The Black Continent was a land where silence rarely lasted. Rumors could travel faster than trade caravans, faster than the marching feet of soldiers, faster even than the wind that howled across endless plains. And now, a new rumor had shaken every corner of the continent:
Cromon Kingdom had defied the Nelon Empire.
The Nelon Empire—one of the Three Great Empires—was a colossus whose shadow alone could smother kingdoms. To resist Nelon was to defy destiny itself. Yet Cromon had done it without hesitation, as though daring the heavens to strike them down.
Worse still, whispers named an organization few dared to speak of aloud: The Black Eye. A group feared in shadows and tavern tales, their name was enough to chill a drunkard sober. Now it was said they had pledged allegiance to Cromon.
The world stirred.
---
The Court of Upras Kingdom
The news had reached Upras swiftly, carried by messengers whose tongues trembled as much as their legs.
King Heri sat upon his throne of obsidian and silver, draped in a cloak of fox fur, his crown crooked upon thinning hair. His laughter rang like steel striking stone.
"Ha! What madness have I heard? Cromon—defying Nelon? Impossible! The Empire will crush them like ants beneath a boot. Their kingdom will burn before the month is done."
Yet his minister, Lloyd, bowed his head with grave concern. He was a man of parchment and whispers, more scholar than warrior, but wise in the ways of power.
"Sire," Lloyd began softly, "perhaps their defiance will indeed be short-lived. But Cromon has stirred something. This… Black Eye—if it is real—it may not be so easily silenced. Even the boldest rumor carries a seed of truth. We must know more of them."
The King's laughter faded into a growl. He tapped his fingers on the arm of his throne.
"Yes. And if Cromon truly commands such a force, then their defiance is not mere arrogance—it is strategy. We are their neighbors. If war breaks upon them, the tides may spill into our own lands."
The court fell silent. Ministers, guards, and nobles exchanged uneasy glances. No one dared say what they all thought: that perhaps, just perhaps, the unthinkable could happen—an empire might bleed.
---
The Great Mountain of Echidna
Far from gilded halls and whispered conspiracies lay the ancient peaks of Echidna. The air was sharp here, laced with pine and stone, carrying an almost sacred weight. The mountains were not merely earth—they were guardians, carved by gods and time.
Nestled within them lay the Mayus Kingdom, home of the elves. Unlike sprawling human realms, Mayus was shaped by its environment: Echidna, Mayuri, Tenjula, Clitorin—each mountain a pillar of their civilization. Dwarves carved halls deep within the stone, elves built terraces that kissed the clouds, and smaller tribes survived in valleys where rivers shone like silver veins.
Sixty percent elf, twenty percent human, twenty percent others—the Mayus Kingdom was a tapestry of coexistence, protected by its terrain and its unity. Few dared to invade. Even fewer returned to tell the tale.
But on this night, nature itself seemed to betray them.
---
The Storm Over Hinen Gao
In the northern ridges of Hinen Gao, a storm rose without warning. Not of clouds and rain, but of raw, unnatural chaos. The sky tore open with a scream of lightning, splitting earth and sky alike.
The village of Baghli quaked.
Elves scattered, clutching children, screaming prayers to the Forest God. Dwarves slammed their doors, whispering of omens. Humans, greedy and desperate, clung to sacks of coins and heirlooms, stumbling as thunder rolled. The storm was merciless.
And then—lightning fell like judgment.
The peak itself cracked, and when the smoke cleared, two bodies lay crumpled on the broken stone.
---
Nixon
A boy was the first to climb. His name was Nixon.
Thin, wiry, his limbs hardened by farm-work, he had no warrior's build. But he had endurance, the kind forged by labor in Kapul Valley, the narrow strip of land between Hinen Gao and its neighboring ridges. Curiosity had drawn him into danger.
What he found stole his breath.
Two strangers lay broken but alive. One blond, lean, with sharp eyes even in unconsciousness. The other darker-haired, broader of shoulder, his hands scarred from battle.
They did not belong here. Their clothing was strange, their presence impossible.
And yet Nixon, heart pounding, could not leave them. With trembling arms, he heaved one man onto his back, then the other, staggering under their combined weight. His knees buckled, but he did not stop until he found a cavern hidden beneath roots and stone. There, he laid them down, chest heaving, sweat dripping.
The storm still raged outside, but inside the cavern, the world felt suspended, as though time held its breath.
Nixon pulled the cork from his waterskin and sprinkled droplets onto their faces.
---
Awakening
The blond man stirred first, voice hoarse.
"Michael… are you alive?"
The darker one groaned, coughing.
"Chris?… I—I'm here…"
Both sat up sharply, panic in their eyes. "Where are we?"
Nixon stepped back, his long ears twitching nervously. He spoke in hurried elven tongue:
"Po menk so yonv ber… ekio tes mui nea nias, sjaedk kes aje erew."
The strangers froze.
Chris's eyes widened. "Elven… That's Elven speech." His voice dropped into dread. "Then we… we're in the Mayus Kingdom? No… wait." He glanced at the cavern walls, the thick forests beyond. "This isn't Echidna proper. These woods… too wild, too untouched. Gods above—Zone Zero."
Michael's jaw clenched. His fist struck the stone floor. "Damn it! Our lives are ruined…"
Zone-00—the cursed designation whispered by scholars and wanderers. It was said to be under the dominion of the Forest God himself. Outsiders who entered did not return. Even Mayus elves feared to tread too far.
Chris steadied himself, though sweat beaded his brow. His gaze fell upon Nixon: a boy with green hair, narrow eyes, and ragged clothing, his face both innocent and wary.
The language barrier hung heavy, but Chris's hand lifted. He muttered a spell, runes flickering across his lips. Suddenly, words began to twist and reshape, meaning flowing into sound.
Nixon staggered back in shock. "You—your tongue! I can understand you now!"
Chris exhaled in relief. "Finally. Now listen—who are you, boy? And where are we exactly?"
The elf-boy's hand trembled, but his voice held steady. "This is Hinen Gao. And you should not be here. Humans do not walk these forests. Only elves and dwarves dwell here. If the guards find you—" He stopped, fear flashing in his eyes. "No. They will not ask questions. They will kill you."
Michael smirked darkly. "That would make things simple, wouldn't it? At least we wouldn't have to figure out how the hell we got here."
Chris shot him a sharp look. "Quiet." Then, to Nixon: "We don't know how we arrived. We were… pulled here. Dragged by some cursed witch."
The boy frowned. "A witch? What do you mean?"
Chris hesitated, but there was no hiding it. "We were hunting with our group. Then they came—servants of evil. Worshippers of the Devil. They struck at us with rituals. When we fought back, their witch unleashed something on me and Michael. Then… nothing. Darkness. Until now."
Nixon's brow furrowed. His voice was low, confused.
"Devil worship? What are you saying? Who would bow to such a thing?"
Chris's lips pressed into a thin line.
Michael leaned back, eyes narrowing. "So… they don't even know. These people, this place—they're blind to the truth."
Chris's voice was grim. "Ignorant… but pure. They've never seen corruption. They don't even know the abyss exists."
Nixon looked between them, unsettled. "You speak as if such things are real."
Chris met his eyes, the weight of his words pressing like a storm.
"They are. And if they've touched us here, then your world—your forest—is no longer safe."
Silence fell, broken only by the howl of wind outside the cavern.
For the first time since the storm began, Nixon felt the true danger of the strangers he had saved.
---
The Shadow of Rumors
Far away, in halls and villages, whispers still spread:
Cromon Kingdom had risen.
The Black Eye had chosen its side.
The Empire had been defied.
But in the hidden caverns of Zone Zero, another truth had already begun—
two men from another world, carrying with them the shadow of devil worshippers, had crossed the forbidden threshold.
And the Forest God was watching.