Magic was said to be the very essence of life itself—the breath of the world, the pulse that flowed through stone and soil, wind and water, beast and human alike. It existed not as a gift given to a chosen few, but as a fundamental truth of existence. Every living being was born with magic sleeping inside them, like an ember buried deep within ash. In some, it never awakened. In others, it flickered faintly. And in the rarest of cases, it blazed so brightly that it altered the course of history.
Children sometimes displayed traces of magic even before they learned to speak properly. A newborn might warm the air around them without fire, or soothe a crying room with an unexplainable calm. Such signs were celebrated, never feared, for magic was not seen as a weapon by nature. It was simply a force—its goodness or cruelty shaped by the heart of the one who wielded it.
The world itself was simple in its geography, yet vast in its stories. There existed only one great continent, a massive central mainland where kingdoms rose and fell like tides, and where wars had scarred the earth so deeply that even the soil remembered blood. Surrounding this mainland were twenty-four island nations, scattered across the seas like stars around a dying sun.
Among them was Terra Garden.
Farthest from the central mainland, Terra Garden was a land many believed to be sheltered by fate itself. The ocean surrounding it was wide and treacherous, discouraging conquest and ambition alike. Because of this distance, Terra Garden had remained untouched by the endless wars that plagued the mainland. Its fields were green, its skies clear, and its people carried laughter more often than weapons.
Retired soldiers from the mainland—men and women whose eyes had seen too much—often sought refuge there. They spoke of Terra Garden as if it were a miracle, a place where nights were quiet and children slept without fear of waking to screams. And all of it, they said, was thanks to its ruler.
King Jiren Neverland
He was a man known not for conquest, but for compassion. Under his rule, no citizen was valued above another. Nobility and common folk stood equal before the law, and even strangers were offered shelter without suspicion. Beside him stood Queen Lily, whose kindness was as renowned as her wisdom. Together, they ruled not through fear, but through trust.
And on one peaceful morning, beneath a sky painted with soft clouds and golden sunlight, a boy named Noah Neverland ran through open fields, laughter spilling from his lips as freely as the wind.
Noah was twelve years old, bright-eyed and cheerful, with a spirit as restless as fire. He ran barefoot through tall grass with his friends, their voices echoing across the land. The scent of earth and flowers clung to the air, and for a moment, the world felt eternal.
"Hey, Noah!" one of the boys shouted, struggling to keep pace. "Today's your birthday, right? The day you finally find out your main attribute!"
Noah slowed, turning with a grin so wide it seemed impossible to dim. "Yeah," he said, almost bouncing in place. "I've been waiting for this day forever."
In this world, everyone could use magic of any attribute—fire, water, wind, earth, lightning, healing, and more. But there was always one attribute with which a person was most compatible. That affinity shaped their future, often determining their profession, their training, and sometimes even their destiny.
"They say your strongest attribute decides what kind of job you'll be best suited for," another friend added excitedly. "Mages, healers, knights, scholars—it all starts today."
"I hope I'm compatible with healing magic," said Joy, Noah's twin sister, as she brushed a strand of hair from her face. Her voice was gentle, but her eyes held quiet determination. "I want to help people. I want to save lives."
Noah looked at her fondly. Joy had always been like that—kind, thoughtful, and endlessly warm. If magic truly reflected the heart, then healing suited her perfectly.
"Well, I want fire," Noah said without hesitation. "If I can use flame magic, I can become a powerful mage. Strong enough to protect everyone."
Leo, Noah's closest friend, laughed and crossed his arms. "You know, there are people who are compatible with more than one attribute. They're extremely rare, but they exist."
Noah's eyes widened. "Seriously?"
"Yeah," Leo replied. "They're the kind of people history remembers."
"Well, we'll only know after the ceremony tonight," Emily said, smiling softly. She lowered her voice with a respectful tone. "No matter what happens, I wish you both the best. Even though you're the prince and princess, you've always been the kindest among us."
She glanced toward the distant palace. "Your father doesn't discriminate against anyone. That's why so many retired soldiers choose to live here. They say Terra Garden is the most peaceful country in the world. And they say it's all thanks to Lord Jiren."
As the sun dipped toward the horizon, bells rang across the capital, calling citizens from every corner of the country. By evening, the central cathedral of Terra Garden stood illuminated by countless lanterns, their soft glow reflecting off white stone walls.
The cathedral was sacred ground, a place where magic itself seemed to listen.
Inside, Noah and Joy knelt before the high priest, their hearts pounding in unison. Rows of citizens filled the hall, murmuring with anticipation. At the front stood King Jiren and Queen Lily, watching their children with pride and quiet emotion.
Tonight, fate would speak.
The priest raised his staff, ancient runes glowing faintly along its surface. A deep silence fell as magic gathered in the air, thick and electric.
Joy was first.
A gentle, light-blue aura bloomed around her, soft as morning mist. The color shimmered with warmth, wrapping her like an embrace. Gasps rippled through the crowd.
"Healing magic," the priest announced.
Cheers erupted instantly. Tears streamed down Joy's face as she clasped her hands together, overwhelmed by happiness. Her dream—her wish—had come true.
Then it was Noah's turn.
A bright red aura burst forth, vivid and intense, like living flame. The cathedral glowed with its heat, and Noah's breath caught in his chest.
"Fire," someone whispered.
Noah smiled, joy flooding his heart. This was what he had hoped for. What he had wished for.
But then—
The red began to shift.
The aura flickered, unstable, hues twisting and changing. Murmurs turned into shocked cries. The priest's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Multiple compatibility…?"
Noah looked toward Joy, smiling brightly, as if to share the moment with her.
That was when his world ended.
Whoosh.
The sound did not belong to this world. It was not thunder, nor magic as anyone in Terra Garden understood it. It was a scream of light itself, slicing through reality.
Before Noah's mind could even register danger, a blinding beam tore across the cathedral.
Joy's body jerked.
For a fraction of a heartbeat, she was still standing—still smiling—still alive in Noah's eyes. Then her head separated from her body with a wet, impossible sound, tumbling across the sacred stone floor. Her blood followed a moment later, splashing like red paint across white marble.
Noah's scream came too late.
The world erupted.
Dozens—no, hundreds—of searing beams rained down from every direction, piercing walls, ceilings, and human bodies as if they were made of paper. People were cut in half mid-cheer. Some vanished entirely, reduced to mist and fragments. Others collapsed in pieces that no longer resembled anything human.
Explosions followed, violent enough to crack the earth itself. The cathedral shook like a dying beast. Pillars shattered. Stained-glass windows burst outward, showering the hall with shards that glinted briefly before burying themselves in flesh.
The priest standing before Noah did not even have time to pray.
One instant he existed—robes flowing, staff raised—
the next, his upper body was gone, erased in a burst of blood and bone that sprayed across Noah's face.
The smell hit immediately.
Hot iron. Burned flesh. Ruptured organs.
Noah gagged, his stomach convulsing violently as he retched onto the blood-soaked floor. His legs gave out beneath him, but his arms refused to let go of Joy. Her body was already cooling. Already empty.
Screams filled the air—high, broken, desperate—but they were cut short one by one. Every cry ended in silence, swallowed by light or flame. Children reached for parents who no longer existed. Parents threw themselves over their children, only to be torn apart together.
Through the chaos, Noah searched wildly.
His father.
His mother.
They were nowhere to be found
A massive explosion tore through the far end of the cathedral, blowing the doors outward. The night sky beyond burned red and orange, illuminated by fires consuming the capital. Buildings collapsed in the distance like falling giants. The ground trembled continuously, as if the land itself was screaming.
Noah staggered to his feet, his mind hollow, his body moving without purpose. Blood—too much blood—coated his hands, his clothes, his skin. It wasn't all Joy's. It was everyone's.
He stumbled outside.
What greeted him was hell.
The streets of Terra Garden were unrecognizable. Homes were split open like corpses on an autopsy table. Towers that had stood for centuries crumbled into dust. People ran while burning, their skin peeling away as they collapsed. Others lay motionless, eyes open, staring at a sky that had betrayed them.
Light fell from above like divine punishment.
Except this god showed no mercy.
Noah dropped to his knees.
His ears rang. His vision blurred. His heart pounded so violently it felt as though it would tear itself free from his chest. He could not understand what was happening. He could not understand why.
Why was he alive?
Why was Joy dead?
Why was the most peaceful land in the world being slaughtered like cattle?
His scream tore itself from his chest, raw and animal, drowned only by the roar of distant explosions. He clutched the ground, fingers digging into soil slick with blood, as if holding onto the earth might stop it from breaking apart.
But it did not stop.
It did not slow.
Terra Garden burned.
And when Noah's strength finally failed him, when his mind could no longer endure the nightmare before his eyes, his body collapsed onto the ruined streets.
That day—the 26th day of the year 246—the most peaceful country in the world was erased in a single night.