3:30 PM, 6-Aug-1551 — Verlion Kingdom, Capital City: Darum
Inside a modest stone apartment tucked into the heart of Darum, a boy paced anxiously across his bedroom. His name was Rian — eighteen years old, orphaned since birth, and now standing at the edge of a future he'd fought desperately to reach.
Raised by the Darum Orphanage, Rian had never known the warmth of a family. His father, a soldier, had died in the brutal war between the Verlion Kingdom and the Kingdom of Light. His mother had passed away during childbirth. When Rian turned sixteen, he was forced to leave the orphanage and survive on his own, relying on the modest savings left behind by his father.
Those savings were now nearly gone — spent entirely on preparing for the kingdom's most grueling entrance exam: the (All Verlion Engineering Exam)AVEE. It was his final shot at entering an engineering college and escaping the cycle of poverty.
"Ahh… why isn't it showing anything?" he muttered, staring at his mobile screen. "If I fail again, I'm truly done for… This is my last chance."
Suddenly, his phone rang.
Ring… ring…
"Hmm? Who's calling now?"
He picked up.
"Hello?"
"Oye, Rian! What's up, dude?"
"Everything's good, senior. How are you?"
Before Rian could say more, the voice on the other end continued.
"Today's the AVEE result day, right? So? Did you get a good score?"
Carl — a third-year engineering student and Rian's mentor during his AVEE prep — had always been supportive. Despite his own practical exams, he still remembered Rian's result date.
"The result hasn't been announced yet," Rian replied. "I'm just waiting."
"Alright. But remember — if your rank is under 500, you should definitely apply to my college."
"Yes, yes, senior. You've been saying that for two years now…"
Rian smiled faintly.
"Even if you didn't say anything, I'd still want to be in the same college as you. Everyone knows the Central University of Verlion (CUV) is the best our kingdom has to offer."
"Good. Let's talk later then — I need to prep for tomorrow's practical. Don't forget to call me when the result's out."
"Okay. Bye, senior."
As the call ended, Rian walked to the window, hoping to distract himself from the storm of thoughts in his mind. Outside, the city pulsed with life — stone buildings stacked tightly together, handwagons swarming the streets, too many passengers to count.
He looked up.
The sky glowed with its usual orange hue, and the shattered moon hung overhead — its surface cracked, a portion missing. It had always been like that, as far as anyone could remember.
Some myths, whispered across temples and taverns, claimed it was the result of a celestial war between gods and demons. Others said it was a divine punishment, or a sign of an ancient curse.
But who could say what truly happened?
None of it soothed him.
Beep… beep…
His mobile buzzed — a message had arrived.
Rian stared at the device in his hand, marveling at its design. It had only been five years since engineers in Verlion had invented these compact machines. A miracle of modern technology.
"Let's see…"
He opened the message.
709 — his rank.
Two years of relentless effort, and this was the result.
"709… That means I can't get into CUV."
Should he be sad?
He paused.
"Yes… yes! Finally! I can call myself an educated person. With this rank, I don't have to worry about money either — I can easily get a loan from the kingdom."
He laughed.
"Ha ha ha! Who cares about CUV? With this rank, I can still get into a great college."
A wave of relief washed over him. After years of torment, he could finally breathe.
"Time to treat myself. The restaurant near Baker Street is pretty famous… Tonight's dinner will be at Dulog Restaurant."
He didn't know it yet, but this simple decision — to celebrate after two long years — would become the worst decision he would ever make.