"The War of the Ancients" was the name recorded by future generations for this brutal conflict where the races of Azeroth resisted the Burning Legion. Speaking it now naturally drew a look of confusion from Shandris.
"The War of the Ancients?"
"No... it's nothing."
The traveler rubbed his aching temples and shook his head gently. "Sorry, Shandris. Perhaps I really did get hit in the head. My memories are a complete mess. Could you explain the current situation to me?"
...
Though Shandris found her friend's words difficult to believe, she was still young and relatively naive, so she didn't harbor much suspicion. She laid out the current state of affairs to Andreas in detail.
Through Shandris' explanation, the traveler, feeling a whirlwind of emotions, finally accepted the reality of his reincarnation and acknowledged his new identity in this life.
Andreas Moonshadow, born in the great forest of Val'sharah near the outskirts of Suramar.
The Moonshadow and Feathermoon families were neighbors, so naturally, Andreas and Shandris had grown up together as childhood friends.
Both families were typical commoners. While their living conditions could not compare to the extravagant lifestyles of the highborne magi within Suramar, the sheer power of the Night Elf Empire ensured that even ordinary citizens lived in abundance.
This peaceful and serene life lasted until Andreas and Shandris reached adulthood, coming to an abrupt end with the invasion of the Burning Legion.
The massive influx of alien creatures pouring out of the portals within Suramar utterly shattered the tranquility of Val'sharah. Countless night elf civilians perished under the ruthless and brutal onslaught of the demons—the Moonshadow and Feathermoon families were no exception.
At the mention of this topic, a look of instinctive resistance and hatred appeared on Shandris' face.
She did not describe the horrors they saw upon returning home in detail, only briefly mentioning why the two of them had escaped the catastrophe.
Night Elves originated from the Well of Eternity. Under the magical transformation of this font of power, the Dark Trolls, originally just a tribe of trolls, gradually began to evolve.
They shed their former grotesque appearance and primitive, savage customs, becoming a new species of great intelligence and a thirst for civilization—the Night Elves.
By exploring the secrets of the Well of Eternity, the Night Elf civilization flourished. Their territory expanded over time, eventually becoming an undeniable superpower on the ancient continent of Kalimdor.
Unlike the Highborne, who mastered the arcane energies of the Well, the common Night Elves historically emphasized coexistence with nature. Their philosophy of life eventually drew the curiosity and attention of a great being.
He was the demigod of the forest—Cenarius.
Although Cenarius was extremely wary of the Night Elf nobility's obsession with the arcane, he greatly admired the lifestyle of the commoners.
Over time, they grew familiar with one another, and Cenarius became friends with these nature-loving Night Elves.
He held high hopes for this newborn sapient race, wishing for them to one day become guardians of nature just as he was.
Under Cenarius' guidance, a group of Night Elves began to attempt the path of nature. This was the earliest origin of the druidic sect.
As the Night Elves followed Cenarius to learn the ways of nature, one elf named Malfurion Stormrage began to stand out.
With his unparalleled talent and love for nature, he had the honor of becoming Cenarius' personal disciple—the first mortal druid.
At that time, Queen Azshara's fanatical worship and exploration of the Well of Eternity caused Cenarius' concerns to intensify.
As a powerful wild demigod existing since ancient times, Cenarius was well aware of the instability of arcane energy. He always feared that the Night Elf leadership would one day play with fire and burn themselves.
To curb the spread of arcane worship within Night Elf society, Cenarius decided to have his disciple, Malfurion, promote the philosophy of the druidic sect.
Malfurion, also born in Val'sharah, was entrusted by his mentor to begin spreading the path of nature in his homeland. Andreas was one of those drawn to the ideals of the druidic sect.
After subjugating the Troll Empires, Azshara's prestige reached its peak. Whether noble or commoner, the citizens of the six major cities of the Night Elf Empire held their Queen in the highest esteem.
Within the empire's territory, there was only one region Azshara was unwilling and dared not easily enter—Mount Hyjal, home to many powerful wild demigods.
Though she secretly looked down upon the wild forests and the demigods who "rolled in the dirt," Azshara nevertheless decreed that to maintain the ancient Night Elf tradition of being close to nature, her people were forbidden from casually treading upon the sacred Mount Hyjal.
While Andreas followed Malfurion to the distant Mount Hyjal to study druidic philosophy for several centuries, his childhood friend Shandris also embarked on her own path.
The Moon Goddess Elune, the true deity faithfully worshipped by all Night Elves, was the one whose guidance first revealed to the elves the name of the continent they lived on—Kalimdor, which in Titan-speak means "Land of Eternal Starlight."
From then on, the Night Elves called themselves the Kaldorei, "Children of the Stars."
For thousands of years, faith in Elune spread throughout the entire race. Even the powerful Queen Azshara dared not challenge the authority of the Moon Goddess.
To demonstrate her own devotion to Elune, Azshara personally oversaw the construction of a magnificent Great Temple near the northwestern coast of the continent—Lath'elazar, meaning the "Seat of the Sky."
From that point on, the Sisterhood of Elune within the empire shifted its focus to this new temple city. Night Elves from all over traveled to the Seat of the Sky to study and pray in an endless stream.
Shandris had aspired to be a Priestess of the Moon since childhood. When Andreas set out on his journey to study at Mount Hyjal, she departed at the same time. Her destination, the Seat of the Sky, was not far to the southwest of Mount Hyjal.
Both had set out on their educational journeys with hope for the future. They had not returned home for several hundred years—a situation not at all strange in the time-perception of the near-immortal Night Elves.
But Shandris and Andreas never imagined that the farewell to their families before leaving would be the last time they saw them. The sudden demonic invasion destroyed their home, and all their family members perished under the demons' rampage.
"So that's how it is."
No wonder this kid's mind was filled with hatred for demons. Even as the soul dissipated, a powerful grudge remained.
Andreas sighed softly. As for what happened next, he could probably guess even without Shandris saying it.
Looking at the fair and slender Shandris with a strange expression, Andreas pressed his fingers to his brow, trying to suppress another weird emotion rising instinctively in his heart.
Unrequited love... truly is the greatest distance in the world.
The Shandris of this era was not yet the valiant and iron-willed Sentinel General. But as the saying goes, "the child is the father of the man"—though she was still very young, one could already see traces of her future heroism and grace.
Since he had not inherited all the memories and emotions of his predecessor, only obtaining some physical combat instincts, Andreas couldn't be sure exactly how far his predecessor's relationship with Shandris had progressed.
However, looking at Shandris' attitude toward him, it was clear they were still far from being lovers.
Looking up at the towering peak of Mount Hyjal in the distance, Andreas made a silent vow in his heart.
Rest easy, kid. Whether it's the hatred for demons or the feelings for Shandris, I will inherit them all.
From this day forward, I am Andreas Moonshadow.