CHAPTER 1 — A WAKING SHADOW
The night wind gently swept through the Asterium forest. Leaves trembled softly, as if whispering about something that should not have awakened that night.
Elang walked slowly among the trees, his eyes scanning the surroundings warily. He didn't know why his body had felt restless since dusk. There was something in the air—something cold, heavy… and unfamiliar.
His steps halted when a faint voice broke the silence.
"Help…"
Elang sharpened his hearing. The voice was weak, as if coming from someone holding back pain. He hurried forward, pushing through the undergrowth toward a collapsed patch of earth.
There, a girl lay half-conscious. Her hair was tangled, her breathing uneven, and her body was covered in scratches.
Elang froze.
Who was she?
And why did her aura feel… not like an ordinary human's?
He approached cautiously. "Hey… are you okay?"
The girl opened her eyes. Her irises glowed faintly, like reflections of moonlight. The gaze made Elang's heart beat oddly.
"What happened to you?" he asked again.
The girl tried to sit up, but her body trembled violently. "They… chased me…"
"They?" Elang frowned. "Who?"
Before the girl could answer, the forest suddenly stopped moving. The wind ceased. The sounds of the night vanished.
Then a large shadow leapt down from the trees—eyes burning red.
Shadow.
Elang pulled the girl behind him. "What is that?!"
Shadow hissed and lunged.
The fight began, and a mysterious light burst from the girl's hands, saving Elang.
"What was that just now?!" Elang shouted.
"We have to go," the girl replied.
Shadow pressed the attack again, and Elang dragged the girl, running into the darkness of the night.
Asterium's night had just changed. And Elang had taken the first step toward a fate that would give him no way back.