Kayden Williams is a young man with an oddability.
Amongst the empowered of humanity, there exist those who conjure flames from nothingness, amass daunting tidal waves, lace the air with sinister lightning, and so much more. Such people loomed above the mundane, harnessing their abilities as they pleased. However, even amongst such formidable variables, Kayden was of a different variant.
Within a dimly-lit space situated below ground level, Kayden Williams sought possible solace. Every night, beyond prying eyes, he ventured into the den of gamblers, battling tooth and nail to earn his keep.
Enticed crowds sang their cheers. The piercing stench of alcohol corroded the oxygen. And the risk-takers betted on chosen champions. It was a plausible business strategy. Spectators made their bets, and if they were lucky, they walked away with double their earnings. However, if faith was against them, then all their resources would get swallowed up by the owners of the shadowy joint.
Standing within a metallic cage, the noise of the crowd crashed through his ears. But Kayden did his best to dull the distraction.
His eyes, painted yellow by his gift, gazed ahead. Standing not too far away, was a man beloved by flames. His body crackled with infernal heat, deranged eyes holding his opponent's gaze as both waited for the other to make the first move.
"What's the matter, boy?" His opponent sneered, lips curled into a grin as he took a step forward. "Too scared to come at me? Well then, I suppose I'll just have to bring the fight to you, instead," he said, bursting forth in a trail of flames the next moment.
Kayden quickly bent his knees, shooting himself into the air. A wave of immolative heat spread out from below, his eyes not straying from his opponent for even a moment.
Swiping his paws, barrages of claw strikes traveled swiftly through the air, colliding with the ground. However, his opponent was just as quick to dodge, rushing out from the searing explosion as he looked up.
Then, his jaws opened wide, a mass of flames brewing within.
Kayden grabbed the mesh, swinging his leg to release a thicker line of attack at his opponent.
Still, the man was able to dodge the attack, and right after, a tunnel of flames gushed from his extended jaws.
Seeing the attack heading his way, Kayden ran across the mesh, feeling the infernal heat slowly closing the distance.
At the same time, his eyes remained on his opponent, waiting for a possible opportunity to strike.
Soon enough, Kayden let go of the mesh, landing on all fours on the metallic floor. Fear soon parted for determination. And as he clenched his jaw, he ran straight ahead, surprising his opponent.
Shock soon gave way for satisfaction as the man swung his arms in wide arcs, unleashing burning waves of heat at Kayden. But, this time around, he bore through the heat, each stride taking him closer to his target.
The crowd's cheers intensified with each second that passed, eagerly waiting to witness the match's climax.
The flaming man bore his mouth open once more, unleashing an even deadlier stream of fire. But still, Kayden endured it all. His movements slowed, but he kept pushing forward, deep grunts fazing through tightened jaws.
"Damn it!" The man cursed, pouring more flames at his opponent. Still, the unsightly creature kept on moving, its silhouette growing larger through the path of flames.
Sweat trickled down the man's face, though not from the heat. His fingers trembled as the shadow towered above him, and in a dreadful fashion, its right paw rose into the air.
An acute strain spread across his chest, causing his back to arch forward as he spat out blood.
"Crap. I'm overusing my ability…"
Right after, the dreadful flames he conjured began to dissipate. Each ember fluttering out of existence carried with it his chances of victory. And as he looked ahead, he saw him… or it, staring right back.
"You're… a monster," he muttered, falling to his knees as blood streamed from the corners of his mouth.
Kayden didn't bother with the man's comment. With a bestial grunt, he brought his paw downward, serrated claws digging deeply into the man's chest.
The walls echoed his cries, but Kayden wasn't done. He kept at it, repetitively, mechanically. A pool of shredded flesh and blood surrounded him, painting his limbs, decorating his face.
Eventually, he stopped, and stepped back.
The announcer's voice soon pierced through the wild crowd, announcing Kayden as the winner of the match.
The crowd's cheers nearly bordered on insanity as they shook their fists. Though it wasn't long since Kayden made his debut, he swiftly became a fan favourite. In all ten of his fights, he hadn't lost a single one. But most of all, people wondered about the nature of his power.
Jagged claws, an elongated snout, ashen fur… this was something no one was expecting to see.
While there were those who chose to chunk it as Mystery Class, others began to refer to him as something else- a monster.
Back in the day, before the advent of powers, such a term could only find significance in the realm of fantasy. Whether it be light novels, eldritch movies, or even plays and short films. The term monster wasn't something that people of the modern era threw around so casually. Unless someone was superstitious, or actually believed that the stories they read held truth, they wouldn't be quick to label whatever inexplicable being they encountered as a monster.
But nowadays, however, things are different.
The world wasn't as it was before. With the emergence of abilities, all sorts of fantasies transitioned into stark reality. And to the people watching these matches, this might as well have been one of those many powers being put on display.
After the match was concluded, Kayden didn't waste time in leaving the arena. Reverting back into his human form, he followed the exit door placed at a corner of the space, retreating into the locker room to rest and check on his earnings.
Upon making it there, he walked towards his locker and inputted his combination. With a sudden click, he pulled the handle open, revealing the backpack stashed within.
Fishing his phone from the bag, he unlocked it and went straight to his notifications. Sure enough, a recent deposit had just been made. $5000. Though it was a lot. Compared to the problem looming over his head, it might well have been a drop in the ocean.
"At least I'm getting there…" he muttered, weakly shoving the phone back into the bag. His shoulders slumped, exhaustion eating at his strength as he heaved out a deep sigh. Looking around, he soon realized that he was alone. "Not surprised. Most people that fight here don't come back after making just enough money. It's the same for me, though. Once I make it to fifty thousand, I'm outta here."
Kayden shook his head, picking up the bag and tossing it back into the locker. However, just as he was about to close it shut, his phone rang.
He felt a chill run down his spine. It was already past midnight. Unless his uncle knew he was out late, no one should be calling him at this point in time.
With shaky hands, he reached back in for the backpack and unzipped it. His phone vibrated in his clutches as he read the caller's ID, and right there and then, his heart sank.
He nearly dropped the phone on the floor, but forcefully stopped himself. He was already struggling with money. He couldn't afford to add another expense into the mix.
The device rang for a couple more seconds. Kayden didn't want to keep the caller waiting, but at the same time…
Heaving out a sigh that did nothing to calm his nerves, his thump clicked on Answer one too many times.
Then, the voice on the other end came. Cold, deep, dismissive.
"So, brat. You finally decided to pick up," the man said, the noise of something sharp flicking on the other end. "I was starting to think you didn't care about your cousin anymore," a whistling noise followed, then snap.
Kayden's heart ached as the phone shivered in his grip. Terrible scenarios spiraled in his mind as he waited for the man to continue speaking.
"Don't get me wrong, kiddo. You know how it is. Times are hard. Ever since those peskyaliens showed up, things have only gotten from bad to worse for people like us. Can you imagine? For once, the government was doing a good job in helping us out, but then, after that damned alien invasion, we've been left to get by however we could.
"Anyways, I'm just rambling at this point. So tell me, how much money have you got?"
Kayden's voice broke as he replied: "$25,000…"
A shrill voice tore through the connection, and Kayden's breath ceased.
"Listen, boy. Don't take my laxity for stupidity. Remember, I gave you two weeks to get my money ready. It's already been nine days since then, and you're only half way there?" A few chuckles resounded from the line before he continued. "How about I just forget about the ransom and do my thing with her? She does look fine, after all."
Kayden nearly broke down in tears as he heard the man's words.
"P-please… I-I'll get you your money. Just don't lay a finger on her…" considering the scream he heard earlier, he couldn't even be sure of anything, anymore.
A couple seconds passed before the voice replied: "Don't lay a finger on her? Are you ordering me around, boy?"
"N-no! It's not that! Just…" before he could say anything else, the call disconnected.