225 B.C. | Farewell
The night was quiet. Too quiet. No wind moved through the trees. No rustling leaves.Not even the soft voices of children who were usually still awake somewhere in the village.
Only… silence.
Kael stood barefoot in the sand.
The sky above Naath was clear, endless. Stars shimmered like scattered shards of light, so countless it almost felt as if the sky itself was breathing.
He knew it. Without anyone telling him. Today was the day.
"You're early."
Her voice was soft. Warm. Familiar.
Kael didn't turn. "I couldn't sleep."
Light footsteps behind him. Then she was there.
Lileath.
Her silver hair caught the starlight as if it belonged to it. Her presence was calm… but tonight, there was something beneath it. Something Kael didn't know. Or maybe… he did.
"You know," she said quietly. Not a question. He nodded. Slowly.
"You're leaving." A moment passed. Then she stepped beside him.
They stood there in silence, shoulder to shoulder, as the waves rolled gently onto the shore.
"This world…," she began, "was never meant to hold me."
Kael let out a quiet huff. "Yeah, figured as much. Too much goddess, not enough world."
A faint smile touched her lips. "That is one way to put it."
Silence. Heavier this time. Honest.
"How long?" he asked.
"With the sunrise… I will go."
Kael swallowed. He said nothing. He didn't want to. Because anything he could say… would only make it real.
"Kael." Her hand found his. Warm. Firm. "Look at me."
He did.
And for a moment… he was just a child again.
"You are stronger than you believe," she said softly. "And wiser than you pretend to be."
A faint grin. "Hey, I've got a reputation to maintain."
A hint of laughter. Then she grew serious again. "Listen to me now." The air around them shifted.
Finer. Denser. Power filled it. "My power… will not disappear." Silver light began to gather around her.
Soft. Flowing. "A part of me will always be with you."
Kael felt it. Not as pressure. Not as weight. But as… warmth.
"You will have to walk your own path," she continued. "I will not be there to guide you anymore."
A quiet breath.
"But you will never be alone."
His fingers tightened around hers. "That sounds like a poor substitute," he muttered.
"It is not a substitute," she said calmly. "It is trust." Silence. Then—
"And now… something important." A faint shimmer appeared between them.
A small object. A pendant. Silver. Delicately crafted, like a drop of frozen light.
"This is more than just a keepsake," she said. "It will protect you… when you need it."
Kael took it carefully. It was warm. "So you're giving me a cheat item as a farewell gift?"
A soft smile. "If that is what you wish to call it."
He exhaled quietly. "Alright… I'll take it." The first colors of dawn crept across the horizon.
Gold. Pink. Light. Too fast.
"Already…?" Kael whispered.
Lileath said nothing. She stepped closer. Then she pulled him into an embrace. Tight. Real. Not like a goddess. But like… a mother. Kael froze for a moment. Then returned it. His fingers tightened slightly against her back, as if he could hold her there. As if he could stop her from leaving. He knew he couldn't.
"You will do great things," she whispered into his hair. "Not because you must… but because you choose to." His voice was quiet. Rough. "I'm not going to die like all the idiots in this world." A soft laugh. "I certainly hope not."
One last moment. Then she pulled away. The light around her grew stronger. Too bright. Too much.
Kael blinked. "Hey…" She looked at him. For the last time. "We will meet again." Then—
she was gone.
Silence. The sun rose. And Kael stood alone on the shore. The pendant in his hand pulsed faintly. Warm. Alive. He took a deep breath. Slowly exhaled. His gaze drifted toward the horizon. "…Alright." A crooked grin. Smaller. Quieter. But there. "Let's see what this world has to offer."
Behind him, the waves crashed softly. Ahead of him lay everything. And behind him—
the world changed. A low, vibrating hum filled the air. Barely audible… yet impossible to ignore. As if reality itself… was tearing open. Kael slowly turned. Space warped. Light fractured. And then—
a portal opened.
Vast. Radiant. Threaded with silver strands of living magic. His breath caught. Then—
a voice. Soft. Familiar.And yet… farther away than ever before.
"My little star…" His fingers tightened around the pendant. "Here is support… to help you build a new home." A brief pause. Almost… hesitant. "Help them… they died in my name."
Silence.
Heavy.
Before Kael could respond—
a second voice. Dry. Amused. With a hint of mockery. "Funny… seems they were somehow bound to your mother as well."
Kael blinked. Slowly. "…of course." Then—
movement. Footsteps echoed from within the portal. Ordered. Precise.
The first emerged.
High Elves.
Tall. Flawless.Armor gleaming like polished silver in the morning light.
Their presence was… heavy. Disciplined. Regal. Ranks followed. And more. Then—
the rhythm shifted. Lighter. Fluid.
Wood Elves.
Their movements were silent. Natural.As if they were part of the wind itself.
And then—
Kael froze. Civilians. Thousands. Children clinging to their parents. Elders staring silently into a new world. Artisans. Families. An entire people.
…
…
....Kael.exe... has stopped working.
Two figures stepped forward. They approached slowly. Confidently. And knelt. Before him.
The High Elf commander raised his head.
His voice was calm. Steady. "My lord… my name is Bel-codhen, the Defender." He lowered his gaze slightly. "I command the remnants of our forces: Swordmasters of Hoeth, Phoenix Guard, Sisters of Avelorn, Yvresse Helm Guards…Dragon Princes… and even the last of our ancient beasts—two Star Dragons, a Frostheart Phoenix, and an Arcane Phoenix." A short breath. "As well as a Handmaiden of the Everqueen." He placed his fist against his chest. "We stand at your command." A brief glance behind him. "And with us… 4,000 civilians of our people."
Silence.
Then the second spoke. The Wood Elf. His voice was deeper. Grounded. "My lord. My name is Ledde." His gaze was sharp as an arrow. "The forests shaped us—and we are all that remains of them." A brief pause. "Winterheart Guards, Guardians of Cythral, Bladesingers… Waywatchers, scouts… and the spirits of our forests—two dragons and our magic." A slight nod. "We stand ready to hunt." A breath. "And 3,000 of our people… follow us."
Silence.
Absolute.
Kael stood there.
Blinking.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
…
System rebooting…
…
And then—
it broke out of him. Laughter. Loud. Uncontrolled. Real. He held his stomach, bending forward slightly, tears in his eyes. "Okaaay—!" A breath. Another. "Yeah… did not see that coming."
He wiped his eyes. His gaze drifted across—
the armies. The people. The reality. His new… problem. Or his opportunity. Then he looked up.
A crooked, wide grin spread across his face.
"Hey Brain…"
And then—
music.
Soft.
Perfect.
Only for him.
"What are we going to do tonight?"
A beat kicked in.
Familiar.
Chaotic.
Brilliant.
His grin widened.
Sharper.
Alive.
"The same thing we do every night, Pinky…"
A brief glance at the kneeling commanders.
At the thousands waiting for him.
Then back to the horizon.
"We try… to take over the world."
The waves roared.
The sun climbed higher.
And in that moment something began. Not just a story. But a power.