The sun had dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in deep oranges and purples before fading into twilight. In the quiet of a small bedroom, Ace lay nestled under his covers, listening to the soft, steady voice of his mother as she read from a worn book beside him.
The tale was an ancient one, the foundation of their world.
"In the beginning," she read, her voice a gentle murmur in the growing dark, "the Creator gazed upon the vast, star-strewn expanse of his making the countless universes spinning in silent majesty. Yet, in all that magnificent emptiness, He was alone. He longed for life, for company. And so, from His will, the world of 'Geo' was born: a realm of land, sky, and sea."
Ace's eyes were wide, fixed on the shifting expressions on his mother's face in the dim lamplight.
"But a world is just a stage," she continued, turning a page. "It needed actors, a force to stir its heart. So, He breathed a power into the very fabric of Geo, a source of magic and law. He called it 'Mana.' And with Mana as the seed, after eons upon eons, life blossomed. The many races were born."
She looked down at him, her smile tender. "And we, my little Ace, are among them. The race called Humans."
"Mom…" Ace whispered, tugging gently on her sleeve.
"Yes,sweetheart?"
"You said 'many races.' Besides us… who else is there?"
His mother's smile turned knowing. "Ah, curious about the wider world, are you? Well, let's see. There are the Elves. They live in ancient forests, and their lives are long so long they seem almost untouched by time, watching centuries pass like seasons."
She paused, her gaze drifting for a moment, as if remembering something herself.
"Then… there are others. Beings of great hunger. Like the Ilmonoz." Her voice grew quieter, more solemn. "They are monsters, creatures who crave power above all else. They would do anything, break anything, to claim more for themselves."
A soft sigh escaped her.
"And then there are Humans. We are not as strong as the Elves, nor as innately powerful as some. Our lives are short, bright flames. And sometimes… that makes us fragile. Vulnerable to fear, to greed… to corruption."
She finished speaking and looked down to see Ace's eyes finally closed, his breathing deep and even. A fond smile touched her lips. Carefully, she closed the book, marked the page, and rose from the bedside. With a soft click, the lamp went out, plunging the room into a peaceful darkness shared by mother and son.
The peace was an illusion.
Outside their humble home, hidden in the cloak of true night, figures moved. Shadows with glinting eyes watched the silent house. Ace's mother slept, unaware that the monsters from her story now lurked just beyond her walls.
A faint, shimmering dome of light a magical barrier encircled the home, a silent guardian she had woven herself. But tonight, the shadows were many. Too many.
CRACK.
A sound like shattering crystal, felt more than heard, jolted her from sleep. Her eyes flew open, heart hammering against her ribs. The barrier. Someone was breaking her barrier.
She was at Ace's side in an instant, shaking him desperately. "Ace! Ace, wake up! NOW!"
Fear, cold and sharp, had completely severed the cord of sleep. "Mom? What's wrong?" Ace mumbled, confused by the terror in her eyes.
But his mother's mind had frozen, trapped not just by the present danger, but by a ghost from the past the memory of another night, of a husband lost. The paralysis lasted only a second, but it was a second too long.
Ace stumbled to the window. Outside, in the moonlight, he saw them hulking, twisted shapes with sharp claws and glowing eyes, beating relentlessly against a fading shell of light. The barrier flickered, spider-webbing with fractures.
He recoiled, a cry stuck in his throat. "MOM!"
Her name, screamed in pure childlike panic, shattered her trance. Reality crashed back in, harsh and immediate. She grabbed his shoulders, her grip fierce.
"Ace, listen to me! Out the back! Run into the forest and don't look back! You have to live! Do you understand? LIVE FOR ME!"
Tears streamed down her face, each one a silent farewell. Ace was crying too, sobs wracking his small frame. He couldn't process it, couldn't accept that this was goodbye.
She cupped his face, forcing him to meet her eyes. Her thumbs brushed away his tears even as her own fell. "I love you more than anything in all the worlds. Never forget that." Her voice broke on the words.
Then, she shoved him toward the back door. "GO!"
He ran. His legs moved without thought, fueled by adrenaline and blind obedience. As he hit the tree line, he risked one glance back a decision that would haunt him forever.
He saw his mother, standing defiant before their home, a faint glow of her own mana surrounding her. He saw one of the Ilmonoz raise a clawed hand. Dark energy coalesced into a wicked, rotating circle of magic a spell circle before lancing out like a spear of pure shadow.
It pierced the light around her. It pierced her.
Ace's heart stopped. He took a step forward, a desperate urge to help, to save her, overriding all else.
But her voice, amplified by her last shred of power and anguish, tore through the night, directly into his mind. 'ACE! PLEASE! RUN! FULFILL YOUR DREAM! BECOME THE HERO THIS WORLD NEEDS!'
For a fleeting, heartbreaking moment, through the distance and the tears, he saw her face turn toward him. And she smiled. A sad, beautiful, final smile meant only for him.
It broke him. It saved him.
Ace turned and fled deeper into the dark forest, the image of that smile burning behind his eyes. He ran until his lungs screamed and his legs gave way. He ran until the sounds of battle faded into the roaring of his own blood and the crushing weight of his sobs. He stumbled over a root, the world tilting violently, and then there was only the cold ground rushing up to meet him, and a darkness that swallowed everything.