The Villains' Hero (second draft)

Prolouge: A Hero's Son

  
          A sea of people flowed into a room dimly lit with barren walls like a wasteland, the opposite image than they were expected. The deadening lights above hummed loudly and the floor was a gray concrete, cracked and poorly taken care of. The only thing that stood out was an extravagant stage at the far end, dressed up in a completely different way than the room it was in causing an odd juxtaposition that created a wave of unease. Hushed whispers broke out and worried eyes scanned and studied the empty room. Is this really the scene of a Rising? It seemed more like a horror movie come to life… 

            Karma joined the crowd as one of the last to drip in. The sensation in the room was a strange one, making him feel a sense of anxiety, which only mixed with the others feeling the same. His father had told him a Rising would appear different than how he would’ve thought, but he had no idea it would look like this. Running a hand through his long and wavy black hair, he pulled out some snags and pulled it into a loose bun. A strand left behind fell over his face as he tried to adjust his overly large hoodie that seemed to fall right back down again. His blue eyes burned brilliantly as he turned his gaze to the stage, where upon he spotted an intimidating figure. The figure was large and tall with six wings, a pair over the eyes, a pair over the feet, and a pair just resting behind the owner of the figure. 

            As he was trying to study the figure, it walked out to reveal himself to be a man with long golden hair like the sun and a blindfold over his eyes beneath the first pair of wings. “Silence,” he shouted loudly, which calmed the chatter that was quickly replaced with a moment of frozen time as not even a bug made a noise for those few seconds. “Now that I have your attention, I would like to introduce myself. My name is Sera; I will be guiding you today to your new Risen state. I’m sure you’ve heard stories and understand the general concept,” he paused to scan the people below him.

            “However, now that it is reality for you, I will tell you how it actually is. First, your name shall be called upon by yours truly. Then you will come up onto the stage and take a pill from my assistant on the left. Finally, you take your pill and let my assistant off stage guide you. As I am sure you are aware, the pills are random. You could rise to a new upgraded you, stay the same, or lose the roulette and wind up Disgraced. You do not want to be Disgraced, however, in order to keep balance, a third of you will Fall. It’s only natural.” The words were dripped in venom when he spoke of those who will wind up with the wrong pill. Chills ran down Karma’s spine, leaving his hair on end and his arms covered in goosebumps. He listened to the names, watching everyone disappear behind the curtains. Finally, he heard his name. “Karma Graves.”

            Karma walked up onto the stage and over to the assistant, a female with delicate wings that resembled a butterfly’s. He was given a small yellow pill that was cool to the touch, taking it with a shot of water, and proceeded to head off stage where another girl with similar wings walked up to him and blindfolded him before leading him off. 

            Down winding corridors and multiple long staircases, Karma went for what felt like hours even if it wasn’t. He was then shoved into a room and the door shut behind him, signaling he could remove his blindfold. He removed the blindfold to find himself in a fairly decent room, which had a full bed in the corner and a small desk. There was nothing else in the room, but given the state of the entrance, he had assumed the room would be the same. He lay down on the bed, thinking he could get some shut eye.

            He was very wrong. No sooner had his eyes closed, his body flared up with a burning sensation and a lot of pain. His eyes shot open as he lost his breath for a moment, the sensation growing and getting stronger. He began to grab and claw at the bed, finding no relief. He cried out and drooled, falling off the bed and writhing on the floor, his body undergoing a transformation. Knuckles went white as his fists clenched, his body structure changing and shifting. His ears moved up his head and became longer and pointier until they formed black cat ears, his spine lengthened then split into two cat tails, he gained claws, fangs, and even his eyes turned into slits. His muscle structure also softened and became more limber and flexible. Soon, his transformation was complete and he lay on the ground shaking and panting as the pain started to recede. However, it took its toll and Karma found himself fainting where he was. 

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            Morning came at some point and Karma was awoken by the same assistant from the night prior. Once more he was blindfolded and led back up to the original room with the stage. When the blindfold came off, he was met with Sera. The disgusted look on his face said a thousand unspoken words and Karma began to spiral before getting labelled. “Disgraced, villain, vile! Absolutely disappointing. Your parents, such great heroes, but their son? Disgusting.” Karma spun even more out of control. How could he have Fallen? He was supposed to be a hero like his parents! He felt as if the ground was to give out beneath him.

            “What?! How can I be a villain?? I can’t be! My entire family- My mother and father are some of the best heroes out there!! I’m a hero like them! There must be some mistake!”

            “No mistake. You have Fallen. Your tail has split, Filth! One tail, you would border as a hero due to being a black cat, but two tails?? And being a black cat? There is nothing redeeming about that! Get out of my sight, Disgraced!” Karma tried to argue in desperation; however he spotted a figure coming towards him. His father, the great hero that went by Gryph. “Dad, thank god! Tell him I’m a hero, like you! D-dad…?” His father looked at his son with pure disappointment. Karma saw that face before… 

            “Karma, you bring shame to our family…. Sera, do as you will. I came by to see my son as a hero for the first time, and what I find is incredibly upsetting. At this point, he can’t even accept his fate gracefully. Take him to Hunloy where he belongs…” Karma’s eyes widened in shock and though he tried to speak, no sounds came out. Suddenly, the ground he stood on opened and he fell. A few moments of freefall was met with a sudden impact with the ground, and he rolled a short distance from the force. He sat up and looked around, still overwhelmed with his shock and mixing emotions. Nothing was familiar and a sense of dread seemed to have swallowed him whole. This slum was his new home…?

            He was so far into his mind that he almost missed what came next:

            “Woah, ouch! What a fall! Welcome to Hunloy, Dude! Dang, what an entrance! You okay..?”