In the kingdom of Erusaert, Nakid, a fifteen-year-old farmer, lived alone and peacefully on the farm he had inherited from his adoptive mother, Leslie.
Leslie was a woman of a cold temperament, distant at first glance. She spoke little and rarely smiled. Yet in her actions and in the way she raised him, Nakid sensed a quiet affection—one laced with bitterness he had never fully understood. She now considered him mature enough to provide for himself, surviving on the wealth the land offered.
Life was simple.
Peaceful.
Stable.
Until the day the sky changed.
A heavy, purplish shadow appeared above the clouds, radiating an oppressive aura. That day, the people of Eruasert remembered the ancient tales—the horrific wars spoken of by the elders, the disasters believed to have been buried forever in history.
Fear struck the kingdom like lightning.
Men, women, and children stood frozen, unable to comprehend what was descending upon them. Nakid himself struggled to move, paralyzed… until a single thought forced his body into motion.
Mother.
The light fell.
An absolute, devastating light that erased everything in its path. Bodies. Dreams. Hope.
All were reduced to nothing.
---
Years Later
The ruins of Eruasert still remained, littered with skeletons eroded by time. The heart of the kingdom had become a forbidden zone, irradiated by a weapon of mass destruction composed of radioactive chemical elements.
Only members of the global governing body, Sci-Just, and their archaeologists were permitted to enter.
They were stunned to discover that human remains still lingered.
---
Meanwhile… in the Death Realm
Nakid awoke with a jolt.
He had no organs.
No flesh.
He was nothing more than an animated skeleton.
Around him, other skeletal figures were awakening as well—murmuring, panicking, desperately trying to understand their fate.
Then, from the depths of darkness, a heavy step echoed.
A towering silhouette emerged.
— Silence.
The voice was hoarse. Crushing.
— I am the Skeleton King, and I challenge you. Come to my domain and seize the only vials capable of freeing you from this world ruled by terror, oppression, and endless combat. Here, only the law of the strongest exists. Climb the heights… if you are capable. I will be waiting.
He swept his gaze across the crowd, let out a cruel laugh, and vanished.
Chaos erupted.
The skeletons, realizing what was at stake, began slaughtering one another without hesitation to claim the ultimate prize. Nakid remained frozen in horror. A skeletal man noticed him, picked up a chipped sword, and charged.
The blade sliced through the air.
Nakid had only seconds.
A scream cut through the crowd.
His name.
He snapped back to reality—but it was too late to flee. Unable to move, he instinctively took a pitiful defensive stance, shielding his vital points.
The attacker struck.
But it was not Nakid who was hit.
A body stepped in front of him.
Leslie.
The sword pierced her ribs. She fell backward, then forced herself upright despite the wound and wrapped her body around Nakid. Her intent was clear.
Protect her child.
She did not scream.
She sang.
The lullaby from his childhood—the one she used to whisper when he was an infant.
The skeletal man struck again. And again.
Arms shattered. Legs broken. Bones crushed beneath relentless blows. He reveled in her destruction. Leslie continued singing, until only her ribcage and skull remained.
On the ground, Nakid tried desperately to gather her shattered bones, sobbing until his mind broke. He wished for death.
With her final breath, Leslie whispered:
—I'm sorry… for not being more affectionate… your face reminded me of his… it—
The sword pierced her skull.
Nakid screamed.
A cry almost inaudible amid the carnage.
He remained still, hollow, waiting for death. The blade rose above him.
Then—
A whistle.
An arrow tore through the swordsman's skull, dropping him instantly.
A skeletal woman appeared. Without a word, she lifted Nakid and carried him away from the battlefield.
Her name was Ysabella, the archer.
Without realizing it, she had just saved a simple farmer…
and perhaps the very hope of this world.