Prologue – Ancient Books
Noxwon, France.
You probably haven't heard of it. It's not in the guidebooks, influencers can't pronounce it, and GPS usually thinks you meant Knoxville.
But tucked away in a corner of Europe where time seems to walk instead of run, Noxwon exists. Quiet, slow, cozy.
And in this peaceful town of bakeries, bicycles, and absolutely nothing happening ever—there lived a man named Belial.
Now, let's be clear. Belial wasn't a genius. In fact, if brains were bread, Belial was running a bakery with the ovens turned off. But what he lacked in intelligence, he made up for in kindness, charm, and an almost supernatural ability to be the main character in other people's anecdotes.world
"Hey, did you hear what Belial did yesterday?"
"What, again?"
"Yeah, he tried to order a pizza from the ATM."
Classic Belial.
He was the town's favorite idiot. Kids loved him, adults tolerated him, and cats... well, cats were suspicious, but that's just cats.
He spent his days joking around, playing with children, feeding ducks (popcorn—don't ask), and saying things like, "I don't believe in ghosts, but I do believe in haunted sandwiches."
So naturally, he would be the one who accidentally gets involved in something that could change the fate of the entire world.
It all started on a Monday. Which, according to Belial, was "the most suspicious day of the week."
"Cassius!" Belial shouted, arms wide as he saw his best friend sprinting down the street like he was late for the apocalypse. "You look like you saw a ghost. Or a really bad hairline."
Cassius didn't stop running until he reached Belial, panting, red-faced, and clutching something to his chest like it was his firstborn child.
"Belial," Cassius wheezed. "I… found… something…"
"If it's a mirror, I already know I'm handsome."
"No, shut up! Listen!"
He slapped an old, dust-covered book onto the bench beside Belial. The leather cover was cracked, the pages yellowed, and the title looked like it had been written by someone who thought vowels were optional.
"It's in Old Lumerian," Cassius said, flipping it open. "This thing is ancient, dude. I found it in the back of the university library in Lezétan. Behind the radiator. Hidden under a broken chair. I think someone tried to hide it."
"Or they just really hated reading," Belial said.
Cassius ignored him.
"This book—this thing—talks about a goddess. Her name was Lumière. Like, actual goddess. She wasn't just prayed to. She ruled. She guided humanity. She literally lit the way forward for civilization."
"Like a magical traffic light?"
"No! Well, kind of?"
Cassius's voice lowered, full of reverence.
"She was powerful. Wise. And one day, she shattered herself. Not because she had to—but because she chose to."
Belial blinked. "Why would someone do that?"
"To spread her essence across the world. She split into eight pieces. Each one… reincarnated into a human body."
"Like spiritual confetti?"
"I swear to every deity, if you keep interrupting—"
"Sorry, sorry. Continue, Captain History Channel."
Cassius continued flipping through pages, showing diagrams of fragmented circles, cryptic symbols, and scribbled percentages.
"13%, 18%, 17%, 21%, 10%, 9%, 8%, and 4%. Each fragment became immortal. They've lived for centuries—some maybe even hiding in plain sight. If someone finds all eight and brings them together—Lumière will return."
"And then what? She gives everyone coupons?"
"She'll grant one wish."
Belial's eyes sparkled. "Like, any wish?"
Cassius shook a finger. "One wish. But it has to be something possible. You can't wish to be a god, or bring back the dead, or erase taxes."
"Dang. That was my first three."
Cassius took a deep breath, then stood straight. "This is huge, Bel. This could change everything. The world. Our lives. History itself!"
Belial, looking appropriately stunned, stared at the book, then at Cassius.
"Okay… but do you know where any of the sparkle people are?"
"They're not sparkle—wait what?"
"You know. The goddess bits. The sparkly immortals."
Cassius rubbed his face. "No. I mean, not yet. The book didn't say. It just mentions that they're scattered."
"So you're telling me… you got all excited, ran across town like your pants were on fire, told me this whole dramatic lore drop—and you don't even know where to start looking?"
Cassius paused. "Well… when you say it like that…"
Belial smirked. "Bro. You're dumber than me."
"Take that back."
"Nope. I make kids laugh. You wasted both our mornings."
"THIS IS LIFE-CHANGING INFORMATION!"
"Life-changing if you had a map."
Cassius grumbled something about "the decay of modern intellect" and dramatically flopped onto the bench.
"I'll go back," he mumbled. "Back to Lezétan. The university. Maybe the library has more. There could be other hidden books. Clues. Names. Anything."
Belial watched him with a tilted head.
"You know what?" he said after a moment. "I'm coming with you."
Cassius looked up, startled. "You?"
"Yeah. Someone's gotta make sure you don't forget to eat. Or accidentally summon a demon."
"There are no demons in—"
"Also, I want to meet this Lumière lady. Sounds nice. Maybe she can explain why I can hear Wi-Fi."
"You can't."
"I can. It hums."
Cassius stared at him.
And then—sighed.
"Fine. But you're not touching anything ancient."
"Deal. As long as I get to name our journey."
"We're not naming it."
"Too late. Operation Sparkle Hunt begins."
Cassius dropped his face into his hands.
They didn't know it then, but that was the first step.
A dumb man and a desperate historian. Chasing a myth that may or may not exist. Looking for pieces of a shattered goddess in a world too busy to believe in miracles.
But sometimes, it takes a fool to do what no one else would.
And sometimes… those fools change the world.