Eleven Years Ago
That night felt like the end of an entire world.
The wind howled as if dragging the screams of countless souls behind it. Rain slammed violently against the ground like bullets, while lightning tore through the sky, as though the heavens themselves were watching the scene in silent grief.
Amidst that hell—
She was running.
A woman, exhausted beyond her limits, her clothes torn and soaked, clutched a small child in one arm while struggling to carry a large basket in the other. Her trembling hand could barely keep hold of it. She stumbled, fell, rose again, and kept running—driven not by the will to survive, but by a single desperate purpose:
To give her son one chance to live.
She reached the edge of a steep cliff. Below it yawned a dark abyss, like an open mouth waiting to swallow everything.
She looked at her child.
And then she made the kind of decision only a mother can make when fate has sealed every door but one.
She tied the basket with a frayed rope, gently placed the child inside despite his cries, and brushed her hand over his head. Her eyes held something no words could ever fully describe—
A farewell.
In a trembling whisper, drowned by rain, she said:
"Raym… please… you must survive."
Her hands burned as the rope tore into her skin. Her arm shook violently as she lowered the basket down the cliff, inch by inch.
Finally—
The basket touched the ground.
Safe. Relatively.
But she never made it.
A dull sound. A sudden fall.
Then silence.
A silence deeper than the storm itself.
Raym gasped awake as if he had just been pulled from deep water.
Sweat soaked his body. His chest rose and fell rapidly as his eyes searched the darkness for something that wasn't there.
A familiar voice broke through.
"Oh… the same nightmare again?"
It was Lance—the only person capable of pulling Raym out of that spiral.
Raym sat on the edge of the bed, rubbing his face.
"I don't know… It feels like more than just a dream. Like it's… a memory."
Lance chuckled lightly and tossed a pillow at his head.
"Dreams are designed to feel real. That's just your brain messing with you, my friend."
But Raym didn't laugh this time.
There was a heaviness in his chest he couldn't explain.
Changing the subject, he muttered tiredly:
"At least… I hope they give us a day off today."
Lance raised an eyebrow mockingly.
"A day off? Did you forget where we are? This isn't a school, genius—we're soldiers. Machines don't stop."
Raym lowered his gaze.
"Even the strongest machines break… if they never rest."
Lance patted his shoulder with a grin.
"Enough philosophy. Do you know what day it is?"
Raym blinked in confusion.
"What? Is it something important? I must've forgotten."
Lance lightly smacked him on the head.
"It's your seventeenth birthday, idiot!"
Raym's eyes widened in genuine surprise.
"Really?! I almost forgot! Thanks for remembering… you really are my best friend."
Lance smiled and gestured toward the door.
"Get up. Today's training is important."
Raym moved slowly, unaware that this day—
The day he turned seventeen—
Was the day everything would change forever.
After gearing up, fastening his armor, and gripping the sword he trusted perhaps more than himself, Raym made his way to the training grounds.
Hundreds—no, thousands—of soldiers trained relentlessly. Some practiced swordsmanship. Others learned stealth, assassination, and survival.
Raym stepped forward and called out confidently:
"Who wants to duel me?"
An unnatural silence followed.
Someone scoffed.
"You? Again? No matter how hard we try, the result's always the same."
Another added:
"You fight like you were born with a sword in your hands. Your close-combat skill is at least on the level of a battalion commander."
Suddenly, a powerful voice echoed across the grounds.
"ATTENTION!"
Murmurs spread instantly.
"It's Commander Vail!"
"He's finally starting!"
Vail spoke with a stern, commanding tone.
"I've observed your progress for a long time. I've seen your improvement. But from this moment on—none of that will matter."
The soldiers exchanged confused looks. Raym felt it too.
Vail continued:
"Today is the most important day. We will discover your elements—your affinities—and determine where each of you belongs."
Excitement and anxiety rippled through the crowd.
"For those unfamiliar with elements," Vail said, "every person is born with one. Common ones include fire, wind, and earth,. Rare elements include lightning, gravity, darkness, and frost."
The soldiers listened intently.
"But that isn't all. A chosen few are born with two elements—or awaken a second later in life. Some can even form secondary elements, such as magma from fire and earth, or plants from water and earth."
Gasps spread.
"And in extremely rare cases," Vail continued, "there have been records—very few—of individuals born with three complete elements. Those people were nightmares incarnate."
Shock overtook the crowd.
"Three…?!"
"Impossible!"
Vail raised a hand... and continued, saying there is something more dangerous than two elements.
The soldiers shouted in fear and surprise, oblivious to their surroundings: WHAT??? FF..four elements???
Vail said:"No. Four elements have never existed. Even the records of three are questionable. But the true danger lies elsewhere."
The soldiers leaned in.
"A person born with two opposing elements—such as fire and water—has virtually no weakness. Such an individual is an absolute threat."
The crowd erupted into whispers...
Therefore, today we will test you to discover your elements one by one...
"Some time passed after Vail's announcement, and the soldiers actually began to discover and test their elements.
One by one, soldiers discovered their elements.
"Wind."
"Earth."
"Fire!"
"Frost?"
"Wait—Gravity?! That's amazing!"
Finally, Lance stepped forward.
"…Lightning?! That's impossible!"
Cheers erupted. Raym was the first to congratulate him.
Then—
Raym's turn.
Silence.
Vail frowned slightly.
"This is strange… I feel warmth, but it's not fire. Not lightning either."
Raym clenched his fists.
"Is it… weak fire?"
Vail shook his head.
"I'm sorry, Raym. This case is unfamiliar. It may be… a weak element."
Laughter followed.
Raym turned away, anger burning in his chest.
The day passed quickly... Raym trained alone...with his sword until his legs gave out , venting his anger for so long that he lost track of time.
Lance approached, tossing him an apple.
"You idiot. Don't overdo it. Eat this."
Raym gasped for breath.
"Thanks… I didn't even realize how far I pushed myself."
Lance sat beside him.
"Elements aren't everything. Look how strong we became without them."
Raym lowered his head slightly.
"I know… but it still feels unfair."
Lance smiled.
"Then prove them wrong tomorrow."
Raym looked up sharply...
"Tomorrow???"
"Oh right—you left early," Lance said. "Tomorrow, the battalions gather. Duels will be held to reorganize the units."
Raym's eyes ignited with determination....
"I'll show them… elements don't matter at all."!!!