Note: Offshoot Tales means Side Stories.
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Part 1: Tales of Lightfall Mountain
Long, long ago—before the Church's banners ever cast their shadow, before the words Divine Region were even spoken—this world was divided by magic itself.
In those ancient days, power decided one's place in life. Those who could wield spells were nobles and kings; those who could not were servants, farmers, and beggars. The Magic Empire reigned supreme, and magic was not a gift—it was law.
Yet, amid the empire's golden cities and endless arrogance, there lay a quiet mountain range far from all the noise. There, a small village lived peacefully—humble folk who could not use magic but learned to coexist with it.
They named their home Ram Village.
By embedding shards of magic stones in the soil and walls, they kept beasts at bay. Their nights were calm, their fields golden, and for many years, not a drop of blood was spilled upon their land.
But one night—when the stars burned brighter than usual—the villagers saw something impossible.
A sun in the night sky.
No— not the sun. A blazing meteor, tearing through the heavens, trailing silver fire.
The sky split. The mountains trembled. And then came the impact.
The meteor struck the heart of the range with a roar that shook the earth. A sea of flame rose, swallowing the trees and painting the night crimson. The villagers, desperate, used what little magic stones they had left to summon rainwater, forming weak barriers of mist. But the fire was unnatural—each spark burning with strange energy that devoured everything it touched.
The mountain split in two, and so did the people.
Half the villagers fled down the slopes, saving what little they could. They rebuilt their homes at the foot of the range and kept their old name—Ram Village, in memory of what was lost.
The other half were trapped by the advancing inferno. Smoke filled their lungs, and the ground itself seemed to burn. They ran until their legs gave out, until all hope was gone.
And then—rain.
A heavy, endless rain fell from a sky that glowed faint blue, washing away the fire.
The survivors collapsed where the flames died. When morning came, they saw that the ground around them still glowed faintly, as though the fallen star had left its breath upon the earth.
They named the place Lightrest — "the place where the chasing light finally came to rest."
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As years passed, both villages prospered, unaware that the meteor's heart still pulsed beneath the mountain.
Knights of the Magic Empire eventually came, drawn by rumors of the fallen star. They searched for the meteorite but found only a vast crater veiled in mist. Most left, thinking it gone.
But not all.
One wandering wizard stumbled upon the crater by accident—on a rare Blue Moon night. Entranced by the strange pull of magic, he ventured inside.
The moment the moon's light faded, the entrance sealed. He was trapped—three long years passed before the next Blue Moon opened the cave again.
When he finally emerged, his hair had turned white, his eyes clouded with strange light. He left behind scrolls filled with sketches and symbols—drawings of a thread that shimmered with changing colors.
He claimed it was alive. That it watched. That it waited.
His notes spoke of a "treasure that fell from the heavens," one that would only awaken for the right soul.
Most of his writings were burned centuries later during the Holy Crusade that erased the Magic Empire. Only fragments survived.
┉┈ ◈ ◉ ◈ ┈┉
Part 2: A Witch's Diary
One day, I decided to prank my parents and hid in the closet.
But then... things took a weird turn.
My mom brought her lover home. Yeah. An affair. Right in the living room. And when my dad came home early, she panicked and shoved the guy into the closet— with me already inside.
It was dark. Real dark.
So, I whispered, "It's dark in here."
The guy jumped and whispered back, "Uh... yeah, it is."
I said, "Hey, I was planning to sell my ball. Wanna buy it?"
He hissed, "No!"
So I calmly said, "Alright, I'll just ask my daddy instead."
"...Fine!" he whispered in panic. And just like that, I sold my ball for 5 Thales.
A few days later— believe it or not— the same thing happened. Same guy. Same closet. Same me.
I whispered again, "It's dark in here."
He groaned, "Yes it is."
I asked, "Wanna buy my other ball?"
He said, "No!"
I shrugged and said, "Okay. I'll go get my dad then."
"…FINE!" he snapped and bought it for 10 Thales.
Fast forward a bit. One day, my dad invited me to play catch. You know, father-son bonding.
But I told him, "I can't. I sold both my balls."
He blinked. "You what?! How can you be a man with no balls?!"
Then he asked, "How much did you sell them for?"
"Fifteen Thales," I said proudly.
He stared at me like I'd committed tax fraud and dragged me straight to the church for confession.
He shoved me into the confession booth and left.
The priest sat down, all serious and holy, ready for me to pour my sins.
I whispered, "It's dark in here."
The priest snapped, "For Lord's sake please don't start again."
---
This lame joke — I accidentally told my boyfriend. And that idiot, drunk as a donkey, decided to retell it at a pub.
In front of a priest.
Apparently, the joke was considered "mocking the holy order." So the Church didn't just laugh — they raided my house.
And, well... they found out I'm a witch.
Now I'm writing this while shoving whatever I can into a sack. I need to run. The Church doesn't question or trial witches anymore — they burn first and ask never.
My boyfriend? He's already been executed.
Do I feel bad? ...Not really. He was one of many, and honestly, not even in the top five. Still, poor thing. He had nice hair.
Hmm... I do have another boyfriend who is called Gust. He is actually working as guard in another city. I wonder if I blabbered anything to him while I was drunk.
Anyway. I can't leave yet. I will just hide in my secret cabin at the forest.
According to the ancient notes ( notes from the Magic Empire era) I found, there's something buried deep within the Lightfall Mountain range — a treasure that fell from the heavens.
I've already confirmed the spot. The coordinates match perfectly.
All I need to do is wait for the next Blue Moon — that's when the path opens. Then I'll sneak into the mountain, grab the treasure, and vanish from this cursed land.
There's no way the Church will find me out here.
…Right?
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The diary burned along with the cabin, its pages curling into ash as the Church knights watched from a distance. The flames crackled, swallowing every trace of the witch's life.
None of them noticed the small shadow darting through the smoke—
an owl.
It swooped low, snatched the half-burning diary in its talons, and vanished into the night sky.
Far away, on a quiet terrace, a man in a dark coat adjusted his monocle as the owl descended. He streched his hand.
But instead of landing there, the bird perched right on top of his head.
"It's hot! It's hot!" the owl screeched, shaking its wings.
The man lowered his hand awkwardly, sighing.
He took the half-scorched diary from the owl's grasp and flipped through its blackened pages, eyes scanning the faint traces of handwriting still visible.
"Let's find where the witch lived before," he said. "We might get a clue."