Ateta and others went on a long trip to the Mount Himalayas.
With the hope that they were about to have a meaning for living for the first time.
20 years ago, freezing cold winter on the streets of Chimera, human traffickers openly sells their goods, the kids.
Chimera was the country of Mighty Mutants, Therion, those participated in the Nebulon Invasion.
After the Nebulon Invasion, Therion became one of the strongest ethnicity and that made Chimera, the country of Therion untouchable.
That was good for the Therion, the mutants but a nightmare for normal human being without elemental spell as most Therion were wild Carnivore.
That caused human traffickers rich, they trafficked kids and weak humans to Chimera.
Trafficked kids about 40 of them, shivering in the snow.
"Get me some cigarette, Eume" one of the trafficker said to another, "It's freezing cold here. Hey, what did the customers says about the meeting time? I'm bored. Damn."
All the kids were naked in the white snow, shaking. They were suffering and even hoping to die but they didn't dare to complain or even cry.
"Hey, Eume. Where the fuck are you? I'm asking for cigarette." the trafficker yelled, but no response came back.
Swing!
A kunai penetrated through that trafficker. He couldn't even have time to shout.
The trafficked kids didn't even care about the trafficker's dead body. They were just busy rubbing their hands and bodies to keep them warm.
A human figured shadow slowly walked into the light. A kid who seem to be the oldest stood for her fellow kids.
"You must be the oldest. Seem to be brave." The man kneeled down in front of the kid. "Come with me. I have some spare food."
The kids just stared at the stranger back.
"Oh, right. My name is Merlin. What's yours?" The stranger asked.
"Ateta..." the girl replied.
Merlin sat down and softly touched Ateta's face. "Trust me. I was once like you. There's a man named "Reaper". He saved me from the bad guys. Now is my turn to save you guys."
But Ateta felt suspicious of Merlin. Merlin put his hand into his jetted pocket. Without thinking twice, Ateta jumped over Merlin and preventing Merlin's hand from pulling out something that she thought it could harm her and the rest.
"Hey, Kid. I know you're scared. Look it just a rock... with some words on it." Merlin pulled out the rock to the place where Ateta could see.
"Look. Ah... well We'll save this conversation for later or everyone will be freeze to death. Come with me. I will take you guys to my place."
"Where... Are... You...G.Going...To Tak...Take Us...?" Ateta struggled to end her question because of the freezing breeze.
"A place where you can call home from now on." Ateta felt a warm summer breeze in her heart when she heard Merlin said.
From then on, Ateta and the kids followed Merlin until Merlin become a Cherubim Devine and built an Academy for the kids with potentials after 15 years had passed from when Merlin and Ateta met.
"Ateta, this is where we part." Merlin spoke. "Remember the prophecy on the stone I gave you."
Ateta shed tears but she didn't really cry.
"Listen. Dear. Follow the Reaper and find the meaning of being alive from him."
That's the last word Merlin ever told to Ateta.
Rei didn't know that Arteta was also Merlin's disciple.
Ateta knew all along about Merlin's dead even before Rei arrived the timeline.
"Ateta! We're almost there." Vada, the Shadow Legend shouted to Ateta.
Ateta was day dreaming about her past.
"Tonight we camp here."
That night, Ateta couldn't sleep. She got up and walked up to a cliff.
The sky was a master piece decorated with stars. The breeze slowly danced under the spotlight of the stars.
Ateta shed a drop of tear from her eyes. Even tho she knew Merlin would die, she couldn't do a thing.
Merlin also ordered not to interrupt the event for a reason.
Ateta gazed upon the Mount Himalayas and saw a shooting star or she thought she saw a shooting star.
It came right at Ateta.
Ateta enforced her body armor with Stone-art:Crimson Guard, prepared to fight.
Boom!
Ateta blasted from the cliff. She stood back and checked the star she saw.
It wasn't a star. It was a boy of maybe around 16 or something age, the whole body covered in fur and with a tail.
"Hey, You looked strong!" The boy said, "Let's fight."
"I don't know who you're but I like you," Ateta took out her kunai, "I'm down, kid."
"Woohoo yes, finally!" The boy jumped in joy, " Don't underestimate me!"
Then he pulled something from his ear.
Wosh!
A stick, same height as the boy, appeared suddenly out of nowhere.
The battle was fierce . Ateta was winning at the beginning but at some point, Ateta got hit on the head. Everything blacked out for a second. When she got her vision back, she found out there's two of the boy.
"Hey, what's wrong give up too soon?" "Come on. It's still too early to end." "..."
The two boys mocked at Ateta. Ateta was so confused.
"Why are there two of you?" so she asked.
"Huh? What two?" The thousand voices of the boy came out from Ateta's back.
"Holy fuck!" Ateta shouted. There were countless boys.
"Give up?""Give up?"x 1000
"Hey?" Ateta's voice come from a far.
All the boys turned around and found her standing on the another cliff, holding one of the boys with one hand.
"Do you know who this is?" Ateta smiled and asked, "If you know you better leave now."
The boys disappeared one by one, turning into smokes. And the only one in Ateta's arm left.
"This is not fun anymore." The boy spoke angrily, "How did you do that?"
"You just don't focus on me like I did to you, haha" Ateta laughed and replied, I knew you were already over there even before you hit me on the head,"
"Hmm?"
"How old are you?" Ateta asked.
"How old do you think I am?" The boy replied with a question.
"15? 16?" Ateta confusedly answered.
"I'm way too older than you, Ateta." The boy said, looking at Ateta.
Ateta was surprised. She hadn't mentioned her name yet.
"How... How do you know my name?" Ateta asked.
"You won't know me but I already know you." The boy said, " So tell me, where is master?"
"Master?" Again, Ateta didn't get what the boy meant.
" Rei, she had came back already right?" The boy kept asking. "Agh, she really doesn't want me to rest. I just reborn before you came. Well, she's my master. What can I say? Let's go. She need us."
The boy turned into smoke and reappeared on the another cliff. Then he shouted at Ateta, " I'm Sun. The one Rei sent you to find. Now go get everyone and follow me!"
A portal opened. Ateta was shocked and just gazing at Sun.
On the other side,
A mountain of Reapers' dead bodies.
On top of that, Reus took the last one's life with his scythe.
"Master, it's almost time. Just you wait. I'll set you free." Reus yelled.
The Nightfall flew towards his direction with really high speed.