Prologue Saga: Vindicta

***

City of Alex- Miravulum Kingdom, Empire of Caelum

In the bustling heart of the sprawling city, amidst the vibrant and lively shopping district, a close-knit family of three strolled along with an air of joy.

Linked hand in hand, the three's faces lit up with radiant smiles that seemed to be woven into the fabric of their expressions.

The child was a short boy who looked no older than ten years old, he had short curly brown hair and large brown eyes filled with innocence and excitement.

The boy was dressed in simple black pants, a beige tunic with his family's crest, a pair of black wings on its breast, and black leather boots on his tiny feet.

With a large grin on his face, he swung his arms side to side causing his parents' arms to do the same motion.

"Papa, what're we buying first?" Oizys smiled as he looked at the tall lanky man on his right.

"The decorations, we have to make the house look pretty for your special day!"

The boy's father who had long silky black hair and green eyes smiled softly, revealing his bright white teeth as he replied to his son.

He too was dressed fairly simply, wearing the same outfit as his son but the tunic he wore was dark red and also bore the same black wings on his breast.

The man possessed an array of striking facial features that commanded attention.

His visage was defined by a chiselled jawline, exuding a sense of strength and determination that could captivate any observer. His complexion was nothing short of flawless, resembling a canvas of porcelain that might arouse envy in even the most radiant of maidens.

However, amidst this portrait of almost ageless handsomeness, subtle indicators of the passage of time could not be ignored.

The depth of his gaze was emphasised by the presence of dark, haunting circles that lingered beneath his eyes, hinting at sleepless nights or untold worries.

If anyone looked closely, they'd notice that Oizys' father walked with a slight limp and any quick movement caused him to wince a little.

Although he was in a state of constant pain the man acted politely and had an unbothered smile on his face.

"Can we get tons of balloons?" Oizys asked merrily.

"Say please, Ozzy." The lady on Oizys' left said as she squeezed her son's hand affectionately.

"Yes, mama. May we please get tons of balloons?" Oizys repeated his question in a more polite tone.

The mother, Pan, stood a touch shorter than her husband Eurodos, their physical contrast adding a charming dynamic to their familial ensemble.

Her hair, akin to a chestnut waterfall, framed her countenance in a way that complemented her soft and nurturing demeanour.

Sharing a bond of similarity with her son, Oizys, Pan bore the same gentle and inviting facial features.

Her eyes, like his, were a rich shade of brown, conveying an innate warmth and understanding that seemed to connect her with those around her.

The plumpness of her lips, painted in a natural shade of pink, offered an inviting contrast to her peaceful expression.

Yet, the passage of time had left its subtle traces upon her as well. The shadows beneath her eyes, reminiscent of her husband's, were present but more sparingly so.

An emblem of her identity decorated her simple dress– a pair of meticulously embroidered black wings resting on her hip.

Completing her get-up were simple flat shoes, a practical choice that mirrored her grounded and down-to-earth nature.

"Yes, we can get all the decorations you want, Ozzy." Eurodos chuckled as he carried on walking at a steady pace, making sure to be mindful of his son and wife.

"Ozzy, guess what?" Pan looked at her son with a grin on her face.

"You made carrot cake?!" Looking at his mother, Oizys smiled widely.

"..." Pan turned her head and looked at Eurodos, stunned by the boy's quick deduction.

His father simply chuckled as he looked at the expression on her face, and he simply shrugged.

"You should be used to this by now."

Pan just sighed defeatedly before she giggled and grabbed Oizys' cheeks affectionately.

"That's my Ozzy, I can never surprise you. My little smarty pants!"

"Hehe Mama, you're embarrassing me!" Oizys smiled shyly as he feigned humiliation.

***

After completing their shopping in the bustling district, the family of three made their way back to their expansive residence nestled on the outskirts of the city.

Crafted from pristine white stone, the home's architecture exuded an air of solidity and strength. Its façade boasted numerous glass panes adorning both levels, allowing sunlight to penetrate within.

Like every other building in the Empire, the house's design was reminiscent of the Renaissance Italian style.

The family of three spent the rest of the day decorating the house for the celebration, and when they had finished it was already midday.

Two hours after noon, many different people entered their two-story home, these were the other members of the Hermes clan; in total, there were fifty-six.

Relatives from all around the world had stopped what they were investigating to celebrate the seventh birthday of their heir.

The Hermes clan is the largest commoner family in the world and easily the most prestigious and famous. Their wealth surpassed most noble families and their notoriety was comparable to the emperor families. There wasn't a single person in the world who hadn't at least heard their name.

Known all over the world for being investigative journalists who fight for the raw truth and expose corruption, the Hermes family had earned respect, fear, and even resentment from the residents of TC3(The name of the planet).

Although their wealth was extremely vast, they all lived pretty humbly and didn't splurge on the superficial things that nobles purchased, this habit wasn't only because of how often they travelled but also because of their innate principles.

The whole family had gathered from all five continents to celebrate the 7th birthday of their heir and prodigy, Oizys Hermes.

The boy had already been recognized as a child genius all over the world for his high Intelligence index score, deductive and calculative abilities, and his potential to be a great war strategist.

Every Emperor in the world had acknowledged him as a PTC, a great title given to those with a certain attribute or talent capable of helping the Gods in their war against the Devils.

***

Everyone was now seated at a large wooden table smiles on their faces, most of them wearing tiny party hats.

Oizys stared intensely at the large carrot cake with white cream and multiple candles, his brown eyes glistening greedily as he stared at his cake.

The candles' tiny flames danced wildly just waiting to be blown out, the boy smiled swiftly as he internally counted the number of candles.

'5...6...7.'

"Happy birthday to you!"

"Happy birthday, dear Ozzy!"

***

While the Hermes clan sang to Oizys, two hooded figures stood outside in silence.

The figures were dressed in long black robes with symbols on their breast. The emblems were red stars with a large eye in their centre.

The two figures' clothing hid any identifying features, not even their eyes were visible instead only glowing orbs stood in their places.

The taller figure with white orbs for eyes looked at the shorter one and spoke in a detached distorted voice.

"Do it, now." The voice of the assassin was cold and devoid of any emotion, if the person felt anything then it couldn't be detected at all.

"Don't rush me! Using magic that leaves no traces takes time ya know." The shorter figure spoke in the same distorted voice as their comrade, but their tone was whiny and childish.

The shorter figure extended their arms in the direction of the house in front of them, threads of glowing red magic manifested around their gloved fingertips before they began forming into a magic circle with intricate and mysterious ruins and symbols.

The circle then grew larger and larger till the radius was the length of the caster, they then clasped their hands together causing the magic circle to disappear and their hands to glow in a red hue.

The mage then slammed their hands onto the ground causing everything in a 5-mile radius to feel the tremor.

"This is taking longer than it should... hurry up, at this rate, someone in the house will sense the mana fluctuation." The taller figure commanded.

"Okay okay, sheesh... So demanding. That family only has a few mages, even then none of them are notable."

The magic circle suddenly appeared once again, although this time it was much larger and was covering the whole two-story house; causing the home to vibrate slightly.

"Blaze magi-"

***

"Hm?" Eurodos who was right next to his son suddenly opened his heavy eyes much wider as he noticed the disturbance of mana.

'Shit, there's no time... They made a magic circle this large right under my nose?! I got careless.'

In less than a fraction of a second, Eurodos shoved his son roughly causing him to go flying at alarming speeds.

'Sorry Ozzy.'

This sent Oizys flying through multiple of the supporting columns and the stone wall.

All of this, from Eurodos noticing the mana fluctuation to him pushing his son happened in less than a second.

Oizys had all the wind knocked out of him as his father pushed him with his superhuman strength.

As he was flying through the columns, he felt multiple of his fragile bones snap instantly.

SHATTER

He then lay on the soft green grass of the garden in unbearable pain and completely oblivious to what had just occurred.

Before anyone could even process what had just happened to their heir, the tiny candles grew into a grand bonfire setting all those closest to the cake on fire.

Within a few moments, every single member of the Hermes clan had become living walking, screaming candles.

***

Extra Information:

There are 7 different empires across the 5 inhabited continents.

Eurodos Hermes married into the Hermes family and took on the Hermes name.

There are only 14 PTCs recognized around the world currently.