Light.
That was all he saw before his life changed.
A blinding blue light swallowed the entire sky—burning so bright it felt like staring into the heart of creation itself.
Then, in an instant, it vanished.
Replaced by a softer, yellow glow—like exchanging the fury of a furnace for the gentle flicker of a candle.
And for the first time in the history of planet Sovret, Don saw them:
The stars.
Alfred had moved the planet.
He had transported Sovret across dimensions—into a distant galaxy, in a faraway universe. A universe full of opportunity for his son… but also full of risk.
Still, it was far from the true danger. For now.
Don stared up at the sky, mesmerized.
The beauty of the stars. The strange yellow light he'd only read about in books—the Sun, they called it.
But why does my heart ache?
Why do I feel like I've just lost something?
He thought and thought, but the brilliance of the stars made him forget the pain—just for a moment.
In the past, the world would simply light up and darken, and no one ever questioned why. Don had read countless books about space. He'd asked his father dozens of times: How can there be day without stars? Night without a moon?
The old man's reply was always the same—cryptic, maddening:
"The planet's light is all the light needed, boy. Day and night. Does it truly need light other than mine?"
Then he'd laugh like a lunatic until he passed out drunk.
Across the sea, in the three continents surrounding Magenda, the world's inhabitants called them the Three Hells.
They were three masses of solidified lava, connected like a ring of fire around Magenda. Scorched. Twisted. Alive with heat.
The homeland of the demons.
And the demons had begun to move.
In the continent of Azkfos, the smallest of the three, reigned the Ruler of Demons—or as his people called him, the King of Blood.
He was unlike most demons.
Green-skinned. Bat-winged. Black-toothed. A hybrid of an Orc and a Succubus, born without horns—a mark of weakness in demon society.
Yet he had clawed his way to the throne.
He had defeated all his enemies. Their screams still echoed in the Pit of Despair, where the Blood King fought his first battle—and earned his crown in rivers of gore.
Now, in the Blood King's throne hall, the ruler sat in council with his two ministers—the rulers of the continents Zakon and Zakosh.
The ruler of Zakon, Zoleena—the Poison Princess—spoke first. Her voice was sharp, eager, dripping with barely restrained bloodlust.
"O King of Blood, we have received the signal!"
She leaned forward, eyes gleaming.
"Why the delay? After all this time, we can finally move! Finally, I can satisfy myself! We are finally free!"
Her grin widened, fangs glinting.
"Why wait now?"
Beside her stood the ruler of Zakosh—Zurkakh, the Prince of Darkness.
He rarely spoke. Years ago, he had opposed the Blood King, defied his orders. His tongue was cut out. His mouth stitched shut.
Now, he only nodded in silent agreement with Zoleena's words.
But in his eyes, there was something else.
Terrible fear.
The King of Blood looked at them both.
Then, in one fluid motion, he rose from his throne—and appeared beside them in an instant.
His voice was low. Dangerous.
"Now is not the time for arguments."
He leaned closer to Zoleena, his breath hot against her ear.
"When I say tomorrow, we go tomorrow."
His grin sharpened.
"Unless you enjoy losing your mouth, Poison Princess."
He tilted his head mockingly.
"You can add your tongue to my collection."
Then he licked his lips in a perverse, lingering gesture.
Zoleena felt exposed—as if she were naked before him. Vulnerable. Prey.
And yet… it only excited her more.
She wanted war. She wanted death.
But not her own death.
She bowed low.
"Your commands, O King of Blood."
The Prince of Darkness followed, bowing silently.
They departed.
The moment they left, the Blood King—Torkh—moved.
He spread his wings and launched himself into the air, flying toward the continent of Magenda.
But mid-flight, his form shifted.
His green skin paled. His wings vanished. His monstrous frame shrank.
When the transformation finished, he looked like a boy—around fifteen years old.
Harmless. Innocent.
As he approached the continent, he stopped flying. He didn't want to attract attention.
He had one mission:
Deliver his master's gift to Alfred's city.
Then the demon invasion would begin.
Back to the city, Don's birthday was approaching.
Only one hour remained.
And with all these strange events, he didn't know what to do anymore.
The sky had changed. The people had become… wrong.
Everyone moved like Golems—stiff, mechanical, lifeless. Their words were strange, broken, off.
Uncle John, the butcher, had been completely normal when Don approached him earlier to buy meat. But after the light came, he became… odd. Slower. Like he'd forgotten how to interact with humans.
His speech was broken:
"Boy… meat. You… meat. You want. Meat. You… want meat."
It was deeply unsettling.
Now, only minutes remained until midnight.
And that foolish old man still hadn't shown up.
I'm going to piss in his wine if he doesn't
come back today.
Time passed.
Midnight arrived.
At that exact moment, the continent of Magenda ceased functioning.
Don was instantly transported.
He blinked—and found himself standing in a vast, endless white expanse.
His breath caught.
His mind… stopped.
Before him floated something so beautiful, so perfect, so impossibly pure that his brain couldn't process it.
What… is this?
He had finally seen it.
The Source.
He didn't know when the tears started.
But suddenly, he was crying—sobbing like a child seeing his mother for the first time.
Every tear that fell onto the white surface caused a ripple, like raindrops on still water.
Then, he heard it.
A voice.
Not spoken aloud. Not heard through ears.
It resonated inside him—ancient, infinite, gentle, and absolute.
[Welcome, Don Valdruun.]
The voice wrapped around him like warmth.
[I am The Source. The foundation of life. The foundation of death.]
The white expanse pulsed softly with each word.
[I am the one who gives power… and I am the one who withholds it.]
A pause.
Then, softer—almost… loving:
[And you, boy…]
[You can possess the power.]