The morning sun rose slowly over Elderglen Village.
Golden rays illuminated the rooftops.
Birds sang from the surrounding forests.
Farmers began preparing their fields.
Children ran through dirt roads laughing as they chased one another.
To outsiders, the village appeared unchanged.
Normal.
Peaceful.
Alive.
Yet beneath that calm surface, whispers had already begun spreading.
Everyone remembered what happened the previous night.
The Moonfang Wolf.
The strongest monster ever seen near Elderglen.
The creature that should have slaughtered dozens.
The creature that inexplicably retreated.
Nobody could explain it.
And what people could not explain...
They discussed.
Endlessly.
"The beast simply left?"
"I saw it myself."
"It bowed."
"Impossible."
"That's what I thought too."
Groups of villagers gathered throughout the settlement.
Some believed a wandering expert had secretly intervened.
Others believed the village had been protected by divine blessings.
A few simply refused to believe what they had witnessed.
After all...
A Rank Three Mana Beast lowering its head before retreating was something rarely recorded in history.
Especially in front of ordinary villagers.
Unfortunately for them, the truth was far stranger.
Because even the gods did not understand what had happened.
---
Heavania Realm
---
Within the Hall of Origin, the atmosphere remained tense.
The previous night's events continued replaying through a massive divine projection suspended above the chamber.
Again.
And again.
And again.
The Moonfang Wolf's charge.
The frozen world.
The mysterious golden light.
The beast's submission.
Every detail had been analyzed thousands of times.
Every possibility examined.
Yet no answers emerged.
Aurelion's expression darkened.
"The energy appeared for less than half a second."
Valtor nodded.
"Yet during that half second, reality itself obeyed it."
The statement caused several gods to frown.
That was the problem.
Reality had obeyed.
Not resisted.
Not tolerated.
Obeyed.
As though the strange golden light possessed authority greater than the Laws of Creation.
A disturbing possibility.
One that none of them wished to acknowledge.
Drakari leaned back upon her throne.
A grin spread across her face.
"This is becoming more entertaining."
"Everything is entertainment to you," Serapha replied.
"Not everything."
Drakari's eyes narrowed.
"But this definitely is."
Unlike the others, she welcomed uncertainty.
Chaos flourished where order weakened.
And for the first time in ten thousand years...
The future was uncertain.
Very uncertain.
Meanwhile, seated quietly within the shadows, Zeraphine remained silent.
Her hidden gaze lingered upon the image of Luna.
The pregnant woman.
The mother of the child.
The center of fate itself.
Something felt wrong.
Not dangerous.
Not hostile.
Simply wrong.
As though a piece of reality no longer fit where it belonged.
There is another secret here.
Something even the prophecy hasn't revealed.
For the Goddess of Secrets, such thoughts were rare.
And when they occurred...
They were usually correct.
---
Mortal Realm – Elderglen Village
---
Luna slowly walked through the village marketplace.
Several women immediately approached her.
"How are you feeling?"
"You should be resting."
"Don't push yourself."
Luna laughed helplessly.
Ever since news of her pregnancy spread throughout the village, everyone treated her as if she were made of glass.
Even worse after the incident.
"I'm fine."
"You always say that."
One elderly woman shook her head.
"The child will arrive soon."
"You need to be careful."
Luna smiled politely.
She appreciated their concern.
Truly.
Yet she felt perfectly healthy.
Better than healthy, actually.
Ever since the previous night, an unusual warmth had settled throughout her body.
Comfortable.
Gentle.
Protective.
As though invisible arms surrounded her constantly.
She couldn't explain it.
Nor did she mention it.
Some things sounded strange when spoken aloud.
Maybe it's just because I'm excited.
The thought brought a smile to her face.
Only a few more weeks remained.
Soon she would finally meet her child.
Soon she would hear their voice.
See their face.
Hold them for the first time.
The thought alone filled her heart with warmth.
Unaware that the child she imagined was already altering the foundations of existence.
---
Deep Within the Northern Forest
---
The Moonfang Wolf moved silently between ancient trees.
Its massive body glided through the wilderness.
Yet unlike before...
It no longer hunted.
It no longer searched.
It simply wandered.
Confusion lingered within its golden eyes.
The beast could not understand what happened.
Its instincts had driven it toward Elderglen.
Toward something hidden within the village.
Toward something calling to it.
Then came the light.
The warmth.
The feeling.
A sensation beyond instinct.
Beyond fear.
Beyond understanding.
The moment the golden light touched it, the wolf experienced something impossible.
Peace.
True peace.
The savage impulses governing its existence disappeared.
The endless hunger vanished.
The constant aggression faded.
For the first time since birth...
The beast felt calm.
A foreign emotion.
An impossible emotion.
The Moonfang Wolf stopped beside a stream.
Its reflection stared back.
Golden eyes.
Silver fur.
A predator.
Yet something had changed.
Deep within its mana core.
A faint golden mark now existed.
Small.
Barely visible.
But undeniably present.
The wolf stared at it silently.
Unaware that its fate had already become intertwined with the unborn child.
---
Hellaru Realm
---
Far below existence itself.
Beyond the Hell Realm.
Beyond mortal comprehension.
Darkness stretched endlessly.
Crimson skies illuminated oceans of black fire.
Mountains made from bones towered across the horizon.
Countless creatures roamed the wastelands.
Demons.
Devils.
Ancient horrors.
Monsters capable of devastating nations.
This was Hellaru.
The domain of the Zanabu Divinity.
At the center of the realm stood a colossal fortress.
Its walls stretched beyond sight.
Its towers pierced the heavens.
Its foundations rested upon rivers of molten darkness.
Within the fortress sat Malgor.
God of Ambition.
His golden eyes slowly opened.
Silence filled the chamber.
Then—
Crack.
A tiny fracture appeared upon the armrest of his throne.
Malgor frowned.
His throne had existed since creation.
Nothing should damage it.
Nothing.
Yet a crack now existed.
A small one.
Almost insignificant.
Still...
It shouldn't have happened.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Then another crack appeared.
And another.
And another.
The throne began trembling.
Malgor's expression hardened.
His divine senses expanded instantly.
Across Hellaru.
Across the Hell Realm.
Across the Mortal Realm.
Searching.
Analyzing.
Investigating.
Then he found it.
Or rather...
He found the absence of something.
A missing piece.
A void within fate itself.
The unborn child.
The singularity.
For several moments, Malgor remained silent.
Then he laughed.
A deep.
Genuine laugh.
The first in centuries.
"Finally."
His voice echoed throughout Hellaru.
"Something worth pursuing."
---
Mortal Realm – Elderglen Village
---
That evening, Rowan sat outside his home.
A wooden carving rested in his hands.
Slowly.
Carefully.
Patiently.
He shaped the wood.
Small fragments fell onto the ground.
A smile occasionally appeared on his face.
The carving resembled a tiny dragon.
Crude.
Simple.
Far from perfect.
But it wasn't meant to be perfect.
It was meant for his child.
The first toy.
A gift from father to son.
Or daughter.
Whichever fate decided.
The thought caused him to chuckle.
I hope they're healthy.
That's all that matters.
Not talent.
Not strength.
Not wealth.
Simply health.
The dreams of a simple father.
Nothing more.
Nothing less.
A soft sound interrupted his thoughts.
Rowan looked up.
Luna stood in the doorway.
Smiling.
Beautiful.
Peaceful.
For several moments neither spoke.
Words weren't necessary.
They simply enjoyed the silence.
The comfort of each other's presence.
Eventually Luna walked forward and sat beside him.
Her hand found his.
Naturally.
Comfortably.
Like it always did.
"Thinking?"
Rowan nodded.
"A little."
"Nervous?"
"A lot."
Luna laughed.
The sound instantly eased his worries.
Then the child kicked.
Again.
This time stronger than usual.
Both parents froze.
Another kick followed.
Then another.
The movement continued.
Almost excited.
Almost eager.
The couple exchanged confused glances.
"The baby seems energetic."
"You think?"
Luna smiled.
Yet before either could continue speaking—
The sky darkened.
Instantly.
Without warning.
The sun vanished behind thick clouds.
A powerful wind swept across the village.
Leaves scattered.
Animals became restless.
Birds fled the forest.
Every villager looked upward.
Confusion filled countless faces.
The change happened too quickly.
Too suddenly.
Too unnaturally.
Then a star appeared.
Visible despite the daylight.
A single silver star.
Shining brightly above Elderglen.
The entire village stared.
The star continued glowing.
Brighter.
And brighter.
And brighter.
Until—
BOOM!
A pillar of silver light descended from the heavens.
Not onto the village.
Not onto Luna.
Not onto the unborn child.
But into the distant forest.
Miles away.
The ground trembled.
Shockwaves spread throughout the region.
Silence followed.
Absolute silence.
Nobody understood what they had witnessed.
Nobody except the gods.
---
Heavania Realm
---
Caelum suddenly rose from his throne.
The God of Stars rarely showed emotion.
Now his face was filled with shock.
Every god immediately noticed.
"What happened?" Aurelion demanded.
Caelum's eyes remained fixed upon the projection.
"The Star Vault."
Silence filled the chamber.
Several gods immediately stood.
Others widened their eyes.
Even Mordrak appeared surprised.
The Star Vault.
One of the oldest locations in existence.
A place older than kingdoms.
Older than civilizations.
Older than recorded history.
A place containing relics from the Age of Creation itself.
A place that should have remained dormant.
Forever.
Yet a beacon had just activated.
For the first time in ten thousand years.
And it had activated directly beside the child of prophecy.
No one spoke.
No one needed to.
Because every god understood the same thing.
The First Trial mentioned within the prophecy...
Had just begun.
To be continued...