***6 years Ago*****
The Autumn Canyon was no ordinary forest—it was a world of its own, divided into four weather-warped territories. The southern lands burned with eternal summer, where the grass was a golden blaze and heatwaves shimmered in the air. The northern lands were locked in an eternal winter, where frost-coated trees whispered like ghosts, and the cold bit through steel like a ravenous beast. The eastern lands bathed in autumn's hues, crisp winds howling through rustling crimson leaves, while the western lands mirrored fall, where damp air mixed with the scent of decay, and shadowed mist made it impossible to tell whether you were walking into an opening—or a predator's gaping maw.
Yet, none of these elements were natural.
The Autumn Trees dictated the climate, shifting their forms to manipulate the very essence of mana. Leaves infused with fire, ice, wind, and solar essence coated the forest, pulsing with energy so powerful that even an amateur alchemist could sense its boundless potential. These trees could breathe fire, summon winter, summon hurricanes, and turn a landscape into a furnace or a frozen wasteland. A paradise for alchemists—but a nightmare for any living creature unfit to survive within it.
But it wasn't just the trees. The beasts that roamed within were even more monstrous.
A dire wolf, large as a horse, with fur that absorbed moonlight, prowled through the eastern region. Its golden eyes burned like twin embers, and steam hissed from its jagged fangs. Each step it took left deep claw marks on the ground, searing through the hardened dirt. The beast was not alone—three others, slightly smaller but equally lethal, slithered between the trees like shadows given flesh.
Their presence did not go unnoticed.
An orc, nearly ten feet tall with charcoal-black skin, grunted as it leaned against a tree, licking the blood from its cleaver. Its arms bulged unnaturally, veins glowing green, pulsating with corrupted mana. It sniffed the air, catching the scent of another predator nearby. Its tusks curled upward in what could have been a grin—until a shadow loomed over it.
A frost wolf, coated in silver fur and exuding an aura colder than death, stepped forward from the northern region. Ice formed at its feet with every movement, its breath a mist of frozen air that turned surrounding leaves into glass-like structures. It locked eyes with the orc.
Then, the world exploded into violence.
The dire wolves howled, the frost wolf snarled, and the orc roared, swinging its cleaver in a wide arc that split a tree in half, sending splinters flying like shrapnel. The frost wolf lunged, its fangs coated in an eerie blue glow, and bit down on the orc's shoulder, freezing flesh upon impact. The orc roared, swinging wildly—its weapon met air as the frost wolf blurred backward.
The dire wolves joined the fray, darting through the chaos like streaks of darkness, weaving between the battle of titans, searching for weaknesses. One leapt, its claws poised to tear into the frost wolf's spine—
A bolt of silver lightning cleaved through the battlefield.
The creatures froze in place, sensing a new threat, Each creature moved with graced and speed returning to their respective habitats. They knew the cause of the threat. They wouldn't want to be caught by those monsters. At this moment, the creatures had come to one understanding this hunt wasn't worth the risk.
A house stood in the heart of the battlefield, simple in design, yet imposing in its serenity.
Nestled at the base of a towering hill, an old Japanese-style home stood untouched by the chaos surrounding it. The wooden sliding doors were worn with age yet sturdy, resisting even the harshest winds of the forest. The veranda wrapped around the house, giving it an air of peace that clashed against the blood-soaked wilderness. A small garden, meticulously arranged with smooth stones and patches of rare moss, rested at the entrance—a contrast to the battlefield beyond.
Despite the horrors surrounding it, this house had never once been attacked.
Not because the beasts could not sense it.
But because they knew better.
The old man sitting on the veranda was more terrifying than any creature in this forest.
Seated on a wooden stool, an old man with long white hair observed two boys standing before him. His red eyes glowed like molten rubies, and a golden mark sat on his forehead, shaped like an eye—a third eye that glowed with unnatural energy.
As he watched, light pulsed from his body, as though something was being drained from him, transferred to an unknown source.
Yet, none of this distracted him. His attention remained solely on the battle unfolding before him.
Two brothers. Two monsters in human skin.
Both were only twelve years old, yet the ground beneath them had already cracked from their battle.
Ken, with silver-white hair and red eyes, stood with his wooden sword at ease, his posture calm—too calm. He exuded control, his every movement measured, precise. His eyes held confidence bordering on arrogance, a smirk tugging at his lips. His black martial outfit was sleek, fitting his composed demeanor.
Ren, with golden hair and red eyes, was his complete opposite. His stance was aggressive, muscles coiled like a predator ready to strike. His veins bulged subtly from his heightened emotions, his lips twitching in irritation. His dark-red training robes fluttered as he shifted his weight forward.
The air between them shimmered with tension.
"Come on, Ren," Ken smirked, tapping his wooden sword against his shoulder. "You're not slowing down, are you?"
Ren growled, his grip on his wooden blade tightening. "I'll make you eat those words."
And then they moved.
The moment Ren lunged forward, the ground shattered beneath him. His sword was a blur—yet Ken leaned back effortlessly, letting the strike pass inches from his face. With a flick of his wrist, he countered—
Ren blocked, twisting midair and delivering a downward heel kick.
Ken sidestepped, the impact splitting the earth where he had once stood. Leaves burst into the air from the shockwave.
Ken retaliated, his sword vanishing in a blur—three slashes came from impossible angles. Ren barely blocked, his arms trembling. Ken's smirk widened.
"You're getting slower."
Ren snarled, feinting left before spinning into a sweeping kick. Ken jumped, landing on Ren's leg mid-spin, using it as a foothold to launch himself backward.
"Damn it!" Ren's frustration was evident as he reset his stance.
But then—
A violent shaking rattled his collar.
Ken's smirk widened. "You're losing control again."
Ren ignored him.
They both lunged at each other for the final clash—
And then—
A powerful force crushed them to the ground.
The old man's crushing aura pressed Ken and Ren flat against the ground, their bodies sinking into the cracked earth beneath them. His silhouette twisted, monstrous and vast, a dark red shadow with glowing crimson eyes—the embodiment of a beast that ruled over kings.
His gaze settled on them, unwavering, merciless.
"I thought I told you to stop," he repeated, his voice neither loud nor soft, yet it reverberated like a divine decree.
Ken gritted his teeth, straining his arms. He tried to speak, but the sheer weight of the old man's presence stole the air from his lungs.
Ren, however, managed a low growl, his fingers digging into the dirt.
Then—
A voice.
"Be patient with them," a soft, melodic tone cut through the suffocating silence.
The old man turned his head slightly, his monstrous aura wavering for the briefest moment.
From the mist beyond the trees, a hooded figure stepped into view.
She was calm.
Her steps barely made a sound as she moved forward, the hem of her flowing robe brushing against the bloodstained leaves.
As she approached, she lowered her hood, revealing a breathtaking beauty.
Blue hair cascaded like a river of silk, framing a face so delicate yet defined, it seemed sculpted by divine hands. Her blue eyes, deep and piercing, held an unspoken sorrow, but her lips, painted the shade of soft pink, carried the ghost of a gentle smile.
She held a simple basket of fruit, her fingers curled around its handle, graceful and poised.
Her gaze flickered to the boys pinned to the ground, then back to the old man.
"They're still children," she murmured. "There's no need to be so harsh."
The old man exhaled.
His aura dissipated in an instant.
The monstrous shadow behind him faded, and the overwhelming pressure that had crushed Ken and Ren vanished like a fleeting nightmare.
The twins coughed and gasped, sucking in the fresh air they had been denied moments ago.
Ken pushed himself up first, brushing dirt from his sleeve with a nonchalant flick of his wrist. "Tch. That was unnecessary, old man."
Ren, still on the ground, only glared at him.
The woman watched them both, her gaze soft yet knowing.
"Come," she said, tilting her head. "Give us a little privacy."
Ken's eyes narrowed, but he didn't argue.
Instead, he raised his wooden sword, smacking Ren on the head. He glanced at pain-stricken Ren, watching with pure pleasure as he wriggled on the ground—then reached down, grabbing his brother by the ear.
"Ow—Hey, let go!" Ren swiped at Ken's arm, but his grip was ironclad.
"Not happening. Let's go," Ken muttered as he pulled Ren by the ear.
Ren struggled, but his resistance was cut short when Ken yanked him away from the basket of fruit that had caught his attention.
The woman chuckled softly as Ren grumbled in defeat, rubbing his sore ear.
Ken dragged him toward the veranda, giving the old man and the woman their space.
The old man, now seated once more, watched the woman as she approached him.
His expression remained unreadable, but in the dim glow of the setting sun, a quiet sorrow flickered within his ancient eyes.
"You're sad," he noted.
The woman's lips trembled slightly, but her smile remained. "Wouldn't you be?"
The old man sighed. "There's no point."
Her fingers curled tighter around the basket's handle.
"But I don't want to be alone again.", her voice breaking with each word
The wind shifted.
The trees whispered, their mana-infused leaves shimmering in colors of fire and frost.
The old man closed his eyes for a brief moment.
"We will meet again."
The woman's body shook as a tear finally escaped her eye, falling silently to the ground.
"I don't want to do this," she whispered.
He reached up, his wrinkled fingers brushing her cheek. Then, with the most beautiful smile that Mana had ever seen from him, he said:
"You know what to do, Mana."
Her breath hitched.
The golden mark on his forehead pulsed.
Then, the cracks began to spread.
Golden fractures ran along his skin like a shattered mirror, emitting a faint glow.
Mana's breath turned shallow as she watched—watched as his body slowly crumbled into golden dust.
His form dissolved, drifting into the wind, disappearing into the very forest that had once been his home.
Mana did not move for a long time.
She simply knelt there, her arms wrapped around the space where he once sat, as if hoping—just for a moment—that he would come back.
He never did.
By nightfall, a simple grave stood in the old man's place.
Mana, her eyes hollow, stood in front of it, her lips trembling.
The wind carried the echoes of laughter, the distant remnants of old memories—memories of dinners shared, of quiet nights beneath the stars, of a home filled with warmth.
She turned her head slightly, her gaze falling on the two boys standing in the shadows nearby.
Or rather, where they had once stood.
They were gone.
Her fingers trembled as she clutched the letters the old man had left behind, the very letters that had sent Ken and Ren to separate destinations.
Nothing could stop fate from hunting them now.
If they remained together and were not strong enough—
The world would face a disaster unlike any other.
Mana's lips curled into a bitter smile.
"The old man left me with a lot of work," she whispered, her voice a fragile thing in the vast, empty night.
Her laughter, soft and broken, faded into the darkness.
She turned toward the house one last time, taking in its quiet stillness.
And then—
She walked away.
With each step, her figure dissolved—fading like a dream until there was nothing left.
Only her words remained.
"I can't wait to have dinner with you again."
And then—
Silence.