Lyra had only read a few pages of the 'Age of God's Descent' when she found herself completely stunned by the revelations within. She had assumed, like many others, that the various intelligent races on the continent of Valen had slowly evolved alongside humanity, growing and developing over centuries. But the truth was far more chaotic and shocking, than she had ever imagined.
It turned out that humans were not just the first intelligent beings on Valen; they were the 'only' native species, along with witches who evolved from them. All the other races; angels, demons, dragons, elves, dwarves, orcs, mermaids, sirens, and even the undead, had not originated on Valen. They were 'outsiders', arriving in droves from other worlds during the Age of God's Descent.
They came from the skies, descending like falling stars, their arrival dazzling and terrifying the humans of the time. These otherworldly beings possessed unimaginable powers, powers that humanity had never seen before. To the primitive humans, they seemed like gods.
The book described the Age of God's Descent as a time when the world opened its arms to the influx of these powerful foreign races, willingly or unwillingly. Territories were carved up, and the native humans found themselves trapped, trying to survive between rival factions of dragons, elves, and demons. But, oddly enough, the presence of these new beings also had an unintended effect: it forced humanity to evolve, accelerating their development in ways no one could have predicted.
Lyra leaned closer to the pages, her heart pounding as she read what came next:
It wasn't until the 'middle' of the Age of God's Descent that the real chaos began, with the arrival of the two most powerful and dangerous, factions: angels and demons.
The angels descended in radiant splendor, while the demons emerged in shadows. One aimed to control the 'faith' of mankind, the other its 'soul'. Despite their opposing natures, angels and demons joined forces to drive the other foreign races and magical beasts to the outskirts of the continent, taking the center of Valen for themselves.
Humans were herded into this central territory 'concentrated like livestock'; while the angels and demons wrapped themselves in the guise of divine authority.
Lyra's stomach churned as she read on.
The angels created the Church of Light, preaching the existence of a fabricated god 'the God of Light' and promised that faith in this being would lead humanity away from the hardships of life. Meanwhile, the demons formed the Church of Contracts, luring people into their fold with promises of power and wealth. Through a twisted interpretation of "equal exchange," they taught that anyone could obtain what they wanted by making a deal with the so-called 'God of Contracts' for a price.
Through these churches, the angels and demons promised power to a select few, branding them priests and knights, declaring that these individuals were the chosen ones, favored by divine beings. But outside the church's walls, anyone who displayed extraordinary abilities, particularly magic; was condemned as a 'blasphemer'.
Lyra's hands tightened around the book as she read the next line:
'Blasphemers, those who wield magic beyond light and darkness, such as witches; were hunted down and executed, burned at the stake as warnings to others.'
Even the demons, who claimed to thrive on rebellion and chaos, eliminated anyone with magical abilities outside their narrow doctrine. The so-called freedom offered by the God of Contracts was just another form of control.
Beneath this oppressive rule, humanity flourished, but only as cattle, nurtured by angels and demons to feed on their faith and souls.
Lyra exhaled, feeling a weight settle on her chest. The irony was painful. The explosive population growth during the Age of God's Descent wasn't due to human achievement, it was because the angels and demons had cultivated humanity like crops, herding them into cities and temples, giving them a false sense of safety.
'They were livestock,' she thought bitterly. 'Kept docile with lies and promises.'
Those born with magical talent faced two bleak choices: join the church and become a "blessed" pawn of the angels or demons, or be executed as a threat to society.
It wasn't until humanity began to see through the grand deception that rebellion stirred. As the Age of God's Descent drew to a close, people realized the truth, the angels and demons had used them, manipulated them, and stripped them of their potential.
Revolts spread like wildfire. Priests and knights, once revered, were cast down. The churches crumbled, and the angels and demons, realizing their grip was slipping, retreated. The angels fled to the 'Western Paradise Mountains', and the demons disappeared into the 'Abyss' beneath the earth.
And at last, the heart of the continent belonged to humans again.
Lyra's pulse quickened as she reached the final section of the chapter. The book hinted that this newfound independence came at a cost: without the guidance or control, of angels and demons, humans were left to forge their own path. Some nations sought peace, while others clashed with the lingering races scattered across Valen. There were moments of alliance and cooperation, but also times of conflict and distrust.
Yet it was in the aftermath of the Age of God's Descent that a new era dawned; the 'Era of Magic'.
This new age wasn't shaped by angels or demons. It belonged to the witches.
With the rise of witches came the first semblance of true stability. Witches, skilled in the arcane arts, took control of the wilderness, creating sanctuaries for themselves and others. Under their protection, wars between races lessened, and the people of Valen entered a time of growth and discovery.
And it wasn't just magic that thrived. With the opening of the 'Well of Sky' a mystical portal that allowed powerful beings to explore other worlds, the older, more powerful entities left Valen behind in search of greater challenges. This shift allowed magic to flourish across all races, fostering an explosion of knowledge and power.
If the Age of God's Descent belonged to the angels and demons, the Era of Magic belonged to the witches.
Lyra closed the book, her mind spinning with the weight of everything she had just read. 'So the witches... they were the ones who brought peace, not the angels or demons.'
It was a strange comfort to know that the witches, despite their rocky past; had become the guiding force of the continent, shaping it into something better. They had taken the chaos left behind by the Age of God's Descent and transformed it into a time of hope, learning, and magic.
Lyra sat back, her heart full of a mix of wonder and determination. "The Age of Magic..." she whispered to herself, a smile slowly spreading across her face. "This is our time."
Up to now, even though minor frictions arose between the different races of Valen, they were just that, minor. The top fighters from all races were focused on exploring the Well of Sky, a mysterious portal to other worlds that kept their ambitions occupied and their conflicts at bay.
"It really does seem like Valen is enjoying a peaceful era," Lyra murmured to herself, feeling a rare sense of calm settle over her.
She leaned back, closing the book momentarily to reflect. Although no one could predict how long this peace would last, she savored it nonetheless. War only brought devastation. It crushed civilizations, left entire societies in ruin, and destroyed progress in the blink of an eye.
Her thoughts drifted, uninvited, to Earth, her former world. The scars of war on that distant planet were etched deep in her heart. The weapons of annihilation, the suffering they caused…
'Never again.'
She shook off the heavy memories with a deep breath. "Peace is good," she whispered firmly to herself. "Especially good."
Snapping back to the present, she glanced at the clock. It was already the early hours of the morning. Ms. Amisha's warning echoed in her mind, 'lack of sleep stunts the growth of magic power'. With a sigh, she closed the book, stretched her arms, and reluctantly prepared for bed.
After washing up, Lyra crawled under the warm covers, feeling exhaustion creep in. But just as her mind began to drift toward sleep, a thought struck her. 'What's the class schedule for next week?'
With a lazy flick of her fingers, the witch's book on her bedside table floated into the air and opened to the "New Student Guide." The glowing text shifted before her sleepy eyes.
"Hm. Nothing's changed," she muttered, skimming the page.
The schedule for the upcoming week was identical to the one they'd just finished. For a moment, she thought it might be an error, but the title read clearly: Third Week of First Grade.
She smiled. "Same classes again… Guess that means I don't need to worry about previews this weekend."
With that reassuring thought, she let the book drift back onto the bedside table, where it landed with a soft 'thud'. Lyra pulled the blanket over her head and fell into a deep, dreamless sleep almost instantly.
---
The next morning, the crisp chime of the academy bell jolted her awake. She yawned, stretched, and leapt out of bed with a sense of purpose.
"Breadfruit day," she whispered with a grin.
Without wasting a second, Lyra made her way to the breadfruit grove, the early morning air cool and refreshing. She worked steadily, picking bunches of breadfruit and hauling them back to her dorm. Trip after trip, her arms began to ache, but she didn't stop until every last fruit was safely stored inside.
Sweating and slightly out of breath, Lyra leaned against the doorframe of her dorm, wiping her forehead with the back of her hand. In her mobile kitchen, cooking magic made it easy to float flour and utensils into place, but out here, beyond the enchanted kitchen's boundaries, things were much harder. Not even a single breadfruit would lift under her magic's guidance.
With each trip, Lyra found herself envying Senior Lilith more and more. The second-year witch floated effortlessly everywhere, as if gravity didn't apply to her.
"I swear, if I could levitate like Lilith, I'd carry an entire mountain of breadfruit without breaking a sweat," Lyra muttered, rubbing her sore arms.
Her curiosity nagged at her. "Where did Lilith learn the levitation technique, anyway?"
Lilith was only in her second year, so she either learned it during her first year or taught herself. But none of the current course materials had mentioned anything about levitation magic. 'Was it hidden somewhere?'
"Time to consult the Witch Magic Catalog," Lyra decided, marching back into her dorm with a sense of determination.
She flicked through the pages of the catalog, scanning quickly until her eyes landed on the entry: Levitation: Your Invisible Hands.
Lyra's brow furrowed. "This isn't on the required reading list."
She sighed, slumping against the desk. If it wasn't listed, it wouldn't be in her personal collection of copied books. That meant she'd have to venture to the academy's library to get her hands on it and copying a whole book could take 'hours'.
She groaned. "I've already got a stack of books waiting to be read… Do I really need another one?"
Lyra drummed her fingers against the desk, contemplating her options. Finally, with a resigned sigh, she decided to put the levitation magic on hold.
"I guess it'll have to wait," she muttered. "I've got enough breadfruit for a week; there's no rush to learn it today."
With renewed focus, she washed the breadfruit and got to work squeezing fresh juice and baking breadfruit cakes. The process took longer than she expected over an hour but the sweet smell of fresh breadfruit cake filling the dorm made the effort worth it.
Just as she sealed the juice and set the cakes aside to cool, the familiar chime of the academy bell echoed through the halls, ringing nine times.
Lyra straightened up, a mischievous grin spreading across her face. "Nine o'clock already... It's the perfect time to pay the others a little visit. Time for Miss Snail to make her grand entrance!"
She grabbed a warm piece of fruit cake from the tray and stuffed it into her mouth, savoring the sweetness. With her wand in hand, she stepped out of the dorm, a spring in her step and adventure in her heart.
"Let's see what Vasida and Sylph are up to," she thought with a grin.
After all, the weekend had only just begun.