Trillions of years ago, this planet—Elaris—was desolate. Every race struggled for survival. Savage beasts fought for their food as though it were their last.
Before the Great Duke Reggen of the elven race discovered the spark of Lumis—the pure essence of nature and life flowing through the land and beings of Elaris—the world was in chaos. With the help of all 13 known races, Duke Reggen found a way to convert Lumis into energy. This energy now powers all four continents of Elaris.
Duke Reggen's greatest legacy, the city of Harmonia, located northeast of here, still stands as the only place where all races coexist without discrimination.
We, the Terrans, have learned not to discriminate but to love and live with all races. Though we live mostly within our own borders, we have always sought to maintain contact with others. Unlike the other 12 races born with innate abilities, we Terrans possess none. Instead, we rely solely on our bodies and weapons, effectively and efficiently using Lumis to push ourselves to the limit.
In this era of war, survival depends on strength. L.O.R. (The Law of the Realms), which dictates harmony among the 13 races, provides some protection, but it doesn't guarantee safety. Thus, we seek allies rather than enemies. Our closest allies are the Atlanteans.
Nova King saw the depth in this thought as he gazed out the classroom window.
"King?"
Nova turned to face the front of the class. Mrs. Stella, the homeroom teacher, loomed nearly two meters tall by his desk. Her black mop of curly hair was tied back into a ponytail, her piercing gaze cutting through him like daggers. The look on her face screamed annoyance and curiosity. Like most Terrarians, she had the unnerving habit of staring deep into one's soul rather than speaking her mind.
"King, are you listening, or are you just going to keep staring out the window?"
Nova blinked. "We've successfully experimented with ways to efficiently use gravity to our advantage."
The class burst into laughter as Mrs. Stella snorted.
"In conclusion, you weren't listening," she said.
Nova shrugged. "Not really, no."
"Well, you got the basics. But what you missed is that we've only managed to manipulate 10% of Elaris's gravity with our muscles. There's only so much our bodies can handle. So next time, get your facts straight."
"Got it, teach," Nova replied.
The bell rang, signaling the end of the school day.
As Nova walked out of class and down the hallway in a rush to get home, a sudden realization hit him. Today is Nexorday He stopped mid-step.
The date on the Elaris calendar meant only one thing: Student Body Council Meeting.
With a heavy sigh, Nova turned and began retracing his steps, his thoughts drifting as they often did. He pondered, for the umpteenth time, why he of all people had been chosen as a council member.
Nova wasn't as smart as most Terrarian students. In fact, he wasn't even close. The reason was simple: unlike others, Nova retained memories from his past life in an entirely different universe—a world called Earth.
To others, this might seem like an advantage. But to Nova, it was a burden.
Terrarians, as he saw it, were highly evolved versions of the humans from Earth. They were taller, stronger, and their brains had developed dramatically over millennia. A Terrarian child was said to be born smarter than the most gifted human genius.
Nova, however, was trapped by his Earthly mental patterns. His memories and experiences from his previous life clashed with his advanced new brain. It was like trying to teach an old dog new tricks.
No matter how much potential he had, his past experiences held him back, preventing him from fully adapting to his Terrarian form. This made it difficult for Nova to fit in, but he found ways to cover his shortcomings.
Even so, it came as a shock when he received an invitation to join the Student Body Council.
Why me? he thought often. He only had one friend in the entire school—[Joan].
Yet, despite his doubts, Nova always looked forward to council meetings. It was the one place where no one treated him as an outsider.
They treated him as one of them.