Five years had passed. The desperate hope of finding the seed had crumbled into nothing more than a ghost story. The world had been torn apart by beasts, and the scattered survivors now called themselves the dwellers. They clung to life in guarded colonies, dedicating their existence to two things: survival and the relentless, futile search for the mythical seed. Weaker settlements merged with stronger ones, a desperate act of unity to fend off the monstrous invasions. Every month, a colony would send its finest warrior into the desolate lands, a silent prayer on their lips, but no one ever returned. One by one, the colonies gave up, the cost too high, the fear of becoming smaller and more vulnerable too great.
In his fortress, Kilo roared with an impatient fury. Five long years had passed, and his hunt had yielded nothing. The promise of the seed had become a bitter lie. His companion, the witch Cedilla grew frail, her power wavering after the destruction of her hometown, Veneria. But beneath her weakened facade, a new obsession took root. She no longer sought the seed for Kilo, but for a different purpose: to bring back her fallen sisters. All hope seemed lost, like the flickering candle in the dark, until…
***
In the ancient village of Zamfram, a place dismissed as a myth by the outside world, a child was born with a destiny as vast as the sky. Her name was Sierra, and she grew up at the edge of a winding river, her life a relatively peaceful, protected dream. Her parents were consumed with a fierce, unwavering pride, their conversations filled with tales of their daughter's grace and beauty. She was tall and fair, her long, dark hair a striking contrast to her eyes that shone with a deep intensity. Her skin seemed to radiate its own light under the moon and the sun, a soft, magnificent glow.
By the age of twelve, Sierra was already a celebrity in her village, her beauty a subject of great admiration. By fourteen, her hand was sought by suitors from every corner of Zamfram. But it was her voice that was truly otherworldly. It was a melody that could quiet the heart and stir the soul.
"Aphrodite," they called her. "Goddess."
Her beauty and voice were so extraordinary that some whispered she couldn't possibly be human. Sierra's popularity swelled; people would follow her, captivated by her presence, just to brush a hand through her hair or hear her sing a single note.
Years passed, and on the eve of her seventeenth birthday, Sierra's world began to crack. For the first time, under the gentle light of the moon, her skin took on a luminous, brilliant blue glow. In the sunlight, it reverted to its natural glow. Her parents, terrified but devoted, frantically searched for a cure, a reason, they couldn't understand. They soon realized it was no illness but something deeper, a part of who she was. They began to hide her at night, trying to shield her from the world's cruel gaze. But the villagers grew curious.
"Why does Sierra no longer sing under the moon?" they would ask, their questions pressing. Her parents would simply wave them off with a forced smile on their faces while their hearts heavy with worry.
One night, a persistent admirer, his heart full of infatuation, followed her to the river where she loved to swim. Hidden by the trees, he watched as her body shimmered beneath the moonlight. His breath caught in his throat at the sight of her beauty, but then a wave of terror washed over him. He saw her skin begin to change, the familiar warm glow of her skin shifting to an otherworldly, brilliant blue. He choked back a cry, his heart pounding in his chest, and fled into the darkness.
By the next morning, the news had spread like wildfire. A tide of fearful, curious faces appeared at Sierra's doorstep, all desperate to confirm the rumors. From that day on, Sierra became a ghost in her own home. She stopped going out altogether. She tried to confront her parents, to demand answers about this strange transformation, but they had none. They were just as terrified and lost as she was.