[The train has arrived at Valmere Valley]

The automatic voice from the train speakers rang and he also took his bearings and left. Walking out of the train, he saw the current state of the Valmere valley. 

"So many things have changed since the last time I was here"

Before the train stop was not like this. It looked better and a proper train stop similar to ones in cities was built though it was quite deserted with no people around him. Afterall, it was not often that people would come to the countryside.

He went out of the train station and went to the road, but there was no cars nor any sight of a soul. 

'This is not right, there should at least be a few people here'

'What happened'

He walked the path of the loamy road towards the valley. After going up a small hill, he could finally see the place. Surrounded on most sides by small mountains, many stone housing at a place and there was a big lake inside the valley and beside that lake was a small mansion. 

The road went through the village then towards the lake mansion. His goal was towards the mansion but he needed to walk through the village first. It was called a village only due to the number of people and housing but the design and materials used for the buildings could said to be very good, comparable to a small town. As he walked through the village, some of the people in the village looked at him with interest towards this new face. He didn't mind the looks, as he was already used to it.

__ __ __

At the tavern in the town, a old man with white hair was sitting on his rocking chair outside at the veranda taking a sip from his cup once in a while and also feeling the fresh air brushing against him. But he was disturbed by someone who walked near him to speak,

"Huh?" The old man squinted, eyes still half-closed. "Who'd be visiting at this hour?"

"He looks like a noble, from the way he's dressed."

The old man let out a breath, waving his hand dismissively. 

"Must be something to do with those folks by the lake."

"Leave it be; don't interrupt my peace for this."

He took another sip but paused when a familiar voice called out from further down the street.

"Grandpa George, you didn't go fishing today?"

As if by instinct, he answered. "Ah, Rex, lad. I decided to enjoy the breeze today."

"I'm heading to my aunt's place now. Goodbye, Grandpa George!"

"Yes, yes, goodbye, Rex," George replied, turning back to his drink. But the name echoed in his mind, and realization struck him like lightning.

"REX WAIT"

Rex paused, turning back with a questioning look.

"What's up grandpa George?"

The old man's voice trembled. "You're… Rex?"

"Yes, Rex it is, Rex Grimes"

"My boy, where have you been all these years? Come, sit. Tell me everything."

"Wait a bit, let me go get a chair for you to sit"

Walking into the tavern, George looked at the empty seats and then looked at the person who was sitting, gazing at the reception. Knowing who it was, he kicked the person 

"Arghhh"

Rolling down the floor face first, the person stood up and roared.

"WHO THE HELL KICKED ME?"

He looked to the face of George and his anger dissipated, overcame with a sense of fear. The curses died on his lips as he met George's glare.

"Its chief…..what can I do for you, sir" he said trembling. 

"Get out of my sight," George spat, grabbing the chair. "And stay away from my granddaughter, you hear?"

The man nodded fervently, retreating without another word.

__ __ __

Coming out of the tavern, he gave the chair to Rex.

"Is everything fine, grandpa George"

"I thought I heard yelling in there"

"Its just some idiot who was yelling nonsense"

"Just a fool rambling. Don't mind it. Sit."

Rex lowered himself into the chair as George settled into his own. 

"Now, tell me, why are you here"

"Weren't you in the army, what happened"

"How were your days there"

"Relax, grandpa George, I will answer one question at a time"

"Now why I am here, let's start from the beginning…"

Rex Grimes, the fifth child of the Duke Elias Grimes and part of the main bloodline of Grimes family. When he was 5 years old, not wanting him to suffer from bullying and contempt from others, his mother asked her sister, his aunt to raise him here. But due to him being a child of the main bloodline, he was called back soon after he turned 8. Having to attend royal classes that were necessary and given to every main blood of the Grimes. His stay in this valley became a summer visit and the place where had more fun. Slowly his time for visiting this place decreased and decreased till he had no time left along with the royal academy starting. 

The Grimes family was known for the military powers and being one of the son of Duke Elias Grimes, he had to join the army as soon as he graduated from the academy and because of the royal traditions of the Grimes, he had to start from a soldier just like his elder brothers. Rex's maternal lineage flourished in business and politics, not warfare. This didn't end up well as he had no connections with the hardened veterans and ambitious officers in the army, some of whom favoured his eldest brother. His captain being one of them didn't end up well for him. 

Though later on, a nightmarish mission began and that captain died, with only him and a small amount of personal being the few survivors. Why did he call it a nightmarish mission, not only was the entire mission a trap since the information was wrong, either it be intentionally or not, it was not something he wanted to experience again. 

Even though his life in the army was supressed, he did rake up a lot of military credit. It was also evident that his first brother thought of him as a threat. As even though his talent being Grade A/Genuis Talent: Intermediate, was a small grade lower than his eldest brother who had Grade A: Advanced, his achievements in the academy surpassed every single one set by his genius first brother who was told by many as a once in a thousand years genius. Thus, maybe one of the reasons that he was the prime target instead of his other brothers.

But something unexpected happened.

During one of the most gruelling battles Rex had faced, the sky suddenly darkened without warning. A sense of foreboding rippled through the battle ground. The enemy forces were retreating in an unnatural fashion, their eyes wide with an expression that hovered between fear and awe. Just as whispers started to spread among the soldiers, a low rumble began to shake the ground.

"Look to the sky!" one of the soldiers shouted, but by then, it was already too late.

Fiery orbs, blazing with the intensity of the sun, appeared in the heavens. What began as a few streaks turned into a rain of fire, each meteor carrying the force to shatter stone and ignite the earth. The soldiers looked on in disbelief, their breaths caught in their throats. This was the power of a high ranking mage, but why would such a mage be deployed at this place. 

Confusion turned to chaos as realization dawned as this wasn't a strategic strike, it was annihilation, total annihilation. The men screamed orders, tried to scatter, but there was nowhere to run. The meteors fell with a deafening roar, shaking the battlefield with the fury of a raging storm. Dust and fire consumed the sightlines, and the acrid smell of burning earth mixed with the metallic scent of blood.

Rex stood at the heart of it, the searing heat licking at his skin and the force of each blast pushing him to his limits. His cultivation, higher than most of his peers, he poured all of his mana into a desperate shield that crackled with power as it absorbed blow after blow. His defensive artifacts bloomed one after another as each other got destroyed. But even then, the pressure was unbearable. His limbs trembled as he poured every ounce of his energy into survival.

When the storm finally ceased, silence followed, a silence so complete it felt unnatural. Smouldering craters dotted the ground where comrades had stood moments before. Bodies were gone, erased by the meteoric destruction.

As dawn broke and the smoke cleared, the search party sent to comb the battlefield for survivors came upon a solitary figure amidst the devastation. Rex stood there, battered, bloodied, and barely conscious, his once-regal armour scorched and cracked, holding together by sheer willpower. His eyes, hollowed by exhaustion and grief, met theirs.

They stared in disbelief.

"By the gods… he survived," one soldier muttered, unable to look away.