Ajax almost dropped from the cliff when the stranger startled him. Adrenaline pumped through his body, but the exhaustion caught up to him. “I can’t reach the ledge—”

The stranger gripped Ajax’s arm tightly. “Quick! Pick yourself up before you fall!” he yelled, pulling Ajax back from his inevitable death. Both of them panted, catching their breath. “Boy, you ought to be more careful. You almost killed us both!” 

“Me!?” Ajax huffed. “You startled me!”

The stranger chuckled. “Do I look that frightening to you?” 

Ajax inspected him and did a double take. The man had warm brown skin, black eyes and a ‘fade’ haircut, where the top part of his tight curls was longer and gradually became shorter on the sides. He also wore a pristine white shirt underneath his black and white studded leather armour, looking every bit an adventurer. 

“Name’s Kane,” he said, offering his hand. “What’s yours, brother?” 

“Ajax,” he replied, shaking Kane’s hand, and noticed the four-pointing star pendant hanging from a chain. “Nice accessory. Is that a star?” 

“Heh, you might laugh when I tell you.” Kane's fingers traced the lines of the weathered necklace. Turning it, Ajax noticed a wide crack run through the bright red gemstone. “It's a Memento,” replied Kane melancholically. “From a Star Guardian.”

Ajax's eyes widened in surprise as he turned his face at Kane. “It's a what?”

“I-its nothing,” Kane replied sheepishly. “It's just a simple pendant I received as a child when a Star Guardian saved my life… you don't believe me, do you?”

“No! I do!” Ajax yelled, approaching Kane a bit too closely to examine the pendant closely. “Is it really from a Guardian? Like, for real!?” Ajax squeaked before his voice turned sour.

Kane picked up on that and gave him a faint smile. “You know, when I was a child, I admired the stars,” he began, pulling Ajax into his narrative. “And I still do! When villains ravaged my home, the Guardians came and saved me. I’ll never forget that sight. Billowing shoulder capes fluttering in the wind, the sleek, black visors of their helmets absorbing the sunlight, and their powerful armoured suits were the most fascinating things I've ever seen,” Kane explained, elated, firing up Ajax. 

Then, his expression dropped.

“The leader of the villains… killed many of my friends," Kane said, his voice heavy with the weight of the past. He sat down, clasping his hands tightly as if trying to steady himself. Ajax quietly joined him on the ground, listening intently. "The Guardians avenged them, but after that... everything changed."

The story captivated Ajax. He had only ever heard tales of the Guardians when his parents were still alive. This was the first time he'd met someone with a real connection to them. Yet, it felt like there was more to this dark story than Ajax wanted to know.

“Have you…” Ajax struggled for words. “Have you ever thought about reaching the stars, sir Kane?”

Kane snorted, amused. “Don't call me sir,” he laughed. “Kane's my name, brother. And yes, I did. Every day of my childhood. I heard the capital is researching new ways to do so!”

“They what!? How?”

“Who knows?” Kane shrugged. “Something about sailing ships shot into space, I dunno.”

Ajax gave him a suspicious look. “Does that even work?”

Another shrug. “Beats me.” Kane poked Ajax. “Now tell me what's bothering you, brother. I can see it in your eyes.”

“I—” Ajax hesitated. “What if I dreamt of becoming a Guardian, but… I can't be one?”

“I'm sorry, but I need more information than that, brother.” Kane leaned closer. “Listen, you don't know me and don't need to tell me what's bothering you, but if you want to, I'll listen, brother.”

Ajax shook, afraid to say what was on his mind. He couldn’t form the words. Instead, deciding to trust Kane, he took out the Chrono Driver. “I met a Guardian, but they rejected me.”

The artefact levitated listlessly in Ajax's hand. The disk circled slowly around the grey gemstone. 

Kane looked at the Ajax, who held back sniffling before a stranger. “Rejected, you say… why?” Followed Kane, prompting the boy to switch expressions. 

Resentment crossed his face. “It's this thing!” He held up the artefact before Kane. “My friends, who never ONCE believed in the Guardians or cared for anything, were chosen over me! ME!? I did everything to prove myself to be worthy, and this is how it gets repaid?!”

Kane narrowed his eyes on Ajax, then offered his hand. “May I take a look?”

The offer made Ajax queasy, making him realise he was telling more than he should have. The artefact in his hand was precious, or so he thought since it could give an individual immense power. 

“Everyone except me,” realised Ajax. “It gave Marius super-strength and Lydia more speed and agility, but I got nothing but mockery.” 

He handed the Chrono Driver over. Kane inspected the artefact and touched it, triggering a blinding light. The disk rotated wildly, refracting the light all around them until the sphere burst into stardust. 

Ajax felt like the ground disappeared from his feet, leaving him slack-jawed. “No! What did you do—”

“It's a fake,” explained Kane, scattering the dust into the wind. “You were handed an imitation. It would never have chosen you, or anyone.”

“What— but then… how…”

“I'm sorry, brother, but sometimes reality is harsher than we would like it to be.”

“This doesn't make sense.” The revelation gnawed at Ajax. “Then how— but the others— Did she lie to us!?”

“I know what this kind of rejection feels like,” Kane admitted, pulling one leg back as he ground the heel of his boot into the gravel. “I’ve once looked up to someone, but they let me down and shattered my dreams. However, the most important thing now is, what do you want to do?” 

“Me?” Ajax wiped the snot from his nose until Kane offered him a handkerchief. “What would I do now? I– I–” 

“Go back home, brother,” reassured Kane, putting a hand on Ajax’s shoulder. “Sort your mind. Pick up the shards and decide what you want to do after the storm settles.” Kane handed Ajax the old pendant and closed the boy’s fist so he would take it. “If you decide to seek my aid, speak into the pendant, and I’ll be there.” 

“Y-you mean it?” He almost gave it back, but Kane shook his head. “Why? You don’t even know me? Why would you help me?” 

Kane smiled knowingly as he slipped his hands into his pockets. “You looked like you needed an ear, brother. But,” his eyes twinkled, “can you tell me where the nearest city is? And what dangers should I watch out for?” 

“Of course!” Ajax replied energetically, slipping the pendant on without a second thought. He grabbed Kane’s hand and pointed toward the distant city. “Salamira is my home city. Beware of the Dark Mutton Forest, though. Monster Muttons—deadly sheep—roam there, but they should be docile right now. Thea, the Star Guardian, took down the Boss Monster from the forest, Polyphem. He was a fearsome Cyclops terrorising sheep farmers for decades.” 

“A Cyclops, eh?” Kane scratched his chin. “Interesting. Might be worth taking into account.” Kane turned to Ajax, holding out his fist. “See around then, brother.”

“Yes, brother!” Ajax fist-bumped Kane and skipped on his feet. “Should I guide you to the city? I’m pretty capable of handling monsters. Which reminds me, don’t you have any weapons?” 

Ajax referred to the fact that Kane carried no visible weapon with him. He first thought he might be a wizard, but Ajax couldn’t tell if Kane even had mana, which worried him. 

“Don’t worry, brother.” Kane ruffled Ajax’s black hair. “I might not look the part, but I learned to handle myself. Now go. We’ll meet again.” 

‧. .ᯓ★. .‧

With renewed vigour, Ajax jumped off the cliff. 

For any other race, a deadly feat, but for an elf it was a walk in the park. Ajax summoned the rare winds of the forest nymphs and effortlessly glided down to the forest’s edge. Looking back up, he waved at Kane, who waved back at him until Ajax disappeared out of sight. 

“Ah, kids are great, though I never want to have any.” Kane laughed and pulled out a small disk buzzing inside his clothes. He pressed a blue button, and a hologram flickered to life. “Molly, how are you?” 

“Kaaaaaaaane!” The woman bared her teeth at Kane, her hologram glowing in limited shades of blue. Despite the monochrome projection, her features stood out all the more; four sets of arms, a glowing eye with a black sclera vertically placed on her forehead, and a perpetually furious expression. “When I call, you answer! Don’t you EVER hang up on me—” 

Kane accidentally pressed the button, ending the call. Molly called back immediately, her hair blazing like wildfire. “DID YOU HUNG UP ON ME!?” 

“Me? Molly, please, I’d never.” Kane pouted innocently. Molly rolled her three eyes. “Besides, I found what we were looking for.” 

“You did?” Molly’s voice mellowed down. Her wildfire hair and dark eyes returned to their normal state, which made her almost humanoid—almost. “You found The Endurance? It was a matter of time until we found Atlas.” 

Kane scratched his nose. He couldn’t smile at the achievement as he gazed down at the buried starcraft. “I found one part of it. The other half must have exploded when it entered the atmosphere. Regardless, we can calculate its trajectory and recover the remains. Meanwhile, I’ll engage in my hobby.” 

“Kane… not again,” Molly warned him. “I’m not here to protect you if something happens. This planet is more dangerous than we anticipated.” 

“I’ll be fine,” reassured Kane. “You know I can handle myself.” 

Kane ended the call and walked down the mountain path. He wished he could have jumped down like Ajax, but alas, a nice walk also did the trick. The edge of the forest bleated at him eerily, warning him of the dangerous sheep inside. 

“This could be worthwhile.” Kane wandered into the forest and arrived without a cinch at Polyphem’s layer. The Cyclops lay defeated with his head resting against Mega Ewe’s wool, nursing his headache and groaning in pain. “Wakey, wakey.” Kane clapped loudly. “Time to wake up.” 

“Whroo goes t-where?” Polyphem regarded the human for a moment before falling back against the wool. “Go awray, human. I’m not in the mooooood,” the Cyclops groaned loudly. 

“Are you sure, Cyclops?” asked Kane, pulling out a remote controller one would use for the TV. “I think I can convince you otherwise.” 

*Click*

A sudden blast of bagpipes assaulted everyone’s ears. The sheep fell into a frenzy, head-butting each other and nearby trees as the sound echoed in the forest. Mega Ewe abandoned Polyphem, and he bonked his head against stone, bleating in agony. 

“SHTOP THIS AHWFUL CLAMOURING, HYUMAN!” roared Polyphem. “OR I’LL CRHUSH YHOU!” 

“WHAT!?” shouted Kane, covering his ears. 

Polyphem roared again and uprooted another tree. “I SHAID I’LL KhILL YOU—” The Cyclops groaned, holding his chest. He collapsed on the ground, whaling. “Wh-hwat did you dwo? M-my bhody… Phhhaaaaaain.” 

Kane pushed another button, lowering the volume to a barely passable and buzzing background noise. “Did you know vibration acceleration at low amplitude and 30-Hz frequency can promote endochondral callus ossification and thus promote fracture healing?” Kane approached the groaning Cyclops, who regarded Kane with a watery eye. “But frequencies higher than 50-Hz can cause tissue damage or contribute to conditions like vibration white finger—a vascular disorder—or other musculoskeletal disorders.” 

Polyphem groaned audibly, not listening to Kane’s rumbling.

“In layman’s terms, I’ve used vibrations to put you on your knees after that woman crushed your ribs, remember?” 

The words alone caused a tremor in the area. Despite the pain and discomfort, Polyphem rallied his strength to tower before Kane.

“Whry shouldn’t Ih crhush yhou, hruman?” asked Polyphem.

“Because I know what you’d want. The simplest forms of grudges. Revenge.” Kane opened his palm, and a strange light descended from above. Little blue squares filtered in and out of the beam and swirled into a mess of dark energy. From within, orange-black tendrils shot out, twisting and writhing around a miniature black sun. Kane’s voice dropped, filled with temptation. “Take this Chaos Core, and you’ll get your revenge.” 

Polyphem reached out to the dark, swirling sun. As his finger made contact with the Chaos Core, he felt his essence being swallowed, disgorged, and then reassembled. Waves of energy surged outward, engulfing the Monster Muttons and Mega Ewe, morphing them, giving them power.

The Cyclops, still consumed by the dark matter, emerged smaller in stature but more imposing than before. His strength radiated like never before.

“Who are you?” asked the Cyclops, his voice deeper and more collected.

“Antares,” said Kane, scratching at his leather straps, felt the absence of his pendant but knew Ajax needed it more than he did. Now more than ever. “I am The Heart of the Scorpion. Guardians’ Bane.”