The shadows that once devoured the world had receded… yet their legacy still lived in the blood of men. The history of this world was forged in the very blood of gods and demons, during the Ancestral War.

  To the south of the Empire, near the Great and Endless Southern Sea, and east of the Dark Forest of the elves, a settlement stood in quiet serenity.

  The flickering flames of candles and mana lamps cast dancing shadows across the walls of a vast library. An old man, his face marked by years yet his voice steady and rich with wisdom, walked slowly between the shelves. At his side, a ten-year-old apprentice followed his every movement, aware that he was about to receive a crucial lesson.

  “In ancient times,” the old man began, “when the world was still young and the races coexisted in relative peace, an age of darkness descended upon the land. It was the beginning of what is now known as the Ancestral War—a conflict no one foresaw, yet one that would forever change the fate of humanity. Demons and gods clashed in a struggle that threatened to extinguish all life.”

  The boy listened in silence, captivated.

  “In the midst of that chaos, five bloodlines were marked by the Oracles: Antalius, Feralis, Klaw, Sob, and Zshas. To each was entrusted a region of the world, and in their hands rested the defense of life itself. They fought with courage and determination, yet the devastation was so great that their efforts were not enough.”

  The old man paused, contemplating the ancient tomes that surrounded him.

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  “Then, at the height of the war, giants of stone, lava, fire, ice, and other unknown elements awakened. They were called Colossi—primordial guardians of the earth, beings so ancient their power rivaled that of gods and demons. Their emergence transformed the war into a conflict on three fronts. Humanity, gods, and demons not only fought one another, but also contended with those colossal giants.”

  The boy did not look away.

  “But the war was far from over. Mighty as they were, the Colossi could not end the struggle for dominion. It was then that five half-blood brothers, born of the union between gods and demons, decided the conflict must end. Knowing their strength alone would not suffice, they bound their fate to the mightiest of the Colossi and sealed their own parents—the leaders of the celestial and demonic armies.”

  The old man’s voice grew heavier.

  “Two of the brothers claimed the heavens. Two descended into the underworld. The fifth, whose power rivaled that of the Colossi themselves, was sealed within one of them, lest his overwhelming strength lay waste to the world. Thus, a barrier was raised—one that forbade gods and demons from interfering in the realm of men, save for a single sacred kingdom where they might gather to preserve the balance.”

  The old man drew a slow breath before continuing.

  “With the war halted, the remaining demons were scattered across the world, sowing chaos wherever they appeared. Long afterward, the monks devoted to the ancient goddess Eshia created the Sacred Book of Eddrem. That book held the power to seal demons and any creature that did not belong to this land, banishing them to their own realm. Understanding that the world’s peace depended upon it, they chose to guard it at any cost.”

  Silence settled over the library.

  The old man allowed the weight of the story to rest upon the boy’s mind.

  “But time has proven that neither gods nor demons can be contained forever… and what was believed to be the end of an era may have only been the beginning of something far greater.”