[Somewhere in Ravon]
It was a bustling roadside café, located in a busy part of the city. The café was run by the Luke family, who originally hailed from the rural areas of Arden. During the Great War Era, the Luke family crossed the border of Arden seeking refuge.
The Great War Era was ignited by Valora, a country with the largest and most powerful army at the time. At its peak, Valora ruled over much of the world. However, their oppressive rule against their own people reached an extreme when citizens were forced into slavery, compelled to join the army, or pay exorbitant taxes. This oppression led to the formation of the country of Rivara, created by a group of soldiers who rebelled against their government. The founders of this land were the R-6 batch, named after their military unit.
Valora's army was organized into groups labeled alphabetically from A to Z, each subdivided from 1 to 9, forming units from A-1 to Z-9. The two key founders of Rivara, whose names were Va... and Ra... (names to be revealed later), inspired the name of the country: "R" (for their batch) + "i" (connector) + "Va-Ra" (the founders' names).
The battle between Valora and Rivara was fierce and bloody, lasting ten years before it reached its peak. In the tenth year, the army and people of Rivara, overwhelmed by Valora's forces, sought assistance from Arden. This plea for help marked the beginning of the Great War Era, which continued for another 25 years.
The war, which began 35 years ago, finally ended with the involvement of Ravon, leading to the formation of the country of Astria. Astria was established between the lands of Valora and Rivara to maintain a balance of power. The countries now stand as follows: Ravon in the west, Valora and Astria in the center, Rivara in the east, and Arden in the south—all situated on the same continent.
In the end, Valora was defeated by the combined forces of Ravon, Arden, and Rivara.
After the war, the World Government was established as a common platform for decision-making in the interest of the common people. With casualties amounting to 65% of the world's population, the war had significantly disrupted global balance, particularly in Valora and Rivara. Arden also suffered, though Ravon, having joined the war late, was in a relatively better position.
Aiden's ancestors hailed from Arden. For their efforts in the war, they were honored with the title "Arwo" (derived from "War Hero"). Aiden's great-grandfather later changed this title to "Aper" (from "Peace Keeper"), and adopted the name "Vivian Aper."
It has been 77 years since the war ended. Many great families of that era did not survive the long years that followed the Great War.
[Returning to the present day...]
The Luke family, who participated in the war from Arden, now runs the café after abandoning their family name and crossing the border to live peacefully in Ravon.
The news of an attack on Arden had already spread worldwide. The Luke family heard the news through the television in their café.
"O.S.A.P.," murmured Lucius Luke, a 14-year-old working at the café, in a soft and curious voice.
It had been three days since the infamous attack. The situation had calmed down somewhat after the public's meeting with their Prime Minister. However, many questions remained. The biggest one being, where is Aiden? So, let's return to Aiden.
[Somewhere else...]
"Uh... uhm... (slowly opening his eyes) Where am I? (sits up in bed) Why am I in bed? Was I asleep? Was that all a dream?"
"(Aiden! (Vale bursts into the room)" shouted Vale.)
Seeing Vale's funny face, Aiden groaned, "So... it wasn't a dream."
"Sorry if you were hoping it was a dream. It wasn't. By the way, congratulations, Aiden—you slept for two days. You slept through the night after the attack and woke up just now," said Vale with a small smile.
"(Pale face) Why the hell are you congratulating me? Was that some great achievement?" Aiden retorted.
"No, it's just that I've only seen a handful of people who could sleep soundly after witnessing such a horrific scene. It's quite rare to sleep for two days without having any nightmares."
"(Funny face) Seriously?"
"(Dead serious) Yes."
"(Still groggy) So, what's going on? Did... I miss anything?"
"(Sits beside Aiden) You missed a lot. Well, it's a long story, and I'll take my time to explain it."
[Meanwhile, somewhere in the Milky Way Galaxy...]
The spaceship of Ravan, known as "Dead Hell" due to its destructive power—it was responsible for the destruction of many planets and galaxies—entered the atmosphere of a blue planet similar to Earth but much smaller in size.
"Boss Returned!" shouted the crew with loud cheers.
Ravan disembarked from his spaceship and approached the bar directly in front of him.
Representation:
[Dead Hell] Ravan [Bar]
Ravan paid little attention to anyone as he entered the bar.
"What's wrong?"
"Maybe something happened."
"Did Boss's plan fail?"
The crew had mixed feelings about Ravan's silent and distant demeanor.
Ravan was angry, nearly destroying the bar the moment he entered.