Chapter 22: Chapter 22
In the vast world of Dounia, once prosperous and harmonious, there existed a single and unique continent, a land where different forms of life coexisted: humans, elves, and dwarves.
These three races, though distinct in their cultures and beliefs, lived in peace, sharing resources and territories.
The unified continent offered a variety of landscapes, from majestic mountains to vast enchanted forests and fertile plains.
But this era of peace was brutally interrupted by an event that forever disrupted the balance of Dounia.
One day, in a sky once pure and serene, cracks of light appeared. These fissures were the first signs of the arrival of demons.
These creatures, either from another dimension or perhaps from an evil buried deep within the earth, spread rapidly, sowing chaos and destruction.
In no time, the demons seized most of the continent, dividing the territory in two. Humans, elves, and dwarves were driven into the remaining part, cornered, unsure of how to respond to this unexpected invasion.
However, instead of uniting to repel the growing threat, the three races were overcome by distrust and rivalry.
Each race, concerned with its own survival and fearing that one would claim vital resources such as food, precious metals, or water, declared war on the others.
This fratricidal war raged for decades, draining armies, destroying cities, and killing thousands of fighters on all three sides.
None of the races could dominate the others. The humans, led by their powerful kings, possessed the largest armies.
The elves, agile and masters of ancient magic, firmly held their mystical forests.
The dwarves, entrenched in their underground fortresses, were impregnable in their stone bastions.
Yet despite their respective strengths, the conflict dragged on with no resolution in sight.
But the true victors of this war were the demons.
While the three races slaughtered each other, the demons, mostly spectators to this carnage, watched, slowly but surely evolving.
Some of them, once confined to the ground, began developing the ability to fly over long distances.
Others became accomplished swimmers, able to cross the vast oceans separating the two halves of the continent.
When the first flying and marine demons began attacking the lands of humans, elves, and dwarves, it became clear that the danger was greater than their rivalries.
The world was once again in peril, and this time, unity was the only solution. If even one of the three races fell, all of humanity would perish.
Faced with this new threat, a council of elders was convened in a sacred, neutral place, where representatives of the three races finally decided to end their conflicts.
Together, they managed to repel the demon assault, at a great cost, but humanity survived.
After this hard-won victory, it was decided that the continent would be divided into four major regions to prevent further internal wars and to create a lasting balance:
The kingdom of humans, currently ruled by King Ben, a vast territory of plains and mountains where prosperous human cities flourish.
King Ben is a respected sovereign, but his kingdom still bears the scars of past wars.
The kingdom of elves, governed by Queen Julia, located in the ancestral forests. This kingdom is a magical place, where nature and magic are in perfect harmony.
The elves, once reclusive, have opened their doors, recognizing the need to maintain an alliance with the other races.
The kingdom of dwarves, under the rule of King Atlas, a wise and sturdy monarch. The dwarves live primarily underground, in citadels built in the heart of the mountains. They are renowned for their craftsmanship and mastery of precious metals.
The fourth kingdom, located at the center of the continent, has a special purpose: it is a place of peaceful coexistence between the three races.
Esperia was created to strengthen ties between the nations and foster cultural and commercial exchanges.
This kingdom is both modern and traditional, combining human, elven, and dwarven architecture into a harmonious and resplendent city.
Esperia does not have a king per se. It is administered by a neutral council composed of representatives from the three races, ensuring that peace is maintained.
Esperia quickly became a symbol of the newfound unity, a beacon of cooperation between the races.
It is in this world, divided but united by a common threat, that legends are born.
And among these legends, is that of the child of the stars, accompanied by his two brothers, mysterious beings whose destinies may well be to save or destroy this fragile balance.
* * *
Under a starry night, silence reigned over the vast forest that bordered the paved road leading to the kingdom of humans.
An elegant carriage, engraved with the ancestral motifs of the elves, slowly rolled under the gentle light of the stars. Though carefully decorated, this carriage did not bear the usual royal emblems of elven nobility.
Inside, sitting with natural grace, a young elf with silver hair quietly observed the skies through the window.
Her eyes, previously closed, seemed to capture the moonlight reflecting on her long hair.
This elf was none other than Eli, a mystic blessed by the constellation of Reading, a rare and precious gift that allowed her to read and interpret the messages written in the stars.
Though this power might seem trivial at first glance, it had shaped her existence, granting her visions and intuitions about future events.
The journey she undertook that night was no ordinary one. Her destination was the castle of King Ben, sovereign of the human kingdom. Though not of noble birth, Eli had been sent for a mysterious reason.
Suddenly, without a word, she softly opened her eyelids and, in a low but confident voice, murmured:
"As I thought, it's the Child of the Stars."
Her gaze had settled on a golden shooting star, tracing a perfect line in the sky, heading towards Ben's castle. Eli wasn't surprised.
She had read this phenomenon in the stars long before her journey began. This cosmic event heralded the arrival of the one who, according to legend, would change the fate of this fractured world.
Yet, as she grew excited at the thought of meeting this legendary being, a strange sensation took hold of her. A cosmic dissonance disturbed her sharp mind.
"Stop, please," she suddenly ordered her escort.
The carriage slowed before coming to a halt. Her guards, clad in the light but resilient armor typical of elven warriors, immediately formed a protective circle around their mistress. They were trained to react to the slightest sign of danger.
Eli, however, hurriedly stepped out of the carriage. Her feet gently touched the cold earth of this unknown land, and she once again lifted her eyes to the firmament. There, among the constellations, two other shooting stars suddenly appeared, disrupting the natural order of things.
One was multicolored, vibrant with shifting, dazzling hues. The other, on the contrary, was dark, almost black, trailing a disturbing shadow behind it.
"How is this possible?" she murmured to herself, frowning.
She focused her gifts to reread the stars, to verify once again what they were telling her.
According to her initial reading, only one star was supposed to fall towards Dounia: the one heralding the arrival of the Chosen One. But now, these two other celestial entities contradicted what she thought she knew. Never since she had received this blessing had the stars deceived her.
One of the guards, worried by her prolonged silence, cautiously approached.
"Miss Eli, have you finished?" he asked, his gaze fixed on the horizon, avoiding direct eye contact out of respect.
But she didn't respond immediately. Her mind was too occupied with this new cosmic enigma. She felt unsettled.
Did these two new stars represent danger, opportunity, or merely a disturbance in the heavens?
"Eli?" the guard insisted.
"Yes…" she finally replied, slightly surprised to have been interrupted.
She blinked, regaining her composure.
"We should continue. We are still far from King Ben's castle, and this land is not safe." The guard's voice was firm, reminding her of the urgency of the journey.
"Of course, I'll join you," she said softly.
As she prepared to climb back into the carriage, Eli cast one last glance at the sky.
The two additional shooting stars were heading toward the abandoned territories, the regions where humans, elves, and dwarves once thrived before being overrun by demons.
No one dared venture into those lands anymore, except for elite troops tasked with monitoring demonic movements.
It was troubling to see those stars heading in that direction. Was this a sign of a new conflict? Were the demons preparing to invade the realms of the three races once more?
"Those abandoned lands… they're hiding something," Eli thought as she climbed into the carriage.
Throughout the remaining journey to the castle, a new uncertainty settled in her mind. If one of the stars heralded the arrival of the Child of the Stars, what were these two other presences? Were they other chosen ones? Enemies?
The carriage resumed its course, leaving behind the illusory calm of the forest, while above them, the stars continued to twinkle mysteriously, marking an uncertain future for Dounia and its inhabitants.
* * *
A multicolored shooting star crashed violently into the territory of the abandoned lands, just a few meters from the border of the human kingdom.
Through the cloud of dust caused by the shockwave, a child emerged. He had brown hair and golden eyes, but struggled to stand.
The density of mana in this region was so intense that he felt as if his body weighed a ton. Every fiber of his muscles seemed on the verge of tearing under this invisible pressure.
The child, well aware that he was only a few meters from the border of the human kingdom, where the mana density would be more bearable, trudged forward with difficulty.
Each step required immense effort, and when he finally crossed to the other side, he collapsed to his knees, struggling to steady his wavering vision.
Suddenly, a sinister crack sounded behind him, where he had landed. He slowly turned his head and saw a monstrous humanoid creature charging at him at terrifying speed, seemingly unaffected by the mana density.
Exhausted, the child knew he had no way to defend himself. Just as he braced for his imminent end, two knights suddenly appeared, slicing the monster in an instant, saving the child.
Feeling safe at last, he let himself fall forward and lost consciousness.
…
…
At the same moment, the last shooting star, the one emitting a dark and ominous energy, crashed in the very heart of the abandoned lands.
When the dust cloud settled, it revealed a child, the same age as the previous one, with dark skin and white hair that gradually returned to its original black color.
Unfortunately, being in an area where the mana density was at its peak, the child remained unconscious, his body silently suffering under the crushing pressure of the environment.
Shortly after, two men arrived at the scene. Unlike the knights at the other border, they wore gas masks and suits suited for these hostile conditions.
"What's a kid doing in such a dangerous zone?" asked one of them.
"I have no idea," replied the other, before continuing with a malicious grin, "but the doctor will be thrilled to have another test subject."
Without further delay, they took the unconscious child to an underground facility, far from prying eyes.
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