Planet Earth — Year 2050
The old wooden chair protested under the weight of the tall man occupying it.
"Riiiing" —A loud, sharp bell rang out—.
The bell echoed through the building, marking the end of the school day.
"That's all for today, folks" —Professor Ethan announced with a calm smile as he stood up—.
A wave of soft groans rolled through the classroom.
"Come on, I know you want to go home too" —he added jokingly as he headed for the door and opened it for them—.
The students began packing their books, dragging full backpacks and tired sighs. One by one, they filed towards the exit.
"Happy birthday, teach!" —said the first, a freckle-faced boy with an honest smile—.
Ethan gave him a friendly pat on the shoulder.
"Thanks, David. Have a good one today" —He smiled at the young man—.
The rest followed, saying goodbye with smiles, high-fiving him or a fist bump, throwing him playful gestures of respect.
Finally, the classroom was empty.
He walked to his desk full of flowers and letters. Ethan took a simple notebook from his leather satchel.
"Dad, mom, today was the first birthday I spent without the two of you. I thought it would be a sad day, but it turns out I was wrong" —He wrote the first lines—.
He briefly observed all the flowers and gifts beside him.
—This will be a pain to carry— A small smile adorned his lips.
"It was a good day, every time I see their happy faces they remind me of you, little brother" —He wrote his second line—.
A heavy sigh left him; his hand trembled slightly.
"I love you guys very much, rest in peace" —He finished the last line—.
A single tear fell onto the paper before he closed it and put everything away.
He walked towards the door and exited, finding a small figure blocking his way.
"Oh, teach, I was waiting for you" —A soft voice was heard—.
Ethan was unable to see her due to the gifts blocking his view.
But he recognized her voice.
"Mia? You shouldn't be here, the bell rang several minutes ago" —He gently reprimanded the girl who he teaches in a different grade—.
"I brought you the gifts from the students in my grade for you, teach" —She excused herself—.
Her voice seemed nervous about being reprimanded.
—Oh, great, more gifts…— He thought to himself.
His arms were full.
"I also wanted to thank you for teaching me how to defend myself, thanks to you I'm not bullied anymore!" —She said with an excited voice—.
Something small wrapped around his waist; the girl gave him a hug and quickly pulled away.
"There's nothing to thank me for, I just did what any teacher should do" —He said with a gentle tone—.
A small hand reached over all the flowers he was carrying and a bunch of letters landed on the miniature rose garden, along with a small yellow flower.
"Have a good day, teach" —She said goodbye—.
Soon he watched the girl flee down the halls towards the exit, her footsteps echoing through the empty school.
—I may not have them anymore, but at least I know I'm not alone…— Ethan felt a lump in his throat.
He put the small yellow flower in his ear instead of leaving it among all the others.
He looked out the window and saw the dark clouds approaching in the distance.
—I don't like the rain, it gives me a bad omen— He worried about getting the gifts he was carrying in his arms wet.
He pressed the flowers against his chest and walked down the empty hallway, the echo of his footsteps accompanying him towards the exit door, in complete solitude.
Half an hour later, the rain was falling hard on the sidewalk.
Soaked and without an umbrella, Ethan climbed the stairs of the overpass.
The uncomfortable feeling of wet clothes stuck to his skin, but he liked to walk. Except today; he tried to cover the gifts with his body to prevent the students' letters from getting wet—he wanted to read them.
In the distance, a silhouette was outlined, blurred by the rain and the darkness settling in with the sun hiding behind the horizon. The car lights blinded him as he looked at the road below him.
His heart skipped a beat.
Too many memories, too much loss.
—No… Not again!— He lamented at an old memory.
The flowers and letters landed on the wet ground as they were dropped.
He ran as fast as his legs allowed him.
When he arrived, he thought it was already too late, but his body acted on instinct, reaching out and grabbing the girl's hand.
The metal railing pressed hard against his chest. His feet slipped slightly on the wet metal he was holding onto.
The young woman was left speechless by the unexpected turn of events.
She had mentally prepared herself for her death.
"Let go of me!" —The girl's sharp scream, full of anguish, cut through the sound of the storm—.
She struggled in an attempt to break free.
His feet trembled intensely like a tree in the middle of a storm.
Little by little, he lost his foothold, held only by his fingertips.
She stopped struggling instantly, surprised to see him losing his grip.
—Why can't I ever do anything right…?— The girl lamented internally.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" —Ethan yelled, exasperation and fear mixed in his voice— "You're still young, you have a life ahead of you! WHY THROW IT AWAY LIKE THIS?!".
The girl bit her lip hard, so hard that the taste of metal flowed through her mouth.
The desperate hand holding her was squeezing her wrist so hard it could break it.
"If you keep this up, you're going to fall with me, mister" —Her voice tried to sound tough so he would give up— "Are you going to give your life, just like that, for someone you don't even know?".
She tried to convince him to give up.
That wasn't going to work with Ethan; never.
"Yes, yes I would" —he said, the determination ironclad— "Because it's what my parents would have done. It's what I will always do, because no child should ever wish to die."
His words broke, but he still continued.
"I don't know what you've been through, I don't know you and I don't have time to understand it now" —he continued, his voice choked— "But please, don't give up on living. Life is precious, miss."
Ethan's tears mixed with the rain on the girl's face. Her dark blue hair covered a large part of her face. He saw the corners of her lips tremble as she forced a broken silence. Her eyes, full of anguish and something else—a spark of hope perhaps. She stopped struggling. She tried to climb up.
But Ethan had no strength left.
With the last ounce of energy, he pushed her enough so she could grab the railing and put her feet on the bridge.
But he didn't.
His vision inverted.
His head was falling towards the bright lights of the oncoming headlights.
"What a beautiful view..." —he murmured to himself—.
He saw the girl looking at him, regret covering her gaze, tears now flowing. He saw a young man of a similar age approach her, extending his hand; blond hair, brighter than any light in that darkness.
Finally, his last vision was a yellow flower, one that came loose from his ear.
—I'm sorry, kids. I'm sorry mom, dad and brother… For not being able to save you— He apologized in a fraction of a second.
It was the only thing he managed to glimpse before a light quickly advanced towards him and he felt the impact of his head against the...
…
Planet Solus — Year 1240
In the year 1240, the first month of the Imperial calendar, in the cold northern lands, a baby was born.
His father, a tall man with weather-beaten muscles, watched him with a smile few would have expected from such a brutal face. Beside him, the mother, a young and exhausted woman, cradled the little one.
Despite the tiredness, her warmth was enough to heat the icy room.
Outside it was raining while snowing, but the only audible noise inside the cabin was the baby's cry and the crackling of the firewood.
"Your name will be Aedric" —the woman whispered, her voice a soft melody—.
The man was about to dedicate a few words to his baby as well, but a movement in the corner of his eye paralyzed him.
The fire from the fireplace concentrated into a floating sphere, an orb of living flames dancing in the air.
Without a second's hesitation, the man grabbed the axe he had used to chop the wood and placed himself between the sphere and his son.
The sphere, however, moved with an inhuman speed, completely dodging him.
A shiver ran down his spine.
He turned, fear freezing his veins, to see the scene that left him breathless. The orb of fire plunged into Aedric's chest.
The mother screamed, a cry that was swallowed by the air, pressing her son even closer to her.
It was in that moment that it happened.
A stigma in the shape of a bird, with its wings spread, materialized on the baby's skin.
It shone with a blinding light that flooded every corner of the room.
For an instant, Aedric's crimson red hair, a replica of his father's, burned with a heatless fire, and his sky-blue eyes turned an intense orange, just like the stigma.
Then, as quickly as it had arrived, the glow faded, leaving only the memory of the light and warmth in the environment.
"The God in whom we place our faith has blessed the fruit of our love, our dear son" —Said Garreth, with a mixture of awe and reverence—.
Aedric, oblivious to the commotion, opened his eyes for an instant.
Incomprehension abounded in his childlike gaze, and something deeper than a simple dream… but the dream world claimed him, and his eyelids closed again.
In his dream, the scene of a man and a woman, both dressed in green camouflage suits, smiled at him and hugged him. Afterwards, the scene changed to that of a chubby and small boy playing with him.
Multiple scenes passed like this, fragmented in his dreamlike mind. He didn't understand their meaning, but a warmth invaded him, wrapping him in an even deeper and more welcoming sleep.
"Garreth, what do you think this means?" —Mildred's voice broke with nervousness—
He stood up, his face somber as he remembered something.
"I'm not sure, Mildred..." —a heavy silence stood between them— "But this must be kept secret. If the Church of Ignis finds out, they could take Aedric from us to raise him as the next Pope."
He paused and continued.
"We must hide him until he is a teenager and joins the military academy. They won't dare go against the emperor due to their good relationship."
Despite the fear that rooted in their hearts, great hope blossomed in them for their little one's future.
They knew that those blessed by the Gods have become important figures, but some had also known tragic ends for the good of the world...
And so, in the coldest corner of the supercontinent of Zenithia, the flame that would one day burn the enemies of the empire originated.
—End of prologue—