love about them."

"Different how?"

His mother didn't answer immediately. Instead, she sat beside him.

She took his hand.

"Some people are born with magic already inside them." Shinji

listened.

"Humans can learn magic. They can have artificial marks placed on their bodies that allow them to channel it."

She glanced toward Ren and Hana.

She then looked at Shinji.

"But people like you..." She paused.

"People like you are born with it."

Shinji looked at his palms. "Because I'm a Half-Born?" The room became quiet.

Ren looked confused.

Hana didn't understand the word.

But Elena did.

She looked directly into Shinji's eyes.

"Who told you that word?"

"Some boys in the village."

Herexpressionhardened.

"What did they say?"

"They said Half-Borns are monsters." Elena's eyes softened.

She reached out and placed her palm against Shinji's cheek.

"You listen to me."

Shinji looked at her.

"Being born different doesn't make you a monster." "Neither does the colour of your skin or your race" Her voice was gentle.

"But some people will hate you because they don't understand you." Shinji swallowed. "Am I dangerous?" She smiled.

"Only if you don't clean your underwear."

Shinji looked left like he was embarrassed. Elena looked at him with a warm expression. "You're not dangerous unless you choose to be." The words stayed with him.

Shinji didn't know it then, but he would remember them for the rest of his life.

Outside, something enormous passed through the sky.

The shack trembled.

Hana ran toward the window.

"Train!"

Shinji jumped up.

Through the frost-covered glass, he could see the black silhouette of a steam locomotive moving along the elevated railway in the distance. White smoke poured from its engine. Metal wheels screamed against the rails. The train disappeared behind the trees. Hana pressed her hands against the glass. "Where does it go?"

"District Seven," Shinji said.

"Have you been there?" "No."

"What's it like?"

Shinji shrugged.

"I don't know."

His mother looked toward the railway.

For a moment, her expression became distant. Almost

afraid.

Shinji turned toward her.

"Mum?"

She blinked.

"Yes?"

"Have you been to District Seven?" Elena smiled.

"A long time ago."

"What was it like?" She looked at him.

"It's uh very big."

"How big?"

"Big enough to make you forget how small our world is." Shinji looked back toward the railway. One day, he thought. One day, he would see it.

He didn't know that he would.

For now, he was only a boy. A boy with a strange mark on his hands. A boy who wanted to become strong.

A boy who believed that his family would always be together.

Prologue — The Boy with the Mark

The rabbit was gone by the next sunset.

Shinji watched it disappear between the trees, its healed leg carrying it farther and farther from the shack until the snow swallowed its little body from view.

"Mum really can heal anything," Hana said. Elena laughed softly in a prideful manner. "Not anything."

"Almost anything."

"That's different."

" Healing isn't the only thing mama is good at" Pumping her small muscles. Hana looked at Shinji.

"Can you heal things?"

Shinji looked at his hands.

"-I don't know."

"You should try."

"I can't."

"Why?"

"Because Mum will get angry."

Elena turned from the small cooking pot. "I would."

Hana's shoulders dropped.

"See?"

Shinji laughed.

The room was warmer now.

The stove had finally begun to win its battle against the cold, and the smell of cooked vegetables and roasted rabbit filled the shack.

Their meals were rarely extravagant, but Elena had a way of making simple food feel like a feast.

She placed four bowls on the table.

"Come on."

Shinji helped Ren into his seat while Hana climbed onto hers.

Elena sat last.

For a few moments, nobody spoke.

They simply ate.

Shinji looked around the table.

His family.

Ren was struggling to keep his eyes open.

Hana was carefully picking the vegetables out of her bowl.

Elena was pretending not to notice.

Shinji smiled.

"Hana."

"What?"

"Eat your vegetables." "I don't like them." "You always say that." "They taste horrible." "They're good for you." "You're not Mum."

Shinji pointed toward Elena.

"She agrees with me."

Elena looked up.

"I haven't said anything."

"But you agree."

She raised an eyebrow.

"You're becoming more and more cheeky Shinji" Shinji grinned with a mouth full of teeth.

Elena shook her head.

"You three are going to be the death of me." Ren suddenly looked up.

"How old were you when you learned magic, Mum?" Elena stopped eating. Shinji noticed.

"I mean the healing."

Ren pointed toward the table.

"Like the rabbit."

Elena looked at her artificial tattoo. "Quite young."

"How young?" "About your age." Ren's eyes widened. "Really?" She nodded. "My mother taught me." Shinji leaned forward. "Grandmother?"

"Yes."

"What was she like?" Elena smiled.

The question seemed to take her somewhere far away.

"She was stubborn." Shinji laughed. "Like you?"

Elena gave him a look.

"Very much like me."

"Was she a healer too?"

"She was."

"Did she have a tattoo?"

"An artificial one."

Elena turned her hand over, showing them the faint lines that crossed her palm.

"Humans have always found ways to use magic." Shinji stared at the tattoo.

"Did it hurt?"

"The first time?" She smiled.

"Very much."

Hana frowned.

"Why would you do it if it hurt?"

"Because sometimes being able to help someone is worth enduring a little pain." Shinji looked at her.

"Did Grandma teach you that?" Elena nodded.

"She taught me many things."

"Like what?"

Elena thought for a moment.

"She taught me that magic isn't something that belongs to the strongest person." She placed her spoon down.

"It's something that should be used by the person willing to take responsibility for it." Shinji listened carefully.

"That's why you're a healer?"

"Partly."

"What else?"

Elena smiled.

"You ask too many questions." Shinji leaned back.

"You never answer them." "I answer enough." "That's not fair."

She laughed.

"Life isn't fair."

For some reason, those words made the room quieter.

Shinji looked down at his bowl.

After a moment, he asked:

"Mum?"

"Hm?"

"Why did you leave the city?" Elena's smile disappeared.

Ren and Hana continued eating, too young to understand the question.

But Shinji was watching her. He had asked about it before. She always changed the subject. This time, she didn't.

Instead, she looked toward the small window. Beyond it, the forest was almost completely dark. "I was tired of the city."

"Why?"

"Because sometimes people become so obsessed with what someone is..." She looked at Shinji.

"...that they forget to ask who that person actually is." Shinji didn't understand.

Not completely.

"Did people hurt you?"

Elena's fingers tightened around her spoon. "A long time ago."

"Who?"

She smiled faintly. "People who were afraid."

"Of you?" "Of what I knew." Shinji frowned.

"What did you know?"

Elena looked at him for several seconds.

Then she reached across the table and touched his forehead.

"One day, I'll tell you."

"When?"

"When you're older."

"I'm already eleven." She laughed.

"Then you'll have to wait until you're sixteen."

"That's not fair."

"It is to me."

Shinji groaned.

Hana giggled.

Ren joined her.

Soon, the whole table was laughing. Even Elena.

And for a little while, the questions disappeared.

But later that night, after the children had gone to sleep, Elena remained awake. The fire had burned low.

She sat alone beside the window, staring toward the distant railway. Her hand rested against the old wooden table.

Beneath her sleeve was a scar. It ran from her wrist almost to her elbow. She touched it gently.

Then she reached into a small wooden box hidden beneath the floorboards. Inside was a photograph.

Four people stood together in the picture. Elena was younger.

A man stood beside her.

His face had been partially torn away from the photograph.

And beside them stood a young boy.

A boy with the same dark markings that Shinji carried on his hands. Elena stared at the photograph.

Her eyes began to water. "I promised you I'd protect them." Her voice was barely a whisper.

"I promised."

She closed the box.

The floorboard slid back into place.

Then she looked toward the small room where Shinji and the others slept. Her expression softened.

"Just a little longer."

Outside, the railway whistle echoed through the forest.

Elena closed her eyes.

She knew the past would eventually find them.

She only prayed it would wait until her children were ready. She was wrong.

District

Chapter One — The Forest

"Shinji."

Nothing.

"Shinji."

A small hand shook his shoulder.

Shinji groaned and pulled the blanket over his head.

"Mmm..."

"Wake up."

Shinji opened his eyes a little and glanced at his mum.

"No."

Shinji carried on sleeping.

"Shinji."

"I'm sleeping."

"I know."

The blanket was suddenly ripped away.

Cold air struck his face.

Shinji's eyes opened.

"Mum!"

Elena stood beside his bed with her arms folded.

"Good morning."

"It's still dark."

"It's morning."

"It's dark morning." Elena smiled.

"Get dressed."

"Why?"

"We're chopping wood."

Shinji stared at her. "Now?"

"Now."

"But I'm tired."

"You'll be more tired when winter actually comes and we have nothing to burn." Shinji buried his face in the pillow.

Elena sighed.

"You sound just like your father."

Shinji immediately lifted his head.

"My father?" Elena froze.

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

Then she smiled.

"Get dressed."

"But—"

"Shinji."

He knew that voice.

"Yes, Mum."

The forest was quiet.

Snow covered the ground, making every step sound strangely soft.

Shinji carried the axe with both hands as he followed his mother between the trees. The weapon was almost as tall as he was.

"Mum."

"Hm?"

"Why do I have to carry this?"

"Because you're getting older and stronger." "I can already lift it."

"You've dropped it three times."

"That doesn't count."

"It counts."

Shinji adjusted his grip.

His breath came out as white mist.

Elena walked beside him carrying a rope and a small hatchet. She watched him from the corner of her eye.

"You know what your problem is?"

"What?"

"You think being strong means never asking for help." Shinji looked away.

"I don't."

"You do."

"I don't."

"You tried carrying that entire sack of potatoes last week." "I could've done it." "You fell over."

"I slipped."

"You fell over."

Shinji looked away. Elena smiled. "You'll learn."

They reached a clearing.

Several fallen trees lay scattered across the snow. Elena pointed toward one.

"That one."

Shinji placed the axe down.

"That's huge."

"You're not chopping the whole tree."

"Oh."

"You're chopping the branches." Shinji picked up the axe.

Elena stepped behind him.

"Feet apart."

He moved them.

"Hands lower."

He adjusted his grip. "Keep your back straight." "Like this?"

"Yes." Shinji raised the axe.

He swung.

Thunk.

The blade barely entered the wood.

He pulled it free.

Again.

Thunk.

Again.

Thunk.

"You're putting too much of your strength into your arms." Shinji wiped his forehead.

"How else am I supposed to chop it?"

"Use your whole body." She took the axe from him.

Elena raised it.

Her feet shifted.

Her shoulders relaxed.

Then— THUD.

The axe buried itself deep into the branch.

Shinji stared.

"Do it again." She pulled it free.

THUD.

The branch cracked. Shinji's mouth fell open. "Mum..."

"What?"

"Are woman normally this strong?." Elena laughed.

"Women are strong but I am a little bit stronger, maybe because I am a mother.

Shinji looked confused.

Elena sighed.

"I've been chopping wood longer than you've been alive." "Can you beat Dad?"

The axe stopped halfway through the next swing. Shinji immediately realised what he'd said.

Elena slowly lowered it.

"Why do you keep asking about him?" "I don't know."

" Are you curious."

"Yeah."

She sat on the fallen tree.

She patted the space next to her and beaconed him.

Shinji sat beside her.

For a while, neither spoke.

Finally, Elena looked toward the trees.

"Your father was an existence I couldn't understand." Shinji looked at her.

"What do you mean?"

"Was he a Half-Born?" Elena didn't answer.

Shinji waited.

"He wasn't like us." "Human?"

"No."

Shinji looked confused.

Elena reached over and brushed some snow from his hair.

"You'll understand when you're older."

"Everyone says that."

"Because you're always asking questions before you're ready for the answers." "I am ready."

She smiled.

"You think so."

Shinji crossed his arms.

"I do."

Elena laughed softly.

Then she pulled him closer.

"Maybe one day."

They continued chopping wood.

By midday, Shinji's hands were aching and full of blisters. He dropped the axe into the snow.

"I'm done."

Elena looked at the pile.

"You've done well."

"Really?"

"Really."

Shinji smiled proudly. Then he heard something. A branch snapping. He turned. "What was that?"

Elena immediately stood.

"Stay here."

"Why?"

"Shinji."

Her voice had changed.

He knew that voice too.

It was the voice she used when she was on alert. Shinji looked toward the trees.

Another branch snapped.

Then came a low grunt.

Something moved between the trunks.

Shinji's eyes widened. A boar emerged from the forest. It was enormous.

Its coarse black fur was covered in snow. Two curved tusks protruded from its mouth. Shinji had never seen one this close. "Whoa." Elena grabbed his shoulder.

"Don't move." The boar stared at them. Shinji's heart began pounding. The animal lowered its head. Elena's grip tightened. "Slowly."

The boar suddenly charged.

"Shinji!"

He jumped aside.

The boar thundered past him.

Shinji stumbled into the snow.

"Run!" Elena chased after him.

But Shinji had already gotten back up.

The boar was disappearing between the trees. Something inside him sparked.

Excitement.

He grabbed the axe. "I can get it!" "Shinji, no!"

He ran.

"Shinji!"

The forest swallowed him.

His boots pounded against the snow.

Branches struck his face.

His nose pastel red.

He could hear the boar ahead. He tightened his grip around the axe. He wasn't thinking about danger. He wasn't thinking about his mother. He was thinking about proving himself. He was the oldest.

He was supposed to protect them.

He was supposed to be strong.

The boar suddenly stopped.

Shinji nearly collided with it.

The animal turned.

Its eyes locked onto his.

Its body lowered.

Shinji froze.

His heart beating tremendously fast.

The noise of the atmosphere suddenly becomes quiet.

For the first time, he understood.

He had made a mistake.

The boar charged.

Shinji raised the axe. "SHINJI!"

Elena appeared between the trees.

"Velum" she chanted softly.

She moved faster than he had ever seen her move.

Underneath her feet began to emit a green magic circle with a glow as she leaped. She grabbed him and pulled him sideways.

The boar slammed into a tree.

The trunk shook.

Elena held Shinji against her.

"Don't move."

Shinji's breathing became frantic.

The boar shook its head and charged again.

Elena pushed Shinji behind her. Her artificial tattoo began glowing. Green light spread across her body.

But this wasn't the gentle glow Shinji had seen when she healed the rabbit.

The air around her hand shimmered.

Magic gathered.

She thrust her palm forward onto the ground

A magic cirlce appeared and a burst of green energy struck the ground. The earth erupted with sharp thorns.

Piercing the boar's stomach, the boar fell when the magic disappeared, rolling through the snow.

Elena grabbed Shinji's hand.

"Run."

They ran.

Neither spoke until they reached the clearing.

Once they were safely away from the forest, Elena turned around. "What were you thinking?"

Shinji lowered his head.

"I..."

"You could have died." "I wanted to catch it." "I don't care about the boar!" Her voice cracked.

Shinji looked up.

Elena was furious.

But underneath the anger was something else. Fear.

"Stop acting tough."

Shinji swallowed.

"I'm sorry."

"Do you know what would happen if something happened to you?" He shook his head.

"I..."

Elena knelt in front of him. Her hands were trembling. "I would lose my son." Shinji's eyes widened.

She pulled him into her arms.

"I'm sorry."

Her anger disappeared. She held him tightly.

"I shouldn't have shouted." Shinji hugged her back. "I'm sorry, Mum."

"I know."

They remained like that for a while.

Then Elena pulled away.

"Promise me something."

"What?"

"If you're ever in danger..."

She took both of his hands.

"...you run."

Shinji frowned.

"But what if someone else is in danger?"

"Then you find help."

"But—"

"No buts."

Her eyes were serious.

"Being brave doesn't mean throwing yourself into danger." Shinji looked at the markings on his palms.

"Then what does being brave mean?" Elena smiled sadly.

"Knowing when to stay."

She touched his forehead. "And knowing when to leave." Shinji nodded.

"I promise."

Elena smiled.

"Good."

She stood and picked up the axe.

"Now."

"What?"

"We still need firewood." Shinji stared at her. "After that?"

She raised an eyebrow.

"You think the wood is going to chop itself?" Shinji laughed.

Elena smiled.

Together, they walked back toward the fallen trees.

Neither of them noticed the dark shape watching from deep within the forest. A pair of pale eyes followed them.

And beneath the snow, something ancient stirred.

District

Chapter One — The Forest

By the time they returned to the shack, the sun had begun to disappear behind the mountains.

Shinji carried the smaller bundle of wood against his chest. It wasn't heavy anymore.

Not after everything that had happened.

Or perhaps he had simply become too tired to care.

Elena walked beside him with the larger bundle balanced across her shoulder.

"You know," Shinji said, "I could carry that."

"No."

"I'm stronger now."

"You nearly got yourself eaten by a boar." "I wasn't going to get eaten."

Elena looked at him.

Shinji immediately looked away.

"Probably."

She laughed.

"That's what I thought."

The smoke from their chimney appeared between the trees.

Shinji smiled.

Home.

He quickened his steps.

As they approached the shack, Hana came running outside.

"Shinji!"

She nearly crashed into him.

"What took you so long?"

"We were getting wood."

"You were gone forever."

"It wasn't that long."

"It was."

Ren appeared behind her.

"Did you catch anything?" Shinji paused.

Elena raised an eyebrow.

Shinji sighed.

"No."

Hana looked disappointed.

"Why?"

"Because Mum wouldn't let me." Elena walked past them.

"Because your brother decided that chasing an angry boar was a good idea." Hana's eyes widened. "You chased a boar?" Ren laughed.

"You're stupid."

"I'm not stupid."

"You chased a boar."

"It was huge."

"That makes you more stupid." Shinji shoved him lightly.

Ren shoved him back.

"Enough," Elena said.

They both stopped.

Then Hana began laughing.

Soon Shinji was laughing too.

Even Elena couldn't keep herself from smiling.

For a few minutes, the four of them stood outside the shack beneath the evening sky. It was cold.

The wind carried the smell of snow.

But Shinji felt warm.

That night, Elena cooked stew.

It wasn't much.

A few vegetables.

Some potatoes.

The last of the meat they had stored.

But Hana declared it the best meal she'd ever eaten. "You're only saying that because you're hungry," Shinji said. "No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

Hana pointed her spoon at him. "I like Mum's cooking." "So do I."

"Then stop complaining."

"I'm not complaining."

"You always complain."

Elena covered her mouth to hide a laugh. Shinji looked at her. "Mum."

"Yes?"

"Whose side are you on?"

"I'm on the side of whoever finishes their dinner." Shinji looked down at his bowl.

He ate another spoonful.

"Happy?"

"Very."

That evening, while the four of them sat around the dinner table, Elena looked at her children and smiled.

"When you three grow up, what do you want to be?" Hana immediately raised her hand.

"A baker!"

Ren laughed.

"You can't even cook."

"I'll learn!"

Elena smiled.

"And you, Ren?"

Ren thought for a moment.

"A train engineer. I want to drive one of those huge trains."

Shinji looked toward the window, where the distant railway lights flickered through the darkness.

"And you, Shinji?"

He was quiet for a moment.

Then he looked down at the tattoo on his hands. "I want to be a knight."

Elena's smile faded slightly. "A knight?"

Shinji nodded.

"Or an officer. Someone who protects people." He clenched his small fists.

"Someone who fights the bad people and makes sure everyone gets justice." Elena stared at him. Then she smiled. "A hero?"

Shinji's face brightened.

"Yeah."

He looked at his mother with complete certainty.

"I want to become someone who can protect people who can't protect themselves." Elena reached across the table and gently placed her hand over his.

"Then promise me something."

"What?"

"Never forget the people you're protecting." Shinji nodded.

"I promise."

Elena smiled.

"Then perhaps you'll become a very good knight." Shinji grinned.

He didn't know it yet, but years later, when the world had taken almost everything from him, those words would become one of the few pieces of his childhood he refused to let go of.

Ren suddenly spoke. "Can I ask something?" Elena looked at him.

"What?"

"Why don't we live in the District?"

The table went quiet.

Shinji looked up.

Hana stopped eating.

Elena placed her spoon down.

"We don't need to."

"But everyone else lives there."

"Not everyone."

"Uncle Ryo does." said Ren

Shinji looked at his mother. "Uncle Ryo lives in District Seven?" Elena nodded.

"Yes."

"Why don't we live with him?" Elena smiled.

"Because your uncle likes his peace and quiet." Shinji laughed.

"That's not true."

"You've met him twice."

"He likes me."

"He does."

"Then why don't we live with him?" Elena didn't answer immediately.

She looked toward the window.

The darkness outside reflected her face back at her. "Because this place is safer." Shinji frowned.

"Safer than District Seven?"

"Yes."

"How?"

Elena looked at him.

"Because there are things in the Districts that don't belong near children." Shinji thought about the word.

"Things?"

"People."

"What kind of people?"

"The kind who see a Half-Born and only see the Nightmare in their blood." Shinji's hand slowly moved beneath the table.

He touched his tattoo.

"Would they hurt me?"

Elena immediately reached across the table.

She took his hand.

"No."

Her voice was firm.

"Not while I'm alive."

Shinji looked into her eyes.

There was something behind them. Something he couldn't understand.

"You really hate the Districts."

"No."

She shook her head. "I don't hate them."

"Then why do you look sad when you talk about them?" Elena

smiled faintly.

"Because some places hold memories." "What kind?"

"The kind you don't want to remember." Shinji became quiet.

He didn't ask again.

Later that night, everyone went to sleep.

Shinji couldn't.

He stared at the ceiling.

The wind pushed against the walls.

The old shack creaked.

Then he heard footsteps.

He sat up.

"Mum?"

No answer.

He climbed out of bed.

The door to the main room was slightly open. A faint green light leaked through.

Shinji walked toward it.

He stopped at the doorway. Elena was sitting alone at the table. Her artificial tattoo was glowing.

But she wasn't healing anything.

She was holding a small piece of metal.

Shinji couldn't see what it was.

"Mum?"

The light disappeared.

Elena looked up.

"Shinji?"

"What are you doing?"

"Nothing." "You were using magic." "I was."

"Why?"

She smiled.

"Go back to bed."

Shinji stepped closer.

"What is that?" He pointed toward the object in her hand.

Elena closed her fingers around it.

"Something old."

"From Dad?"

Her expression changed.

Shinji immediately knew he'd guessed correctly. Elena stood.

"How did you know?" "You looked sad." She stared at him.

Then she walked over and knelt. "You remind me of him sometimes." Shinji's eyes widened. "What was he like?"

Elena didn't answer.

She brushed his hair away from his forehead.

"He was complicated."

"Was he strong?"

"Very." "Was he kind?" She hesitated.

"Sometimes."

Shinji frowned.

"That's not an answer." "It's the only one you're getting tonight." She stood.

"Bed."

"But Mum—"

"Shinji."

He sighed.

"Okay."

He turned toward the bedroom. Then stopped.

"Mum?"

"Yes?"

"Did he have a tattoo?" Elena's eyes lowered.

"No."

Shinji looked at his own hands. Shinji turned around.

"What does that mean?"

But Elena had already turned away. "Goodnight,

Shinji."

He stared at her. "Goodnight." He returned to bed.

But sleep didn't come easily.

For the first time, Shinji wondered about the man whose blood ran through his veins.

And somewhere beyond the forest, beneath the distant glow of the railway lights, a train passed through the darkness.

Carrying people toward District Seven. Carrying secrets toward Shinji.

And carrying a past that Elena had spent years trying to bury.

District

Chapter Two — The Night the Forest Burned

The first thing Shinji noticed was the silence. He woke before dawn.

No birds. No wind.

No creaking branches.

Even the old shack seemed to have stopped breathing. Shinji lay beneath his blanket, staring into the darkness. Something was wrong.

He sat up.

"Mum?"

No answer.

He climbed out of bed and stepped into the main room. His mother was already standing beside the window.

She wasn't moving.

She was staring into the forest.

"Mum?"

Elena turned.

The colour had drained from her face.

"Wake Ren and Hana."

Shinji looked worried.

"Why?"

"Now!."

There was something in her voice that made him stop asking questions. He ran into the other room.

"Ren."

His brother groaned beneath his blanket.

"It's still dark."

"Get up."

"Why?"

"Just get up."

Hana stirred.

"Shinji?"

"Get dressed." A sound came from outside.

Scrape.

Something dragged itself across the wooden wall.

Hana sat upright.

"What was that?"

Shinji didn't answer.

Another scrape.

This time, the claws tore through the outer wall.

Four long gouges appeared in the wood.

Hana screamed.

Elena rushed into the room.

"Quiet."

She crouched beside them.

Her hands were trembling.

Shinji had never seen his mother afraid like this. "What

is it?"

Elena looked toward the damaged wall.

"It's a Nightmare."

The word was barely a whisper.

Shinji slowly turned toward the window.

Something moved between the trees.

It was tall.

Far too tall.

Its limbs were thin and crooked; its body covered in patches of blackened flesh that looked almost burned.

It moved on all fours.

Then it stopped.

Its head slowly lifted.

There were no eyes.

Only a long, vertical mouth filled with rows of pale teeth.

Shinji's breath caught.

Another creature appeared behind it.

Then another.

Then another.

Nightmares.

They emerged from the forest like predators answering a call.

Some crawled.

Some walked.

Some moved between the trees with unnatural speed.

The creatures surrounded the shack.

"Mum..."

Elena didn't answer. She was staring at them. "Why are they here?" She

looked at Shinji.

For one moment, he thought she might tell him. Instead, she reached out and pulled him into her arms. "Because we need to leave." That was all she said. The front wall exploded.

A Nightmare crashed through the wood.

Elena shoved the children backward.

Her hand came together.

The tattoo across her palm illuminated.

She started drawing in the air with her finger, writing a spell.

A soft green aura spread from her tattoo and quickly surrounded her entire body. The light clung to her shoulders, arms and torso like a thin veil of green mist.

She raised her palm.

"Earth beneath me, rise and protect." The ground answered.

A rough wall of earth burst upward between them and the Nightmare. The creature smashed into it.

The wall cracked.

Elena leaped backwards.

She gritted her teeth.

"Run!"

Shinji grabbed Hana's hand.

Ren followed.

They moved toward the back of the house.

Another Nightmare crashed through the roof.

Wood fell around them.

Elena looked up.

"Stone beneath my feet, answer my call."

She placed her foot on the ground which left an echo.

Thin spikes of earth erupted from the floor.

The Nightmare leapt backward.

Cackling as they dodged the spikes.

Elena's breathing became heavier.

Shinji stared at her.

"Mum!"

"Go!"

They ran.

They reached the back door.

The forest beyond was dark.

Elena caught Shinji before he could step outside. "Stay

close."

"Where are we going?"

"The shed."

"The tunnel?" She nodded.

"Yes."

They ran.

A Nightmare burst through the wall behind them. Elena turned and drew signs in the air with her finger.

"Earth, rise."

A small barrier formed.

The creature tore through it almost immediately. Elena stumbled.

She was already exhausted.

Shinji looked back.

"Mum!"

"Keep going!" They reached the shed. Shinji pulled open the door.

He moved the old sacks aside.

The trapdoor was underneath.

"Hana first."

Hana climbed down.

Ren followed.

Shinji looked back toward his mother. She stood in the doorway.

Her green aura flickered around her body.

She looked exhausted.

But she smiled.

"Go."

Shinji shook his head.

"I'm staying."

"No."

"I can help."

"Shinji."

Her voice softened. "You are Eleven years old." He looked down.

"I can fight."

"No."

She knelt.

She placed both hands on his shoulders.

"Listen to me."

Shinji looked into her eyes.

"You protect your brother and sister."

He nodded.

"Promise me."

"I promise."

Elena smiled.

"Good."

A sound like a baby crying came from behind her. She stood.

"Now go."

Shinji climbed into the tunnel.

Ren reached for him. "Come on." Hana

was crying.

"Shinji..."

He turned one last time.

"Mum!"

Elena stood alone in the doorway.

Her green aura burst and illuminated the darkness around her.

"Go!"

Shinji pulled the trapdoor closed.

The darkness swallowed him.

Then— BOOM.

The earth shook.

Dust fell from the ceiling.

Hana screamed. "What's happening?" Shinji grabbed her. "Stay down." Another explosion.

Then a terrible sound echoed through the tunnel. A scream.

Shinji recognised the voice.

"Mum!"

He tried to open the trapdoor.

Ren grabbed him.

"Stop brother!"

"LET GO!" "She told us to stay!"

Shinji pushed him away. Then another sound came from above. Not a scream.

A cry. Hana. Shinji froze.

A cackle was what he heard.

He turned slowly.

"Hana?"

She was standing several metres away.

Something had broken through the wooden wall of the tunnel. A long, twisted limb reached through the opening.

Hana screamed.

"Shinji!"

Shinji ran toward her.

"RUN!"

Screaming with all his might.

He grabbed her hand.

But the creature was faster.

Its limb wrapped around Hana.

She screamed his name with tears in her eyes. "SHINJI!" He grabbed her wrist.

"NO!"

Ren grabbed Shinji from behind.

"Shinji what do we do?"

"HELP ME!"

Shinji pulled with everything he had. His fingers slipped.

Hana's eyes met his.

She was terrified.

"Shinji..."

"I'm here!"

He pulled harder.

"I've got you!" But he didn't.

The creature dragged her into the darkness. Her scream disappeared.

Only the sound of flesh and bones being eaten and broken down. Shinji stood frozen.

His hand remained outstretched. "Hana?" Nothing.

"Hana?"

Ren was crying.

"Shinji..."

"No."

Shinji shook his head.

"No, she's still there."

He ran into the darkness holding Ren's hand.

Ren followed him.

"Hana!"

They found nothing.

Only darkness and blood stains being illuminated by the hole the nightmare made. Shinji's breathing became frantic.

"HANA!"

A sound came from behind them.

Ren turned.

A second Nightmare had entered the tunnel. Its body scraped against the walls.

Its mouth opened.

Shinji grabbed Ren.

"RUN!"

They sprinted.

The tunnel ended at a narrow opening near the railway embankment. They burst outside.

Shinji looked back only to see Ren had let go of his hand.

"Ren!"

His brother was still behind him. The Nightmare emerged from the tunnel. Shinji ran toward him.

"REN!"

He grabbed his brother's hand.

"Come on!"

Ren looked at him.

"I'm scared."

"I know."

"Where's Mum?"

Shinji couldn't answer.

With tears flowing uncontrollably from his eyes.

"Come on." They ran.

The Nightmare followed.

Shinji pulled Ren as hard as he could.

But Ren stumbled in the snow.

Shinji turned. "Get up!" Ren

tried.

His foot had become limb as it was fractured.

"Shinji!"

"I've got you!" Shinji dropped beside him. He tried to lift him.

Shinji had no strength to carry him. The Nightmare was getting closer. Its cry changed.

It sounded like a baby.

Then it laughed.

Shinji pulled harder.

"Come on!"

Ren was crying.

"Shinji, don't leave me!"

"I WONT!"

"SHINJI!" "I SAID I WON'T!"

The Nightmare reached them.

Shinji let out a war cry lifting Ren with all his might on his back. His tattoos suddenly illuminated.

Pink light spread across his palms.

His eyes glowed pink

A faint aura surrounded his entire body.

The air around him shimmered. For one brief moment— a shape appeared beside him. A sword.

Shinji stared.

Then it vanished.

The power was gone.

The Nightmare leaped in one instance. Shinji was thrown into the snow. "REN!"

He scrambled upright.

His brother was chewed in half laying in the mouth of the nightmare. Shinji stared at the place where Ren had been.

"No."

He crawled forward.

"No..."

The Nightmare disappeared into the darkness. Shinji didn't move.

The forest was burning.

The shack was burning.

His mother was gone.

Hana was gone.

Ren was gone.

There was no one left.

Only him.

The sounds of the Nightmares surrounded him. A baby crying.

A woman laughing.

A man screaming.

Then silence.

Then laughter again.

Shinji covered his ears.

"Stop."

The sounds continued. "Stop!" His breathing became faster. He couldn't slow it down.

His chest tightened.

He tried to breathe.

Nothing felt right.

He couldn't get enough air.

His hands began shaking violently.

His fingers became numb.

His heart hammered against his ribs.

He felt dizzy.

The ground seemed to tilt beneath him.

The flames of their village were blurred.

His vision narrowed.

The edges of the forest seemed to disappear.

He couldn't hear properly anymore.

Everything sounded distant.

Like he was underwater.

He pressed both hands against his chest.

"Mum..."

His body trembled.

"Mum..." He tried to breathe again.

A sharp breath entered his lungs.

Then another.

Too fast.

He couldn't stop.

His throat tightened.

Tears streamed down his face.

He looked toward the burning remains of the shack.

He expected his mother to walk out. She always came back. She always did.

"Mum..." Nothing.

He looked toward the forest.

"Hana..."

Nothing. Shinji kept crying.

But eventually, no sound came out.

His mouth opened, his chest tightened, and his shoulders continued to shake, yet the sobs had become silent.

He tried to breathe.

Tried to cry.

Nothing.

Only the faint, broken imitation of a sob escaped him as his small body trembled in the snow.

His tears continued to fall, one after another, disappearing into the cold ground.

Shinji covered his face with both hands.

He wanted his mother.

He wanted Hana.

He wanted Ren.

He wanted to wake up.

But there was no waking up.

This was real.

And eventually, even his tears began to slow.

Not because he had stopped hurting.

Because he had nothing left inside him to cry with.

He turned toward the railway.

"Ren..."

Nothing.

His breathing became even faster.

His vision blurred completely.

He curled into himself in the snow.

"I'm sorry."

His voice broke.

"I'm sorry."

He didn't know who he was apologising to.

His mother.

His brother.

His sister.

Maybe all of them.

"I couldn't..."

He couldn't finish.

A train whistle sounded in the distance.

Shinji lifted his head.

The approaching train was the only light in the darkness. He tried to stand.

His legs wouldn't stop shaking.

He fell.

Tried again.

This time, he managed to stand.

He looked back one final time.

The home he had known his entire life was nothing but fire and smoke.

Shinji wiped his eyes.

He was eleven years old.

And he was alone.

The train drew closer.

Its massive iron wheels thundered along the tracks. Shinji stumbled toward it.

Behind him, deep within the burning forest, a Nightmare began to laugh. And for the rest of his life, Shinji would never forget that sound.

District

Chapter Three — The Train Station

The train arrived just before sunrise.

Its iron wheels screamed against the rails as steam poured from beneath the massive engine.

Shinji barely noticed.

He was sitting against a cold stone pillar beside the station platform. His knees were pulled against his chest.

His clothes were covered in ash and snow.

His face was swollen from crying.

But there were no tears left.

His eyes stared blankly toward the tracks.

He hadn't moved for hours.

People passed him.

Some looked.

Most didn't.

The station was beginning to wake.

Merchants opened their stalls.

Workers hurried toward the first trains.

Steam filled the air.

Shinji remained still.

He didn't know where he was going. He didn't know where he would sleep. He didn't even know if he wanted to keep moving. A pair of footsteps stopped in front of him. "What's wrong with him?"

A girl's voice.

Shinji didn't look up.

Another voice answered.

"Don't get too close." This voice belonged to a young girl.

Shinji heard footsteps circle him.

Then silence.

"He's covered in ash." The girl's voice sounded closer. "Is he dead?"

"No."

The girl crouched.

"He's breathing."

Shinji slowly lifted his head.

Among the hundreds of people moving through the station, two figures stood apart. The first was a young girl in a midnight-blue coat.

She wasn't wearing a uniform.

She didn't need one.

The way people moved around her made it obvious that she was someone important.

Her clothes were elegant without being extravagant, every seam perfectly fitted, every silver clasp polished.

Beside her stood a younger girl.

She wore a burgundy dress beneath a charcoal travelling coat, with a leather satchel hanging from one shoulder.

Unlike the older girl.

She was clearly trying to look sophisticated.

She wasn't succeeding.

Her scarf was crooked.

One of her sleeves had slipped down her arm. "Maya." The girl immediately straightened.

"What?"

"Your scarf."

Maya looked down.

"Oh."

She hurriedly fixed it.

The older girl sighed.

"Better."

Maya smiled proudly.

"See?"

"For approximately five seconds." Maya frowned.

"You're mean."

"I'm your sister."

"Same thing."

Irina almost smiled.

And stopped.

Maya's expression immediately changed.

"Irina..."

"I see him."

They approached.

Irina crouched in front of the boy.

"Are you hurt?"

Shinji didn't answer.

Maya knelt beside her.

"Hey..." She spoke more softly.

"What's your name?" Nothing.

Irina reached toward his hand. Then stopped.

Beneath the dirt, she saw it. A natural tattoo.

Her expression changed.

She looked at Maya.

Maya didn't understand.

Irina whispered:

"He's a Half-Born."

Maya looked at Shinji's hand.

Then back at Irina.

"Like us?"

Irina nodded.

"Like us."

The girl leaned closer.

Shinji instinctively pulled his hands toward his chest. She looked toward the railway. Then back at the boy. "Where are your parents?" Shinji's lips moved. No sound came out. The girl moved closer. "You don't have to talk."

She gently placed her hand beside his.

"I'm Maya."

Shinji looked at her. "My name is Maya Ivanov." She smiled. "What's yours?" Shinji stared at her.

His voice was barely audible.

"Shinji."

Maya's expression softened.

"Shinji."

She repeated his name as though making sure she wouldn't forget it. "How old are you?"

He hesitated.

"Eleven."

Maya's eyes widened.

She looked at the older woman. "What about your parents, Shinji?" He looked toward the tracks.

His eyes filled with tears again.

But none fell.

"They're..."

His voice broke.

Maya waited.

Shinji couldn't finish.

She understood.

Her expression changed.

"I'm sorry."

Shinji looked down.

Maya sat beside him.

She didn't ask another question. She simply stayed.

After a moment, she took off her coat and placed it around his shoulders.

Shinji looked at her. She smiled.

"You need it more."

The older woman watched them.

Then she looked at Shinji's tattoo again.

Her expression became serious. "Maya."

"What?" "He's coming with us." Maya looked up.

"Really?"

The woman nodded.

"Yes."

She looked at Shinji. "My name is Irina Ivanov."

Shinji stared at her.

Irina noticed how exhausted he was. He wasn't simply tired.

He looked hollow.

Like something inside him had been ripped away. She reached down. "Can you stand?"

Shinji tried.

His legs shook. He collapsed. Maya caught him. "I've got him!"

Irina immediately helped lift him.

Shinji was surprisingly light.

Too light.

Maya held his arm.

"He's freezing."

"I know."

Irina looked toward the train.

"We're taking him with us."

Maya smiled faintly. "Where?"

"Home."

Shinji heard the word.

Home.

His eyes closed.

He didn't have one anymore.

Maya looked at him.

"Don't worry."

She squeezed his hand.

"You can stay with us." Shinji didn't answer.

He was already falling asleep.

Irina looked down at the natural markings on his hand. A Half-Born child.

Alone.

At a station.

After a Nightmare attack.

There were too many questions.

But Irina knew one thing. Whatever had happened to him— someone had failed him.

She wasn't going to do the same.

"Come on," Irina said.

Maya helped carry Shinji toward the train.

Behind them, the station continued to wake.

People hurried past.

Steam rose into the morning sky.

And for the first time since the forest burned, Shinji was no longer alone.

Chapter Three — The Train to District 7

The train waited beneath a veil of white steam. Shinji stood at the edge of the platform, staring at it. He had seen trains before.

But never this close.

From the forest, they had always been distant shapes passing through the mountains. Black silhouettes moving between the trees, their whistles echoing across the snow.

This was different.

This thing was enormous.

Its front was made of dark iron, reinforced with thick metal plates and rows of rivets. Pipes ran along the sides of the engine, some polished copper, others blackened from years of heat. Beneath the front carriage, enormous wheels rested against the rails, their metal surfaces still wet from the morning frost.

Steam hissed from several valves.

Hssssssss...

Shinji took a small step backward.

Maya noticed.

"It's loud, isn't it?" Shinji nodded.

Irina stood behind them.

"You'll get used to it."

Shinji looked up at the engine.

"How does it move?"

Maya smiled.

"Magic."

Shinji looked at her.

"Magic?"

"Mostly."

She pointed toward the underside of the locomotive.

Shinji couldn't see much through the steam.

"Come here."

Maya crouched and pointed beneath the carriage.

There was a metal housing underneath the engine.

Inside it sat a large crystal.

It was roughly the size of a man's head.

Blue light pulsed inside it.

Shinji stared.

"What is that?" "A magic stone." He moved closer.

The stone pulsed again.

Thump.

A faint glow travelled through several thin tubes attached to it.

Thump.

More light moved through the machinery.

Shinji watched it travel through the pipes.

"Is it alive?"

Maya laughed.

"No."

"It looks alive."

"It's just magic."

Shinji continued staring.

The crystal pulsed again.

The surrounding machinery responded. A series of gears began turning.

One.

Then another.

Then another.

The enormous wheels beneath the locomotive shifted slightly. Shinji's eyes widened.

"So the stone makes it move?" Irina answered.

"Magic stones contain condensed magical energy. The train's engine converts that energy into mechanical force." Shinji looked confused.

Maya whispered:

"Basically, the magic makes the machine work." "Oh." Shinji looked back at the crystal. That made more sense.

A little.

A railway worker walked toward them.

He wore a dark blue uniform with brass buttons and a thick leather coat. A pair of goggles rested on his forehead.

"District Seven Express," he announced.

He checked something on a brass device attached to his wrist.

"All passengers aboard."

Shinji noticed the symbol embroidered onto the man's coat. It was a circular emblem.

Inside the circle was a stylised railway wheel surrounded by three curved lines resembling streams of magic.

The same symbol was painted across the front of the locomotive.

Shinji pointed. "What does that mean?" Maya looked.

"That's the company."

"The company?"

"Aurelia Railways."

Shinji repeated the words quietly.

"Aurelia..."

Irina nodded and smiled

"Yes that's right."