In the midst of the cruel darkness of the night, there was a young man running frantically, fleeing from the death that was about to claim him. Every step he took was filled with unrelenting fear. Every breath he inhaled felt so heavy that it left him gasping for air.
Hundreds of people were chasing him with bloodthirsty rage. They carried long spears, swords, and torches ready to end his life.
The man spotted a small, collapsed hut, filled only with piles of its debris. With strong determination, he tried to hide himself behind the dilapidated materials. He repeatedly hoped that no one would find him.
"Please don't find me... Don't find me..." he uttered over and over, like a mantra that could save him.
The sound of every footstep began to echo from all directions, making the young man's face grow even paler. He could only hug his knees, hoping to survive the encirclement.
"Where is he! Come on, search and burn him!"
Everyone searched for the young man in every corner of the dark forest. They didn't skip a single spot just to find him.
Fortunately for him, none of the villagers' attention turned toward the damp ruins of the hut. But unfortunately, an old man noticed a slight gap left open in the debris.
The old man grew suspicious because the ruins shouldn't have left even the smallest gap.
"Everyone!!!" he shouted. "Try dismantling these ruins!"
All the people turned toward the old man with curiosity.
"What is it, old man?" asked a young man holding a long spear in his hand.
"Look at those hut ruins. Isn't that too suspicious?" said the old man, convincing everyone to dismantle every piece of the hut's debris in front of him.
"You're right, old man," replied a sturdy, large man. "Everyone, come on, tear down these ruins! That filthy rat must be hiding inside!"
After hearing the loud voice of that man, everyone immediately became convinced and prepared to dismantle the ruins at once.
The young man hiding with his eyes closed panicked. He never expected them to suspect the ruins that had become his hiding place.
"A... am I going to die... today..." he whispered softly, as if already resigned to the fate destined for him.
"If only I had power... My revenge would become your nightmare."
At that very moment, a large man holding a sword pushed aside the wood where the young man was hiding.
Instantly, his eyes widened, his heart pounded furiously, and cold sweat began to drip all over his body.
When the large man found the young man, he grinned sinisterly before shouting to inform everyone. "Everyone! I've found this cursed child!"
"Where is he? Come on, skin him alive!"
"Kill him! Kill him! Kill him!" everyone shouted in unison.
The young man could no longer speak as the sharp tip of the sword rested right in front of his throat.
"I think it wouldn't be fun if we just killed him outright. Let's torture him first!"
"Yes! Torture him!"
The large man stepped closer, one hand about to drag the young man's helpless leg—suddenly, a blinding beam of light enveloped the young man's body, dazzling every eye that looked. Everyone instinctively used their arms as shields to protect themselves from the painful glare of the light.
As the beam of light began to dim, the young man's presence had vanished from where he had been before. Everyone standing there was stunned as their prey suddenly disappeared.
"Where did he go! Search for him again!" roared the large man in fury. He then rummaged through the entire ruins just to vent his anger.
Everyone, with confused and panicked faces, began scattering in all directions. Even though they had scoured the forest section by section—their efforts yielded nothing; there was no trace of his presence at all.
---
In a barren and cold plain that night, there was no sign of life at all. In the midst of that silence, only the whispering melody of the night wind pierced like sharp ice atop a glacier.
But the beauty of that night wind's melody was shattered momentarily as a beam of light appeared in the middle of a deep crater. Its radiance was like a meteor falling from the sky, striking the earth's surface with force.
Behind the shards of dust and small rock particles, a young man with silver hair like the moon's surface lay calmly. Meanwhile, his golden pupils, almost fully closed by his eyelids, emitted a golden glow that made him special.
His small hand slowly moved a few times. Meanwhile, his nearly closed eyes opened quickly. Though several parts of his body felt pain, he tried to rise.
"Cough! Cough!"
He then realized. He couldn't believe that he, who had been framed as a criminal, had survived the pursuit of the villagers and knights.
"Damn it... Did I really survive..." he said softly. He wiped the dust clinging to his cheek with his arm. Then the young man stood with mixed feelings—restless, afraid, hateful, and anger beginning to consume him.
The young man took a few steps. He tried to comprehend the sudden events that had befallen him.
"Where am I? Is this some kind of joke happening to me?" he asked, hoping someone would answer. "Those bastards! Those stupid people dared to try to finish me off!" he snapped with an annoyed expression. He still vividly remembered the dark past that had befallen him.
A brief flashback:
In a prosperous and peaceful region, there lived a married couple who were nobles in that area. They were known to be very generous and firm in their leadership.
All their people fully supported them, even swearing to sacrifice themselves to defend the region.
One day, the couple was blessed with a healthy baby boy. But they were shocked when they saw their son's hair was silver.
In this world, no one had ever had silver hair. The couple began to recall the cursed child who would be born in "some day in the future."
Then the couple would hide their son because he would be considered a disgrace and a curse to the family. As time passed, the couple never gave any love or attention to their son.
From a young age, the child was cared for by a woman who worked as a servant in the family. Every bit of her love and warm smiles kept the boy from a dark future.
One day, when they first met... The feelings between the servant and the child began to bond with each other. Their relationship continued to grow until the servant realized the boy she was raising didn't even have a name.
She also learned about the situation happening to the child she cared for. One day, as they sat in the garden, the woman showed him a very beautiful view.
"I don't care if people call you a witch in this world. In truth, such a thing never exists. As someone born special, you were unlucky to be born into this cruel world," the woman said softly, full of affection. "But I hope you can become someone great... Celis!"
---
The young man sat quietly near a large rock behind him. His body leaned against it, feeling the coldness of the stone on this dark night.
His eyes looked weary, unable to hold back all the suffering that had always been with him.
"How did I end up here?" he asked himself. "They consider me a witch... But those stupid people believe in such things."
He gazed at the dark sky from beneath the massive gaping crater. There was no one there, only the whispering of the calm night breeze.
His world this time was a place far beyond what he could imagine. This world was formed by magic as its foundation. Someone from a faraway world would never understand it.