Long before the Purity Games first started, Pedra existed as a whole. It wasn't divided into sectors like how it is now, till The Capital had ordered so.

  Since the population was almost equally made up of both Crafters and Humans, it was considered normal to see Crafters out and about in the streets. They were often seen sparring with each other and Humans would always stop in their tracks and stare in awe, turning their fight into some sort of a road show. They called it training, but most saw it as an opportunity to show off their powers to their friends.

  Another common sight in Pedra at that time would be the Human-Crafter lovebirds. Crafters could often be seen using a small fraction of their powers to express their love for their human halves. Ice Crafters for example, could make it snow only around their partners within a second, creating a romantic atmosphere whenever they wanted. And those giant boulders of rocks that appeared out of nowhere in the middle of an open field? That was the work of an Earth Crafter. If one had a chance to take a closer look, a portrait of that couple could be seen engraved on it. These were just some of the little tokens of love that one could only see in Pedra. Also, seeing as how it was common for Human parents to have a Crafter for a child, peace existed naturally between the Humans and the Crafters.

  Though the Crafters possessed abilities that the Humans did not, they posed no threat to them. Most Crafters kept their powers under control and only used it for defensive purposes.

  Most.

  There was a time where a highly skilled Crafter named Nero, planned to rule over the Humans. Nero was an Air Crafter. But he was born with a huge greed for power. He never felt satisfied with the treatment that Crafters received, for he did not see the Humans as equals. He felt that Crafters must have possessed such exceptional abilities for a reason, that they had some larger purpose to fulfill. Nero thought that God himself gave their powers to them and for that, Crafters should be a more superior race. So he wanted more. He wanted to create a caste system amongst the Humans and Crafters so that they could properly set up their authority in Pedra. In order to accomplish his mission, he gathered a small army of Air Crafters who shared the same mindset and led them through town after town. Initially, their goal was to simply flaunt their abilities to incite fear and gain control. Houses that the Humans lived in were burnt to ashes; large earthquakes were created to destroy their lands. But it all soon got out of hand. Nero got so blindsighted by his goal that he started to order his army to kill anyone who disagreed with his plan, Crafters and Humans alike. The death toll eventually summed up to an all time high of 1,730,000 citizens, nearly a third of Pedra's population was engulfed by the war.

  It was then the Aionios decided to step in.

  The Aionios meant 'The Eternal' in Greek; they were seen as the rulers of the Human race. After receiving news about Nero and his army of Crafters, they sent their own army of elite fighters consisting of Guerilla soldiers, the Navy and even the Air force, to fight against the rebellions. Ultimately, the Humans outnumbered Nero’s small group of Crafters and they were all eliminated under the command of the Aionios.

  Once the war was over, the Aionios started to grow wary of all kinds of Crafters, especially those who had the power over air. They were afraid that they would wage another war against the Humans in the future. They have seen what a small number of Crafters can do, they didn't want to imagine what would happen if a larger group came at them again.

  Physically, Humans can never outwin Crafters and they knew it as well. As a result, The Aionios sent out a secret military group to assassinate all Air Crafters, and this started to incite fear into Crafters of all kinds. They were afraid that they themselves would be the next targets. However, what they didn't know was that the Aionios actually couldn't kill every single existing Crafter, as there was just too many.

  Thus the Purity Games was created to do the job for them, slowly but steadily.

  In setting up the Purity Games, the Aionios announced that they would not kill the Crafters. No, they couldn't do that as they realized that it was critical to not anger the Crafter species or risk another round of uprising. But the excuse they came up with was that in order to maintain peace and harmony between the two species, in order for Pedra to function as a nation, the Games was created to serve as a reminder of the war.

  In order to kill off all the Crafters strategically, The Aionios divided Pedra into 10 sectors. Each sector had to send 2 Crafters to participate in the annual Purity Games. Just like in any competition, there could only be one winner. The only difference was that in this game, the prize isn't exactly money or fame; it was survival. The victor would be rewarded with not only his own life, but also his family members’. Once victory has been claimed, not only will the crafter be allowed exclusion in future games, but the safety of his/her family is also ensured.

 Those were the rules created by The Aionios and it was the perfect excuse to slowly eliminate the Crafters without having to go through another round of war. They knew that they wouldn’t have won the previous one if Nero’s recruits were not as inexperienced as they were. If the Crafters decided to gather even stronger allies the second time round, they would be fighting a losing battle. And though it irked them to have a winner since it was a competition after all, the games still fulfilled its main purpose of easily eliminating off 19 crafters each year, which was far more effective than picking them out one by one throughout the vast land. It was considered a win-win solution.

  Sehun knew exactly where the guards were bringing him. As the years went by, he had seen many of his kind forced up on the stage located in the sector's city grounds. Everyone in the sector would gather there to see who were the unlucky ones for each year.

  The Capital had an official name for the event's participants; they refer to them as 'Warriors'. Sehun scoffed in disbelief when he first that term. He found it ridiculously ironic how the Capital gives these people heroic titles yet treat them as if they were worth less than dirt. What Sehun did not find ironic however, was how he was now the one walking up the steps towards the stage, towards his possible death.

  The moment he found out that he was a Crafter, deep in his heart he knew that no Crafter could escape the cruel fate of the games. One can hide but one can never run, at least not before the next annual games comes around. Sehun knew that it was only a matter of time before his luck would run out and that there would not be many other Crafters left to choose from.

  As soon as he reached the top, the guards released their hold on him but still kept their guns close in proximity. Just in case he had any ideas of running away or causing a scene. 

  The same man in the white suit appeared soon after, slowly making his way towards him. With the memory of how his sister was abused still fresh in his mind, Sehun felt a strong urge to kick the man hard in his crotch as he walked towards him.

  "Now now, no need for glaring. That wouldn't improve your current situation anyhow," the man leaned in as he spoke into Sehun's ear. "What I suggest you do is to learn that compliance would be of better help to you." The man was annoying Sehun in ways far worse than he could handle. 

  "And your family," he added.

  Upon those words, Sehun immediately took a step back away from him.

  "What have you done to them you bastard," he felt both worried and infuriated that he was not able to be with them to protect them from all of this. He already volunteered to take place in their sick competition, was that not enough for now, he thought to himself angrily as he tried hard not to recall what had happened to the families of crafters who failed to come out first in the Games.

  The rules stated that the lives of the families of participants are only guaranteed till the start of the games. Only when the participant failed to survive will his or her family be killed off. The reason the Capital gave was that since the Crafters who died midway in the Games were not strong enough to survive the tests, the families should take responsibility for that since they are the ones who failed to nurture them properly. Failures were not tolerated, as the Aionios believed that Crafters who couldn't survive such tests are flawed. And in their book, flawed crafters would mean that they possess flawed mindsets and that was the main cause for the thoughts of an uprising.

  "Oh, stop worrying. All I'm saying is that you should really change this dreadful attitude of yours if you want to survive through the first half of the Games," the man replied as he shrugged his shoulders. "After all, do you not want to win so that you and your family can be immune to all of this in the future?" he reminded.

  "Think wisely Crafter." With that, he turns around and walks to the front of the stage where the podium was. 

  "Now I'm sure that we all know why we are all gathered here today, it's for none other than the year's most sensational event ever, the annual Purity Games!" His loud, roaring voice was heard through the speakers, allowing it to echo throughout the grounds.

  Everyone who lived in Sector 10 was present, young and old, humans and crafters hidden among them.

  "This year, I'm proud to present one of Sector 10's most incredible warriors, Oh Sehun, who has bravely volunteered to represent his Sector in the games. Now can we all give him a round of applause.” Silent claps were heard but the from what Sehun could hear, the enthusiasm from the crowd was as good as dead.

  "Now for our other warrior, he is as talented and as skilled as any other Crafter. I believe that he will be able to excel in the games!" the man pointed out. "That person is no other than sector 10's Kim Jongin!" 

  With that said, a figure slowly appeared from the side of the stage and Sehun turned his torso to take a better look at his fellow warrior. Sehun's eyes followed the boy as he glided towards the middle of the stage and positioned himself right beside Sehun.

  Sehun took a closer look at the guy, scanning him from bottom to top. What stood out to him was that this Jongin guy had a much darker skin tone compared to his own. Much more obvious than that was his deeply set eyes, nose sharp and high up, and those plump, full lips of his, the boy could easily pass off as a foreigner with his uniquely distinct features.

  "Well, with the announcement of sector 10's chosen warriors, I would like to conclude the choosing event by formerly announcing that Oh Sehun and Kim Jongin, warriors of sector 10, are to officially participate in this year's Purity Games and are to be immediately sent off to the Capital where they will receive proper training before entering the games. With that, may peace and harmony be upon Pedra!" the man in the white suit finished his speech and signaled for the guards to bring the two of them along.

  Sehun searched the crowd for his family before the guards took hold of his arms yet again. He was not given much time to look around before he was escorted past the curtains to get behind the stage. As he reached the end of the platform, Sehun felt an enormous sense of regret deep in the pit of his stomach. He wished he had the chance to say a proper farewell before he left his home, that might very well have been the last time he had gotten to see them before he left for the Games.

  Sehun found himself walking down the steps alongside Jongin, they both shared a momentary glance before stopping at the end of the stairway.

  What was waiting for him back there was something that Sehun could have never imagined in his whole life.

  Everything was pitch black.

  Sehun found himself feeling around for any form of support that could have been nearby to guide him around the space. His eyes took a while to adjust to the darkness as he tried to figure out where he was exactly and wondered how they managed to completely blocked off any form of illumination in bright daylight. The only thing that he heard was someone else's footsteps following closely behind his own. He figured that was just the other warrior and him alone in this place, the guards must have stopped following them while they were still at the back of the stage.

  Come to think of it, without all the guns aiming at him, he knew that he should have at least felt a bit more relieved than he was right now. But in truth, he found that the darkness was what truly scared him. He hated the feeling of the unknown even more to be honest. There was nothing like the sensation of being swallowed into a dark hole and not being able to do anything about it. The dark and unfamilar have that power to make one feel absolutely weak and helpless. This feeling frustrated him more than anything. Strangely enough, the only thing that was keeping him from losing his mind was the sound of the footsteps of the other boy behind him, serving as a reminder that he was not alone in this cold space.

  In the midst of all his worry, he had suddenly heard a loud thump against thick, hard metal. It seemed that the tip of his right foot had just hit against what felt like a panel. It caused him to stop in his path and at the same time, he felt someone crash into the back of his head. It occurred to him that that someone must have been the other crafter.

  "Hey! What are you doing!" Jongin exclaimed. Annoyed with the abrupt halt, he massaged the top of his forehead with his palm.

  "There's something blocking us from going through. It seems to be a wall," Sehun replied nonchalantly as he tried to find a way to open it.

  Just then, a blue screen appeared out of the darkness right in front of his eyes. He felt Jongin shuffle his way through the blackness, moving to stand on his right so that he could take a closer look as well.

  Sehun tilted his head to the side to examine the device more closely. Noticing that the screen was bright enough for him to see a clearer outline of Jongin's face, the other had a confused look plastered on his face.

  "Please report your full names," the screen suddenly announced.

  Sehun jumped a little in surprise at the sudden voice. He decided to take the initiative to state his name first since Jongin continued to stare at the blank monitor in confusion.

  "Oh Sehun,” he declared with a clear voice. It was a second later that the letters of his name emerged as it was being spelled out on the screen, leaving an empty space right below his with a blinking underscore sign, waiting for its next input.

  Sehun gave Jongin a look and the boy repeated the same procedure.

  "Kim Jongin," the letters appeared directly below his own name.

  It only took the machine a mere second to register the names of the selected candidates before giving out its next instruction.

  "Voice recognition accepted. Please place your finger onto the slot provided."

  They both looked down at the panel that had suddenly emerged from the bottom of the screen. Sehun went first again, placing his index finger onto the slot given. After the sound of 2 small beeps, he felt a sharp sting on the tip of his his finger and pulled it back reflexively, he was not expecting another blood test. He brought his hand in nearer to his face to take a closer look and found the familiar sticky red substance covering his fingertip.

  "Blood test accepted. First Warrior of Sector 10, Oh Sehun. Registered."

  Likewise, Jongin followed through the same process as Sehun waited beside him.

  "Second Warrior of Sector 10, Kim Jongin. Registered."

  With the end of the announcement, the monitor’s display disappeared into the wall as the panel gradually rose itself to the top with a swishing sound. Sehun felt the slight breeze of air hit his face, they were finally granted access out of the tunnel.

  Sehun's eyes took some time to get adjusted to the sudden brightness. Only after a while did his vision returned and he found himself standing in what seemed to be a room. Only it was bigger, the room was extravagant as compared to what he was used to; it was a lot to take in, he must admit. Amongst the sea of objects that filled the large space was a pool table, a sofa big enough to fit 15 people, a personal Jacuzzi, a bar situated at the end of the room and a exaggerated king-sized bed located at the other end. The lavishness was overwhelming; he could never have imagined any of this in his head.

  "Welcome warriors," he heard the same man clad in the white suit say as he made his entrance from the other end of the room.

  Sehun stared at him in contempt, realizing that he still did not know the man’s name.

  "This is where you will be spending your time during the train ride back to the Capital. I hope that you'll find that we have everything in here to make your stay here as accommodating as possible,” he said as he clasped his hands together in a welcoming gesture.

  “If any of you happen to experience any discomfort during this time, simply push any one of those red buttons located all around the room and our servants will arrive promptly to serve you."

  With a small smile on his face, he looked over at Sehun as the two made eye contact.

  "Do the two of us need to share that bed?" Jongin asked as he pointed to the only bed in the room.

  "No, no, of course not. Warrior Jongin, would you be so kind as to follow me to your room next door? This room belongs to Warrior Sehun," the man replied as he gestured for Jongin to follow him to his own sleeping chambers.

  "Wait," Sehun called out to the mysterious man. "Who are you exactly?"

  "How rude of me,” the man turned around and said with a smirk, “all this talking and I had almost forgot to properly introduce myself. My name is Caleb Lancaster and I'm one of the heads of the Aionios," he finished simply with a ceremonial bow.

  Shocked, Sehun furrowed his eyebrows as he tried to take in who Caleb was.

  You see, the identity of the Aionios had always remained a secret to the public. Although it was known that the Aionios was the one in charge of the Games, no one ever knew the masterminds behind the murderous competition. They never appeared in front of anyone, never exposed their names or faces, until today.

  "The Aionios.." Sehun mumbled to himself as he slowly paced around.

  As he took some time alone to recollect his thoughts, Sehun realized that within these few short hours, the Capital had come to know much more about him than he knows about them. He reminded himself to be more careful around Caleb in the future; he could not reveal his secrets to anyone. In his heart, he knew that they were capable of using people's weaknesses against them in the Games. After all, he had seen it happening many times before in previous years where every citizen gathered at the city grounds to watch the Games live on the screen.

  Sehun shifted his vision away from them to observe the rest of his room. He noticed that the room was more open and public than he would have liked. There were those wide glass panes plastered on either side of the room and he wondered to himself, what kind of a living space was this if he wasn't even allowed so much as his own privacy. Looking through the windows more carefully, he spotted the exact same forest that he was running through earlier that day. He felt it humourous yet depressing at the same time, how fragile one's life could be. One minute he was thinking that he had a genuine chance at escape, only to find himself on a one-way ticket to the Capital the next.

  Then it all hit him, he was really a participant of the Purity Games now. The Capital had probably received his registration by now. There was no escape; it was all just a part of his naïve thinking.

  Completely engrossed in his thoughts as he reached the foot of the bed, Sehun leaned forward, pushing his body towards the comfortable-looking mattress and ended up flat on his stomach. He pulled his arms up towards his face, rubbing it in exhaustion, the event-filled day was just too much for him to handle. Soon enough, he found himself drifting off into a deep sleep, allowing his mind take a break from all this suffering.