Morning at Hougwe Orphanage arrived as it always did. Nothing seemed out of place. The sun rose over the eastern horizon, its soft light washing over the rooftops and leaves with the same gentle warmth as always.
The scent of freshly baked bread filled the dining hall, mingling with the aroma of warm tea and the bright energy of children eager to greet the new day.
A low hum of activity rose from every corner—laughter, chatter, and playful teasing as they scrambled for seats around the long table.
Lucy moved among them with practiced ease, setting down plates of breakfast one by one, occasionally speaking in a firm but gentle tone.
"Put that bread back, Thomas," she said, looking at the boy who was trying to hide a slice behind his plate.
Thomas looked up with an innocent expression. "But Miss Lucy, I'm still growing."
"You've already taken three slices."
"That's part of rapid growth, you know."
"Three slices at once?"
"It's very serious growth, Miss."
Some of the children laughed at his reply. Alex nearly choked on his drink, while Alice covered her mouth with both hands, trying to stifle her giggles so they wouldn't be too loud.
Warm moments like this were usually enough to bring a faint smile to Edward's face—small, but enough to lighten the weight in his chest. But this morning was different.
Edward sat quietly at the end of the table, slightly apart from the noise. His gaze was distant, fixed on nothing visible in the air. The bread on his plate remained untouched.
Dark circles had grown deeper beneath his eyes, as though he had not closed them all night. And in truth, he had not.
Every time he shut his eyes, the same images returned: the grand yet crumbling ancient city, towering tongues of fire, screams that tore through the silence, and a sky turned the color of blood.
And at the center of it all, one name echoed over and over again, as if carried on a wind that had blown for thousands of years: Equilibris.
"Brother Edward?"
A soft voice pulled him from his thoughts. Edward started, as if waking from a long, heavy sleep.
"Hm?"
Alice carefully pushed a glass of milk toward him. "You should drink something. You'll get a stomach ache if you don't eat."
Edward lifted the corner of his mouth, trying to form a genuine smile. "Thank you, Alice."
"But you don't look well."
"I'm fine."
"You're lying."
Edward fell silent. He had no answer.
Alice looked at him with a seriousness far beyond her years, as though she understood more than she let on. "You always say you're fine, even when you're not."
The simple words, spoken in such an innocent tone, felt like an arrow piercing straight through his heart.
Across the table, Serly sat quietly, her eyes darting toward him now and then, filled with curiosity and suspicion.
Meanwhile, Silvia, who had just stepped into the dining hall, immediately noticed the shift in the air. She glanced from Edward to Alice, then let out a soft sigh and walked over.
"You didn't sleep again last night, did you?" she asked, pulling out a chair and sitting beside him.
Edward tried to smile once more. "I did sleep."
"You can't even lie properly, Edward."
Thomas's voice suddenly cut in from the other end of the table. "That's what I said too! He zones out so much he doesn't even hear when people call him!"
Silvia shot him a sharp look. "Quiet and finish your breakfast, Thomas."
Thomas immediately ducked his head and hid his face behind his plate. "All right."
The room soon returned to its usual lively buzz, but Silvia's attention never left Edward. The longer she watched him, the clearer it became that something was gnawing away at his peace from within—something dark, heavy, and which he was trying desperately to hide.
After breakfast, the children hurried outside to go about their day. Some helped tidy the rooms, others ran off to play in the yard, while Edward picked up a cloth and began helping wash the dishes at the sink.
He moved with practiced ease, as though everything was normal. But not everyone was fooled.
Serly approached and set a stack of dirty plates down beside the sink with a sharp clatter. "You look terrible this morning."
Edward raised an eyebrow, trying to lighten the mood. "That's an unusual way to greet someone at breakfast."
"I'm not complimenting you," she replied flatly.
Edward let out a quiet laugh. For a moment, it felt like any ordinary day—when they would banter and tease each other. But this time, Serly did not smile back. Her gaze remained sharp and searching.
"You've been drifting off a lot lately. As if your mind is somewhere far away, far from here."
Edward fell silent.
"And I've also seen you talking to yourself. As if there's someone standing right beside you, even though no one is there."
Edward's heart beat faster. "What?"
"I've seen it. Several times. You stare straight ahead, speaking firmly, as if arguing with someone no one else can see."
Edward quickly turned away, focusing his eyes on the flowing water. "It's not what you think."
"Then what is it?"
He had no reply. His tongue felt tied, as though something was holding the words back. And it was exactly that silence that made Serly all the more certain—there was something he was hiding, something that filled her with unease.
By midday, Edward was helping Alex repair the wooden fence at the back of the orphanage. The sun shone brightly, though its heat was not yet harsh. A soft breeze carried the scent of wildflowers and damp earth. Everything looked peaceful, calm, as though it would last forever.
But that peace did not last.
Without warning, the pain returned. Sharp, piercing, as if a giant hammer was striking the inside of his mind over and over again.
"Argh—!" Edward immediately clutched his head with both hands.
The world around him began to spin. Alex's voice calling his name grew distant, faint, as if coming from the end of a long tunnel.
"Brother Edward! What's wrong?!"
His vision blurred. The sky above seemed to waver, as though it were made of thin glass. The grass, the trees, and the houses in the distance rippled like the surface of water struck by a stone.
And just then, the pendant shaped like a sword around his neck began to grow warm. The warmth slowly turned to heat, growing hotter and hotter until it felt as though he were holding a burning coal fresh from the fire.
Edward dropped to his knees in the grass. Instinctively, he gripped the pendant tightly. From between its ancient carvings, a soft yet unmistakable golden light began to glow.
Then the pendant pulsed. As if it had a heartbeat of its own.
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
The pulses grew faster, stronger, until they fell in rhythm with Edward's own racing heart. Alex stumbled back several steps, his eyes wide with disbelief at what he was seeing.
"What is that? Edward, what's happening to you?!"
Edward himself did not understand. But deep in the most hidden part of his soul, he felt something—a call, soft yet impossible to ignore. Something ancient, belonging to a time long gone, yet feeling strangely familiar, as though he had known it all his life.
And as he had feared, the voice returned. Clear, calm, echoing within his mind.
"You have finally begun to hear it."
Edward clenched his fists until his nails dug into his palms. "Be quiet."
"Still angry?"
"I said be quiet!"
Alex stared at him, confused. "Edward? Who are you talking to?"
But Alex's voice grew fainter, more distant, as though the world was slowly pulling away and separating from him.
"I did not come here to argue today," the voice continued.
"I don't care what you have to say."
"I know you don't. But there is one thing you cannot deny."
"I don't want to listen."
"Yet deep inside, you want to know the truth."
"No."
"That is a lie."
Edward froze. The voice cut through his defenses, touching the very thing he had hidden even from himself. He did want to know—about his missing parents, about the origin of this pendant, about the name Equilibris that kept repeating in his head, and about who he truly was.
Destrover spoke again, but this time his tone was different. There was no mockery, no threat, no attempt to manipulate. Only a deep weariness, as though he had carried a terrible burden for thousands of years.
"Then…"
"Open your eyes and see for yourself."
In that instant, the air around him seemed to crack.
CRAAAAACK—
The sound of shattering glass filled his ears. Edward looked up, his eyes widening in disbelief. The sky above was covered in glowing cracks, splitting the clouds, splitting the sunlight, splitting the world he had known all his life.
"What is this?!" he cried, trying to stand but finding his legs weak beneath him.
The ground beneath him began to crack as well. The grass, the trees, the wooden fence he had been fixing, even the walls of the orphanage—everything slowly turned into shards of light that floated in the air, then faded and vanished.
Alex was gone. The village of Hougwe was gone. The entire world he knew seemed to dissolve into nothingness.
Then Edward fell. He fell into an endless darkness, with no bottom in sight. Wind howled in his ears, his body spinning uncontrollably, thrown into a place unknown, falling deeper and deeper.
"Aaaaaahhhhh!"
There was nothing to hold onto. Nothing to stop his fall. Only darkness surrounding him, and Destrover's voice echoing from every direction, as if it had become one with the dark itself.
"This is what you have always wanted to see, even if you did not know it."
"This is what the world tried to bury and forget for thousands of years."
Edward tried to cover his ears with his hands, but the voice remained clear. It did not come from outside. It came from within.
Suddenly, his fall stopped. He hovered motionless in a vast, silent void.
Before him appeared something enormous, magnificent, and terrifying all at once. An ancient gate, hundreds of meters high, carved from smooth black stone covered in intricate patterns he had never seen before. There were depictions of swords, wide-open eyes, and a symbol of a circle split in two—one half red, the other blue.
Edward's heart raced. He was certain he had never seen this place before, yet strangely, it felt familiar. As if it were a memory he had once possessed, but which had somehow been stolen and hidden away from him.
Slowly, the gate began to open. The heavy, grinding sound of stone against stone echoed throughout the void. From the gap poured a brilliant white light, so bright he had to close his eyes for a moment.
Destrover spoke one last time, in a tone that sent chills down Edward's spine.
"Welcome…"
There was a pause.
"To the beginning of the end of everything."
Edward opened his eyes slowly, gazing into the ever-brightening light. His breath caught in his throat. Whatever lay beyond this great gate—would change the course of his life forever.
The white light pouring from behind the ancient gate was so dense that it enveloped Edward's entire field of vision. For a moment, he could see nothing but its blinding brightness.
There was no sound, no wind, no sensation against his skin—only a silent void, as if he had been cast into a place where even time itself had stopped moving.
But slowly, gradually, the light began to fade. Like a thick mist lifting gently in the morning breeze, clarity began to return. Edward opened his eyes slowly, and in that instant, he froze in place, his breath catching in his throat.
"This…"
His voice was barely a whisper, swallowed up by the awe swelling in his chest. Before him stretched a sight he had never imagined existed—not even in his wildest dreams.
Vast fields of lush green grass stretched as far as the eye could see, shimmering as if covered in a layer of silver dew. Yet it was not the land that left him speechless.
It was the sky.
There, suspended at impossible heights, floated dozens of magnificent cities. Massive islands drifted serenely above layers of white clouds, as if held aloft by an invisible hand. Upon them rose towering structures, built from materials that glinted like stars in the night sky. Bridges woven from soft, glowing light arched between the islands, forming beautiful patterns across the heavens.
Crystal spires pierced high above the cloud cover, while rivers of silvery-blue light curved gracefully through the air like giant serpents dancing among the cities.
Mana.
Edward immediately understood what gave this place its life. He did not know how he knew, but he could feel it—magic so pure, so thick, that the very air seemed to throb, as if it possessed a heartbeat of its own.
"Is this truly the same world I live in now?" he murmured softly.
He stepped forward cautiously, as if afraid of shattering the miracle before him. The grass beneath his feet swayed gently in a breeze that carried the scent of fresh blossoms. Everything felt so real—the texture of the earth, the brush of the wind, the warmth of the light against his skin. Far too real to be called a mere dream.
"This is no dream."
Destrover's voice echoed suddenly in his mind, calm and steady.
Edward stiffened. "So it was you who showed me all this?"
"I have only drawn back the curtain so you may see what has long been hidden," the voice replied.
"Is this… the past?"
Destrover did not answer immediately. There was a brief silence before he spoke again. "Look for yourself. Let your eyes be the judge."
Edward began to walk across the green plain, moving carefully as if treading upon fragile glass.
The further he went, the more life he saw all around him. People walked along streets paved with smooth white stone, their faces filled with peace and joy. In open squares, children laughed as they guided small glowing orbs that floated through the air. Merchants sold all manner of wondrous objects that hovered above their tables without being tied down. In the distance, sorcerers glided through the sky, supported by rings of light beneath their feet, moving as freely as birds.
Edward's eyes widened. "Magic like this… I never even imagined it could exist."
Even Altheon, regarded as one of the greatest sorcerers of his time, would surely be astonished to witness the advancement and purity of magic here. This world felt so advanced, so beautiful, so brimming with hope.
Yet amid his wonder, for the first time, Edward felt something else—a quiet sorrow slowly creeping into his heart. Deep down, he knew with absolute certainty: this beautiful world no longer existed. It was nothing more than a lingering memory from an age long lost.
His journey through the memory carried him further, until at last he stood before a kingdom so magnificent it left him utterly speechless.
It was vast beyond measure, far larger than the city of Huinjou, whose tales he had once heard. Its outer walls were crafted from gleaming white crystal, radiating a soft glow that sparkled beneath the sun as if studded with thousands of stars. At its center stood a majestic palace, rising high as the very heart of light that illuminated the entire realm.
All around it, thousands of magical artifacts floated in slow, graceful orbits. Birds carved from crystal flew between the lofty spires, while magical creatures roamed freely without fear. There were small dragons no larger than horses gliding casually above the streets, stags whose bodies shimmered with gentle light wandering through the gardens, and enormous trees whose leaves glowed with a soothing blue radiance.
Edward gazed upon it all, his heart torn between awe and sadness. "How could history never record that such a place existed?"
"Because history does not always tell the truth," Destrover replied from within his mind. "History is written by those who survive—and often, they choose to forget what is too painful to remember."
Edward fell silent. The words felt heavy, as if they carried the weight of thousands of years buried in oblivion.
In one of the kingdom's lush gardens, Edward spotted a group of children around his own age. They gathered merrily, practicing their magic amid laughter that rang out freely.
One of them waved a hand, and instantly butterflies made of soft light fluttered into the air. Another swept their palm over the ground, and flowers of brilliant hues suddenly bloomed from the earth. Their laughter filled the air, sounding so free and happy, as if no burdens weighed upon their shoulders.
A faint smile touched Edward's lips as he watched. But slowly, it faded, replaced by a deep, stirring feeling. Unbidden, images of Alice, Thomas, Alex, and all the children at Hougwe Orphanage flashed through his mind. They too laughed just like this, played with joy, and knew simple happiness.
And for the first time, Edward truly understood what it was he wished to protect. Not great power, not ancient secrets, nor even a feared destiny. But simple things like these—happiness, peace, and the people he held dear.
But then, without warning, the atmosphere around him shifted drastically. No warning, no signal, no mercy.
The sky, once bright and beautiful, began to shake violently.
BOOOOOOOMMM!
A deafening roar echoed, shaking the very foundations of the land. Edward stumbled backward, his eyes wide. The people in the city also froze, pausing in their activities and turning as one toward the heavens.
Slowly, the sky's blue hue drained away, replaced by a deep, ominous shade of blood-red.
"What is happening…" Edward whispered, stepping back with a growing sense of unease.
Suddenly, the long, piercing wail of an ancient siren began to sound, echoing from one end of the kingdom to the other.
UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU—
The sound was so loud and heavy it made his own heart race. Along the streets, soldiers began sprinting toward the defensive gates, while sorcerers appeared from all directions, conjuring enormous magical circles that filled the sky. Faces that had once been bright with smiles now paled, etched with fear.
"The enemy is here!" someone shouted from the distance.
"All forces, take your positions!"
"Activate the kingdom's protective barrier!"
"Evacuate civilians to safety!"
Shouts and commands filled the air, panic spreading as swiftly as fire through dry brush. Edward could only stand frozen, watching everything change in the blink of an eye. He knew he was witnessing the beginning of a disaster that would alter everything.
Amid the chaos, Edward's gaze fell upon a quiet corner. There, a mother held her small child tightly in her arms, trying to soothe them with a soft voice even as her eyes brimmed with worry.
"Do not be afraid, my dear," she whispered.
"But Mother… the sound is so frightening," the child replied, their voice trembling.
"Everything will be all right. We will be safe."
Yet even as she spoke with such conviction, Edward could clearly see that she herself was on the verge of tears.
The sight made his chest feel tight, as if pressed down by a heavy weight. For deep in his heart, he knew the unspoken truth: they would not be all right. None of them would.
Then, the blood-red sky suddenly split open.
CRAAAAAAKKKKK—
A massive rift tore across the heavens, so wide it blocked out much of the sunlight. From within the crack poured forth a thick, suffocating darkness. And from that darkness, they came.
The shadow army.
They were countless, like an endless black ocean. Monstrous creatures of terrifying form poured down from the sky without cease.
Some bore six long, powerful arms; others were as large as giant wolves with gleaming, razor-sharp fangs; still others were nothing but living mist that moved swiftly, their presence marked only by pairs of glowing red eyes.
There were millions of them.
Edward felt his legs tremble, his body turning cold. This was not merely war. This was annihilation.
The kingdom's forces struck back immediately. Explosions of magic lit up the sky—towering pillars of flame, crashing bolts of lightning, ice that froze the air itself, and light that burned with searing heat. But for every monster that fell, ten more poured forth from the rift in the sky to take its place.
"Impossible…" Edward whispered, his voice hoarse.
He watched as the kingdom's sorcerers and knights fought with every ounce of their strength. They were extraordinarily powerful, far greater than any magic he had ever heard of. Yet even with their might, they began to fall one by one.
An elderly sorcerer unleashed all his power, sacrificing himself to destroy hundreds of shadow beasts at once. A knight bearing a great shield stood firm before the gate, protecting fleeing civilians until he was at last swallowed by the darkness.
They fought on, raising their weapons and magic, even though they knew their chance of victory was nearly nonexistent.
Edward clenched his fists until his nails dug into his palms. He did not know these people, had never met them, and did not know their names. Yet somehow, he felt a heavy ache in his chest, as if his eyes grew hot and threatened to spill tears.
Suddenly, the roar of battle fell silent for a moment. Even the shadow monsters halted, parting to form a wide path through their ranks as if making way for something approaching.
The ground beneath their feet began to shake violently.
BOOM.
BOOM.
BOOM.
Each step shook the earth, as if a mountain were walking slowly forward. Edward lifted his gaze, raising his head higher and higher until his neck ached.
And at last, he saw it.
A colossal being, as tall as the greatest mountain he could ever imagine. Its form was shrouded in impenetrable darkness, making it difficult to discern details, yet its two glowing red eyes were unmistakable—burning bright like twin suns. The aura radiating from its body was immense and terrifying, carrying an air of destruction that cast a pall over the entire sky. Wherever it looked, death seemed sure to follow.
Edward froze in place, his breath catching. For he recognized that aura. It was the same aura he had felt so often, the same voice he had heard in his mind, the same presence that lived and was imprisoned within him.
This was Destrover's aura.
"No…" he whispered, his voice trembling.
The colossal figure slowly lifted its head. And for a moment that seemed to stretch on forever, those two enormous red eyes looked directly toward him.
Though this was nothing more than a memory from the distant past, Edward felt as though the gaze pierced straight through his soul. A crushing pressure settled over his body, making it hard to breathe.
"Now you begin to understand…"
Destrover's voice echoed in his mind, yet this time it sounded different. There was no arrogance, no anger, no mockery. Instead, it was heavy, weary, and filled with profound regret.
"This is the world that was destroyed by that inevitable war."
Edward did not reply. His eyes remained fixed upon the giant figure in the distance. And for the first time since learning its name, a great question formed in his mind.
If that colossal being truly was Destrover… then who possessed power great enough to stop it? And why did Destrover's voice sound like that of someone who had also lost something precious in this war?
Edward stood frozen amid the vision, which felt so tangible it was as though he were truly there, rather than merely watching a shadow of the past.
A scorching wind swept fiercely across the land, carrying a sharp, acrid stench—the metallic tang of spilled blood, the grit of drifting ash, and the bitter fumes of burning metal.
Above, the sky hung heavy with deep crimson, like a cloth soaked through with blood, stretching across the entire horizon as the world slowly sank into ruin.
In the distance, the colossal figure stood unshaken. Its frame was so vast it blocked much of the view, resembling a living, moving mountain. Its two eyes burned bright red, like twin suns ablaze with unquenchable fury.
With every step it took, the ground split wide beneath its feet; mountains in the distance crumbled as if made of sand, and the rivers of light that once flowed through the sky churned violently, as though struck by a terrible storm.
Edward swallowed hard, his heart pounding so fiercely he could hear its own rhythm. He recognized the aura surrounding the being—it was exactly the same one he had felt in the Chamber of Awakening, the same that had haunted his dreams, and the same that had spoken to him from the corners of his mind all this time.
"So…"
His voice came out faint, nearly swallowed by the howling wind and the chaos of battle.
"That… is you?"
Silence settled within his consciousness. No answer came immediately. All he could hear were the screams of those fighting, the thunder of magical explosions, and the slow, groaning sound of the earth tearing itself apart.
Edward clenched his fists tightly, fighting to hold back the fear creeping over him. "Answer me!"
This time, the voice finally came. Calm, deep, and carrying the weight of thousands of years, sounding far older than anything he had ever heard.
"Yes. That is indeed me."
Edward froze in place. His chest felt tight, as if a heavy burden had suddenly been laid upon it. For so long, he had only thought of Destrover as a name—a legend of a terrifying monster.
But seeing it directly, even if only through a memory that felt so vivid, still made his entire body tremble violently.
"I suspected as much…" he whispered softly. "But why show me all of this?"
Destrover did not reply. Not yet.
Edward tried to turn his gaze away, searching for something else to look upon, something less heavy to bear. Yet his eyes seemed to have a will of their own, always drifting back to the giant figure standing amid the destruction.
He watched as human soldiers fell one by one, like dry leaves swept away by a storm. Magnificent fortresses crumbled to rubble in mere moments, and the once-beautiful sky continued to split open into glowing, terrifying rifts.
In the distance, an elderly sorcerer in tattered, dust-covered robes raised a crystal staff that glowed with a faint, weak light. A massive magical circle spun rapidly around him, and hundreds of spears of light shot forth at incredible speed, striking the giant's body with tremendous force.
BOOOOM!
A blinding flash of light filled the entire sky, forcing Edward to shut his eyes for a moment. But as the glow slowly faded, the giant remained standing tall. It had not even shifted an inch, as if the attack had been nothing more than a gentle breeze.
The old sorcerer stared up at it, his eyes wide with disbelief. "Impossible…"
But before the words could fully leave his lips, a wave of red energy shot through the air. The sorcerer's body vanished instantly, leaving not even a trace behind.
Edward stumbled back, his face turning deathly pale. "Is… is all of this truly real?"
For the first time since he began witnessing these memories, a small spark of hope flickered in his mind—the hope that this was all a lie, an illusion created only to frighten him.
Destrover spoke once more, breaking the silence that had settled in Edward's thoughts.
"That is indeed me. But remember this: that is not the whole story."
Edward frowned, confused. "What do you mean?"
"You have seen the war that took place. You have seen the destruction that befell the world. You have seen my form standing in the midst of it all. And without hesitation, you have concluded that I was the source of all this calamity."
Edward fell silent. Was it not true? Were not all the stories, legends, and historical records he had ever heard always the same—that Destrover was the great enemy who sought to destroy the world, the source of all darkness and evil?
"Because that is what everyone has always been told," he replied at last.
Destrover's voice sounded like a faint, cold laugh—bitter, as if it held a deep, hidden sorrow.
"Because history is always written by those who survive, and by those who hold power afterward."
The words struck Edward like a blow. For the first time, he heard genuine sadness in the voice of the being that had long been regarded as a monster. And strangely, that feeling was far more unsettling than any anger or threat he had heard before.
Beneath them, the war raged on with ever-increasing cruelty. Edward watched the inevitable bloodshed, but suddenly his eyes caught something strange.
Amid the chaos between the shadow army and the human forces, another group moved swiftly. They wore black cloaks that covered their entire forms, and most surprising of all—they were attacking both sides of the battle.
"What is this?" Edward asked, his voice filled with confusion.
Destrover gave no answer. But Edward's gaze caught a symbol etched upon the chests of their cloaks—a symbol that felt strangely familiar. A circle, an image of a sword, and an eye wide open.
Edward's heart beat faster than ever. That symbol… it closely resembled the emblem of the organization that had watched him from the shadows for so long—the Hidden Order. But how could that be? The Order was said to have existed only for the past few centuries, not thousands of years ago during this ancient war.
Suddenly, the atmosphere across the entire battlefield shifted drastically. A soft yet brilliant golden light began to pour down from behind the clouds, spreading slowly until it covered everything.
The noise and fury seemed to halt instantly. Even the shadow creatures stopped moving, as if stunned by something both terrifying and magnificent.
The light grew brighter and larger, until a glowing figure slowly descended from the sky. Edward's eyes widened in disbelief.
Behind the figure spread a pair of large, magnificent white wings, unfurled wide as if to shield the entire world. Silver armor reflected the light like the sun itself, while long hair streamed in the wind.
In its hand, it held a sword forged of pure light, radiating an overwhelming aura of power.
As soon as the figure appeared, a roar of cheers erupted from the ranks of the human army.
"The Guardian!"
"The Great Guardian has come!"
"Our hope is not lost!"
Edward felt a chill run down his spine. The aura this being emitted was unlike anything he had felt before—warm, calming, yet beneath that gentleness lay immense strength, far greater than anything he had ever known, including the power of Grandmaster Altheon.
The one called the Guardian raised its sword toward the sky. In that instant, a soft white light spread across every corner of the battlefield.
A miracle unfolded: soldiers who had been gravely wounded suddenly felt strength returning to their bodies; sorcerers who had exhausted their magical energy found their power restored; and the hope that had nearly died in every heart flared bright once more.
Edward watched in silence. "Who is he?"
For the first time, Destrover did not answer immediately. After a brief pause, his voice came softly.
"I once knew him."
The reply made Edward turn his head sharply. "What?"
But this time, Destrover fell silent again, refusing to continue.
The Guardian descended slowly until its feet touched the ground. The moment it stepped upon the earth, a gentle wave of light swept across the surrounding area. Any shadow creatures caught within it instantly turned to dust and vanished. The cheers of the soldiers rose once more, louder and more spirited than before.
"The Guardian!"
"The Guardian!"
"The Guardian!"
Edward studied the figure's face closely, trying to see it clearly. Yet strangely, it seemed as though a thin mist veiled its features, making it impossible to distinguish. It was as if this memory had been deliberately altered to hide its identity from anyone who might see it.
"Why can I not see his face clearly?" Edward asked, feeling uneasy.
Destrover replied in a heavy tone. "Because there is someone who wishes to ensure that you will forget him forever."
The words sent a shiver down Edward's spine. There was something hidden behind them—something vast and important.
As the Guardian raised its sword once more, preparing to face the giant before him, Edward felt something strange.
The aura radiating from this figure… for some reason, it felt deeply familiar. So familiar, as though he had sensed it before, in some place and time he could not quite recall.
Suddenly, the sword-shaped pendant around his neck began to pulse gently, glowing with a warm light that spread across his chest. Edward quickly gripped it tightly.
"What is this…"
The pendant was clearly reacting to the Guardian's presence. And as if sensing the same thing, the glowing figure slowly turned its head. For a moment that seemed to stretch endlessly, it looked directly toward Edward. Though it was impossible—for this was merely a memory from thousands of years ago—Edward felt certain: the figure was looking straight at him.
Then the battle resumed. But this time, the clash was far more terrifying and devastating than anything he had witnessed before.
The Guardian shot upward into the sky at a speed too fast for the eye to follow. Below, Destrover roared, a sound that shook the very foundations of the land. The sky above them tore completely open, massive rifts splitting the horizon to reveal endless darkness beyond. Mountains crumbled, oceans boiled, and storms of magical energy swept across every corner of the world.
The Guardian swung its sword. A single strike unleashed a beam of white light stretching for miles, cutting through the sky with immense force. Destrover countered with a sweep of its giant claws, sending forth a wave of red energy capable of reducing entire mountain ranges to rubble in an instant.
BOOOOOOM!
The impact of their colliding forces made the whole world tremble violently. Edward fell to the ground, covering his head with both hands.
"This is not just a fight…" he whispered, his voice trembling. "This truly is the end of the world…"
Amid the exchange of blows between light and darkness, where heaven and earth seemed on the verge of destruction, something suddenly appeared. Something whose presence was so powerful it made the Guardian pause for a moment, and even Destrover fall silent. The entire battlefield seemed to hold its breath, as if the world itself feared what had just arrived.
Edward turned as well, his eyes searching for the source of this change. And at last, he saw it.
A sword.
A blade of black and silver hung motionless in the sky. No hand held it, no visible force controlled it, yet the entire world seemed to react to its presence. Ancient glowing inscriptions swirled around its edge, and the magical energy across the entire realm became chaotic and turbulent.
Even Destrover, who until now had seemed invincible and unshaken by any foe, took a step back. The Guardian also froze in place. For the first time, Edward saw genuine fear etched into the scene—fear felt by every side present.
"What is that…" Edward whispered, his eyes fixed unblinkingly upon the floating blade.
The pendant around his neck glowed even brighter, nearly blinding him. Then Destrover spoke again, this time softer than before, more serious, and sounding strangely like someone trying to recall something long lost and buried beneath the passage of time.
"That is where everything began…"
"That is why this world changed forever…"
"That is the sword that was meant to vanish and be forgotten by history."
Edward stared at the black-and-silver blade, his heart filled with conflicting emotions. His pulse quickened, as if a faint call was reaching out from the sword itself. And deep within the most hidden part of his soul, something that had slumbered for ages slowly began to stir, striving to awaken once more.
Edward continued to stare at the black-and-silver blade hanging motionless in the sky of that ancient world.
His heart pounded faster and faster, as if trying to leap out of his chest. Every time his eyes fell upon the sword, he felt something strange—a tightness in his chest, mixed with an inexplicable sense of longing.
It was as though a part of him that had long been locked away was now stirring, eager to break free and meet that object.
"What exactly is this?" he asked again, his voice trembling. "Why… why do I feel as though I have known it before?"
No answer came. Only silence surrounded him, mingled with the fading echoes of battle.
But suddenly, the scene around him began to shift. The sky, once shrouded in crimson clouds and lightning, started to crack as if made of fragile glass. The sound of splitting echoed from all directions, sharp and piercing.
Crack…
Crash…
Edward's eyes went wide. The entire battlefield before him began to crumble slowly. Pieces of the landscape broke away and vanished into nothingness. Soldiers locked in combat suddenly disappeared as if they had never existed.
Entire mountain ranges collapsed and dissolved, while great stretches of the sky turned into empty, inky darkness.
"What is happening?!" Edward cried out, panic rising in his chest.
From within his mind, Destrover's voice sounded, accompanied by a soft click of displeasure.
"This memory is beginning to fall apart."
"A memory?"
"What you see is nothing but the remaining fragments of the past—no longer whole."
Edward tried to step closer to the sword still floating in the distance. But the more he struggled to draw near, the more of the world around him crumbled and vanished.
It was as though an invisible force was deliberately blocking his way, refusing to let him see any deeper.
"No… wait!" he shouted. "I haven't finished looking!"
He ran as fast as he could, yet the ground beneath his feet continued to crack and break away. Great fissures spread rapidly in every direction.
Bursts of light erupted everywhere, the sky collapsed, magnificent buildings dissolved into thin air, and even the figure of the Guardian, who had fought so valiantly, slowly faded away like mist.
"Why?! Why can't I see it all until the end?!" he cried out, overcome with deep frustration.
For the first time, Destrover's voice carried a hint of irritation, as if he too felt a sense of disappointment.
"Someone deliberately destroyed this memory."
Edward froze. "What do you mean?"
"This history was not lost to time. It was intentionally erased, torn apart, and hidden away so that no one would ever be able to see it again."
The words sent a chill down Edward's spine. There was malice behind all this emptiness.
Amid the crumbling world, scattered images began to flash randomly before his eyes—like shards of a broken dream, appearing for only a moment before vanishing once more.
Edward saw a magnificent kingdom, vast and beautiful beyond measure—then it was gone. He saw thousands of dragons with scales of dazzling colors soaring through the sky—then they too disappeared. He saw a noble man wearing a golden crown, sitting with great authority—only to vanish instantly.
Each vision lasted but a fraction of a second, yet it was enough to make his curiosity burn even brighter.
"Why… why do I feel as though I have seen all this before?" he whispered softly.
He did not know why. Yet every passing image felt so familiar—too familiar—as if his soul had once lived and been part of that long-lost age.
Then, just as the world was about to vanish completely, a deep, majestic voice echoed through the void. It was not Destrover's voice, nor the Guardian's. It seemed to come from everywhere at once—ancient, yet filled with power that made the heart tremble.
"Equilibris…"
Edward froze instantly. The name rang out again—clearer, more vivid, and more resonant than before.
"Equilibris…"
What little remained of the sky trembled. The fragments of earth shook as well. Even Destrover, who had always spoken in a calm tone, fell completely silent. For the first time since Edward had known him, the being was utterly still, as if speaking that name was something sacred and heavy.
"Equilibris?" Edward repeated softly. The name felt strange on his tongue, yet at the same time deeply familiar—as though he had heard it a thousand times before, in some place and time he could not recall.
"Who is Equilibris?" Edward asked quickly, his tone urgent. "Tell me!"
Destrover did not answer immediately. The silence that followed only made Edward more anxious.
"Destrover!" he called out. "I am asking you!"
Seconds passed, feeling like minutes. At last, the voice returned—soft, almost like a whisper carried away by the wind.
"Someone who once changed the fate of this entire world."
The name continued to echo, repeating over and over inside Edward's mind.
Equilibris…
Equilibris…
Equilibris…
Suddenly, a faint shadow appeared for a brief moment. Edward saw thousands of figures kneeling with their heads bowed in reverence. They prayed in hushed voices, repeating the same name over and over. They belonged to many different races—humans, elves, dwarves, and other creatures he had never even seen or heard of. All of them offered their prayers and hopes to one single name: Equilibris.
But before Edward could see more clearly or understand what was truly happening, the vision faded again, swallowed by the spreading darkness.
The world continued to fall apart, nearly all traces of the battlefield having vanished, leaving only a vast, empty void. Yet just before everything was completely gone, one final image appeared before Edward.
It was a hall of immense size—far grander and more spacious than any palace he could ever have imagined. Massive pillars of gold and precious stones rose high, as if piercing the clouds. A magnificent red carpet stretched endlessly into the distance. And at the far end of the hall stood a towering, majestic throne.
Edward stepped slowly closer, his heart racing. Seated upon the throne was a figure, motionless. Its form was shrouded in deep shadow, its face completely hidden—as if the world itself refused to reveal its identity.
Yet something else caught Edward's attention far more strongly. To the right of the throne, a sword stood firmly planted. Its blade was black and silver, glowing with a faint light—the very same sword that had made the Guardian pause, that had made Destrover take a step back, and that had caused the pendant around Edward's neck to pulse wildly.
Edward stared at it unblinkingly. "What connection does that sword have to me?" he whispered.
No answer came. But for the briefest fraction of a second, the figure seated upon the throne seemed to turn its head slowly, looking directly toward Edward. At the very same moment, the sword-shaped pendant around Edward's neck began to glow with a warm, bright light.
Edward froze. Though the figure's face remained hidden in shadow, he could feel its gaze clearly—a gaze that seemed to span thousands of years, piercing through space and time to rest directly upon him. It was as if the figure knew he was watching, as if it had even been waiting for him to arrive.
"W… who are you really…?" Edward breathed, his voice catching in his throat.
For the first time, he felt a different kind of fear—not the fear he had felt upon seeing Destrover's giant form, but something deeper, more subtle, yet far more overwhelming. It was as though he stood before something far greater, far older, and far more magnificent than anything that existed in this world.
CRAAAAACK!!
A deafening sound of splitting echoed, and the last fragments of the vision finally crumbled away completely. The throne vanished, the sword disappeared, and the mysterious figure was swallowed by darkness. Everything dissolved into utter, empty blackness.
Edward felt himself lifted and falling freely, plunging endlessly into nothingness—until suddenly—
"GASP!!"
Edward jolted awake with a start. His body was soaked through with cold sweat, clinging to his clothes. His breathing was ragged and fast, as if he had just run thousands of miles. He found himself back in his own bedroom. The golden light of the late afternoon sun filtered gently through the cracks in the window, illuminating the quiet room.
For a moment, he simply sat still, trying to calm himself and convince himself that he had returned to the real world. His hands still trembled, and his heart had yet to return to its normal rhythm.
"That…" he murmured softly. "That was no mere dream…"
For everything he had seen had felt far too real, far too vivid, and far too alive to be dismissed as nothing more than imagination.
Outside his room, in the quiet corridor, Silvia—who had been walking by—suddenly stopped. She frowned, sensing an extremely faint wave of magical energy drifting through the air. It was so subtle it could barely be felt, yet it was enough to put her on guard. She stared at Edward's closed door.
"You felt it too?"
A deep, calm voice sounded from behind her. Silvia turned to see Grandmaster Altheon standing there, his expression serious and thoughtful.
Silvia nodded slowly. "Something has changed. Something is beginning to stir."
Altheon gazed at the door for a long time, his eyes filled with deep concern. "I truly hope I am wrong…" he whispered softly. Yet deep in his heart, he knew that his fears were slowly becoming reality.
Night soon fell. The sky turned dark, dotted with thousands of twinkling stars. Edward sat alone beneath the shade of an ancient tree in the orphanage's backyard. The night breeze blew gently, bringing a coolness, yet his mind remained troubled and restless. He kept replaying everything he had witnessed: the terrible war, the glowing figure of the Guardian, the mysterious black-and-silver sword, the name Equilibris, and the figure seated upon the shadowed throne.
At last, he spoke in a quiet voice, breaking the silence of the night.
"What was it I truly saw just now?"
Silence hung for a moment. Edward thought Destrover might not answer. But then the voice returned, this time even calmer and more matter-of-fact than usual.
"A history that the world has deliberately chosen to forget."
Edward lifted his head, gazing up at the stars. "Why should it be forgotten?"
No reply came.
"Destrover?" he called again.
But silence returned once more. The voice had faded away, leaving Edward alone with more questions than answers.
The night grew deeper. All the other residents of the orphanage had fallen fast asleep. Only Edward remained sitting beneath the old tree. His hand was clenched tightly around the sword-shaped pendant resting against his chest. It felt warm, and pulsed gently, as if it possessed a heartbeat of its own.
Edward stared at it intently. "Who are you, really?" he whispered.
Suddenly, the pendant glowed with a faint light—so dim it was almost invisible to the naked eye, yet clear enough to make Edward's body stiffen.
And then, a voice spoke. It was not Destrover's, nor Altheon's, nor Silvia's. It was different—far older, softer, yet carrying such immense power that it made Edward's soul tremble.
"Heir…"
Edward froze instantly. His eyes went wide.
The voice spoke again, soft yet clear.
"Have you finally begun to remember?"
Edward stood up so quickly the stool beneath him tipped over and fell. "Who are you?! Who is speaking?!"
No answer came. The faint glow from the pendant slowly dimmed and vanished, returning to its usual appearance. Silence settled once more over the night.
Yet Edward's heart raced faster than ever before. For the first time, he felt completely certain: there was something alive and hidden within that pendant. And that something… had just spoken directly to him.