A calm night had fallen upon the human world. The stars shimmered more brightly than usual—so bright, it felt unnatural. As if the heavens themselves were trying to warn the earth.
The wind blew softly, cold and steady. Even the animals were silent. It was too peaceful.
Unnaturally peaceful.
Elunara lay asleep in her bed.
In her dream…
She stood in a place cloaked in endless darkness. There was no ground beneath her feet, no sky above—just void. It didn't feel like Earth… or any world she knew.
She struggled to stay upright. The air here was heavy, almost like it didn't want her there. Yet just ahead, a figure walked calmly through the darkness. A man. Cloaked in shadows, holding an ancient-looking book, reading as if the darkness was his home.
Elunara tried to speak through the weight pressing on her chest.
"Hello…?"
The man froze. His head lifted slightly.
A voice here was impossible—yet he had heard one.
He turned toward her, slowly walking in her direction.
When he saw her, he stopped.
"…This is the first time I've seen you here, Elunara."
His voice was soft. Calm. But surprised.
Elunara couldn't see his face. Only the curve of a faint smile… and the book glowing faintly in his hands.
"Where… am I?" she asked, her voice trembling.
The man didn't answer. He simply raised one hand—and snapped his fingers.
In that instant, the space around her cracked open like glass, and Elunara fell through the void.
As she disappeared, the man's smile deepened.
He whispered:
"The cycle begins again."
🌬️ Back in Reality
Elunara awoke with a gasp.
Her body trembled. Sweat clung to her skin. Her heart pounded like thunder.
"I didn't even see his face clearly," she whispered to herself, "but… why do I feel like crying?"
She sat on the edge of her bed, hand over her chest, trying to calm herself. After a few minutes, she stood up, drank water, and stepped out onto the balcony. The night air was still cold—but it helped her breathe again.
Looking up at the stars, her mind drifted to her childhood.
🕯️ Flashback
A much younger Elunara snuggled beside her mother.
"Mom, can you tell me that story again? The one about the GODs?"
Her mother smiled gently. "Of course, my little star."
She began:
"In the beginning, there was only one…
A single GOD came into existence. He was the First.
Alone in the darkness, he took the form of a bird, hoping to find others like himself. He searched for eons, but the universe remained silent.
Tired and lonely, the First GOD slept in an ocean he found…
And from his breath, another GOD was born."
Little Elunara's eyes widened.
"The First GOD smiled for the first time," her mother continued.
"The Second GOD knelt before him, and asked,
'My Lord… what is the purpose of my life?'
And the First GOD said:
'Create a universe in my name. Fill it with life—beings of mind and soul. Protect them. Guide them. And give them the gift of free will.'"
Elunara interrupted excitedly, "Then what happened!?"
Her mother chuckled. "The Second GOD split himself into three parts."
"The GOD of Creation.
The GOD of Operation.
And the GOD of Destruction."
"And they made demons and gods, and countless worlds."
"But Mom—what happened next?"
Her mother smiled softly. "That… I'll tell you tomorrow. You have school."
"Mom, but what about the First GOD? And why did the Second one divide?"
"Tomorrow, Elunara. Now sleep."
🌒 Back to Present
On the balcony, Elunara sighed. "Mom never did tell me what happened next…"
She turned her gaze to the photo of her and Luceniel, framed on her desk.
"Luceniel… why does it feel like our first meeting wasn't really our first?"
"I feel safe with you. But when we're apart… I dream of war. Of the world burning. A man lying on a throne of serpents…
And you… killing people."
She placed her hand on the photo.
"I just hope… these are only dreams."
She closed her eyes, and tried once again to sleep.
Somewhere else in the city…
Rio walked alone through a quiet park, his hands buried in his jacket pockets. The streetlights flickered gently above, but his mind was far from the world around him.
He couldn't stop thinking about his brother.
"Luceniel… I know him. He's kind. Gentle. He always listened to me, even when no one else did."
But that night…
That night changed something.
"That day… for the second time in my life, I felt like I was going to die—just from being near him."
"And yet… she smiled when he got angry."
His brows furrowed as he remembered.
"She tried to hide her smile when she saw me watching… but I saw it. Clear as day."
"Mom is so proud of Luceniel. But Dad… Dad avoids the subject. None of our uncles approved of the marriage. My cousins have started acting strange."
Rio clenched his fists.
"There's something wrong in our house."
He stopped walking. The cold wind rustled the trees. His phone buzzed in his pocket.
He checked the time: 2:00 AM.
Then answered.
"Hello?"
"Yo, Rio! What's up, man?" It was his friend, Rayan.
"Dude… it's 2 AM. What is it?"
"I just wanted to talk about your brother, Luceniel."
"What about him?"
"He's leaving for Country A tomorrow, right?"
"Yeah. He packed everything—like he's not coming back."
"What do you mean? He's moving for good?"
Rio frowned. "I don't know. It feels like it. He booked two plane tickets but didn't ask me to come."
"Wait, what? I thought one of those tickets was for you?"
"No. He's taking his girlfriend. Said they needed space."
"Man, I don't know. It's weird. I wanted to go too…"
They talked for a while longer. Then Rio ended the call and returned to his game.
Suddenly—his phone buzzed again.
A message from an unknown number.
He opened it.
His eyes widened in shock.
The message said: "The First Angel is being watched. Prepare yourself."
Far away in Country J, deep in a misty forest, a monk meditated quietly at the edge of his temple.
After his prayer, he walked into the forest to collect firewood. The air was heavy. The trees stood still—watching.
As he moved through the undergrowth, something caught his eye.
A book, lying untouched beneath a strange, ancient tree. The space around it felt… unnatural. Silent. Still.
The monk approached slowly.
He knelt, picked it up.
The moment his hand touched the book, a cold—but comforting—feeling washed over him.
Then—a vision.
A figure, seated on a giant flower. Radiant. Divine. Eyes glowing. Smiling.
The monk dropped the book, gasping for air. His chest rose and fell rapidly. Sweat beaded on his forehead.
He picked up the book again.
This time… nothing. No vision. No feeling.
"Strange," he thought. "Hardly anyone comes this deep into the forest. Maybe it was dropped by another monk."
He inspected the cover.
Blank.
The pages — empty.
The book looked ancient, but the leather was still warm to the touch.
"I'll bring it to the temple tomorrow. Maybe someone knows who it belongs to."
He returned to his home and placed the book gently on the table.
At the same tree where the monk had found the book…
A girl sat silently, her face hidden beneath a large hood. Only her mouth visible — curved in a quiet smile.
She stood, stepped closer to the tree, and carved a strange symbol into its bark using her finger. The symbol glowed briefly before fading.
She whispered:
"My job is done… this time, I hope we meet."
"The First Angel."
The wind around her began to spin unnaturally.
A single white feather floated from her cloak.
It wasn't like a bird's feather—it shimmered faintly, like it didn't belong to this world.
The tree suddenly trembled. Its branches twisted and grew unnaturally, reaching upward as if waking from a long sleep.
The feather hovered for a moment—then vanished into a crack in space, swallowed by the void.
And the girl?
She vanished into the wind.
Back at the monk's house…
The air felt different. The silence wasn't empty anymore—it felt welcoming. As if the house itself had accepted the book.
The monk kneeled in front of his altar and began a deep prayer to the God of Wisdom.
After an hour, he opened his eyes and turned toward the book again. Slowly, cautiously… he touched the cover.
This time, he saw the face more clearly.
That same divine being seated on the flower. Smiling.
Something in him stirred.
"Who are you…?"
He didn't know yet—
But soon…
He would.
In Country A, inside the high office of a powerful tech company, a sharp-eyed man sat in a leather chair.
He addressed his assistant coldly.
"When Luceniel arrives, you will be the first to meet him."
"Yes, sir. I'll give him the invitation personally."
"Good. We don't need him going anywhere else."
"And if he does…?"
The man's smile turned thin and sharp.
"You already know what to do."
"…Understood."
They exchanged a look.
One of control. One of silent plans.