Kaine and Ares emerged from the warehouse before dawn. The city slept in the early morning mist, and with each step, the silent streets looked more foreign and ominous. Ares was barely standing, his clothes still torn from the battle, and his breathing was labored, but he didn't utter a word of complaint.

"We need a place to hide," Kaine said, carefully surveying the area. He felt as though someone was watching them. The ease with which they had encountered the enemy was unsettling.

Ares nodded and pointed towards a narrow alleyway leading to a nondescript building. From the outside, it looked like just another abandoned structure, but Ares seemed to know more than he was letting on.

"Here," he whispered, and they slipped inside.

The room turned out to be much more spacious than it appeared from the outside. The walls were lined with old books, some of them resembling ancient scrolls, while others were clearly more modern—papers, journals, notes—everything scattered in what seemed like chaos, yet there was a certain order to it.

"This was our refuge. The Seekers used to gather here to exchange information," Ares said quietly. He sank into an old chair, grimacing in pain, which he was clearly trying to ignore.

"Who are the 'Guardians of Balance'?" Kaine finally asked, his eyes fixed on Ares. "And why are they hunting people like you?"

"It's not that easy to explain," Ares ran a hand over his face as if trying to find the right words. "The world we know is just a small part of what's really happening. The power we were given by the god of death—it's not just a coincidence. There are those who believe that humans shouldn't possess such power, that it disturbs the balance of all existence. And the 'Guardians' have taken it upon themselves to protect this so-called 'balance'. They hunt anyone they believe to be a threat."

"So, you're a threat?" Kaine narrowed his eyes, but Ares just smirked.

"If it means being free, then yes, I'm a threat," he replied softly. "We want to uncover the truth about what happened back then, and why this world has become what it is."

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"And what do you know?" Kaine stepped closer, feeling curiosity flare in his chest. "What secret are you trying to uncover?"

Ares looked at him and, with a sigh, wiped the dust off the table, revealing an ancient map to Kaine.

"This is a map of the world as it was before the great event," Ares said. "There's no mention of gods, powers, or abilities. People were ordinary, without magic or supernatural abilities. Everything changed overnight. At first, we thought it was a gift, that we had become stronger... but soon, problems began to arise."

Kaine studied the map closely. Numerous marks, arrows, and crosses indicated various locations, as if someone had meticulously studied every corner of the world.

"Something ancient awoke along with this power," Ares continued. "And those who receive their abilities seem to carry pieces of something greater within them. As strange as it sounds, our power is connected to something beyond normal understanding."

Kaine touched the map, and suddenly his gaze stopped on a strange symbol—a sinister emblem of a skull with three spirals radiating from its eye sockets.

"What's this?" he quietly asked, pointing to the symbol.

"That's the Seal of Death," Ares replied. "Some of us believe it's the key to everything that happened. That it's connected to the god of death himself."

Kaine felt his heart race. The symbol seemed familiar to him. As if he had seen it before, but he couldn't remember where or when.

"If you find the seal," Ares added, "you might learn the truth about why you have these abilities. And why you were chosen."

"Chosen?" Kaine scoffed. "No one chose me. I decide my own fate."

"Then find the seal and prove it," Ares tried to smile, but it came out strained. "But know this: many have tried, and most never returned."

Kaine looked at the map once more. He understood that a difficult journey awaited him, but he was ready to face the challenge. This world held too many secrets, and he intended to uncover them all.

"Consider me convinced," he finally said. "I'll find this seal and learn the whole truth."

Ares nodded and, exhausted, closed his eyes, sinking into a long-awaited sleep. Kaine stood over the map for a long time, examining the ancient symbols and lines, until he noticed a small inscription in the corner:

"Light and darkness are just two sides of the same coin. To find the answer, you must understand both."

He pondered these words for a while before exhaling softly and gritting his teeth.

"We'll see who wins," he whispered into the quiet room and stepped out into the night, full of mysteries and promises, determined to face his fate head-on.