Far into the past,
based on what's written on the scripture made by the forge of mana—magic and physical from the ones who survive.
The day where the old world's order shattered, and unknown emerge.
It began as a slow darkening of the skies.
No warning. No sound.
Just a steady dimming—first a haze, then a shroud.
The sun's light thinned, as if being drained.
And all across the world, people looked up.
Confused. Worried.Then, it happened.
A perfect planetary alignment formed overhead—visible with the right tools.
The celestial bodies, motionless in their path, circled into one symmetrical chain.
However—
As the last planet clicked into place, the moon suddenly slid across the sun.
An unexpected event. A total solar eclipse.
But unlike any before.
The sky did not turn gray. It turned black.
Not the black of night—deeper. Heavier.
A colorless void stretched over the Earth like a second skin.
Shadows distorted. The horizon bent.
Even the clouds vanished, as if erased from existence.
A choking silence fell. The air thinned.
It felt wrong. Foreign.
Then—impact.
Without a sound, beams of pure brilliance struck the planet. Dozens. Simultaneously.
Blazing white and impossibly fast.
They came from above, as if something beyond the sky had reached down and touched the Earth with deliberate, terrifying precision.
Mountains cracked. Oceans boiled at their edges. Stone melted. Forests lit without flame.
And in the same instant—
Everyone—every living thing—fell unconscious.
Across cities, villages, oceans, caves—humans, animals, even insects—collapsed.
Some dropped mid-sentence. Some mid-breath.
Infants stilled in their cribs. Hawks plummeted from the skies. Herds crumpled in their fields.
There was no pain—just sudden unconsciousness, as if the world itself had been unplugged.
For hours, the world slept.
No heartbeat of civilization. No motion. Just silence.
Then, people began to stir.
Eyes fluttered open under a different sky.
Mouths drew shaky breaths.
The world that met them was not exactly the one they remembered.
The air was heavier—almost metallic.
The world felt... altered.
And so were its creatures—also people.
Some awoke with a strange heat in their chest, or whispers at the edge of hearing.
Powers—raw and unstable—had ignited in a fraction of the population.
A woman accidentally burned her hands trying to hold a child.
A man screamed when shadows in his tent moved on their own.
A boy blinked—and was suddenly ten paces away.
They gained power.
They called it Magic. Strange new abilities, varies across people.
At first, everyone was shocked.
Then—excited.
Some people laughed, some cried.
A few celebrated in the streets.
Fire danced in the air. Sparks lit the night.
For the first time in weeks, there was joy.
Some used their powers to help—healing, lifting debris, calming others.
Others showed off, trying to impress or entertain.
And a few started to get cocky.
They boasted.
They played with their powers like toys.
It felt good.
It felt like things might get better.
But those were the fortunate ones.
Elsewhere, horrors emerged.
From the forests, swamps, caves—new things slithered and crawled.
Misshapen beings.
Some wore the bones of animals.
Some resembled forgotten nightmares.
Creatures that defied nature.
They didn't speak. They didn't hesitate. They attacked.
Unexpectedly, really strong and seemingly understand the magical power more than Human on that time.
The evil and most aggressive one were named,
Malevolents.
They struck under cover of the ever-dim sky.
Skin like tar. Eyes without whites.
Their limbs bent wrong. Their jaws unhinged too far.
Some walked upright—but were not human.
Others crawled faster than wolves.
Most were cruel. Most were drawn to blood.
They don't feel here...
By the third month, entire cities had vanished.
Those who survived began to run. But there was nowhere safe.
Civilization fractured. Borders dissolved.
Society fell in months. The population plummeted.
Humanity entered a new age—not of heroes or kings—
But of hiding. Surviving. Praying to god
The Malevolent were not the only threat.
The world itself had altered—floating land, floating water, almost mystical.
Some parts remained normal. Some did not.
And through it all, the previous world would likely never return.
A father held her fevered daughter beneath a collapsed roof.
His eyes scanned his deceased child.
A single tear rolled down his cheek, unnoticed.
Sweat lined his brow. His fingers trembled against the girl's skin.
But all that... was just the beginning.
—————————
As time passed—
Fires still burned from time to time across ruined cities.
Black smoke climbed into starry skies.
Families traveled on foot, dragging what little they had.
They searched for higher ground, deeper caves, colder places—
Anywhere the Malevolents hadn't reached yet.
The first era was chaos.
The second—desperation.
The third… instinct.
Small settlements rose in the craters of fallen cities.
Campfires flickered behind walls of broken steel and weak magic.
People spoke in whispers, always listening, always watching the treeline.
Children were taught to run before they learned to speak.
The Malevolents adapted quickly.
Some grew taller. Stronger. Better. Depending on the region where they are.
Their forms became more complex.
Some learned to fly. Some to burn.
Some could mimic the voices of those they'd killed.
And others... learned magic—real magic.
One powerful Malevolent could wipe out an entire hill-town, then vanish into the mist.
And some strongest one, became their leaders—the Apexes.
So humanity—and other beings—had to adapt too.
That's when people learned a better way to use their power, their magic, and their mana.
Not new in literal—but newly understood.
Mana had always been there, tied to the newly magical world and abilities.
It existed in the world—in trees, in stone, in life itself.
The survivors learned to gather it. Refine it.
Use it to shield, to heal… to strike.
Understanding mana meant better magic.
And sometimes, stronger bodies.
But mana wasn't just another tool for power—
It was also the only true protection against manipulation.
Even the shattering of the soul.
A dying man could be torn apart by a Malevolent's claws—
But if his mana held, he might strike back one last time…
Just enough to drag the creature down with him.
A mother could silence her child with a mana cloak,
Holding her hand over their chest as footsteps passed inches away.
Everyone was born with mana.
But the way each one must do to utilise it fully was different.
Some found it in the air.
Others, through touch.
A few… through pain.
But it was never enough.
An old warrior once said:
"Without strong body, mind, and mana… you're dead. To teeth, to fire, to fear."
He limped past the others, his left arm gone—burned away by a magical strike that seared to the bone.
His body lived only because his soul-shield held.
Even then, mana had limits—
Bound to the body and the mind.
Too much strain, and it broke.
Too little, and you were helpless.
Some tried to push further—
Overloading their veins with raw essence.
Their minds shattered.
The few who lived became unstable. Untrustable.
Still… it gave hope.
New generations were raised not to fear mana—
But to breathe it.
Shape it.
Live with it.
Artisans forged weapons from mana-sensitive materials.
Smiths made armor that pulsed faintly to the touch.
And in the darkest places, near the edge of Malevolent territory,
Some humans went further.
They experimented.
Binding outer, non-organic mana, which have mysterious origin, into living beings.
Some succeed with a cost, Many failed. It's one of the most effective techniques to enhance overall power, giving humanity more advantages against the looking Malevolents.
But, even the best meal can have a rotten piece.
Whispers spread of clans sacrificing their own—
Trying to unlock deeper mana wells.
Some called it salvation.
Others, betrayal.
But with the world still broken…
And the monsters growing stronger…
Even betrayal started to feel… reasonable.
—————————
After dozens of decades,
Approximately, a year ago—
The day and moment that changed, Everything.
The sun lingered overhead, dim behind scattered clouds.
Beneath it, a fleet of researchers and four knights arrived on a vast, newly discovered island—rumored to be within the safe zone.
Verdant, but eerily quiet.
The land stretched wide with skeletal trees and fog-covered rivers.
Too quiet. Too empty.
Even the birds were gone.
Among the researchers—a mix of scholars, elementalists, and archivists—stood an old, long-eared man, limping slightly.
Ahead of them all, the knight commander. Broader, older, and Grim. He scouted in silence.
Beside him, a young knight, noticeably shorter and smaller than other knight in steel-silver armor, twin-edged blade across his back. His body and face covered.
The young knight—
A prodigy emerging from recruitment by the higher-ups.
It's said, that the higher ups and the knights trained him hard, from a very young age.
Relentlessly—All to maximize his potential.
He was the only very young knight,
Still in his very early teenage years.
Yet he already league surpassing everyone for his age, and even people that are way older than him.
That was thanks to the intense training…
And the strict diet they enforced.
Pushed beyond normal limits.
Shaped into something more than just a boy.
He wasn't treated like a child.
He was a weapon in the making.
Then—
The silence broke.
A sickening gurgle echoed through the mist.
A tremor followed—deep and heavy.
Water surged.
The fog writhed.
From the dark river, an Apex Malevolent rose.
Monstrous. Colossal.
A titan of scales and hate.
Its serpent body coiled up, plated in obsidian-dark armor.
Eyes burning with lion-like rage.
Its crocodile teeth stretched wide in a worm-like maw, big enough to swallow armies.
And behind it—
Dozens of warped, howling creatures scrambled over rock and root.
"By the gods…" the commander breathed.
No one had expected this.
"RETREAT!" he shouted, voice cracking through panic.
The group turned to flee—
—but a screeching beast lunged toward the commander.
"Commander—!"
CLANG!
The young knight intercepted it.
Twinblade unsheathed in a blink—cutting clean through the beast.
His movement was fluid. Sharp. Silent. Born of instinct and blood.
But more came. Dozens. Endless.
"The Apex wasn't supposed to be here!" a researcher screamed.
Too few.
Only four knights.
Against a god.
The Apex loomed, casting a shadow across the island like a falling mountain.
The researchers froze, terror locking their limbs.
The ground shook with each ripple of the serpent's coil.
Malevolents poured from cracks in the land.
"We're too far from the mainland!" another knight cried.
The commander stared at the horror—
Then turned to the young knight.
"Take the researchers. Get them to the ship. Now."
"But—!" His voice, The voice of a young soul.
"GO!"
The younger knight appeared hesitant,
Then nodded—and ran.
The other knights held their ground.
Mana-lit swords flared.
Spells cast from memory.
Perfect, wordless teamwork.
They bought time.
They fought with fury.
But not hope.
Because deep down…
They all knew.
They wouldn't win.
BOOM.
A blast tore from the Apex. Blazing hot. Instant death.
The commander lunged forward, shielding his men.
The blast tore through him.
When it faded, he lay screaming—
Both legs gone.
Left arm half-severed.
Flesh charred. Mana bleeding like a torn soul.
His knights dragged him back.
The younger knight looked back—horrified by his body language.
The researchers panicked—some frozen, some sobbing.
Surrounded.
Hopeless.
Then—
An old voice rang out:
"I'll cast a spell… forbidden… to save us…"
All turned.
The old man stepped forward, hands already weaving ancient magic.
"I will summon a mimic—a doll of someone from the past that's strong enough to help us!"
"But I need a massive amount of Mana to do it! So… let me your mana!"
The knights and the rest were hesitate, as far as they knew, hardly anyone they knew, ever able to face an Apex in equalling—Let alone with all of the smaller Malevolents
And risking it with mana and potentially mana overclocking? It's a real tough decision
But nothing else can be done, so they agreed.
Anything was better than death.
A ritual circle formed.
Raw mana surged—linking every soul present.
The air thickened.
The old man began to chant in a forgotten tongue.
The earth trembled. Even the Apex turned slightly—Mild curiosity, Then boredom.
The old man faltered—his thoughts swallowed by a vision.
This wasn't a memory of the past.
It was… a glimpse of the future.
And something from that future answered.
A shape appeared. Humanoid, A tall woman.
Slim, powerful—but hollow-looking, almost malnourished by her hands.
Dressed in flowing black that rippled like ink, Heavy with sorrow.
Hair like shining jet—absurdly long, dragging across the earth.
The Face hidden behind the curtain of black strands.
The spell was a success.
The rest of the people, especially the you g knight were visibly shaken due to exhaustion.
Silence.
"…A woman?" a knight whispered.
Then—
BOOM.
The ground cracked.
The air ruptured—beyond a sonic boom.
She vanished.
And when they blinked—Half the Malevolents were gone.
Dead.
Bones liquefied, skulls crushed, limbs severed clean.
She stood behind a shaking beast, hand on its neck.
CRACK.
Its head folded like wet clay.
The Apex turned, and it's ryes locked onto her.
Amusement. Then… rage.
Dozens of beasts charged.
The woman raised her head.
"Hhhh…My beloved…?"
The words—barely a whisper—froze the soul.
Her eyes, the only thing visible—Endless pure black and Void-like.
She moved again, and the Malevolents who charged got mauled in seconds as she went rampage.
The Apex roared—firing a beam that split the clouds apart.
She didn't dodge and her eyes opened wider.
The blast twisted—absorbed into her right eye
The Apex hesitated, before firing again dozens of times.
But, She stood through all of it, then struck back.
Void Spears burst out—dark bolts—like from her hands,
The serpent used its power to bend the space—slowing the attacks infinitely until it can't reach it.
But seeing that and the power she "consumed" from the Serpent, She learned.
Her right eye shimmer with glow of the accretion disk. Bright and Powerfull.
Quickly, she rose into the sky, arms spread.
The world… bent.
Sun and moon spun like wheels.
Stars rained down.
Sky cracked.
Time stuttered.
Then—Her final attack.
A massive void—a huge needle like, shot down, slicing anything even the heavens upon its path—
The Apex tried to change the trajectory of the attack using its space portal power, but the Needle just keep on penetrating and ignoring it.
So as last resort, the Apex Serpent, uses the defence—the same infinite space defence mechanism earlier—
but, unexpectedly to it, it's USELESS. The Needle ignores the defence, and causing the Serpent—shocked. It then uses most of its power quickly to try for the last time changing the trajectory, while evading.
A glimpse of luck for the Apex, half of the attack went to the sky and space, but half of it—
Pierced a section of the Apex.
Half its body gone.
It fled through its space manipulation skill.
The Serpent was wounded and shocked.
She didn't follow, She turned back to the group.
Back to the summoners.
"Where…my…beloved…?"
"O Malevolent… O Void…"
"If… do these… My children… return…?"
Her soothing yet eerie mature adult female's voice echoes throughout the places.
The ground froze, dvery breath caught.
The young knight stepped back, and so do the others.
BOOM
She was suddenly there—in front of the young knight, including her afterimages were infront of everyone.
All at the same time.
Face still hidden. But blood streamed down her cheeks.
Her fist drawn back—About to strike.
"WHERE MY LOVES—!"
Then—she vanished, The spell ended, Gone, Silence.
The group—shaking, bloodied—rushed to the ship.
Dragging the wounded. Carrying the dead.
The old man collapsed, fevered. Shaking.
The others became weakened, the young knight falls unconscious as he's the major mana contributor for the spell
Afterward—when they sailed home…
The commander fell…
His wounds, too severe, ended him before they reached the mainland.
A quiet death. A necessary mercy.
The old man, too, was fading—
sickened by the forbidden spell, his body unable to recover from the immense cost of mana.
He grew weaker with each passing day.
Even in a very weakened state,
he found a way to prevent the "born" of she.
Humanity must destroy the spells
correlated to the forbidden spell,
since her emergence somehow has a connection
to making her birth possible in the future.
So in the meantime—
protect all the women and girls at all cost,
while trying to destroy all of the spell sigils related to it.
And within weeks,
he died in his sleep.
But before his final breath,
he left behind a crystal—
a magical recording.
Not too clear, but just enough to be seen.
When reviewed,
its contents left even the most hardened leaders speechless.
The summoning ritual.
The woman's power, identified as the ancient—— Void-Malevolent Mana, but with unique mixture.
Her movements—superhuman.
Her voice—filled with something deeper than sorrow.
"Where…my…beloved…?"
That one line echoed like a curse.
She wasn't from the past, as the original spell intended.
She was from one of the possible future.
A human—yes. But something more.
Coexisting with the Unusual Mana.
A human correlated to the Malevolents? and the mysterious Void Mana?
a force tied to the Ancient Ones.
A force that corrupted…? not coexisted?
The revelation spread quietly, carefully through kingdoms, war councils, arcane enclaves.
However, Bad news, The Intelligence monsters related to the Void Mana——most importantly the Voidborn Malevolent, knew about it.
They called her "Goddess"
They called her their Apex
They called her, "Queen of the Malevolents",—"Queen… Of the Void"
A Human, Adult Female, that can dominate the one of the new known Apex, The Mountain Serpent.
She—A very powerful weapon for them, to gain dominance against other living beings, even against other Malevolents subspecies.
If the Malevolents got to her first,
if they could awaken or create more like her…
The world might face another major changes.
But if we found her first before—We can prevent her existence.—Or perhaps, she can be used to save humanity
However, No one knew who—or what she was.
A lost lady?
A tragic weapon?
A being of prophecy?
But one thing was certain, she was real, And so the leaders responded.
Quiet orders swept across the world:
Women—of all ages, all classes—especially those with high mana potential, were to be heavily guarded.
And behind the scenes—
A cruel command Enforced.
Prevent the capture of high-mana women at all costs.
Even if it means death.
The "kingdoms" could neither risk letting "Mother of the Void" fall into Malevolent hands nor letting the Malevolent turns a woman into the "Queen of the Void"
But the challenge remained—Her face was mostly covered and hidden.
Only a few details remained:
Eyes—pure black, swirling with cosmic void.
A faint scar across her right eye— diagonal, like a blade once missed her center.
But a scar like that could happen to anyone.
There was no identity.
—————————
[ Now ]
I was always active.
I liked hearing the stories—of mages, knights... even Malevolents.
I chased knowledge like it was something I could eat.
Not to run away, but toward something.
Toward becoming someone.
A protector.
A hunter.
A light for the people I loved.
But the truth is... I wasn't like the other kids.
While they trained iin groups—
showed off how much mana they could channel,
played in circles, sparred, laughed—
I sat alone.
I tried to join at first.
But they always backed away.
Not because I was dangerous.
But because I was weak.
My mana was barely there.
So faint, some thought I was cursed. Defective.
Wrong from the start.
Most just ignored me.
Others laughed.
Called me annoying.
Said I was too loud, too weird, too much.
And maybe they were right.
I was loud.
I got excited too easily.
Talked too much.
Asked too many questions.
I was... a lot.
One time, maybe 6-7 months ago, I saw that young knight—the one and only—was walking from seemingly nowhere, probably from his cool duty, and looking toward us, peeking.
We were having some studying and practical lessons, basically a small school—the one of the many that are still in use.
Some kids were playing, while I was wandering alone, as usual.
No one really wanted to be with me.
Although he was covered in armor and taller than me, slightly!
He seemed to be watching the other kids, quietly.
I accidentally startled him—he jumped a little from the shock.
That's when I noticed… he couldn't talk.
Instead, he tried giving me some strange hand signs.
I didn't understand what he was trying to say,
So I just left him.
But then… I peeked back at him.
His body language behind those fully covered armor——looked kind of disappointed.
And tired—
Even though he was fully covered in armor,
You could still feel it.
From that moment, I decided to talk to him again.
And I hung out with him for a while.
I still couldn't understand his hand signs, and he knew that.
So he started doing very simple gestures instead.
And for a while, I just talked.
About my life.
About my sister.
About the things I liked.
It felt… fun…!
He, afterwards, gave me a sign.
It took me a second—
but he was asking me to come with him.
So I followed——
a female cat with baby kittens?
"So you're a cat person, huh?" I said, chuckling a little.
He looked at me and nodded quickly, like an excited kid.
In that moment,
I saw something I didn't expect from a knight.
He looked so innocent…
Caring, as he gently watched over the mother cat.
So I tapped his shoulder a few times, smirking,
and threw a little joke at him.
For a moment,
he tried to let out a sound but couldn't—
his palm covering his mouth.
He was trying to laugh…?
"Heh! I made you laugh, so you gotta treat me to food!" I said, still smirking.
A few minutes passed,
and I asked him if the mother cat had a name.
He nodded, then crouched and wrote on the dirt ground:
"I… U… N… O…"
"Iuno??" I asked.
He nodded quickly again.
Iuno, huh?
Cool name…
What's the meaning though? Ah, anyway—
After a while,
I hesitated a bit,
but decided to ask anyway.
"Why'd you never reveal your looks?"
He looked at me,
then gave some hand signs,
but I couldn't really understand most of it.
So I just… guessed.
"Are you not allowed?"
He nodded.
Then, out of nowhere,
a voice—loud and deep—called out to him by the nickname:
"Young Knight,"
summoning him for duty.
He bowed, as if saying goodbye.
But before he could leave,
I stopped him—
and taught him a "bro greet" hand sign.
"Tak tak bum tas tahhh," I said as I did it,
and he followed along,
still a bit confused,
but kinda got it—
even letting out that same sound from earlier.
WAIT! I FORGOT TO ASK HIS NAME AND INTRODUCE MINE!
And then… he was gone—
In my school, he's known.
Quite popular, actually—
For mostly good and sometimes bad reasons.
Most admire him.
Some are jealous.
And some… envy him.
That was the last time we met.
I still don't know his name.
And we never got to say a proper goodbye.
"Must be good to be like that young knight, Being blessed and born with powerful mana. I'm jealous" Sighed.
He's one of the only who isn't my family that befriend with me.
Others? I don't know.
But I was never cruel.
I just—
I cared.
I cared about everything too much.
And no one cared back.
No one...
except my family.
My parents.
And my sister.
She was older. A mage. Brilliant and calm, like she carried some secret peace inside her that nothing could take.
When I fell, she picked me up.
When I cried, she held me.
And when I screamed that I'd never be strong enough, she knelt down, smiled, and said—
"Lumiere... An ordinary person can still stand taller than the kings.
You just have to be strong on your own ability."
She always said it with genuine care—like she meant it every time.
Like she saw something in me that even I couldn't see.
She taught me what the others didn't.
How to fight Malevolents without relying on mana.
How to move, how to read pressure, how to strike from angles no one expected.
How to use my body like a weapon forged in instinct.
We trained in the woods, quietly, where no one would laugh.
She gave me books when the others played.
Taught me about people.
About danger.
About relationships.
She warned me—
Some people would twist you.
Break you.
Ruin you if you let them in too easily.
But others...
Others could become your reason to keep breathing.
I think I wanted that too.
A reason.
I wanted to protect her and my family.
To build them a better home.
To give them peace.
I didn't want the same things the others chased—false pride, fleeting power, lust, cheap victories.
I wanted meaning.
I also wanted to wait for love—the kind that deserved to last.
Also…
I really wanted more food.
Like, actually more food.
Meat. Cooked rice. Seasoned broth. Roasted roots. Even sweets.
And I did dream—of friends, of safety, of growing stronger.
Even though I was physically tougher than most,
nothing changed.
I was still the kid with no real magic.
Still the one left out.
__________
"Hnnghhh…"
——————
On the vast, barren lands of the mountains,
the rain slammed against the earth in endless torrents—
each drop like a sharp slap against water's surface.
Thunder rolled without pause,
and lightning carved jagged streaks through the dark sky,
briefly illuminating the soaked, wind-battered terrain.
A convoy of carriages pushed through the storm,
each drawn by the kingdom's strongest horses.
At the front were the guide carriages, braving the treacherous paths,
barely visible beneath the blinding sheets of rain.
For a mission of this magnitude,
the area would normally be crawling with royal guards,
securing every ridge and shadow.
But all eyes, all force,
were focused on one carriage:
The Primary.
Larger. Heavier. More ornate.
Flanked by elite guards on all sides,
and warded with protective enchantments.
Inside were the mission's most valuable passengers—
women, girls… and one boy.
Maximum security wasn't a formality.
It was a requirement.
To protect them from the horrors that stalked the world—
especially the monstrous beings from the Void realm,
who now targeted females.
Inside the Primary stagecoach,
a lone knight sat in silence.
A chosen warrior.
One of the kingdom's prodigies.
So Young yet formidable.
Handpicked for this mission.
Trusted. Proven.
His presence wasn't ceremonial.
He was a blade.
A shield.
The kingdom trusted him to succeed.
He sat beside the driver, under the covered bench attached to the stagecoach's cabin.
Rain hammered the wooden awning above them,
dripping down in fat rivulets.
The air was thick with the scent of soaked leather, wet earth, and sweat.
His Mana armor, fully equipped despite his exhausted state,
clung to him like a second skin—heavy, grim, and silent. Everything—— covered
"Looks like the rain's not letting up anytime soon," the driver said casually.
The young knight didn't answer.
His eyes stayed fixed on the road ahead,
on the blurred outline of mountains under the stormlight.
His mana reserves were dangerously low,
but he didn't complain.
Didn't flinch.
He simply nodded.
"Seems like our destination's still pretty far…" the driver added, trying again.
Another polite nod.
The driver huffed, clearly fishing for conversation.
"Being a knight at young age must be exhausting, huh? Appreciate ya!"
This time, the young knight turned slightly toward him.
With a single fluid motion, he placed his right arm across his chest
and dipped his upper body forward—
a small but formal sign of respect.
(Stagecoach Driver's Thoughts)
...That's it?
Not even a single word?
Hah. Arrogant much, kid? Does he think just 'cause he's a knight—some 'prodigy'—he's above talking to us normal folks?
What a joke. These guys are just tools for the kingdom anyway. Big whoop.
I've heard he's strong. Top Division material. Strong for his age, or so they say. But I haven't seen anything. Haven't heard of anything real either. Just riding the hype, probably. A fake.
They say he survived that 'Apex Incident' on some weird, uncharted island. One mission, a handful of researchers, only three other knights—
and they supposedly ran into a full-blown Apex?!
And lived?!
Pfft. Dumb luck. That's all.
Now he's stuck on this weird-ass mission, guarding girls like some babysitter. Probably still messed up from the last one. Look at him. Burned out. Silent. Pathetic, really. Lol.
...But what the driver didn't know—
what no one ever told him—
He wasn't silent by choice.
He was mute ever since the incident with his Mana nearly a year ago——the same "Mother of the Void" incident.
One of the consequence of extreme Mana overclocking.
—————————
"Hnnghhh"
—————————
Ah…. I remember this,
We were being relocated.
Part of the last batch from our zone.
It was supposed to be safe.
The scouts had cleared a path.
The guards were alert.
The young knight—our silent protector—stood ready.
But something went wrong.
We were attacked…?
A creature…
stitched together from nightmares.
Its face—almost human.
Its eyes—wide, unblinking, wrong.
Its wings buzzed like death itself,
and the air bent around its presence
as if the world didn't want it to exist.
The guards fought harder than I've ever seen.
The knights, the mages—everyone—
pushed themselves to the brink.
They weren't just fighting to survive.
They were protecting the women.
Because everyone knew the rumors—
That the Malevolents were after them.
That they wanted women for something…
To change them.
To create something.
To repeat the horrors whispered in the arcane circles.
And this thing…
It wasn't here to fight.
It was here to take.
It lunged straight for the carriages.
The barrier shimmered, then flickered.
Screams echoed through the storm.
My sister—
She stood at the front line with the mages.
Hands blazing with mana.
Eyes locked.
Fierce.
I should've stayed back.
But I didn't.
A girl next to me tripped.
Reflex kicked in—I ran for her.
I pulled her up—
And my foot slipped, to the Malevolents
The ridge gave way beneath me.
The world tilted.
My stomach dropped.
The cold air roared past.
Weightlessness.
I remember the wind.
The blur of rain and lightning.
And then—
Her.
My sister.
She screamed my name.
She reached for me—
Her face—
Terror.
Not fear of the Malevolent.
Not fear of death.
She was afraid…
of losing me.
That was the first time I saw her like that.
She who always stood strong.
Calm. Unshaken.
But in that moment——She shattered.
And that was the last thing I saw...
Before the world turned black.
—————————
"Listen to the order young knight! Let the kid fell as bait!"
"YOU'RE OUT OF MANA?! WHAT ARE YOU DOING KID?!"
"Should We? The Malevolents are too much, just sacrifice them!"
"We've got the last sigils, leave those kids!"
…
"ARGH! I'M BLEEDING! ARGH?! THE MALEVOLENT TRIED TO CONTROL MY HAND!"
—————————
And I…
…Sister…
Mother…
Father…
I'm sorry…
Why…
Why can't I remember all of your faces…?
"To forget most of your pain… so does most of your experience."
The words appeared like imagery—soft, haunting.
Then the darkness began to shift, slowly growing brighter.
Visions…
Of humanity——despairing, yet enduring, somewhere… now.
Then the dark returned.
I saw flashes—my sister's blurry face, smiling in firelight, brushing dust from my hair. Her voice. That same voice that lifted me when I thought I had nothing left.
And then—
Darkness.
Silence.
—————————
Out of the blue,
"Arghhh!"
"Push, sweetheart, push! One, two, three—push!"
"Mother, stay strong! Please, stay strong!"
Desperate cries filled the dimly lit room. His mother's ragged breathing, his aunt's urgent encouragement—and then—the piercing wails of newborns.
He stood there, helpless, witnessing his twin siblings come into the world. He could only offer words of support. His father, on duty fighting monsters, was absent. The moment he received the news, he rushed home as fast as he could.
They were in the midst of war against the malevolent, and outside, far away, the heavens raged, thunder roaring through the night. Yet even the storm couldn't overpower the cries of the newborns.
His mother was losing too much blood.
The specialized doctors took longer to arrive—the country was in ruins, the roads dangerous with lurking creatures, and transportation scarce.
He stood by, unable to do anything. His hands trembled at his sides. He wanted to cry, to scream, to beg the heavens. He squeezed his eyes shut, willing himself to stay strong.
He couldn't.
Watching Mama suffer so much PAIN—
He couldn't bear it…
"God, please, save my mother," he prayed, his thoughts breaking apart in silent desperation. His heart pleaded for a miracle—for mercy.
Stop her pain! Give it to me instead!
Mama is kind. She is gentle. She has always been there for them. Please… please!
Her ragged breaths began to slow. The twins' cries softened.
The room grew unnervingly quiet.
A flicker of hope ignited in his chest.
Mama? You made it? You're not in pain anymore?
But then—he opened his eyes.
And what he saw was his aunt, trembling, wiping away the endless stream of tears cascading down her face.
At first, he didn't understand. Relief washed over him for a fleeting moment. But confusion quickly followed. An uneasy curiosity gnawed at his chest, a curiosity he desperately wished he never had.
He stood frozen, his gaze locked onto his aunt.
He didn't want to move his eyes. Something felt wrong.
His body refused to turn. But he knew—he had to look.
It felt like moving a mountain, but he forced his eyes toward his mother.
She lay there, on the verge of death.
A strangled gasp escaped him. Instinctively, he rushed to her side. His mouth opened, but no words came out. His throat clenched, strangled by emotions he could not express.
Mama had lost too much blood. His aunt was powerless; she possessed no healing magic.
He's just a little kid, and could do nothing.
"If only I had been stronger. If only I had been better."
Tears streamed down his face, his sobs silent but uncontrollable.
Then—Mama's eyes fluttered open.
Slowly, painfully, she looked around. She fought against the darkness creeping in, determined to take in one last view of the world.
"Mama?!" His voice cracked. His chest ached.
She could barely speak, yet she forced herself to.
Her expression was peaceful. Normally, he loved seeing her at peace.
But not this time.
Not like this.
Her trembling fingers reached up, brushing away his tears. She pulled him close and placed a gentle kiss on his forehead.
"My child… don't cry… Thank you…"
Her voice was so weak.
Her touch—so warm.
"Where's… my babies?"
His aunt, her eyes red and swollen, brought the wrapped twins to her. His mother, with the last remnants of her strength, held them close, placing the same gentle kiss on their foreheads.
"Haaa… my beloved…"
A soft chuckle escaped her lips.
"Ehe… cuties…"
Her voice grew fainter. Her breath, shallower.
Then, she turned to look at them one last time.
"…Don't be sad… All of you… forever… I… love you…"
And with that—she exhaled one final time.
Silence.
He couldn't react.
The tears kept falling, but he felt numb.
…
"ALL WERE DEAD, BECAUSE YOU AREN'T GOD ENOUGH"
…
Wait, what——whose are that imageries?—
"Chirp chirp" the sound of morning bird, singing soothingly outside.
I jolted, my eyes opened quickly.
Wood.
A ceiling of old planks.
A roof that wasn't mine.
A house that didn't breathe like home.
I sit upright. My body ached—deep in the nerves, like someone had stitched my muscles back wrong.
I was in a small wooden house, resting on furs I didn't recognize. The air was heavy. Strange. Too quiet. Too still.
Outside the small window: a baby blue gorgeous sky. Towering beautiful massive trees——really-really massive. Far away, I can see the mountains, clouds, flying giant birds, and amazingly——floating rocks.
A landscape that shimmered in an unreal peaceful atmosphere. Everything, are beautiful… I never, see all of these.
As I'm stun locked by the
And then… they came.
Two creatures—like antelopes, but not. Their fur burned like embers. Their horns curled upward, elegant, glowing faintly gold at the tips. Their eyes were deep wells of knowing—ancient, solemn.
They moved, smooth like butter.
They told me I had been trapped—caught in a false mana realm. A place where time curled is strange.
They said I had been trapped for… who knows how long in real time.
"You are the first human we've seen in a long time."
I didn't know what to feel. My chest burned. My throat was dry. I tried to speak, but only a cracked whisper came out:
"Where's… my family?"
They didn't answer.
Instead, they told me what was left of the world based on their current knowledge,
The mortal so called "Humanity" had tasted a flicker of peace—a fragile, fleeting calm. But it hadn't lasted. The Malevolents returned… changed. Crueler.
Most of the Humanity couldn't adapt fast enough. Cities fell. Great enclaves vanished.
Survivors scattered—like ash in the wind.
Some of the Malevolent… figured out a wicked way to destroy humanity with humanity themselves.
That sentences made me flabbergasted, and silence.
And as for me—
I remembered little. Only fragments.
A voice. A fire.
My sister's hand.
A fall.
But something in my body felt wrong.
Every step—pain. Sudden. Sharp. Like my own flesh was fighting me.
And yet… they looked at me with reverence.
As if I still mattered.
As if something inside me… still had a role to play.
For a moment, I just noticed—
My body was covered in healing wounds, and the pain was hitting me hard. Deep. Constant. Like fire crawling under my skin.
I learned from the creatures that they had tried to heal me.
And someone else…
There was another human saved from the base—
Someone still alive, besides me.
They told me she was a girl.
Relief flooded my chest.
Maybe… maybe it was her.
My sister!
But then she turned around.
My… sister…?
And the sight struck me like a thunderclap.
Her eyes—pure black. Void-like. Endless pits of darkness filled with something… terrifying.
Her entire presence was soaked in a dreadful aura I had never felt before.
And her right eye—
A visible slash scar ran through it.
The creatures explained slowly, their voices weighed down with sorrow… and fear.
"Perhaps, she is not your sister, she isn't similar to you" they said.
"She has most likely been experimented on by the Malevolents. It explains her unique aura… and the presence of an extra, weird, strong, X chromosome. One that we thought, wasn't originally there—— Overriding majority of the Y chromosome."
I was in pure shock. Speechless.
Stammering without meaning.
They told me the transformation was likely rapid. Violent. It tore through her like wildfire.
And worse—
It triggered something unnatural.
An unknown… pregnancy
The addition of that customized X chromosome.
Her memories were fragmented.
Torn apart by pain and the horrors of what she'd endured.
Then, the creatures told me something that made my heart nearly stop.
They said the girl used to be a boy.
A strong one. Early into puberty——like me. A very young teen—slim, tall.
——and once a prodigy knight to humanity based on the record they found on the Malevolent's base.
Now… she was something else.
A fully functional intersex female, they guessed.
Hearing that—
My heart felt like it was breaking in two.
This… knight… DON'T TELL ME, THAT THE SAME YOUNG MALE KNIGHT…
was the Mother of the Void…
—————————
The young knight…
Who met me.
Who tried to befriend with others.
The one… who tried to saves me…
Turned into the Queen the Malevolents made.
The revelation hit like a crashing wave.
Panic churned in my chest.
Confusion clouded everything.
I didn't know what to feel.
What to think.
After a long silence, the two antelope-like creatures calmed me down.
I was shaking—not from pain, but from confusion, fear, and a pressure deep in my chest that I couldn't describe.
Everything I thought… everything I remembered… felt broken.
Fortunately,
the antelope mentioned that there's no signs of sexual assault actually happening to him, although it's mystery how he's pregnant in the first place——in that situation——in that age and——in that condition.
Those words, lightened my heart a little— just enough.
Then they told me more.
That he had survived.
That she was the only other human they'd found after rescuing us—
Everyone else… had been found deceased, unfortunately.
And frantically, the moment they saved him, he was…
…giving birth.
They led me forward.
And then I saw it.
The infants, a pair of twin.
W-What…?
I'm so speechless, for what happened…
The babies…
So small.
Peacefully sleeping, their tiny body curled in a nest of soft, natural fibers.
My breath caught.
And the young knight,
He——? No, now… She,
If she lost her children——could become something terrifying.
And that frightened me more than anything.
The other antelope explained to me,
She remembered the pain…
But only some of the pain… only the pain and memories of her giving birth perhaps.
She forgot most of her memories it seems… especially the experiment… Is it human's Defence mechanism to trauma?
We are all silence, wondering what could be the full thing.
I only remembered my sister.
My family.
A promise to protect.
I had dreams of a better world.
My last journey before the tragedy…
Those last few moments with the young knight.
And… the humanity… is it really gone? No… I don't think so!
I quickly told the mystical antelopes about some imagery I'd had.
They said they'd research it later on…
Now…
The young knight…
Or——The Girl of the Void…
I know she isn't evil.
But she's unstable.
Fragile.
I look at her with intent and sadness, I could feel my heart sunken, even if she's the "Monster" every thought——but to me, to us, on that moment, she just looks like a broken soul——a broken and tired…very young mother.
After what happened to her… so poor… so broken.
Like a mirror shattered to its particles beyond repair.
Her expression and looks——emotionless. Silence. Deep, pure, silence. Nothing—— no emotion, radiates from her. Like I'm staring into the void——into the Abyss.
Then I started to realize—
She… We might hold the key to stopping the Malevolent.
But the cost…
The danger…
It was too much to carry alone.
I didn't understand much.
Or how exactly she had become… this.
But I knew one thing,
That baby—we must protect all costs.
And so must she.
So I stayed close.
I, alongside the antelopes will help to take care for the infants——and her!
I watched her from a distance.
She seemed distant, yet close.
Dazed.
Never fully aware.
But her presence…
It radiated something powerful——not mana or strength. Something we couldn't yet grasp.
And then,
While she sat on the bed, by the open window of the cabin.
Her short, jet black wavy hair shimmered softly in the light.
Her face—familiar, but gentler—stared out at the trees, where morning sunlight dripped from dew-covered leaves.
Suddenly, the babies cried.
Her gaze shifted to the infants.
And unexpectedly——for the first time——beyond my knowledge and memories—
She, with a pure emotion, soft, sad, yet caring voice, and a slight smile raises her arms towards the infants' direction,
"My… beloved…"