"When the oath was broken, fate was bled."
"When five kings swore an unbreakable oath, none foresaw that one of them would shatter the crown... and seize the throne of the world for himself."
__________________________________________________________
In a temple shrouded in deep purple darkness flickering torches sink into cracked walls ancient symbols glow darkly, like coagulated violet, etched upon the floor.
Three guards stand like towering statues, each embodying a feeling:
Fear, hesitation, and greed.
At the far end, on a shadowed throne,sits a dark entity...the guards dare not lift their eyes to him.
In the temple's center,a gleaming iron blade catches the magical glow,held by a man cloaked in a long robe, staggering...not from air, but from power surging within his body.
Before him, a stone covered in strange engravings,radiates a monstrous magical energy...a binding pact between shadows and blood.
The man kneels on his left knee.He reaches out and grabs a dagger lying nearby.He runs it smoothly, cautiously across his palm.
The first drop of blood falls.
The figure atop the throne shifted...A sinister smile creeping across his face.
As the man bled,the Ring of Power gleamed in his eyes...before it cracked, like a betrayal made flesh.
His black blood carved itself onto the stone...like an unknown map.
The cowardly guard... shivered.The second... was swallowed by confusion.But the third...as if the blood called to him.His eyes blazed with desire... hunger... craving forbidden magic.
Just moments passed...until the man's veins blackened,his halo grew fierce, and his eyes turned blue...as if burning from within.
The flames from the torches flared,the heavy air trembled, the ground shook...something dark had awoken.
The king began losing control of his body,blood pulsed faster,symbols scattered from the cold stone floor...
Suddenly...
A blood-red eye appeared in the sky.It flashed for a moment, then unleashed an exploding black light!
It was a silent blast in the present...deafening in the future.
But it was enough to shatter the seal,and send the first message.
One drop of blood... escaped into the darkness.A message unreadable...without more blood.
"Welcome to the year 1007 after the Pact, or 900 after the Seal..."
"In our city... Grana, we are not born free."Chains don't bind us, nor do iron bars or stone walls,but laws—imposed on our land, disguised as "protection" from an empirethat hides its shackles beneath gray flags.
Under its shadow... our dreams were slaughtered, our lives stolen,and we became mere property in their ledgers.We are no different from slaves—except our chains are written with ink, not iron.
Our life was a single equation:"Submit... and survive."But what guilt lies in being born free?Freedom is not a name, nor a slogan etched on walls.It is a second equation... one that shatters all the world's balances.For the free, when their rights are stolen,they do not die...but they cannot breathe in a cage,cannot sleep in the arms of laws,nor stay silent before those who stole the sky.
Reign was one of the few who were only allowed to breathe... under the watchful eyes of the Empire.
He couldn't cross the Great Bridge without being asked his name,nor step onto the Western Hill, for it was a "military zone."He wasn't even allowed to dream of shouting,for that was considered a "disturbance of public order."And all of this... suffocated his breath.
In the Western District, where Reign lived...on an early morning,a boy no older than ten slowly stirred in his bed.
He opened his eyes with difficulty, then sat up yawning, scratching his thick brown hair,his eyes lazily scanning the room.
Soft sunlight slipped through the window,and the birds' songs played gently in his ears...Everything was normal.In a small kitchen made of gray stone and old wood, filled with the scent of fresh bread and warm milk,Hilda, his mother, was sitting, slicing a loaf of barley bread.She suddenly heard a door open.She turned immediately, and found Reign whispering softly:
"Good morning, Mom..."
She smiled at him as he moved forward to sit on his wooden chair.
"Ah, good morning, Reign... You woke up early!"
He looked at her with tired eyes and still sleepy features,as if he didn't quite understand what she said. She laughed that laugh that erases the wounds of time.Then she continued:
"Looks like I was wrong... you're not really awake yet."
She placed a simple plate in front of him,with a piece of white cheese and some dried figs, and as she bent down to pour hot milk into his ceramic cup, she said in a tone both firm and gentle:
"Go wash your face first, then come to breakfast. Hurry up!"
Reign whispered as he rose slowly,walking like a boy still wrapped in sleep.
"Alright..."
He reached the basin of cold water,dipped his face into it until he shivered.
"Oh... that's refreshing."
The cold touch on his skin fully woke him up,he felt life rushing back into his limbs.Then he dashed back to the kitchen with all his energy,as if he wasn't the lazy kid from just minutes ago.
"Come on, eat."
Hilda said it, watching him from the corner of her eye.
He sat down quickly and began devouring his foodas if someone might snatch it away any second.
Hilda looked at him, hands on her hips,a light scolding tone mixed with a smile came out:
"How many times have I told you not to eat so fast, Reign?"
He answered with a quick tone of regret,without lifting his head from the plate:
"Okay, Mom..."
When he finished, he looked up at her,innocence shining in his eyes,and a smile on his lips no less innocent.
"So... Mom, can I go play with Renzo and Alrik?"
In an instant, her expression changed.Her brows furrowed, and the calm smile faded.
"Promise me you won't play in the mud again! Promise!"
She took a deep breath, then stepped closer,placing her hand on his shoulder with a gentle touch,tinged with hidden worry.
"Just promise me... you won't wander too far from home."
She knew well that in Grana,walking peacefully could be the very cause of trouble.
Raigen burst through the door,the morning breeze tousling his brown locks,as he shouted with his lively, childlike voice:
"Renzo! Alrik! I'm heeere!"
Moments later, he joined them;Renzo was walking with his hands locked behind his head,while Alrik greeted him with a bright smile.
Renzo said teasingly with exaggerated surprise:
"Hey! You're up early!"Raigen felt proud — his sleep was usually so deep that waking up on his own was nearly impossible.
"I woke up all by myself!"
Renzo was bold and fearless, deeply curious about the unknown, even excited by it.And despite the aloof attitude he tried to show, he cared deeply for his two friends.Alrik, on the other hand, was his opposite — cautious and thoughtful, always considering the consequences before taking any step toward the unknown.He lacked Renzo's boldness, strength, or wildness.
Suddenly, a harsh voice cut through the air like a blade:
"You filthy brat! How many times have we warned you not to gather here with these scum in front of your house?!"
Raigen and his friends turned swiftly,spotting a group of elders sitting outside one of the homes,and in front of them stood a man in a lavish military uniform — clearly one of the Empire's soldiers.
One of the elders tried to explain, his voice trembling as if the words stumbled on his lips:
"We were just… having some tea."
But the soldier wasn't satisfied with mere scolding — he kicked the table violently,sending the cups flying,and barked coldly, full of menace:
"This is the second time… there won't be a third. Next time, you'll be saying goodbye to your lovely little house!"
The elders shuddered, their faces shrinking in fear,but before the soldier could turn to leave, a rock slammed into his back!
He froze for a moment, then slowly turned...to find Raigen standing firm,his body braced, his face burning with rage and defiance.
"Damn you, you bastard!"Raigen yelled, his voice echoing through the narrow streets."How dare you?! This is our land, not yours, you dogs! Stop oppressing us!"
The soldier growled as he approached, his heavy footsteps shaking the ground beneath them:
"Seems your parents never taught you to respect the Empire's soldiers..."
"Do you think your bravado scares me? Huh?"
At that moment, Renzo and Alrik sprang into action!Renzo grabbed Raigen from behind, covering his mouth and pulling him away,while Alrik ran up to the soldier, bowing deeply in submission:
"Please, forgive us! We meant no disrespect... He's just under a lot of pressure... Please!"
The soldier sneered coldly,muttering words sharp as knives:
"Watch your little one... or you'll all regret it and pay the price."
Alrik froze, unable to respond, mumbling incomprehensibly, his face pale.
"Scum..."the soldier spat as he turned away,"Thank your gods you're still eating and drinking."
Once he left, Alrik turned to find Raigen in a state of fury,shouting at Renzo, his features blazing!
"How many times have I told you not to grab me, Renzo?!"
"If we left you, they would've killed you the first time you opened your mouth!"Renzo retorted angrily, trying to justify his actions.
Raigen turned to Alrik, his eyes flashing with anger:
"And you? How could you apologize?!Apologize to him?!For what? For his injustice? For his humiliation?How could you humiliate yourself before those who stole everything?"
Alrik stammered, then spoke softly:
"Listen, Raigen... Your anger won't help now. No matter what you say, nothing will change."
Raigen suddenly fell silent, looking at him with a strange gaze...a look of despair.
"I agree with Alrik..."Renzo said, placing a hand gently on Raigen's back."Yelling in their faces won't work... and it won't make them back down."
Raigen lowered his eyes, his lips trembling, as if the fire inside him had turned to ash.
"Come on… let's head back to the neighborhood,"
said Renzo, nodding toward old Zeke's house."He probably has a new story this morning too..."
"His stories are sometimes way too far-fetched,""But I kinda like them," Alrik replied.
They kept chatting lightly,while Raigen walked beside them, still upset and frustrated by what had just happened.
As usual, old Zeke sat by the glowing firewood,surrounded by a group of little children.His raspy voice suddenly pierced the calm square:"It all goes back… to the Fifth King..."
Raigen froze in place, glancing at his friends—their faces mirrored the same surprise.But curiosity... was stronger than caution.
They approached slowly, hesitant in their steps,when suddenly the old man spoke again, his voice gravelly, as if he'd sensed them all along:"You three… join us."
Which, frankly, was what they were planning to do anyway.They sat down in silence,as if something in the air had shifted.
The old man looked at them, his eyes half-closed,as if they could see beyond what was visible.And then he began…slowly… in a voice heavy with awe:
"The world was ruled by five kings...Balanced, like the five pillars of a structure that never tilts… Everything was normal…until the Fifth King wanted the throne for himself."
He paused, then whispered,as if revealing a forbidden truth:
"He realized that power alone wasn't enough…The five kings were equals…And to rise above the kings…he had to make the cursed pact."
One of the kids asked, voice trembling with fear:
"Did he become king… alone?"
Zeke replied:
"After he gained the power… he wasn't a king anymore…He became fire — devouring everything.He burned the lands… tore the skies… crushed the thrones…until only ashes remained."
The children shivered…and so did Raigen,as memories of the soldier, and Renzo and Alrik's words, echoed in his mind.
Renzo asked:
"If he was unstoppable… then who stopped him?"
The old man shook his head,and gave a sorrowful smile:
"That's when the rumors began…No one knows the truth.Some say… he still rules.Others believe… his bloodline is cursed.And some… fear his return."
Before Raigen could ask the old man whether this forgotten truth was tied to their current suffering,Renzo suddenly bolted off like an arrow,as if the story hadn't fazed him one bit:
"Heeey! First one to the Ophalys Tree gets my share of dinner!"
Alrik ran after him, laughing.But Raigen stayed a moment longer, staring at the old man...Then lifted his head and yelled:
"Hey! That's not fair! Wait for me!"
He dashed after them, breathing hard with every step over the soft grass covering the ground… until—he saw it in the distance.
The Ophalys Tree…
Standing tall, as if guarding the city from afar,beyond the empire's reach—its massive, cracked trunk and long, sky-reaching branches.
Renzo reached it first, panting hard,he turned around with the gleam of victory in his eyes and shouted:
"Heey! I made it first!Raigen, you're waaay behind!"
Alrik arrived just seconds before Raigen caught up.They both collapsed onto the wide trunk of the tree, panting,as if their breaths were racing each other to escape.
Renzo placed his hands behind his head, leaning back against the tree with a grin:
"Looks like tonight's dinner share is mine as usual."
Raigen replied between gasps, half-laughing:
"You just ran off before us, that's all."
"Not my fault you're slow, Raigen."
For a moment, only the sound of their breathing filled the air…Then all three of them burst into laughter—for no reason… or maybe, just because they were together,in their favorite place.
The laughter faded.Raigen looked at them, his tone shifting as he asked quietly:
"Do you guys think the old man was telling the truth?"
He paused, then added:
"About the Fifth King… the curse… the pact…?"
Renzo answered with his eyes closed, relaxed:
"Could be just another one of his crazy stories."
But Alrik didn't seem to agree.
"I don't think so.Not every story is just a tale…Some are told so they won't be forgotten."
Silence again.Renzo opened his eyes and gazed at the sky.
"But we're just kids, right?We don't have to think about all that."
Raigen replied softly:
"But one day… we will grow up.And we will have to think."
Suddenly, Raigen stood up.He clenched his fists and said with a fierce determination:
"I swear I'll break their chains… I'll shatter them."
Alrik looked at him, a little confused… but attentive.Renzo kept staring at the sky and said in a calm voice:
"I don't know what you're planning to do…But I know one thing—I'll follow you, wherever you go."
A soft silence fell—the kind that feels like the whisper of a dream… just before it becomes real.
Then Raigen murmured to himself,as if confessing to the wind:
"I wasn't born... to ever bow down."
But far away, in a shadowed alley,watchful eyes were observing them—without ever blinking.