The sun hung low over the golden plains of Serenia, casting long shadows across the swaying grass. A boy no older than ten ran through the fields, his laughter carried on the warm breeze. His hair was dark, his face smudged with dirt, and his clothes patched and worn, but his smile was radiant.
In the distance, a modest farmstead stood against the horizon—a cozy barn and a well-kept house surrounded by rows of crops. It was a simple life, but for Kael, it was all he had ever known, and it was all he needed.
"Kael!" his mother's voice called from the house. "Dinner's ready!"
Kael waved, sprinting toward the house. His father stood near the barn, wiping sweat from his brow as he worked on a broken plow. Kael darted past him, bursting into the kitchen where his mother stood over a pot of stew. He hugged her waist tightly, his grin wide.
The small family gathered around the table, their laughter filling the room as the sun dipped below the horizon. It was a moment of peace, one Kael would hold onto forever.
That peace was shattered on a night unlike any other.
Kael awoke to the ground trembling beneath him. The soft tremors quickly grew into violent quakes, shaking the walls of the house and sending dishes crashing to the floor.
"Mom? Dad?" Kael called, his voice trembling with fear.
His parents rushed into his room, their faces pale with worry. His father grabbed a lantern and led them outside, the earth beneath their feet shifting like water.
In the distance, a massive shadow moved against the starry sky. It was a golem, its colossal form towering over the plains. Its body was made of earth and stone, its eyes glowing with an unnatural light. With every step, the ground shook, and the air seemed to vibrate with its presence.
Kael's father pushed him toward the barn. "Go, Kael! Hide in the barn and don't come out until it's safe!"
"But—" Kael protested, tears streaming down his face.
"Go!" his father roared, his voice firm but filled with love.
Kael obeyed, running to the barn and hiding behind a stack of hay. He peered through a crack in the wooden wall, watching as the golem approached
The golem reached the farmstead, its massive fists slamming into the ground with devastating force. The house crumbled under its weight, the wooden beams snapping like twigs. Kael's parents screamed, their voices drowned out by the deafening sound of destruction.
Kael clutched the hay tightly, his body trembling as tears streamed down his face. He wanted to run to them, to help—but he was frozen, powerless to do anything but watch.
When the dust settled, the farm was gone, reduced to rubble. The golem lumbered away, its colossal form disappearing into the horizon.
Kael emerged from the barn hours later, the first rays of dawn casting a pale light over the ruins. He stumbled through the wreckage, his small hands clawing at the debris in a desperate search for his parents.
But he found nothing.
Kael remained at the site of his destroyed home, refusing to leave. He buried what little he could find of his parents, marking their graves with simple stones.
Other villagers, who had also suffered at the hands of the golem, began to visit the site. They brought their dead, asking Kael to bury them as well. He did so without question, his small hands digging graves day after day.
Over time, the site became known as Kael's Cemetery, a place where the lost and forgotten were laid to rest. Kael's once-bright smile was replaced by a solemn determination. He grew strong, his hands calloused from labor, his heart hardened by loss.
Years later, while tending to the graves, Kael discovered a strange, ancient coffin buried deep beneath the soil. Its surface was etched with glowing runes, and when he touched it, a surge of power flowed through him.
The coffin opened, revealing a dark void within. Kael felt a connection to it, an understanding of its purpose. It was not a place of rest—it was a weapon.
Kael began to experiment, discovering that he could control the coffin with his will. Over time, more coffins appeared, each bound to him. He trained relentlessly, mastering their power and turning the cemetery into his fortress.
But Kael's true goal was far greater. He vowed to find the golem that had destroyed his life and destroy it.
Kael's years of grief and anger shaped him into a cold, calculating man. The villagers came to fear him, calling him the Coffin Master, a title whispered with both reverence and dread.
Though he continued to bury the dead, his focus remained on vengeance. He searched for clues about the golem, following rumors and whispers across the lands of SAMBALETA.
He began to see the coffins as an extension of himself, their jagged edges a reflection of his broken soul. His power grew, but so did his isolation.
Kael no longer saw himself as a man. He was a force of retribution, a shadow of what he once was.
When Kael encountered Etreuf and Elliot in the cemetery, he saw more than just a vessel and a demon. He saw power—raw, untapped, and dangerous.
As their battle raged, Kael realized that Elliot and Etreuf were not his true enemies. But their presence awakened something in him: a glimmer of the boy he once was, the boy who had buried his parents and vowed to protect the forgotten.
Though defeated, Kael retreated with a new resolve. He would find the golem. He would finish what he started.
And perhaps, along the way, he would find himself again.