When I was still a young lonely boy, I used to read to myself a story about 80,000 years ago, when the world was a brutal battlefield, dominated by men, demi-humans, and monsters—each fighting and taking from one another using a mysterious magical force known only as Draezmir.
Among them was a young and brilliant general named Crawler Maxford—a courageous leader with a sharp mind and a noble heart. But standing in contrast to him was his elder brother, Rinzo Maxford, King of Luna. Arrogant, power-hungry, and blinded by greed, Rinzo was a ruler lost in the shadow of his own twisted ambition. He reveled in his tyranny, boasting proudly of the wicked deeds he committed.
Crawler, unable to bear witness to his brother's cruelty any longer, abandoned the kingdom he once protected. With Crawler gone, Luna began to wither, and Rinzo's world slowly crumbled.
Consumed by rage and betrayal, Rinzo knew he could never match his younger brother in strength or spirit. Desperate for power, he set out beyond the borders of Luna and journeyed to the dreaded Valley of Tzoryn, a cursed place feared by all living things. Many of his soldiers perished along the way, but Rinzo pressed on, driven by obsession.
At the heart of the valley, he uncovered the legendary Sword of the Dark War Saint—a blade of unimaginable power, said to corrupt the soul of any who wield it. Upon claiming the sword, Rinzo became something far more dangerous: a tyrant possessed by darkness. His wrath burned through Luna, plunging the once-thriving kingdom into chaos and despair.
News of Rinzo's dark rise reached Crawler, who could no longer remain in exile. Rallying his loyal army, he marched across the lands of Palta, determined to stop his brother's reign of terror.
What followed was a war that would echo through the ages. In a climactic battle, Crawler faced Rinzo and brought an end to his madness. The dark sword was sealed away, and Luna was finally freed.
With his brother defeated, Crawler was crowned the new King of Luna—a ruler not of greed, but of honor and hope.
I was utterly fascinated by that book—maybe because it was the only thing keeping me from feeling completely alone. You might be wondering why I was ever lonely in the first place.
From a young age, life was difficult. I grew up being looked down on and tormented by both my family and the people around me. Strangely, I never held resentment or hatred toward any of them... well, except for one person—my father. The esteemed head of the Radvell noble family.
He was respected, even worshipped, by the people. His reputation extended far beyond our lands. During his travels through distant territories, he encountered a woman—so breathtakingly beautiful that men fell to their knees just to glimpse her face. Yet, she never seemed to care for any of that attention. Of course, my father immediately became obsessed. He wanted her for himself, even though he already had three wives and children waiting for him back home.
He proposed to her, but she refused. Her father—the village chief also—refused his proposal to his daughter too. But when my father offered him a chest full of gold, enough to feed the entire village for years, the chief gave in. She had no say in it. Because speaking up would mean being hated and disowned by her own people. And just like that, she became my father's fourth wife.
While the rest of the Radvell family welcomed her, his other wives despised her. Her beauty eclipsed them all, and she quickly became the center of attention. One night, my father tried to force himself on her. She resisted—and for that, he beat her nearly to death and left her on the floor like garbage.
She couldn't endure his torment. So she escaped.
My father, furious, sent soldiers to find her. They searched endlessly. And a year later, rumors led them to her. She was standing on a abandoned bridge, facing my father and his men. Her clothes were torn, her skin pale and dirty, but she wore a twisted, bitter smile. In her arms... was a baby. Crying and kicking. That baby was me.
She gently placed me on the ground and stepped back, locking eyes with my father—his name is Luneth she muttered. Then, without a word, she raised her hand. A gust of wind erupted from her palm, blinding my father and his soldiers. When their vision returned, she was gone. Vanished once again.
After that, my father gave up on searching for her and took me back with him to the Radvell estate. There, I was treated like a stain. Neglected, despised—because I wasn't really his son. They urged him to send me to an orphanage, claiming I was nothing but a burden. But for reasons I still don't understand, he refused.
Still, he never showed me kindness. Whenever I cried to him about the abuse I endured from my siblings and the rest of the household, he turned a cold shoulder. Always silent. Always distant.
Only one person ever treated me like I mattered—my elder stepbrother, Reina. He was kind to me whenever we crossed paths. Eventually, he later became a renowned professor of magic incantations. I admired him, wanted to follow in his footsteps. But he pushed me away, telling me to stop chasing his shadow and to carve my own path.
So he sent me away—across the sea to another land. And that's how I ended up here... on this damn train, heading towards the kingdom of Nytheris. Toward a city where the elite order known as Halcymer resides. It was established long ago by the king's most loyal followers—at least that's what I've heard.
But this isn't what I wanted.
Damn you, elder brother. Of all the paths you could've chosen for me... why this?
???? :"are you okay
a boy with red fiery hair and striking yellow eyes sitting beside him asked casually.
Luneth: blinked, a little caught off guard. "Huh? Yeah—I'm fine. I Didn't mean to look weird or anything."
The boy gave a soft chuckle.
????: "Nah, it's okay. You just seemed a bit stressed, that's all. Understandable though… we're all about to take the Halcymer entrance exam. Failing it means getting sent back home. No pressure, right?"
Luneth: shook his head. "That's not the reason. Just had something on my mind."
???? :Oh yeah?" the boy replied, raising an eyebrow. "Then how'd I know you're headed to Halcymer?"
Luneth: looked confused. "Wait… how did you know?"
The boy pointed at Luneth's collar.
???? :"Tiny badge on your blazer. Kind of a gave it away."
Luneth: glanced down and gave a small laugh. "Ah. Good eye."
???? :"Thanks," the boy replied with a grin. "Name's Lid. Lid Grimvale, from the Grimvale noble family."
Luneth:"I'm Luneth. Luneth Redvell. Nice to meet you, Lid."
Before the conversation could go further, the train attendant's voice echoed through the train. "Next stop—Blackreach Central! All passengers, please disembark!"
Lid:"This is it," Lid said, rising from his seat.
Luneth: stepped off the train and looked around, awestruck by the vastness of the city. Tall buildings, bustling streets, unfamiliar signs—it was overwhelming.
He turned in confusion, unsure where to go—until he spotted Lid about six steps ahead.
Luneth:"Hey, Lid!" Luneth called, rushing over.
Lid: turned, smiling. "Yo. You look a little lost."
"Yeah… kinda don't know which way the Halcymer Order is. You mind if I tag along?"
"Sure, why not? We're headed to the same place anyway."
"Thanks," Luneth said, visibly relieved.
They walked side by side, weaving through the lively city streets. Luneth, deep in thought, barely noticed when Lid suddenly stopped. Snapping out of it, he looked around, alarmed.
Luneth:"Lid?" he called.
He spotted him standing near a storefront, gazing through the glass window like a kid in a candy store.
Lid:"Come check this out!" Lid waved him over.
Luneth: joined him, staring in wonder at the display: potions, magical trinkets, and elegant artifacts.
"Whoa…" Luneth murmured.
Lid"That pendant there," Lid said, pointing. "The Lumenheart Pendant. It heals wounds, protects against darkness, and boosts draezmir regeneration. I've read about it. Crazy rare."
"Why don't you get it, then?" Luneth asked.
Lid"I wish I could. But I'm too broke," Lid said with a dramatic sigh.
Luneth "Wait, aren't you from a noble family?"
Lid"Yeah… but they didn't give me any spending money. Only enough for snacks on the trip here."
Luneth:"Why?"
Lid:"Well… I might have a history of spending too much on cool gadgets and Noble designer clothing using the family name."
Luneth: narrowed his eyes. "How much do you usually spend on those?"
Lid"About… 800 gold coins?"
Luneth: gasped. "800?! That's enough to feed a whole family for eight years! No wonder they cut you off!"
Lid: laughed. "So, the pendant doesn't seem that expensive in comparison… how about you buy it for me?"
Luneth:"What? Are you crazy?! That thing costs about 2,000 gold coins!"
Lid"Ugh. You're such a meanie," Lid pouted.
Lid: then looked back through the window. "If you had to pick something from here, what would you choose?"
Luneth: squinted, scanning the artifacts. "Well, I'd choo—"
Suddenly, a loud BOOM echoed across the city. Smoke rose in the distance.
Lid:"What the hell was that?" Lid asked, eyes wide.
Luneth:"I don't know… but it sure was big," Luneth replied, alarmed.
People began screaming and running past them, panic spreading like wildfire.
Luneth: looked at Lid, his expression serious. "Let's check it out."
Lid: gave Luneth a quick nod, with a slight grin on his face. "Yeah, right behind you."
Luneth: blinked, surprised. "You're braver than you look," he chuckled.
Lid:"Don't get used to it," Lid muttered, but he smiled anyway.
They ducked inside the store and quickly dropped off their luggage.
Lid:"Can you watch these for us?" Lid asked the startled shopkeeper.
Without waiting for a reply, they darted back outside and ran toward the smoke, dodging people running in the opposite direction.
When they reached the scene, they stopped in their tracks.
In front of them stood a monstrous figure—ten feet tall, covered in glowing yellow stripes that pulsed like wounds. His body was warped, his muscles uneven and grotesque. Shirtless and wearing torn, filthy pants, the creature roared in rage.
His body twisted unnaturally, muscle morphing into sharp blades and writhing tentacles. The glowing stripes sparked with volatile energy—wherever they pulsed, explosions followed.
Lid"Is that what's causing all this?" Lid muttered, stunned.
Luneth:"Looks like it," Luneth replied, eyes narrowing.
Lid:"So… what now?" Lid asked nervously.
Luneth:"We stop it," Luneth said firmly.
Lid:"Wait, wait—stop it? Did you see that thing?! We're gonna get flattened!"
Luneth: raised an eyebrow. "What, don't tell me your scared now"
Lid: gritted his teeth, then let out a deep breath. "Alright… let's do it."
Luneth: then grinned. "Didn't think you'd say yes. Alright then…"
He cracked his knuckles.
"Let's get busy."
Together, they charged at the rampaging monster.