In an ivory tower overlooking a lake, a woman with silver hair, dressed in the same shade, held a newborn in her arms. His eyes mirrored hers, but his hair—black as onyx—seemed like a void at the heart of the light.
She gazed upon him with unconditional maternal love.
After a few seconds of silence, footsteps echoed. A young man entered, his eyes and hair reflecting the same abyssal black as the child’s.
The man and the woman were none other than Nephis and Sunny, and the child, their son: Ace.
— It’s ready, Nephis, Sunny said in an urgent tone.
She nodded and descended the stairs toward the underground.
Below awaited a portal with the appearance of a nightmare. In truth, it was a divine memory of Titan rank, a one-use artifact capable of sending a being across the multiverse.
Before the gate, Sunny and Nephis stared at their son with eyes full of regret. They knew it would be the last time they saw him. The spell bound them here. Their kingdom still needed them.
So Sunny stepped away, seized a longsword of ordinary appearance, and brought it back near the child. Placing a hand upon his son’s forehead, his shadow stretched and tore into six black arms.
Calling upon the power of his nightmare steed, Sunny entered the child’s soul and began binding the sword to it. Threads of shadow slowly stitched weapon and spirit together.
Twelve hours of toil drained his strength, but at last, the bond was complete.
Then the sword changed. Its hilt darkened like onyx, yet took on the texture of wood. The guard fused with the pommel, the core of the blade turned black, while the edge gleamed with a pure whiteness. Between the two, sharp flames etched themselves into being.
Sunny contemplated the weapon and murmured in a definitive tone:— This sword will grow with him, when his lineage awakens.
The weapon dissolved into a rain of silver particles and sank into the child’s body.
Nephis, meanwhile, drew out a fine silver chain, adorned with a dove whose outstretched wings bore engraved flames. She placed it around Ace’s neck, kissed his forehead, and held him one last time against her heart.
Her voice trembling, she said:— If you want to tell him something… it’s now or never.
Sunny stepped closer, a crooked smile on his lips, though his eyes betrayed infinite tenderness.— You know, son… your mother and I fought to mend the mistakes of the past. But those choices chained us, and we became slaves to our own vows.He paused, his gaze softening.— You, however, must fight so that those you love can be happy… and so that you can be happy with them. No matter what world you fall into, do not repeat our mistakes. Live to be happy, not to fight the inevitable.
Then, in solemn silence, he nodded toward Nephis.
She answered with the same gesture, stepped forward to the portal, and placed the child within.
Ace vanished into the light, carried away to another universe.
But his departure shattered the balance. And to fill the void, the world where he was sent drew in other anomalies, beings from elsewhere.
Thus began the story of Ace, the child of flame and shadow.