Before the Morning
Darkness did not vanish.
It loosened its hold — slowly, almost reluctantly — like something that had ruled for too long and was finally, bitterly, stepping back.
At first, nothing changed.
Then came something subtle. A faint shift at the horizon. A pale blue stretched across the sky like a breath held too long. Soft gold touched the edges of the world. The earth turned — steady and silent — welcoming another morning as if nothing had ever been wrong.
The sky widened. Endless. Still. Watching.
Then something spoke.
Not a voice. Not sound. But something deeper — something that existed in the space between thought and feeling.
*"Tell me..."*
The air grew heavier.
*"We call ourselves human. Living beings. Creators of peace..."*
The light flickered.
*"...yet we fight among ourselves."*
The brightness dimmed — not enough to return the night, but enough to feel uneasy.
*"We built peace. And yet we forget it. We chase power instead."*
The world darkened, just a little.
*"What a shame."*
A pause. Then the presence continued, quieter now.
*"Once, we fought for something — for protection, for belief, for meaning. But now... we don't even remember why it started."*
The silence deepened.
*"It was good once. It was meant to stay that way."*
The world did not answer.
Because it couldn't.
It was never that simple.
This world was not made of a single truth. It was made of contradictions — fear and hope, peace and violence, kindness and cruelty — all woven together into something impossible to separate. Nothing was completely pure. Nothing was completely evil.
*"Hello."*
The voice softened.
*"I am not important. What matters is what I choose. What I believe. What I seek."*
A pause.
*"I will tell you a story. Not about lies — but about the truth."*
---
Images formed.
Forests — alive, breathing, whispering secrets. Seas stretching endlessly beyond understanding. Mountains silent, unmoving, ancient.
Animals moved freely. Humans struggled.
Time moved forward. It never stopped — not for pain, not for joy.
From far away, everything looked peaceful. Perfect. A world without flaws.
But distance hides truth.
Look closer — *really* look — and you would begin to see it. Suffering. Hatred. Fear. Humans hurting humans.
And then a question would rise, quiet and persistent:
*Is this world truly perfect?*
If creation was perfect — why was there pain?
If peace was real — why did it always feel temporary?
Why did the weak bow to the strong?
*"I do not hate God,"* the voice said, calm and measured. *"I only have a question."*
*"I am human. I live in a peaceful world... yet this peace feels borrowed."*
Not earned. Not stable. Just temporary.
*"We smile — but inside, we fight. We make promises and then we break them. We speak of peace... and prepare for war."*
Silence followed. Heavy. Real.
*"And still..."*
Something shifted.
*"...we move forward. Fighting for good. Fighting for meaning. Fighting for freedom."*
A long pause.
*"And so — not with anger, not with hatred — but with a smile."*
---
A land appeared. Slowly. Gently.
Birds flew across a soft blue sky. Leaves danced in a calm wind. Animals moved without fear. The air felt warm — alive — peaceful.
A boy stood in the middle of it all. Small. Yet somehow complete.
He laughed — softly, naturally — and a bird rested on his hand while another perched near his shoulder. His eyes shone with something pure. Innocent. Untouched.
For a moment, everything felt right. Like the world had no flaws. Like nothing could break it.
Then a shadow appeared.
Small. Unnoticed at first. But growing — slowly, silently.
Darkness spread. Not from above, but from somewhere deeper.
The light faded. The warmth disappeared. The animals fled. The wind turned cold.
The boy froze. Fear entered him.
Then the storm began — violent, uncontrolled. Everything shook.
*"No—!"*
His voice broke.
*"No matter what happens to me now—!"*
---
His eyes snapped open.
He was breathing heavily.
The dream was gone.
Morning light filled the room. Leaf sat up slowly, his chest rising and falling unevenly. For a moment he didn't move — didn't think. He simply existed.
Then he stood.
---
## Chapter One: The Boy Who Smiled
Breakfast was simple. Peaceful.
His mother spoke gently while Leaf ate in silence. After a while, he looked up.
"Mom... I've been thinking about something for many days."
She smiled softly. "What is it? Tell me, Leaf Delta."
He sighed. "Why do you always use my full name? It sounds so boring."
She chuckled. "You don't understand yet. Your full name is your honour, and your surname represents your clan. Respect is something we earn — from ourselves and from society."
Leaf nodded slowly, but his expression changed. A quieter thought had surfaced.
"Mom... when will Dad come back?"
A pause.
"I haven't seen him in years. The last time I saw him, I was seven. Now I'm fifteen."
Her smile faded slightly. "He will come soon, I think." She looked away for a moment. "Your father is the Chief of the C-Delta army. He rarely has time for anything else. And with the ongoing tensions with C-Phi..."
She didn't finish the sentence.
Leaf looked down at his plate. His appetite was gone.
After a few seconds, he stood. "I'm going to school."
He picked up his bag and walked to the door.
"Bye, Mom."
"Take care of yourself," she replied gently.
And with that, Leaf stepped outside — unaware that his quiet life was about to change.
---
*You might be wondering — what are C-Delta and C-Phi?*
In this world, there are eight nations: C-Alpha, C-Beta, C-Gamma, C-Delta, C-Phi, C-D Petro, C-D Coal, and C-D Gold. Four great oceans divide and connect them: Blue Lake, Red Lake, Dream Lake, and True Lake.
From these lands and waters, countless ambitions rise. Some seek power. Some seek control. Some seek destruction.
And somewhere among all of this, something far more dangerous has already begun to move.
---
Trouble found him on the way to school.
A group of boys blocked his path.
"Hey — you useless brat."
They shoved him. Once. Twice. Again.
Leaf stayed silent at first. But when one of them raised his hand for another strike — he reacted. A single punch. Self-defence. The boy staggered back, shocked.
Then his expression twisted.
"I see you. Be ready to face Neon."
The name alone was enough.
Leaf froze. Fear spread through him instantly.
*Neon* — the son of the C-Delta head chief. Powerful. Untouchable. Known for his cruelty and his temper. Someone who could ruin lives simply because he wanted to.
The boys left. But the fear stayed.
By the time Leaf reached school, it had already settled deep inside him.
---
Classes passed normally. First period. Second. Third. Fourth. Everything felt ordinary.
Until recess.
That was when he saw it.
Neon stood in the courtyard, surrounded by his followers, and in front of him — cornered, trembling — was a girl.
*Moon.*
They were bullying her. No one moved to stop them. Not the students. Not even the teacher nearby.
Leaf stepped forward.
"Leave her alone."
Silence fell.
Neon turned slowly.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then came the punch — direct and hard. Leaf didn't dodge. The impact echoed across the courtyard. Before he could steady himself, another blow landed. Then another. Pain spread through his body as he hit the ground.
Neon looked down at him.
"I let you go yesterday," he said coldly, "because I don't concern myself with small matters."
A pause.
"But when you interfere with mine..."
His eyes sharpened. "I teach lessons."
---
When Neon left, silence returned.
But something had changed.
Moon ran to him, eyes wide.
"Why... why did you help me?"
Leaf looked up at her from the ground.
And smiled.
Even now. Even in pain.
"I want everyone to live with peace and freedom," he said quietly. "And I'll help people... no matter what happens to me."
Moon stared at him. She couldn't understand it. How could someone smile like that?
She helped him to the medical room. The nurse checked him quickly.
"Don't worry — he'll be fine. Take this medicine and rest for a while." She looked at Leaf. "You're brave, young man."
"Thank you, miss," he replied.
---
After school, they walked together.
Neither spoke much, but the silence wasn't uncomfortable. It was thoughtful — the kind that follows something that hasn't been fully processed yet.
When they neared Moon's house, Leaf stopped.
"Bye, Moon. See you tomorrow."
He turned and began walking the other direction.
Moon frowned. He wasn't heading home. He was going somewhere else entirely.
Curious, she followed — quietly.
He walked into a nearby forest.
Everything felt different there. Calm. Alive. The kind of peace that didn't need to be announced.
Leaf sat down among the roots and began to play with the birds and small animals that gathered around him — as if they had always trusted him.
"I saw you following me," he said, without turning.
Moon stopped.
Then stepped forward slowly.
"You knew?"
"I noticed," he said simply. He glanced back, a faint smile at the corners of his mouth.
She sat beside him. Thanked him properly this time. The wind was cool. The forest was peaceful. For the first time that day, her heart felt light.
After a while, she spoke.
"Leaf... why did you help me? Everyone else just watched. And after everything that happened — how can you still smile like that?"
Leaf thought for a moment. Then shook his head slightly.
"I don't really know how to explain it."
Moon blinked. "What?"
"I just... like helping people." He looked at her. "That's all."
She frowned. "That doesn't make sense."
Leaf stood, brushing grass from his sleeve. Then, quietly, he said:
"Look at your face."
Moon was confused. "My face?"
"In your misery..." He paused. "I saw something."
She waited.
"A small piece of happiness."
She didn't fully understand. But she didn't reject it either.
---
By the time they reached her house, the sky had begun to change colour.
"Bye," she said. "You should head home too."
"Okay. See you tomorrow."
And before she could say another word — he ran.
"Wait — hey! You idiot!"
Too late. He was already gone.
---
That night, Moon couldn't stop thinking about him. His words. His smile. The strange, unshakeable dream he seemed to carry.
*"I want everyone to live with peace and freedom."*
She whispered it to herself, sitting by her window.
Slowly — almost without realising it — a small smile appeared on her face.
*"I'll help you."*
---
On the other side of the city, Leaf returned home quietly.
He hid his injuries carefully. Not out of fear — but because he didn't want his mother to worry.
Dinner passed. Normal conversation. Nothing unusual. Later that night, he sat under a soft yellow light, working through his homework.
His mother watched him.
Then she spoke.
"Leaf... what happened at school today?"
He froze. "N-nothing. I'm fine—"
She reached out and gently pressed his side.
He flinched.
Silence.
"I already know," she said. "The school called me."
"I'm sorry! I'm really sorry—"
She looked at him. Not just with worry — but with something else beneath it.
Pride.
"I'm not angry because you helped someone," she said softly. "But don't hide things from me."
Leaf lowered his head. "...Thank you, Mom."
"Now eat properly and go to sleep," she added. "And don't make me worry again."
Leaf smiled — small but real.
"Okay."
---
That night, he lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling.
Neon. Moon. His mother. His dream.
Everything replayed — slowly, quietly — and one by one, his thoughts began to settle.
His eyes closed.
And sleep took him once more.