A.N. Part 2 of Rory's past, but not all of it will be explained. Only a little why Rory is involved with Salem.
Chapter 33 - Meeting Salem
~15 Years Before the Plot~
Smoke and clouds of dust filled the air. Every breath he took only allowed him to inhale even more of the pollutants in the air. A sickening cough could be heard next to him, but he was more worried about the spear of darkness stabbed into his chest.
The woman - or whatever creature Salem was - stood before him, with the other end of the spear in her hand.
"You're dying."
Rory laughed, then coughed up some blood as his body moved too harshly.
"Yeah, and who's fault is that?"
"This village harbored another one of those Silver Eyed Warriors. Or, it was supposed to. Why is it, that only you stayed behind when everyone else ran away."
"W-We have n-no vehicles. No cars, no a-airships, nothing that a-allowed civilians to evacuate. I am t-the only villager here that does n-not have Aura. I v-volunteered to stay behind so that n-no one would have to take me on as their b-burden."
"Oh, you don't have Aura? Why were you not Awakened?"
"You don't understand," and Rory laughed again. "I don't have Aura at all! The v-villagers called me the D-Deadman walking, for I held no soul."
"Well..." and then Salem smiled, and Rory felt that he wasn't supposed to let her know that. "This changes everything."
Salem moved closer and placed a hand on Rory's forehead. Without warning, he blacked out.