Chapter 1 : Start of the Damad Legend
The Milky Way galaxy, where a twinkling star marks the Sun, suddenly a silence tears through space-time; two hands emerge from within space-time.
One hand covered in a thick layer of radiant light, and the other wrapped in a dark and shadowy layer of darkness. Space-time is torn open, and a being whose body is half submerged in darkness and the other half immersed in light now steps out and gazes at the blue planet Earth.
Being: "Ahhhh… finally found you, Earth–3."
Like a meteor, it moved toward Earth; the planet growing larger and larger in its eyes with every passing moment.
A young and beautiful woman, unaware of the future awaiting her, is pulling and gathering plants from the moist soil; her hands slightly reddened from the cold.
Suddenly, birds shattered the silence of the forest, causing a slight shock and fear in the woman. Abruptly, an object struck the ground at an unbelievable speed. The earth beneath her feet trembled, dust spread everywhere, and the smell of soil and burning tree trunks filled her senses.
The young woman, slightly thrown aside by the shock and explosion of the impact, stared in astonishment at this mysterious being, as though at any moment it intended to take her life.
Being: "Hello, Emiliana. How are you? Did I scare you?"
Upon hearing her name, Emiliana shuddered and wanted to run, but she did not; her curiosity prevented her from leaving, and she opened her mouth to say something.
Emiliana: "Who are you? How do you know me? What do you want from me?"
Seeing the color drained from Emiliana's face, the being suddenly dissolved its aura with a halo of light and, with its right hand, tore through space like cheese, inserting its hand into an unknown dimension.
Emiliana, witnessing this swift movement, froze in place, watching moment by moment as the being pulled out a baby swaddled in cloth. Suddenly, the infant's cries shattered the silence, and the being extended the swaddled child toward Emiliana.
Being: "This is my child. Can you care for him like a mother?"
The woman took the swaddle with a slight tremor in her hands and gazed at the child's face — a beautiful face with raven-black hair and eyes the color of the sky. There were also faint traces of blood upon it. As if he had just been born. She stared again at the being, slightly troubled by having suddenly received the mission of caring for a child.
Emiliana: "Why entrust your beautiful child to a stranger?"
The being was somewhat surprised by her words, yet with a sigh from deep within, understood her and spoke.
Being: "You are not a stranger, Emiliana. My son's name is Demad. Care for him like..."
Suddenly, the being noticed the sound of another person's footsteps hurrying toward the sound of the explosion, and leapt toward the sky, flying away so as not to prolong the situation any further.
The woman, seeing the being leap into the sky at an unbelievable speed and vanish into the horizon, came slightly to her senses. She placed her hand upon the bloodstain on the infant's face and whispered the child's name, feeling a hint of resentment and sorrow. She fell into thought — why must I care for this unfamiliar child?
At that moment, a voice was heard from the other side of the forest.
Nila: "Emiliana, what are you doing? What was that sound? It echoed across the whole mountain and forest! Are you okay?"
As Nila approached, she suddenly noticed the child in the swaddle, and her eyes turned heart-shaped — a sign of her fondness for children. She placed her bow on the ground and took the child into her arms.
Nila: "Wow, where did you find this baby? Don't tell me you gave birth to him yourself?"
Nila laughed at her own joke. Emiliana grew slightly annoyed, quickly taking the baby back from her arms.
Emiliana: "No. I found him among the trees."
Nila: "Is that even possible? Just like that?"
Emiliana: "Well, it happened. Stop asking me so many questions. Were you able to hunt a boar?"
Nila bent down, slung her bow over her shoulder, and fiddled with her fingernails as though hiding something. Finally, with effort, she answered.
Nila: "No, I didn't find anything. Anyway, forget it. Let's go introduce this child to the villagers."
Emiliana nodded in agreement, bent down, gathered the plants scattered by the explosion, and the two of them headed toward the village.
Nila: "I wonder who left this baby in such a dangerous forest? Anyway, never mind. What's the baby's name? Have you chosen one?"
Emiliana: "Yes. His name is Demad."
Nila: "Demad… hmm… I don't know what it means."
Emiliana: "Don't strain your brain too much. I don't know either."
In the midst of this conversation, they finally reached the village. Nia, with the child in her arms, headed toward her house — a hut located at the lower left side of the settlement. Nia also said, "I'll go tell the others what we found today," and walked away from Emiliana with a smile.
Emiliana opened the door of the hut. At that moment, Demad began to cry, his cries signaling his hunger. Emiliana soothed him, placed him on the table, and prepared to feed him milk.
Emiliana: "Calm down, my dear. You're lucky I'm nursing and recently gave birth to Fira, you lucky little one."
Gradually, Demad's cries faded as he began to feed. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door, and the silence between woman and child was completely broken. Before Emiliana had any chance, the door opened, and Nila, along with several other women, hurried into the hut.
White-haired woman with blue eyes: "Oh my, how beautiful! Where did you find him?"
Nila: "Hey, calm down. Haven't you ever seen a baby before?"
Emiliana: "You're worse than all of them. Hey Lucy, if you want, come hold him."
Lucy: "Oh my, how beautiful you are! What's his name?"
Nila: "His name is Demad."
Hearing Fira's cry, Emiliana picked up the child again and turned to Nila and Lucy.
Emiliana: "You can come again later. The baby needs sleep now. Let him rest."
Nila and Lucy nodded and said, "Alright, let the baby rest. We'll come see him again later."
After the girls left, Emiliana went upstairs. The sound of her footsteps echoed on the floor. With a gesture of her hand, she opened the door and quietly entered the room, sitting on the chair beside Fira's cradle.
She placed Demad beside Fira and took pleasure in the sleepy faces of the two. She laid Demad a little closer to Fira.
She ran her fingers through the hair of both.
She smiled.