The infinite, ever-expanding expanse of space—a boundless void without beginning or end—cradles countless planets, stars, and galaxies within its embrace. In a distant corner of this vast cosmos lies a planet called Etheria. It is a world where three distinct eras coexist: the past, the present, and the future live simultaneously across three separate continents. Divided by immense distances, the inhabitants of these lands remain oblivious to one another, sharing a single world yet living in different times.
Our story begins on the second continent.
In the Arkonis Valley, a realm of towering, majestic mountains, dense ancient forests, and sprawling flower-covered fields, rain had been falling for a long time. The droplets tapped against the leaves and the stalks of barley in the fields, playing a subtle, enchanting melody. The rain hammered against the windows of Dorian and Vesna's home, as if urging them to come outside—as if someone, or something, were waiting for them in the dark.
Their home was a modest, two-story house with four windows and two doors. Vesna felt a profound restlessness; a strange force seemed to be pulling at her heart, beckoning her toward the outdoors. She turned to Dorian, who sat preoccupied at a chair, tinkering with something.
"My dear, do you feel it too?" she asked. "I feel as though someone is calling us from outside. Won't you go and check?"
Dorian didn't even lift his gaze fully. "Hmm... why don't you check yourself? I don't have time for idle fancies; I'm busy!" he replied, his voice tinged with irritation.
Flushed with anger at his dismissal, Vesna stormed out of the kitchen. "Fine! If you won't go, I will!" she snapped, disappearing through the door.
Left alone, Dorian stared at the object in his hand—a device shaped like a pistol but crafted entirely from wood. Doubt began to gnaw at him. Was I wrong to snap at her? Why am I letting a woman go out into the rainy night alone? Is this how a man should act? He stood up abruptly, grabbed his heavy war hammer, and rushed after her.
"Vesna, wait!"
The rain was intensifying, and the wind had turned into a fierce gale. His cloak, soaked and heavy, whipped behind him as he searched for his wife. As Dorian walked down the village's central stone path, his mind raced with a single objective: Where is Vesna? Is she safe? Lost in thought, he didn't realize he had wandered far beyond the village outskirts. He pressed on through the vast, open fields, his anxiety growing.
Suddenly, in the distance, a shimmering pillar of amber light pierced the darkness. From this column radiated an otherworldly, soothing energy that seemed to calm the very air around it.
A voice echoed directly into Dorian's mind:
"Go there... they are waiting for you."
Dorian sprinted toward the light. He was bewildered—not just by the voice, but by the word "they." It implied more than one person. As he reached the light, his awe was tinged with a flicker of fear. Outside the pillar, the rain was so torrential that the pits dug to trap wild beasts were overflowing. But inside the circle of light, it was as warm as a hearth, and not a single drop of rain fell. Vesna stood there, her hair and clothes perfectly dry.
Dorian approached softly. "Vesna? Are you alright?"
At that moment, the thin, sharp cry of a newborn broke the silence. Dorian froze, his eyes widening in a mix of shock and terror. When Vesna turned toward him, he couldn't comprehend what he was seeing. In her arms was a basket, and inside it lay a beautiful infant with snow-white hair and striking, crimson eyes. As Vesna began to cradle the child, the crying ceased, replaced by a soft, innocent giggle.
Seeing the pure joy on his wife's face, a wave of warmth washed over Dorian's heart. Then, a grand, majestic voice boomed from above:
"This child is a gift to you, a sacred trust. Protect him, love him, and raise him as your own. This child is the savior of the world you know. Never surrender him to anyone!"
The voice was for Dorian alone; neither Vesna nor any other soul heard it. Dorian gazed at the sky for a fleeting second, and in that moment, he felt he saw the face of infinity itself. He walked over to his wife and embraced them both tightly.
"I will protect them," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. "Against anything, against anyone... even if it costs me my life."
Vesna looked up at him, puzzled. "Did you say something, dear? And what's wrong? I haven't seen tears in your eyes in five years."
Dorian wiped his face quickly. "It's nothing. I'm fine. Just... something got in my eye."
In truth, they were tears of overwhelming joy. Dorian and Vesna had long accepted they could never have children; both carried a hereditary affliction that made a healthy birth impossible.
As they began the journey back to the village, the amber pillar vanished, but the miracles continued. With every step they took, the ground beneath them turned instantly dry, and the rain curved around them, leaving them untouched. They were so lost in their happiness that they hardly noticed—until a fireball streaked through the air toward them!
In his state of heightened clarity, Dorian didn't even flinch. He swung his hammer with casual grace, swatting the projectile away. Their attackers were masked men dressed in the garb of bandits.
The bandits stood frozen in shock. "How did he do that? That was a mid-tier fire spell! Ordinary metal weapons should have melted!"
Their leader barked an order: "Get a grip! It was a fluke. Use your blades! Close in on him!"
The swordsmen lunged at Dorian. The strike was perfectly aimed, and they were certain of a hit—but their blades passed through Dorian as if he were nothing but a shadow.
"Where did he go? Is this an illusion? I don't sense any mana!" they yelled, spinning around in confusion.
One bandit spotted Dorian standing under a tree, sheltering his wife and new son. His eyes were glowing with a faint, dangerous red hue. In a flash—faster than the eye could follow—Dorian appeared behind them again. To the bandits, it looked like teleportation. They attacked repeatedly, but each time they only sliced through air, while Dorian reappeared elsewhere.
Finally growing tired of the game, Dorian caught two of their swords with his bare hands. He pulled the blades toward him and said in a voice that chilled their blood:
"You are lucky my family is with me. This time, I show mercy. But if there is a next time, you will beg me to kill you!"
He twisted the steel blades as if they were made of glass, shattering them into pieces. In the blink of an eye, he was standing directly in front of the bandit leader. Before the man could react, Dorian seized him by the collar.
"I don't want to see your faces here ever again!"
Dorian surged a bolt of cobalt blue energy into the leader and flung him high into the air. As the man soared, the energy enveloped his body like a gravitational well, dragging his panicked accomplices up into the sky along with him.