Prologue

10,000 – 11,000 years ago – Shattered Peninsula

We just received information that the Blood Clan has safely evacuated when the earth split, me and my kingdom fell as the prophesied disaster was unfolding before our very eyes. The land is being devoured by the sea. The harbingers of chaos appeared suddenly. We, the Gods of old, and the Celestial Clans were in charge of evacuating the remaining clans in our jurisdiction if the portals were to fall and unable to cross the void sea. The last one had just sunk before my eyes. The Sun clan was on the western side of the continent and communications with the Star clan had been lost the day before with the last remaining message from them mentioning the name of the winged chaos. The spirit tree has also been lost. With our abilities weakened, we decided to save the last remaining clans by evacuating in sea craft. The Beast clan has already gone to the north, but the Shadow clan has been reduced to mere survivors. I fear for the extinction of the other races, even if we were able to flee to foreign land they'll be treated as mere monsters and demons by those that do not understand them. Our knowledge and wisdom will be forgotten and we can only hope that the prophecy of the re-awakening will be fulfilled.

Unknown Time – Unknown Place

He was translating the ancient journal at the base of a nearby waterfall when he heard it. Despite the loud crashing of water, he could hear something was crying. It wasn't an animal's cry. It was a human infant's. It was late afternoon, his gray hair turning blonde in the light of the sunset. It cried again. He would have to go. He could not stop the idea that it was an abandoned child or something more pressing. He had always been a good-hearted person. He could not resist the thought that a helpless infant was stranded in the forest, let alone possibly an entire family. An accident maybe?

He followed where the cries came from, southeast. It was far, but in the silence of the forest he could clearly hear it.

It was nighttime when he found her, an infant of less than a year old, in the arms of a bleeding woman covered in multiple wounds and lacerations, lying at the base of the forest's sacred tree. The blood made a trail that led back towards a cleared path through the woods. The woman, clearly at the last ember of her life, noticed and looked at him with eyes filled with suspicion and fear. She tried getting up but could not muster the strength to do so.

He slowly approached the woman and used healing magic. Soft light touched her wounds but to his surprise, the wounds glowed a faint purple and the woman mumbled words he could not understand.

Realizing that these were no simple wounds and that there was no chance of saving her with magic, he said, "Don't try to speak, it hurts right? But I need you to answer my questions. Please tilt your head to the right for yes, and to the left for no."

The woman then calmed, realizing that this man was not an enemy and tilted her head to the right.

"Then… these wounds were made by a Rank A-Fatal Class spell was it?" The woman moved her head to the right.

As he thought, the wounds were unhealable and she could only be saved by non-magic treatments. But they were in the middle of a forest untouched by technology for the sole reason of its sanctity, thus there was no saving this woman. He looked at the sobbing infant and asked, "Is this your child?"

The woman moved her head to the left, which made the old man confused. From the looks of it, this woman is on the verge of death protecting the child. Then the woman moved her head to the right which confused the man more. The woman smirked because of his obvious confusion, but rather than to mock him the smirk meant "It doesn't matter."

Understanding the woman's intention he then asked, "Do you have any pursuers?" The woman moved her head to the left then said with a pained voice "…killed them…"

This was no ordinary woman and child, the man thought. From the start, it was already suspicious. Just from the fact alone that she was able to approach the sacred tree, wounded, should have been proof enough. But as soon as she uttered those words, she started to cough blood profusely. She was running out of time. The woman, with all her remaining strength said "…please …protect this …child…". The man had a strong sense of responsibility and felt guilty for not being able to heal her so he quickly surrendered and took the child. "…may Gaea …live and …prosper once …more" she said as she made a pained grunt.

With that phrase, he knew what this woman exactly was. The woman held the infant's hand and with dying words she uttered, "…may the … Sacred Tree guide you …always…" with those words, the life in her body disappeared. The woman had died with a satisfied smile on her face. He could not say anything, nor could he do anything. He felt bad that, once again, he could not save a life. The sacred tree glowed brighter and softened as immediately.

He looked at the child in his arms, now his to care for. Her silver hair clearly seen because of the moonlight, she must have been about a few months old. He took the child's hand and just then, he saw her destiny in his eyes. It wasn't by chance that she was left to him. The child stopped sobbing as he held her tiny hand. This child will inherit his mission. He would teach her many things, just as he had done before for others. She would also need to know how to harness her abilities, whatever they may be. For now, he would just go back to the log cabin he calls his home, as well as go back to bury the woman. While walking back towards his home, he was pondering as to what name would be good to use.

"What name would you like?" he asked the infant. Her reply was only a small mumble.

"My name is Crescent. People used to call me the Scholar, my child." he said smiling. He thought to himself. It seems like destiny just gave me a new purpose.