The village of Haran was nestled in the heart of the Crescendo Mountains, located in the northern continent within the mighty country of Han.
The northern regions of this continent were constantly fraught with the tensions of impending war, as four great countries vied for dominance: Han, Zephyr, Aegis, and Drakon. These nations, each with their own powerful armies and vast resources, were locked in a delicate balance of power, their borders ever-shifting with each skirmish and treaty.
Amidst this backdrop of political intrigue and martial prowess, the village of Haran remained a small, unassuming settlement. It was a place where the poor struggled to survive while the wealthy reveled in their luxuries. Haran, though seemingly insignificant, was a microcosm of the larger conflicts that raged beyond its borders—a place where the divide between rich and poor was stark and unrelenting.
In this village lived a boy named Hinata. Born into a family that barely scraped by, Hinata was considered talentless in a world where power and magic were the currencies of status and survival. His father, a woodcutter, and his mother, a seamstress, worked tirelessly to provide for Hinata and his younger sister, Yuki. Despite their hardships, their small home was filled with love and warmth.
Hinata, though eager to help, often found himself struggling to match the expectations of those around him. In a village where children were taught the basics of magic and combat from an early age, his inability to summon even a spark of flame or lift a simple sword left him the subject of ridicule and pity. He envied his peers who, with the guidance of skilled mentors, mastered their elemental affinities and combat techniques with ease. For Hinata, each day was a battle against his own limitations, a fight to prove that he was more than just a talentless boy from a poor family.
One fatefull day, As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows over the village of Haran, a young noble named Lord Kael, accompanied by his entourage from the capital city of Doran, strode down the village's main path. The capital of Han was renowned for its opulence and authority, and it was a law that every villager must bow whenever a noble passed by, a mark of respect for their elevated status.
The villagers, accustomed to the whims of the nobility, quickly dropped to their knees as Lord Kael's procession approached. However, Yuki, Hinata's younger sister, was absorbed in her chores, oblivious to the approaching figures of authority. As Lord Kael and his subordinates drew nearer, she remained standing, her back turned to them, her focus on gathering herbs.
Lord Kael's eyes narrowed in fury as he noticed her defiance. He halted abruptly, his face darkening with rage. "Does she not know the laws of respect?" he bellowed, his voice echoing with cold menace.
The village elder, trembling, quickly rushed to Yuki's side. "Please, forgive her," he pleaded. "She's just a child, and she didn't know—"
"Silence!" Kael snapped, his voice cutting through the elder's pleas like a blade. "Ignorance is no excuse. If she will not show respect, she will be taught a lesson."
Before anyone could react, Kael's subordinates moved with grim efficiency.
They seized Yuki, her wide eyes filled with terror as she realized the gravity of her mistake. Her father, who had been working nearby, rushed to her side, desperation in his eyes.
"Please, Lord Kael," he begged, falling to his knees. "She's just a child. Have mercy. We'll ensure she never makes such a mistake again. Please, spare her."
But Kael's heart was cold and unyielding. "Mercy is a luxury that those who defy us do not receive," he declared, his voice devoid of sympathy. With a curt nod to his men, he signaled them to carry out his decree. The finality of their actions was swift and brutal, leaving the village to mourn and wail amidst the flames that soon engulfed their home.
The echoes of their screams reverberated through the night, a chilling reminder of the ruthlessness of those who held power.
Hinata was returning home after a day of futile attempts at training when he heard the screams. His heart pounded as he sprinted towards the source of the commotion, the flickering flames of his burning home lighting the darkening sky. Desperation gripped him as he burst through the door, only to find his parents lying motionless on the ground, their bodies lifeless and cold. Yuki, his beloved sister, was nowhere to be found.
"Mother! Father!" Hinata's voice cracked with despair as he dropped to his knees beside their bodies, his hands trembling as he touched their faces, hoping against hope that they might still be alive. But their skin was cold, their eyes empty. Tears streamed down his face, mingling with the soot and ash that filled the air.
Suddenly, a cruel laugh echoed through the flames. Hinata looked up to see Kael and his companions standing amidst the wreckage, their faces twisted with sadistic glee.
"Look at this pathetic creature," Kael sneered, his voice dripping with contempt. "Your family was fun to play with, but they were far too easy to break."
"Why?" Hinata choked out, his voice barely more than a whisper. "Why did you do this?"
"Because I can," Kael replied with a shrug, as if explaining something trivial. "Your lives mean nothing to us. You're just insects to be crushed underfoot."
He was too weak to go against kael.
Hinata stared at the dead bodies of his father, mother, and her sister.
As the reality of his family's fate sank in, something inside Hinata snapped. The grief and anger twisted into a resolve so fierce it burned hotter than the flames that consumed his home.
With nothing left to lose, he vowed to become powerful enough to avenge his family and protect those who could not protect themselves.