Once upon a time, in an era when gods walked the earth, the world teetered on the edge of chaos. The gods bestowed upon humanity order, wisdom, and the power of nature. They taught them how to command fire, water, earth, and air. Then, living among humans, they had children with them. Over time, as the gods withdrew to their temples, they entrusted these children with the duty of ruling the world.
The people called them the "ORDERS." The Orders formed different societies and began living in fortresses. Some lived as ordinary people, while others became guardians of a centuries-old order.
But one day, that order was shattered. In the southeast of Kuzdan, in an ancient temple—the shrine of the light god Luminor—a massive explosion tore through the sky. Some trembled in fear; most did not even hear of it.
To investigate the source of the blast, an Order named Thalira was sent. She was the daughter of the Lightning God; her speed surpassed even that of lightning itself. When she reached the ruins of the temple, a wizard appeared before her, wearing a pale blue robe and with white hair. He held a massive staff and tried to protect the wizards beside him. But Thalira's fury rained down like lightning bolts. No matter how powerful they were, the wizards fell one by one before the storms.
At that very moment, from the darkness of the forest emerged walking trees, bone puppets, and stone creatures. These dreadful beings attacked the wizards, filling their hearts with panic. Some tried to defend, others fled. But the fallen wizards were resurrected and turned on their allies.
A brave wizard named Aurelia resisted fiercely, trying to protect those around her. Yet, her defense was no match for the wave of darkness.
Watching this chaos, Thalira was horrified under the weight of what she saw. Before she could fully comprehend, she vanished without a trace.
The air was filled with an eerie silence. The world took a deep breath and then fell silent, as if about to spew disaster.
Only a single light descended from the sky. Then, a colossal lightning bolt split the southeast of Kuzdan in two along with the heavens. The earth was torn apart, mountains shattered, and trees uprooted. Time itself paused briefly in that place.
No one spoke openly, but everyone thought of the one who wielded that power. The metallic scent lingering in the air after the destruction, the purple-white glow that pierced the sky, and the only thing left behind: a burning silence.
And that day, though her name was never spoken aloud, everyone looked to the same being: Thalira, one of the Lords of Lightning, the entity who carried the speed of thunder in her heart...
"My child, this world still bears the scars of that day. True order is hidden not only in the strong, but in the hearts of those who can see the light within darkness. Remember, true courage lies in facing the shadows."
Though it was night, a light shone over the village as bright as day; then screams erupted. Theo's mother placed him inside a chest and stepped outside. Just as she began to call out to the people, her voice suddenly cut off. From outside came the roar of dragons, the whistling of arrows, commands of fire, and then a mighty voice. Trembling with tears and fear, Theo could not leave the chest; he covered his ears and waited for the chaos to end.
The light, as bright as day, suddenly began to fade; all sounds one by one cut off abruptly and vanished. People's voices stopped one after another until complete silence reigned. Theo did not leave the chest until dawn. Before the night fell into silence, the only sound he heard was the fluttering of wings in the air.
When morning came, soldiers from Aerithon opened the chest. When Theo stepped outside, the only things he saw were large linear burn marks and dry grass scorched as if cut down, alongside lifeless bodies. Those who came to tell him what had happened took him to Aerithon Castle.
Theo could only recount what he heard. Crying, he said, "I want to become a soldier too." Driven by a thirst for revenge, he wanted to become a warrior. That day, he lost everything and began training in the castle, fueled by vengeance.
The people of the castle accepted him, but he was always looked down upon and faced discrimination due to his status. Years passed, and when Theo turned eighteen, he was finally old enough to join expeditions in various groups.