In the heart of Elyndor stood the grand capital, Solaris, named after Solara, the founder of the light faction. The city shimmered like a beacon of hope, crowned by the majestic Divine Cathedral.
For the players of Etherea online, reaching the capital as soon as possible was the first goal.
After reaching level 10, players can leave their respective starting town and can travel to the capital on the recommendation of the mayor of the town.
Although the hefty requirement of 5 gold coins for the access pass to enter the capital made them visit many other towns and completing numerous quests before arriving in the capital.
About one month after the game's release,
The first World Quest of Etherea online began with the event, The Ascension Rite held in the Divine Cathedral of Solaris.
It was an event held once in a century where the goddess Maya descended and blessed the the people of Elyndor with health and longevity.
Players from all over the continent visited Solaria during this specific event as even the 5 gold coins requirement was wavered off for the player to witness this grand event.
And the 'The Chosen Vessel' which was destined to channel descent of goddess for the ritual was,
The once-in-a-century prodigy with the unparalleled affinity for divine mana in the whole of the Elyndor,
The daughter of Lord Caelus Dawnstrike, The High Paladin second only to the Grand Templar,
Known far and wide as The Celestial Princess, her beauty, grace, and raw power made her the future symbol of Elyndor's light and hope.
Her name was Seraphine Dawnstrike.
******
Seraphine's voice trembled as she recounted the events in the dim, cold basement.
"About a month ago, two farmers from this town of Virellia came to the capital. They were screaming that they were going to be massacred by some 'God' or as they referred to it."
"We brought them to the Divine Cathedral to investigate further, but..."
The moment they said the name of their town—Virella—they began to rot. Their bodies… decayed right before our eyes, as if... as if cursed by the very mention of that place."
"The Grand Templar, Sir Aurelius Valerian—my uncle—warned us it could be a trap. After all, Virella is on the border of Elyndor and Tenebris. But my father… he believed it might be something worse. Something real. He decided to send a small group of Paladins to investigate."
Her fists clenched. "No one volunteered. Not after witnessing the farmers' gruesome deaths. So… he sent me, along with a few loyal Paladins."
Seraphine's gaze hardened, her voice thick with pain.
"We traveled for a week to reach Virella. When we arrived, the town seemed entirely normal."
"We asked the people here to identify the two farmers face but none of them had ever met those two."
"We were convinced that it was only a false call and were going to leave for Solaris the next morning."
"The five of us were staying at the local inn when the town's blacksmith called for me in the middle of the night"
Unknowingly tears started forming in the corner of her eyes as she recounted the memory.
"The town's blacksmith came to see me in the middle of the night. He said he recognized the farmers—claimed he'd seen their faces—and that the 'God' they spoke of was descending that very night."
Seraphine's voice cracked, tears streaming down her face.
"He seemed fine at first. Polite, even. But then… he started laughing. Laughing hysterically, like he'd lost his mind. Something about it… it felt wrong. He ran to his workshop, and I followed, fearing he might also dessicate like those two farmers."
Her hands trembled as she gestured to the remains of the bindings around her wrists.
"That's when I fell into the trap. These bindings—they drained my divine mana. I was powerless, trapped, calling for help all night, but no one came."
Her tears fell freely now, her voice breaking.
"Then… I felt it."
"He.. He killed them all" Seraphine's tears streaming down her face uncontrollably.
"I could feel his suffocating presence.. that heavy demonic aura.. I could hear the villagers corrupting.. their screams when they- they become mindless monsters themselves. I... I-"
"Its fine, I...I understand"
Ray said his voice soft and uncertain, unsure how to comfort her.
But deep down, he knew the truth—he understood all too well what she was describing, even if he wished he didn't.
It was hauntingly similar to what will be broadcasted all over the news channels 10 years into the future, when monsters start descending on Earth.
"I must return at tomorrow's dawn, and inform my father about this invasion or -"
"Seraphine" Ray called her name having decided to break the truth to her.
"No..No.. Ray, you do not understand, you... you said you were among the 'Children of Goddess'. And you..."
"Seraphine listen to me" Ray could see the intense emotions hiding behind her eyes.
"You yourself are tricked by the demon..? Aren't you? I am sure the whole cathedral will help us if I take you-"
Ray approached her sitting right beside her, he could now sense no hostility from her which was there a few hours ago.
Perhaps surviving in this dull basement for weeks can make even the greatest beliefs falter.
Seraphine became quiet for some reason. Her built-up emotions only welled up as tears.
"They'll ignore me… my father will ignore me," she whispered, her voice trembling with pain and betrayal. "He's… he's part of this, isn't he?"
Her words broke into a sob, but she pressed on, her gaze locking onto Ray, desperate yet accusing.
"You're a child of the goddess… sent to help u-us …but you're hiding something from me, aren't you? I can see it in your eyes, Ray. Yo- You know something…" She asked her pure eyes begging for clarity.
**********
Erethrea Online's first world quest was the players' introduction to the lore of this vast world.
It was a quest that depended upon the players choices and ultimately decided the general direction towards which the game proceeded.
Ray knew about the results of the quest and had planned this specific quest to help him in defeating Asmodeus.
He had prepared a general plan in mind to maximize the benefits from his regression.
But the broken girl in front of him made him remember a boy with a shattered heart crying uncontrollably begging the ambulance to come and save his family.
At that moment all thoughts about his plan and revenge slipped away. His focus rested only on the princess witnessing the horrors of the world for the first time.
At that instant he was ready to change even the route of the future he knew, for a npc he met for the first time,
The random npc who was destined to die alone before anyone could even reach her, just for the plot of the story to progress.
"Seraphine, I know more than you'd like to hear. What I will tell you will probably shatter your heart but you need to... be brave. This...this was inevitable."
"Deep down, you know the truth, Seraphina. You've always known."
"No… no, this can't be. He wouldn't… he couldn't…he was my...only family"
Seraphine said the ground feeling colder to her than before, her knees pulled tightly to her chest.
Ray's voice broke the heavy silence. "Seraphine," he began, his tone steady but carrying the weight of something he didn't want to say.
"You were sent here not because of chance, but because your father knew what was coming.
He knew this town would fall… to him."
Her teary eyes flicked to his face. "To… who?" she whispered, though deep down she already feared the answer.
Ray's expression darkened. "To Asmodeus. The demon your father aligned himself with. This invasion, the destruction—it's not a coincidence."
"It's a distraction. Your presence here was meant to ensure the Goddess never suspected what he was planning."
"He sold out the light itself, Seraphine."
"No," she said quickly, shaking her head. Her head sunk between her knees. "No, you're lying. He—he wouldn't… not my father. He fights for the light. For the Goddess!"
Ray leaned forward, his voice cutting through her denial like a blade.
"The same light that took your mother? The same Goddess who led her to her death?"
"Don't you see it? This isn't about light or dark anymore. It's about a man broken by loss, consumed by grief and desperation."
"Your father's faith in the Goddess died the day she sent your mother to her death. And now… he's turned to the devil to ensure he never feels that loss again."
Seraphine's trembling intensified as the truth struck her like a hammer. Her father's betrayal, the invasion of Asmodeus, the realization that she was sent here not as a savior, but as a scapegoat—it was too much to bear.
"He sent me to die," she whispered, tears streaming down her face. "He knew I wouldn't survive, didn't he? He knew… and he let it happen anyway."
Ray's jaw tightened. The sight of her breaking reminded him too much of his past, the helplessness he once felt as a boy watching his world burn. He reached out, placing a hand on her trembling shoulder.
"You don't have to believe me," he said softly, "but you can't stay blind to the truth."
Her head sank to her knees, muffling the soft, broken cries that spilled from her lips. "Why… why would he…?"
Ray didn't answer. He couldn't. He simply sat beside her, watching the golden-haired paladin unravel, her faith crumbling under the weight of betrayal.
As her sobs echoed through the dull basement, Ray clenched his fists, a memory kept flashing before his eyes—a boy kneeling on the cold pavement, screaming for help that would never come.
This time, he wouldn't let someone break alone.