Julian sighed as he stared at his daughter holding the infant in her arms.
"I've told you before, Lucia... that man is no good."
"He left you and this child without a word. If it weren't for me, what would the two of you have done?"
Lucia gently rocked Silva to sleep, a faint smile gracing her lips despite the sadness in her eyes.
"He must have had his reasons for leaving without saying goodbye," she said softly. "I know Raven... and I know he'll come back for us."
Julian let out a frustrated breath before shaking his head.
His voice softened.
"Love has made you blind, my daughter."
"But you're still my precious daughter, and as long as I'm alive, no one is allowed to hurt you."
His expression hardened as he looked toward the door.
"And if that fool ever returns..."
"I'll give him a piece of my mind."
"...or my name isn't Julian Cornelius."
Julian Cornelius had once been counted among the greatest generals the Dacian Kingdom had ever produced.
But his story had begun far from the halls of nobility.
He was born an orphan, with no family name of importance, no inheritance waiting for him, and no one to guide his path. With nothing to rely on but his own determination, Julian enlisted in the army while still young, hoping to forge a future through his own strength.
The battlefield became his home.
Year after year, he fought for the Dacian Kingdom , rising through the ranks through courage, discipline, and sheer ability. He endured countless battles and earned a reputation as a formidable commander.
It was during those early years of service that Julian met another young soldier.
The two quickly became close, united by the hardships of military life. To Julian, the young man was simply a talented officer and a trusted friend.
He had no idea that his companion was actually the Crown Prince of the Dacian kingdom.
When Julian eventually discovered the truth, their friendship had already grown too strong for titles to matter.
Years passed, and their paths continued to rise together. The prince eventually ascended the throne and became the King, while Julian became one of the kingdom's greatest generals.
But even after the crown was placed upon his friend's head, the bond between them remained unchanged.
They had met as soldiers.
They had fought together as comrades.
And they would remain friends until the end.
Eventually, however, Julian's long military career came to a painful end. A brutal campaign left him permanently wounded, forcing him to lay down his staff and retire from the battlefield.
Their friendship endured every battlefield they crossed together.
The Dacian Kingdom occupied one of the richest regions on the continent. Fertile lands, abundant resources, and strategic trade routes made it the envy of neighboring nations, especially the Dune Empire to the south.
Yet neither kingdom dared launch a full-scale invasion.
Any prolonged war between them would leave both nations crippled, allowing another power to seize the opportunity and conquer the weakened victor.
The Aurelian continent itself was divided among seven great nations, each renowned for an elemental affinity that dominated its population.
Holy Empire of Valahia — Light
Dacian Kingdom — Fire
Dune Empire — Earth
Alize Country — Wind
Eastern Federation — Thunder
Southern Federation — Water
Sien Domain — Darkness
Although most people possessed only a single elemental affinity, exceptional bloodlines occasionally inherited two.
Among them were the Four Noble Demon Families:
Zi Family (Demon Crow) — Wind and Darkness
Sei Family (Demon Snake) — Water and Darkness
Surufu Family (Demon Wolf) — Thunder and Darkness
Torikku Family (Demon Fox) — Fire and Darkness
Julian met the love of his life during one of the bloodiest conflicts with the Dune Empire.
Stationed along the southern border, he and the crown prince were caught in a surprise assault.
The battle was nothing short of a massacre.
The enemy surrounded them, and the situation grew more desperate with every passing moment. Julian and the King fought with everything they had, but the sheer number of their enemies made escape seem impossible.
Both men would have died that day if not for one man.
One of Julian's closest friends stepped forward .With nothing but his weapon and his determination, he stood between the two of them and more than a hundred enemies, buying Julian and the King the precious time they needed to escape.
He knew the fight look unwinnable.
But he never hesitated.
He knew he might not survive . But he never hesitated
He had been his childhood friend.
Both had grown up as orphans, struggling through a world that had given them nothing. Together, they had fought their way forward, rising from nameless children with no future into warriors who stood among the strongest of their generation.
And before Julian had ever become a great general, it was that very friend who had taught him how to fight.
Especially with a staff.
His friend had always believed that the staff was one of the greatest weapons a warrior could wield.
"A weapon isn't great because it can kill," he had once told Julian. "It's great because it gives you options."
A staff could strike.
It could defend.
It could control distance and keep enemies at bay.
But most importantly, it could react.
"It can PROTECT. It can ATTACK. And most importantly... it can REACT."
Those words never left Julian.Even so, Julian did not emerge unscathed.
An arrow meant for the King pierced Julian's arm, leaving an injury that never fully healed.
Yet fate has a peculiar way of balancing tragedy with hope.
As Julian lay unconscious on the battlefield, a mysterious woman found him.
She nursed him back to health.
What began as gratitude slowly blossomed into love.
In time, they welcomed a daughter into the world.
Lucia.
For a while, Julian believed he had finally found happiness.
Then, without warning...she left.
Before disappearing, she uttered only a single heartbreaking sentence.
"We cannot stay together."
"We belong to different worlds."
Those words haunted Julian every day.
Which was why Raven's sudden disappearance reopened wounds that had never truly healed.
He wasn't only angry with Raven.
He was furious with himself.
Because once again...History repeats itself.
Someone he loved had been left behind.
And this time, it was his own daughter.
.....
Several Days Later – Outside the Village
Hidden among the trees, a cloaked figure silently observed the peaceful village below.
His cold eyes settled on the small house where Lucia lived.
"I need a way to lure Shadow away..."
A sinister grin spread beneath his hood.
"Lady Zara's orders were clear."
"Kill the woman."
"Kill the child."
He chuckled quietly.
"The rewards she'll give me will make this more than worthwhile."
His gaze slowly drifted across the rest of the village.
"But if I'm going to eliminate them..."
"I'll have to make it appear that the entire village was the target."
He sighed in annoyance.
"That certainly creates more work."