I was born into a fairly normal family in a world where magic, mages, and everything humans of Earth fantasize about actually existed.
Dragons? They were real.
Monsters, elves, even mortal gods? Also real.
It was, put simply, the epitome of what a fantasy world would look like if it were truly alive.
And yes, I grew up there. Lived most of my life there, as just another mortal girl.
At least... before everything changed on that one fateful day.
Growing up, I never really prided myself on anything except my habit of helping others whenever I had the means to. Not out of duty. Not because I wanted recognition. I just... wanted to make a difference. Even if it was small.
Aegea, much like Earth, wasn't the most ideal place to live. Earth was more advanced, sure-its universe manifested nearly a billion years earlier than ours, so that difference was expected.
Aegea, on the other hand, still clung to many outdated systems. Slavery existed-among humans, demi-humans, even monsters. Monarchies, castes, and the unwritten rule of "survival of the fittest" shaped daily life. Anyone unfortunate enough to get dragged into that world often had no way out.
Fortunately, the country I lived in-Ishtar-had banned slavery. But of course, that didn't stop certain groups from continuing the practice in the shadows.
The small remote village of Aoegos, where I grew up in gave me the opportunity to truly find myself. However, like any other child, I was clueless as to how the world actually worked. Accustomed to growing up in an environment where everyone lived peacefully and in harmony, I naively assumed the rest of the world worked the same.
And that was the first mistake I made.
After moving out and seeing the real world for the first time, all my expectations were shattered. In a city within the country of Kazar three mountain ranges away from Ishtar, what I expected to be a city teeming with life, where everyone lived their own lives, with children freely playing as they pleased—was anything but.
City streets were filled with homeless people in tattered clothes. Everywhere I looked, someone was getting mugged or beaten. As I continued walking, I noticed, just from the corner of my eye-three men in an alley pinning a woman down while she screamed for help that would never come.
I didn't understand. No, I couldn't.
Her voice echoed across the streets, yet... how could no one bother to help her? People were just sitting there. Others walked by like it was nothing unusual.
Some even glanced her way... then simply kept walking.
"Hey..." I murmured.
"Why is no one..."
My vision narrowed, the world slowing as my hands curled into fists.
"You... let her go..." The words trembled out, barely audible over my pounding heart.
"Stop..."
But they didn't listen, or maybe they didn't care. The woman's pleas only grew more frantic as she struggled.
The sounds around me grew faint, her screams louder.
I took a step forward, my voice cracking.
"I said STO-!"
A hand suddenly clamped over my mouth.
"Don't," a hoarse voice whispered. Old, worn, and trembling.
"You'll only make yourself their next target. Especially with how you look."
Tears blurred my vision as I looked over my shoulder.
"What do you mean?! Someone..." A sob forced its way out. "Aren't you going to help her?!"
The old man shook his head.
"Child... they won't just gut you. Those men are notorious for assaulting women around here."
Another sob forced its way out. But I no longer resisted.
"Why..." I whispered through choked sobs.
"This isn't the world I envisioned... this isn't the world I want to believe in..."
The old man gently placed a trembling hand on my shoulder.
"Forgive me, child. But this has always been how the world worked."
His eyes glinted with pity... and something else I couldn't name.
I turned to him and slowly took his hand in mine.
"Please do not apologize," I whispered, shaking my head. "This isn't your fault."
Despite how disgusted and sick I felt, I forced myself to listen as the woman's cries grew weaker... until they stopped.
Laughter replaced her screams, cruel, uncaring.
And then the three men turned away from her.
Their eyes locked onto me.
In that moment, I understood everything.
Their hungry stare alone was enough.
Kindness. Peace. Harmony.
They are nothing but empty ideals without the strength to uphold them.
That moment carved itself into my soul.
The terrible reality of this world... a world where beings said to be benevolent allowed horrors like this to happen, all hidden behind excuses of "grand design" or "fate."
"Gods don't exist..."
That much was clear.
Because if they did, if they were as perfect as the people in my village believed… then this suffering, this poverty, this violence...
They would never let evil run free like this.
Or perhaps...
They weren't perfect at all.
Or worse, they simply didn't care.
"...If this is how things are... then so be it."
I promised myself.
But first, I had to survive.
Without another word, I ran, leaving the old man behind as the three men brushed past him and began chasing after me.
I fled Cryia before they, or anyone like them could catch up, heading toward the only place I believed could offer safety.
Vàr.
The capital of Kazar.
The city where the Imperial Academy of History and Elements stood.
The journey was nothing short of hellish.
There were days I found myself trapped between storms, forced to hide inside dripping caves just to keep from freezing. On better days, I'd manage to hitch a ride atop merchant wagons heading toward nearby towns... only to be left behind again the moment they changed routes.
Weeks passed like that. Mud, hunger, sleepless nights, and the constant fear that someone was following me.
By the time I reached Vàr's gates, my clothes were filthy and torn, barely enough to distinguish me from a beggar.
Yet when the guards saw me, their expressions shifted.
They exchanged glances-recognition.
A noble from Vàr had apparently sent word ahead, describing a girl matching my appearance. Because of that, they allowed me through the gates without hesitation.
And to my surprise, waiting just beyond the entrance...
was a lavish carriage.
As if someone had been expecting me.
I slipped inside, hesitant and uncertain. The moment the door shut, the carriage set off through the city. It carried me toward the outskirts, where an estate large enough to rival my entire village stood behind towering walls and gilded gates.
When the carriage halted, the gates opened, revealing a path lined with servants.
Hundreds of them.
They stood in two perfectly symmetrical rows, parting like a sea as I stepped down. Their posture immaculate, their expressions unreadable.
An elderly man emerged from the front of the formation-a dignified figure with a stiff posture and an immaculate uniform. He pressed a hand to his chest and bowed.
"We have been expecting you, Lady Eunuella."
He straightened, stepping aside with practiced grace.
"I am Hioro, the head butler of the Nutriscu Duchy."
So he really is the head butler...
Hioro led the way, and I walked between the rows of servants. The maids wore black-and-white uniforms made from silk so fine it shimmered under the afternoon light. The butlers were dressed in tailored suits, polished from collar to cuff.
"Madame Roselia awaits you in the grand hall," Hioro said, gesturing with a gloved hand. "Please follow me."
The Nutriscu Duchy... Roselia...
I followed him silently, thoughts spiraling, my brows furrowing as old names and forgotten ties stirred in my mind. Before I realized it, we had already arrived at the grand hall.
I was still staring at the floor, lost in thought, when-
"Rania! It's so good to see you!"
A girl's voice, bright, excited, unmistakably familiar burst from across the room.
Before I could react, she tackled me in a full-bodied hug, arms wrapped around my neck as we tumbled to the floor with a soft thud.
That's right...
Memories from childhood surfaced all at once. Faces, laughter, the faint scent of flowers from summers long past.
Roselia Nutriscu...
Her golden eyes met my amber ones, her expression warm and overflowing with energy.
Was the distant cousin my parents always talked about.