For more than seven generations, the Arkon family, the royal lineage of the kingdom of Tenai—a society deeply patriarchal—dedicated themselves to enhancing their bloodline by marrying prodigies. For over 500 years, king after king chose a partner who stood out among the subjects of his realm to create a stronger next generation. The kings took countless concubines and fathered many sons and daughters; however, the sons were subjected to oppressive magical and physical tests and relentless torture to find the strongest, most handsome, resolute, and magically attuned. Their tests, aimed at eugenic separation of the best, also killed those deemed weak, and thus even after 500 years, the royal family maintained only a small number of living relatives.
As the years passed, some of the realm's nobles, loyal to the goddess Selerian, the goddess of life, led by Felix Saladon, began to condemn the royal family's practice of eugenics and started plotting their downfall behind the scenes. Twelve years later, the kingdom of Tenai was experiencing its worst moment. The nobles controlled the landlords who gradually stopped mass farming, causing widespread famine. Many noble families still loyal to the king sold their desolate properties and migrated to other regions, leading to a tremendous scarcity of resources throughout the kingdom because of this. King Merion III, who had just ascended to power at the age of 22 and was married to his sister, Queen Illia, did not realize he was being manipulated by Felix until the great rebellion of the people of Tenai erupted. The kingdom of Tenai had been prosperous and strong during the reign of King Harnon, Merion's grandfather, but things went awry when Felix was appointed advisor to King Oberon, Merion's father, in his final days. Since then, he had earned the absolute trust of the royal family, which helped him scheme everything from behind the scenes. King Merion was killed in the great revolt of the people of Tenai, and his only wife, Illia, fled the palace with the help of her lady-in-waiting, Ella. The kingdom of Tenai fell that day, and the lands were divided among the four noble families who orchestrated its fall. While fleeing with Ella, Illia was struck by a poisoned dart and didn't take long to die as well. Before Illia could completely succumb, Ella removed the baby from her womb and continued her journey as far away as possible, for the nobles who orchestrated the coup would not leave anyone from the Arkon alive.
"What is this?" said a pale light plummeting from the sky.
"It seems I'm falling!"
"Why am I so high up?"
"Why am I falling?"
"I can't remember anything!" exclaimed the light before losing consciousness once again.
Throughout the night, Ella, now far from the capital, beside a rudimentary fire, clung to the barely breathing baby and looked up at the sky.
"I don't know any god or goddess; in fact, I don't know if I'm speaking into the void. But if someone out there is listening, save this baby, he shouldn't carry all the sins of his parents."
And like a firefly, a small pale yellow light fell from the sky towards the baby, who then took a strong breath. Ella, looking at the baby, realized that although still weak, his breathing had returned along with the color to his cheeks, and as if someone had whispered in her ear, Ella lifted the baby and said,
"Your name will be Kal, the one who returned from the dead."