1 Sanguine Eyes

After the threat of the Lunaseekers has been eliminated for five already, they were thought to have all been burned to death by the might of the Empire of Solstice.

The time of peace that humanity experienced went by in a flash, as another pile of bodies were found one fateful evening. The corpses had all the signs of a Lunaseeker's dark sorcery to satiate his hunger. Two remote houses located in the woods and its residents were turned into dinner. Faint traces of blood magic were sensed at the scene of the murder.

The victims were the families of both Leon Vergil, and Damian Rose, who had both just turned thirteen back then. Luckily, the two boys escaped the massacre as they were both outside during that time, somewhere, playing nonchalantly while their families were robbed of their blood and life defenselessly.

By the time they got back, it was already too late. A foot soldier from Solstice tried to cover the boys' eyes. He tried to stop them from seeing the gruesome event which had taken place in their households.

But it was too late. No amount of looking away was going to wash the pain out of the two boys. That was when Leon saw it. A dark wand drenched in blood right there on the floor. Just as he was about to walk up to it and pick it up, he was stopped by someone.

He was wearing a black cape and light armor. This person also wore a slicked back black hair, with some strands falling on his face, he was also built sturdy, despite his lankiness. The hilts of his belt had a white grimoire, an equally white magic wand, and a sword. He looked to be in his late twenties.

"I would advise against touching that. It's dangerous." The man said. "Do you have anyone you can stay with for the time being?"

Leon and Damian were traumatized, far too disturbed to even speak. Thus, the man's question was not answered. What instead got retorted back to him was nothing but the chilling wind of the woods, the taste of blood in the air, like iron clinging to a rusted blade.

"Sir! The records show that the victims here are the only family these two have." A foot soldier reported in to the man said that after saluting him.

"I see." The man replied as he shook his head with a remorseful expression at what just happened, followed with an exhausted sigh.

He took young Leon and Damian back to the capital city of Solstice – Sanshin. "I honestly do not know what to tell you. These kinds of incidents have long stopped already. Or that was what we thought. I've got to go ahead and report directly to the Emperor. Both of you, wait for me here." He said as he walked away from them, but not before turning around one more time. "The name's Kanon. Kanon Sokolov."

They were now in the royal palace of the Emperor. Everything was sparkling in the vicinity. Not a spot was left unclean in this place.

It was a stark contrast to the outside woods where they had lived. This was the first time Leon and Damian ever got to leave the woods and venture the outside world.

But the two did not expect this would be how it would go about it. "D-Did you see my mother's body?" Damian asked Leon as he broke down to the floor and wept.

Leon gritted his teeth in anger. He felt just how powerless he was. How they were only alive due to sheer luck, had they both been there, they would have succumbed to death or whatever their families went through before finally dying.

Tears also streamed down the thirteen-year old's eyes. "Get up, Damian." He nudged his friend to do so, but Damian's bawling just continued. Until Leon finally gave in and did the same as well.

That was a night that will forever be engrained in their memories. A tragedy that time would never heal as long as the perpetrators are out there at nighttime, stalking their next victims.

After two hours of reporting to the Emperor, Kanon went back and picked the boys up. "Sorry, I got bombarded with questions by the old folks." Kanon said, which garnered no reaction from either Leon or Damian.

"I have a nice place out here in the palace premises, believe it or not. You can stay there for the time being." The black caped man said to the two of them.

It was indeed a huge house, using the word 'nice' was an understatement. The ceilings seemed like they would pierce the sky itself, while the furniture were all immaculately placed and polished.

Kanon opened the door to a huge room. "This is going to be where you are going to sleep." He calmly muttered.

"M-Mister, who are you? And why are you helping us?" Damian asked nervously, worried that he might be an untrustworthy person.

"Hah. Relax, stranger danger, I know. Look, as timid as I might carry myself to be, I am still the Commander of the Umbra Knights." Kanon responded with a glint in his eyes.

"U-Umbra Knights?" The word piqued the interest of Leon.

Kanon nodded. "That is right. We are practitioners of magic, the arcane arts and whatnot, honestly, we are the best chance humanity has got in defending against unholy abominations. Listen, I am not going to sugarcoat what just happened to your families. That was a clear mark of a Lunaseeker's feeding spree. I thought they've all been hunted down, seems like I was wrong."

"So, it was those Lunaseekers that did that to our family?!" Leon exclaimed as he gritted his teeth once more and clamped his fist in anger.

"Precisely." Kanon nodded.

"Let me join! I am not going to stand idly by doing nothing after what just happened!" Leon was agitated at his own powerlessness. Damian attempted to grab his arm and calm him down.

Kanon got on his knees and stared Leon right through his eyes. "We do not enlist children, nor do we enlist those who do not have the talent for magic. Contain yourself, child." The way he said it sent shivers down both of their spines.

"Tch. Are you telling us to do nothing and just wait till those Lunaseekers siphon everyone's life force dry?!" Leon shouted in anger once more.

"Wait till you are fifteen and enlist. If you have the affinity for magic, then let us have this conversation once again and we'll see." Kanon replied as he pulled out his magic wand and telekinetically lifted both Leon and Damian into their rooms.

Both of them were in awe. That was the first time they had ever seen magic performed before their very eyes.

"Damian. I am going to join the Umbra Knights, whether you enlist or not is up to you." Leon said in a cold, vengeful tone.