The crackle of the campfire echoed in the stillness of the night, sending sparks dancing into the cool evening air. The smell of smoke and burning wood mixed with the earthy scent of the surrounding forest, creating an atmosphere that was both tense and subdued. The fire cast flickering shadows on the faces of the six figures gathered around it, their features illuminated by the orange glow. Blank, the most recent addition to the group, sat a short distance away, his grey eyes reflecting the flames as he stared into the distance, saying nothing.


    The group was exhausted, their clothes and faces caked with dirt and grime from days of relentless fighting. They had been locked in battle with a powerful foe, a monstrous creature that had emerged from a newly opened gate, when they were blindsided by a second unseen threat. The enemy had almost taken them by surprise almost. But Blank had appeared in the nick of time, saving Gazo from a fatal blow and turning the tide of the battle. Now, they sat around the fire, weary but alive, trying to make sense of the stranger who had just saved them.


    Gazo, the leader of the group, poked at the fire with a thick branch, his expression thoughtful but wary. The light caught the edges of his dark beard, making him look older, more worn. His jet-black hair was matted with sweat and dirt, and his eyes, sharp and intelligent, remained fixed on the enigmatic figure across from him.


    "So," Gazo began, his voice deep and cautious, "you saved my life back there, and for that, I''m grateful. But we don''t know anything about you. Who are you? Where do you come from?"


    Blank didn''t look up. He kept his gaze on the fire, his face unreadable. After a long moment of silence, he finally spoke, his voice low and flat. "I don''t know my name."


    The admission hung in the air like a cloud of smoke, heavy and unsettling. The rest of the group exchanged uneasy glances.


    Chris sitting beside Gazo, frowned, his pale blue eyes narrowing behind his glasses. His platinum blond hair was damp and matted, his usually clean-cut appearance marred and grime. "You don''t know your own name? What about where you''re from, what you''ve been through?"


    Blank shook his head slightly. "It doesn''t matter."


    Flo leaned forward, his icy blue eyes locked on Blank. "We''ve had bad experiences with strangers before," he said, his voice laced with suspicion. His chestnut brown hair was sticking to his skin powdered in dust and mud. "How do we know we can trust you?"


    "You don''t," Blank replied simply, his tone devoid of emotion. "But I can sense movement. Monsters, humans, anything that breathes. I can fly. I can fight, both up close and from a distance. That''s all you need to know."


    Bakir tilted his head, studying Blank with his sharp emerald green eyes. His raven black hair blended into the shadows, but his gaze was penetrating. "Why did you save Gazo then? If you don''t trust us, why even bother?"


    Blank''s eyes flicked to Gazo for the first time since they''d sat down. "Because I could," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.


    The group fell silent again, the crackling of the fire the only sound. They were used to dealing with people who kept secrets, but there was something different about Blank—something unsettling. His demeanor was closed off, his answers curt, and there was a darkness in his eyes that none of them could quite place.


    Jamila finally broke the silence, her voice gentle but probing. "What happened to you? How did you end up like this?"


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    Blank''s expression hardened. "I don''t talk about it."


    Another silence fell over the group, this one heavier than before. They could sense that Blank had been through something terrible, something that had left deep scars, but he wasn''t going to share it with them. Not now, maybe not ever.


    Gazo exhaled slowly, nodding to himself. "Alright, you''re not ready to share your story. But you asked how the world ended up like this." He glanced at the others, and they all nodded in silent agreement. "We can tell you that much."


    Chris shifted slightly, his hand tightening around his Staff. "It started with the gates," he began, his voice soft but steady. "I remember the first one that opened. It was in the middle of the city, right in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. One minute, everything was normal. The next, there was this… tear in the air, like someone had ripped open the sky. And then they came."


    "Monsters," Florian murmured, his icy blue eyes darkening at the memory. "At first, it was just a few, but then more and more poured out. Creatures from nightmares, things we didn''t even have names for."


    Blank listened intently, his expression still unreadable, but there was a slight tension in his posture that hadn''t been there before.


    "They were fast, and they were deadly," Shade added, his voice low and grim. "People weren''t ready. The military, the police… they tried, but they were overwhelmed. It was chaos."


    Jamila, who had been quietly staring into the flames, spoke next, her voice tinged with sorrow. "And then the second gate opened," she said, her honey blonde hair now a tangled mess, with strands sticking to her forehead. "It was in the middle of Charité Hospital. I was… I was there, trying to help the injured from the first attack."


    Blank''s eyes narrowed slightly as he absorbed their words, trying to piece together the nightmare they were describing. It was clear that whatever had happened had shattered the world as they knew it, and it had brought them all to the brink.


    Gazo continued, his tone reflective. "After the gates opened, the world changed. Governments fell, cities burned, and humanity was pushed to the brink. But we fought back. Those of us who survived banded together. We learned to fight, to use the energy within us to defend what was left. That''s when we truly began."


    "It wasn''t just physical strength," Chris added, his gaze distant. "People started to discover powers they never knew they had. Magic, ki, abilities that we only ever saw in stories and legends. It was like the gates didn''t just bring the monsters—they woke something up in us, something that had been dormant for centuries."


    "That''s how it began" Flo said, glancing around the circle. "We all had our own reasons, our own battles, but in the end, we realized we were stronger together."


    "And we''ve been fighting ever since," Shade finished, his voice carrying a note of finality. "We''re still fighting, and we''ll keep fighting until those gates are closed, and the monsters are gone."


    The group fell into a contemplative silence, the crackling of the fire the only sound for a few moments. Blank''s mind raced with the images their words conjured, gates tearing open the sky, monsters pouring into the streets, people discovering powers they never knew they had.


    Finally, Blank spoke, his voice quiet but resolute. "And that''s why you''re here now. To keep fighting, to protect what''s left."


    Gazo nodded slowly. "That''s right. And now that you''re with us, we''re even stronger."


    But despite his words, Gazo''s eyes still held a trace of wariness as they lingered on Blank. The others, too, couldn''t quite shake their caution. They were grateful, yes, but trust was something earned, and their experiences had taught them to be careful.


    Blank looked around at the faces of his new comrades, sensing their lingering distrust. He didn''t blame them. He wouldn''t trust himself either. But for now, they were allies, and that was enough. The fire crackled louder, sending a shower of sparks into the night sky. The flames danced higher, as if feeding off the energy of the group''s shared resolve. They had faced unimaginable horrors, and they had survived. Now, with Blank by their side, they were ready for whatever came next.


    As the night deepened and the fire slowly began to die down, the group settled into a more guarded silence. They had shared their story, revisited the past, and in doing so, had reaffirmed their commitment to each other and to the fight that still lay ahead. Blank had shared little, but his presence was enough to remind them that the fight was far from over.


    And as Blank sat with them, the flames reflecting in his grey eyes, he knew that this was only the beginning.