"Huff... puff..."
The woman staggered through the forest, her legs trembling with every step. Two days without food, water, or rest — and still she couldn't stop. Behind her, the banners of the Holy Order fluttered like white fire through the trees.
She clutched the small, glowing artifact to her chest. A crystal orb, faintly pulsing with divine light — the Relic of Saint Varn, said to heal any wound short of death itself. She hadn't stolen it for power or greed. Only to save her mother.
"Just... a little more," she whispered. Her voice cracked from thirst. "Hang on, Mother… please."
The faint shimmer of a rock wall appeared ahead — the secret passage her grandmother had spoken of. A hidden tunnel that led into Country A, their ancestral home. The old stories had called it a dead land, long fallen to ruin. But right now, it was her only hope.
She placed her hand on the mark etched into the wall.
"Please work," she murmured.
The stone groaned, splitting open just enough for her to slip through. She darted inside — and the moment she did, the earth behind her shook.
"Stop! Give us the artifact, girl!" shouted a knight's voice.
She turned in time to see the tunnel collapse, sealing the way. Dust and darkness swallowed her whole.
When she came to, light was seeping through a crack above her. She pushed aside rubble and gasped.
The room before her was majestic — walls gilded in gold, a chandelier of diamond and glass hanging from the ceiling. It didn't match the stories of a fallen nation.
"What... is this place?" she whispered. Then, smirking faintly to herself: "If I could sell just one of those diamonds, I'd be rich."
But her eyes caught something far grander — a colossal throne, guarded by two towering statues so lifelike she almost felt their gaze.
Her feet moved on their own. She stepped closer. On the throne sat a man, motionless, with a sword across his lap. His face — calm, regal, heartbreakingly handsome — was carved in perfection.
"Some kind of ancient king…" she muttered, brushing dust off his shoulder. "You really were something, huh?"
Behind her, muffled voices echoed down the hall. The Holy Knights — they'd found another way in.
"If we kill that sneaky brat, we could be rich!" one hissed.
"Idiot. Let's keep this for ourselves," another whispered. "No need to tell the higher-ups."
Their greed dripped from every word.
She stepped back, looking for somewhere to hide — her hand brushed against the throne's armrest. A click sounded.
The ground rumbled. A hidden vault door opened behind the throne.
"What the—" she began, but then a voice drifted out. Deep. Ancient.
"Finally... I will be freed."
Every hair on her body rose. She stumbled backward, whispering, "Who's there?!"
"Come, child. You don't need to fear me."
A wave of power surged through the air — a barrier snapped shut behind her. She tried to cast Boost, but her magic fizzled, her strength gone. The light enveloped her.
"Sleep," the voice said softly.
And she did.
When she woke, the vault was filled with warmth — the kind that hums with life. A man stood over her. Not the statue anymore — him.
He sighed, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "You've exhausted your mana, little thief," he murmured. "You won't wake for a while."
He pressed a hand to her chest, pouring a swirl of blue energy into her body. "Consider this a gift. Or perhaps... punishment."
Meanwhile, outside the vault, the knights made their move.
"That idiot went in alone," one said. "We can take whatever's inside."
They drew their blades and stepped through the golden hall — only to freeze at what they saw.
The man from the throne stood there, alive, real. His gaze alone turned their knees to water.
"W-what are you?" one knight stammered.
The man turned slowly. His eyes glowed with molten gold.
"You asked for my name," he said. "Then be honored to hear it."
His voice shook the ground.
"I am Leonard the First — King of Kings. The God Killer."
A dark smoke poured from his skin, devouring the light. The knights screamed — and then there was silence.
High above the clouds, a god trembled. He felt Leonard's presence return, and fear crawled down his divine spine.
Leonard sat back on his throne, eyes glinting.
"Don't worry," he said softly, gazing at the statues around him. "You'll all be freed... very soon."
End of Chapter 1