PROLOGUE
The world was once simple.
Villages, carriages on dirt roads, swords and axes in hand. Magic whispered through the air, but peace still held.
Then the sky fell.
Countless meteorites slammed into the earth in a single, catastrophic night. The world was shattered, and humanity was still picking up the pieces when _they_ came.
Beasts.
No one knew where they came from. Some legends said they'd been here since the dawn of time, sleeping beneath the ground. Others blamed the meteors.
What was known was this: they did not speak. They did not bargain. They saw humans as nothing but food.
Steel was useless. Swords shattered. Axes broke against chitin and bone and hide that no forge could pierce.
Only those who knew the ancient martial power called *"Qi"* could stand against them. But even Qi users began to fall. The beasts were evolving, growing stronger with every life they devoured.
When all hope seemed lost, another power awoke.
Families who had hidden their gifts for centuries finally stepped forward. Ability users.
With Qi and abilities fighting side by side, humanity found its footing again. The beasts weren't wiped out, but we learned to fight back. To survive.
In the aftermath, Qi was taught to the world. Some ability users shared their powers too. Others locked them away, passing them only through bloodlines. The world called those families *"The Originals."*
Hundreds of years have passed. The scars have healed. Kingdoms have risen from the ashes.
And now... this is where our protagonist's story begins.