Tiny Hero Ch 1: Introductions To Obelisks & Minari!

(Introduction) It all happened so fast. One day, I was just Peter—regular, unremarkable Peter—going about my life like any other person. The

(Introduction)

It all happened so fast. One day, I was just Peter—regular, unremarkable Peter—going about my life like any other person. The next, I was... well, extraordinary. Special. Different.

I know, I know. That's vague. You're probably rolling your eyes, thinking, Come on, Peter, don't be dramatic. But I promise, this isn't some overblown tale of self-importance. This is real.

But I should start from the beginning. And to do that, I need to explain the world itself.

The world is divided into two kinds of people.

The first? The Obelisks. Giants, gods, walking mountains—whatever you want to call them. They are enormous, powerful, and impossibly beautiful. They shape the world with their mere presence. When they speak, their voices roll like thunder. When they walk, the ground trembles. And when they so much as glance at us? Well, that usually means trouble.

Who are we, you ask?

We are the Minari, or as we're sometimes called, the small folk. (Yes, I know, super creative. Real original.) We're the ones scurrying around at their feet, living in their cities, serving them in their homes, and—if we're lucky—avoiding getting stepped on. The Titanborn rule the world, and we? We do everything in our power to survive it.

Now, don't get me wrong, we've been coexisting for centuries. Centuries. You'd think that over time, things would change. Maybe we'd advance, maybe we'd gain a little more respect, maybe we'd get, oh, I don't know, rights? Nope. The relationship is still the same: they rule, and we serve. Some of us work in their palaces, some in their cities, some in their households. And all of us? We live with the constant knowledge that we are very, very small in a world that belongs to the very, very big.

That's just how it is. That's how it's always been.

At least... until now.

Because something happened to me. Something that's never happened before. Something that changed everything.

And it all started the day I stopped being just another Minari.

***

(Peter)

I woke up feeling like I had barely closed my eyes. My body was heavy, my brain foggy, and for a blissful moment, I thought, Maybe I can sleep just a little longer.

Then my eyes drifted toward the clock on my dresser.

And my heart stopped.

"Oh shit, I'm late!" I yelled, bolting upright so fast I nearly launched myself off the bed.

Scrambling, I tore off my blanket and fumbled for my uniform. The bright orange shirt—why orange? Did they want us to look like walking safety cones?—went on first. Then the black shorts, which were at least comfortable. I secured my small satchel around my hips, patting it to make sure my CPR equipment was inside.

First day on the job, and I was already running behind. Fantastic start, Peter. Really setting the bar high.

I dashed out of my room, sprinting down the narrow hallway and nearly tripping over my own feet as I burst into the living room. My auntie was lounging on the couch, eyes fixed on the TV. She barely spared me a glance as she took a sip from her mug.

"You should eat something before you go," she said, ever the voice of reason.

"Can't! Late for my first day!" I called over my shoulder, already making a beeline for the door.

She sighed, shaking her head. "Alright, don't get stepped on!"

"Love you too!" I yelled as I slammed the door behind me.

The Minari District was already bustling with life.

Unlike the Obelisk Districts, where the Titanborn lived in their grand palaces and impossibly huge estates, the Minari District was... well, small. Not just in comparison, but by necessity. Narrow roads, tightly packed houses, shops lined up one after the other—built to accommodate us, not them.

I ran down the street, weaving between carts and dodging a group of kids playing with a battered ball. A vendor called out, offering fresh bread, and my stomach twisted in regret. Should've grabbed something to eat after all.

No time now.

I needed to get to the beach.

I kept running, feet pounding against the pavement, until I caught the first salty breeze of the ocean. The Minari District was lucky—our proximity to the coast made for cooler air and fresher food. It also meant that I, Peter the Almost Late, didn't have to travel too far for work.

And there it was—just beyond the last row of buildings, the beach stretched out before me. Golden sand, crashing waves, the distant shadow of an enormous figure lying near the shoreline.

I swallowed hard.

"Time to start my first day as a Body Cleaner."

***

(Obelisk North East District)

The room was dark, save for the soft glow of tiny pink candles scattered across the space. Their dim light flickered, casting long shadows over the walls, illuminating the scene with an eerie warmth.

Dangling between two massive fingers, a man groaned, his body covered in small bruises. Every inch of him ached. His arms hung limp, too exhausted to struggle anymore. The air was thick with the scent of perfume—sweet, intoxicating, suffocating.

And then came the giggling.

Soft at first, like a whisper. Then it grew, filling his ears, wrapping around his senses like a silk ribbon tightening around his throat. He cracked open swollen eyes, and the world came into focus.

Two massive brown eyes stared at him with undisguised pleasure. Their owner, a towering Obelisk woman, held him close to her face, lips curled in amusement. She was barely dressed—only a white bra and a matching bikini, her flawless skin bathed in the candlelight. She was stunning, breathtaking even, if not for the fact that she held his entire life between her fingers.

"Ahhh, what's wrong? Hurt?" she cooed, her voice smooth, teasing.

The man flinched. Even her words had weight, pressing down on him, reminding him just how small he was in comparison.

"P-please," he croaked, voice hoarse from exhaustion. "I can't... I can't take anymore. Let me go. Please, I—"

She tsked, shaking her head. "Let you go? After all this?" She tilted her head, her expression caught between amusement and disappointment. "You should feel honored. I'm giving you a chance very few Minari ever get."

His stomach twisted. He knew what she meant.

"I—I don't want this," he managed, his voice barely above a whisper. "It's not right. It's against the Valorin Edict to—"

The Obelisk threw her head back and laughed.

The sound was deafening, shaking his bones, ringing in his ears like a deafening explosion. He clenched his teeth, trying to endure it, but every fiber of his being screamed in protest.

"Oh, sweetheart," she purred, bringing him closer until he could see the glint of her teeth behind her smirking lips. "Even if I was caught, what do you think would happen? A slap on the wrist? A fine?" She giggled again. "You're not protected by a real law."

Terror gripped him.

Her lips parted, and before he could even plead again, she pressed him against the plush curve of her lower lip. The warmth, the pressure—it was almost gentle. Almost.

She pulled him away, eyes twinkling as she studied his shaking form.

"There will be time for your end later," she murmured, her fingers tightening ever so slightly around him. "But right now? All that matters... is my joy."