It was a clear night, and the stars scattered across the village sky like faint lights watching the sleeping world silently.
Inside a small orphanage, the children gathered around a warm fire. The place was quiet… nothing but the rustling of distant trees and the lazy crackle of the fire.
The headmistress of the orphanage sat before them, as she did every night. She lifted her eyes to the sky before beginning to speak:
"Do you know, my little ones… more than a thousand years ago, the world was not like it is today."
Silence fell. Only the fire spoke. Some children looked at each other with curiosity, while the smallest closed her eyes, as if afraid to hear the story.
She remembered what she had heard from her elders and read in the old books:
"In the past, there was a great civilization. People were equal—no kings, no nobles, no servants—a strong and advanced society."
A small child trembled and asked, "Were… were they like us?"
The headmistress smiled: "Yes. But despite their knowledge and weapons, they could not protect themselves when the monsters appeared."
"The gates appeared suddenly… and through them came the monsters, starting the war. Over time, the Age of the Gates ended, leaving only ruins. But the monsters affected by their power did not disappear."
She continued:
"After the fall of that civilization, mana appeared—a magical energy that gives its user special powers… helping them fight monsters and increase their strength."
One of the children raised his hand: "Like… magic?"
She nodded: "Yes. But each type of mana has a different color and ability."
She smiled and told them:
"- Gold: gives great power. Its users are called the Holy Knights, blessed by rulers.
Red: gives great offensive strength, making its user hard to defeat.
Blue: gives speed and combat skill, allowing you to dodge attacks.
Green: gives healing ability and support for others.
Gray: gives a body as hard as stone, providing strong defense."
One child sighed in admiration: "Wow… I want to be blue!"
The headmistress laughed: "Every color has its time… and every mana has its value. But there is another mana, very rare, called Black Mana. It is connected to death and souls, feared by people—even the Black Knight himself."
She closed her eyes for a moment and then continued:
"The Black Knight appeared with the monsters. He protected the world with a black sword and an unbeatable army. But he ruled for a long time and saw the greed and hatred of humans. So he chose to leave… leaving behind his sword and army."
A small child turned to his friend: "Did he disappear completely?"
The headmistress said:
"Maybe… but the Black Mana was destroyed after that. The church declared it heresy, and everyone who had it was killed, fearing history might repeat itself."
She paused for a moment, then said:
"Over time, the strongest of the Gold Mana users became rulers, and the weak were only protected as a symbol of mercy. But many knights lost their honor."
Then she whispered softly:
"Despite all that… in every generation, someone is born who remembers the promise and keeps it. I still believe that a true knight will be born one day… a knight not ruled by rank or palace, who chooses to be just, not only strong."
She smiled and stood:
"Now, it is time to sleep, my little ones."
The children began to move, some lost in their imagination, others pretending to be brave.
But one child stayed behind… Cain stood near the fire, his brown eyes shining with a light not from the flames, but something deeper, just born.
He looked at the headmistress and asked softly:
"Can anyone become a knight… even if they are not noble and do not have mana?"
The headmistress paused, looked into his eyes, and gently placed her hand on his shoulder:
"It is not talent or birth that makes a knight, Cain… it is the heart."
She smiled and turned away:
"Now, go to sleep… even dreams need knights to protect them."
Cain disappeared into the darkness… but in his heart, a dream was born that he would never forget.
End chapter 1
"I hope your English is good. I used a translator and some AI to solve problems that are not my primary language. :)"
"I hope you, the reader I do not know, enjoy this beginning ._. To clarify, this Novel is inspired by Solo Leveling, with some changes I added myself. No need to ask :)"