Rai: Dark & Light

The Hunt Begins

Rai's feet pounded against the cold, hard ground, each step echoing in the vast emptiness of the wilderness. The Demon stronghold—his former home—was now a burning memory behind him, its towering walls vanishing into the distance as he ran.

His lungs burned. His body ached. His left eye throbbed, the fresh gash above it still bleeding. His mother's pendant, The Devil's Eye, was clutched so tightly in his fist that the metal edges pressed into his skin.

"Run, my son!"

His mother's last words repeated in his head like a curse.

The howls of hunters filled the night.

They were coming.

Rai's small legs wobbled as he darted through the darkness, weaving between jagged rocks and twisted trees. The forests of Netharos were not kind to the weak—especially not to a fugitive Hybrid.

Ahead of him, the terrain sloped downward, disappearing into the unknown. He had never left the stronghold before. The outside world was a mystery.

But he had no choice.

He had to escape.

Eden – The Forbidden Land

Rai had heard the stories.

Eden was the only neutral ground in existence. Neither Angels nor Demons were allowed to wage war there. To humans, it was just the normal world—a realm of cities, mountains, and oceans, untouched by celestial conflict.

To Angels and Demons, it was a cage, a place where they could not use their full power without attracting divine punishment.

If Rai could make it there, he might survive.

But first, he had to cross the Rift—the deadly chasm that separated Netharos from Eden.

His body trembled from exhaustion, but he couldn't stop. The distant roars of his pursuers sent terror through his chest.

Then—a sharp snap.

The ground beneath him gave way.

Falling Into Darkness

Rai barely had time to scream as he plunged into the abyss.

Wind howled in his ears. The jagged rocks blurred past him as he tumbled into the black void. His fingers clawed desperately at the air, trying to grab onto anything—but there was nothing.

Is this it? Is this how I die?

His mother's pendant pulsed.

Then—impact.

He hit water.

Icy, suffocating, relentless. The force knocked the air from his lungs, and for a moment, he didn't know which way was up. Darkness pressed in around him.

He kicked, fought against the current, but his limbs felt like lead.

"I… can't…"

His vision blurred.

Something moved in the water.

A shadow. A presence. Watching.

Then, just before unconsciousness took him—a hand shot through the depths, grabbing his wrist.

A Demon had found him.