Before history, before kings and empires, before even the first spoken word, the gods descended.
They arrived to find a world untamed—where beasts of impossible strength roamed, their veins pulsing with raw, uncontrollable power. Yet, the gods saw potential. And so, they reached out—not to create, but to reshape.
From these creatures, they forged the first humans. No longer creatures of instinct, but beings of will and reason. To guide them, the gods bestowed a gift—the seven elements: Fire, Water, Air, Earth, Lightning, Light, and Dark.
But not all creatures accepted this change. Some rebelled, refusing to bow to the gods' will. Hatred festered, and war ignited. The gods, unwilling to let their creation be undone, made one final decision.
They split the world in two.
One half became a prison—a land of mist and shadow where the rebellious creatures were sealed away. The other became a sanctuary, where humanity could thrive, free from the horrors of the past. To ensure this balance, the gods created an unbreakable barrier—the Eternal Fog.
Then, without warning, the gods vanished.
With them gone, humanity ruled itself. Kingdoms rose, civilizations flourished, and for a time, peace endured.
But peace is fragile.
Light and Darkness could not coexist. Their war consumed the land—firestorms raging across cities, oceans rising in fury, mountains shattered by forces beyond comprehension. The war twisted the very elements themselves. Water, poisoned by conflict, birthed Ice—cold, unyielding, forever severed from its source.
Even the sky was torn apart.
When the war finally ended, only four elements remained.
The rest faded into history, their wielders lost to myth. From the survivors, four great elemental bloodlines emerged, shaping the world anew:
The Burns—forged in fire, their bloodline born from embers and rage.
The Frosts—descendants of ice and water, wielders of cold and tide.
The Terras—masters of earth, unshaken, unbreakable.
The Breezes—children of the wind, swift as the unseen sky.
From the ashes of war, they built a new civilization. Yet, the Eternal Fog never lifted—a silent reminder of the world beyond. A world humanity was never meant to return to.
But beyond that veil, something still waits.
————
- Sandworms valley. -
Sand. Blood. Corpses.
A young man lay on the ground, his fingers digging into the sand. His nails scraped and tore at the earth, blood oozing from his raw hands, staining the sand red. His face, a mask of blood and pain, was twisted in shock—as if he had just witnessed something unspeakable. Behind him, a large, worm-like creature lay lifeless, its massive body slumped in the dirt. But Ash didn't care. The creature was dead. He was fixated on the sand.
"No, no, no, Max, come on, don't leave us. I know you're still alive. You can't die now."
His voice trembled, almost a whisper, as he clawed at the ground.
Then a voice echoed in his mind.
"[You have slain a creature of the higher stage. Gain 1 Vein Energy Point.]"
Ash didn't acknowledge it. His breath came in shallow bursts, his hands still digging, his fingers trembling.
Another voice, lower, colder, rang through his thoughts.
"You can't save him, mortal."
Ash froze, his hand hovering above the sand.
'What? That wasn't me...'
The thought barely formed in his mind when a shout shattered the chaos, burning through the air like a curse.
"Dammit!!"
Ash's heart jolted. That voice.
'Kael.'
He snapped his head up, eyes searching the battlefield. There, hovering above the wasteland, was Kael. His body flickered with flames, the fire dancing around him in a chaotic fury. His face twisted in a snarl, the flames reflecting in his furious eyes. The remnants of his clothes were burnt away, leaving only tattered shorts. Sweat mingled with ash on his skin.
The air crackled with heat.
And then Ash saw it.
A massive shadow loomed in the distance, rising from the earth like a forgotten titan. The ground trembled beneath its immense weight. Its eyeless face was cold, its hunger palpable, and its jagged teeth gleamed in the fading light.
Ash's mind raced.
'what is that creature doing back here?'
The thought was sharp, cutting through the chaos around him.
The survivors, those few still standing, scattered across the wasteland, fleeing towards the distant settlement.
'Even if they reach the settlement, that thing is smart enough to track them all.'
The wasteland was no safe haven. Not anymore. Not with that beast on the move.
His gaze flicked back to Kael. The fire-wielder hovered in the air, his breath ragged, his body soaked in sweat, and his flames flickering weakly. His fists clenched, the flames still licking at his skin, but his expression… it wasn't just anger. It was something deeper.
Kael was running on fumes. His strength was draining faster than he could replenish it. The battle had taken more than he had left.
Ash's chest tightened.
'How the hell did it come to this.'
The thought lingered, echoing through his mind, but before he could dwell on it, the memory hit him.