Chapter 1 - Fading Memories, Rising Fate

Rustle

The trees towered, their branches meeting each other, creating dense foliage that left small gaps that prevented sunlight from penetrating. The rays of light that managed to penetrate formed a golden pattern on the damp ground, mixed with the shadows of the leaves blown by the gentle wind.

On the ground, covered with a layer of grass that swayed gently, along with tree roots that emerged from the ground. Small insects flew and ran on the grass, occasionally the sound of flapping wings or the soft friction of crickets could be heard among the grass.

Among the gently swaying grass, a young man lay silently. His black hair was messy, a few strands blown by the wind and fell on his pale white face. His breath was regular, as if he was just sleeping soundly under a shady and comfortable tree. However, something strange radiated from him, a pair of dominant golden eyes were still closed under his eyelids, as if a ruler who was tired of power.

The air around him changed, becoming quieter as if waiting for the young man to awaken. Suddenly, a wolf's howl echoed throughout the forest, creating a tense atmosphere under the dense trees and shadowed by darkness.

His eyelids trembled, his breath hitched for a moment before he opened his eyes which revealed a pair of golden eyes, his eyes moved to look around attentively observing the environment covered in dark leaves.

"Where am I...?"

His face was filled with confusion, he felt the grass in his hand to make sure something, his fingers moved to touch the damp soil and fibrous roots. With a little effort he raised his hand to face the sky, his muscles felt stiff as if they had not been moved for a long time.

Slowly, he moved his stiff body pushing himself up. Pressing his hands on the ground, giving support to his body which was now trying to sit up.

His head was slightly bowed, a few strands of black hair covered part of his face. He took a deep breath, trying to calm his unstable heartbeat. His pair of golden eyes stared at his hand with curiosity, there a black chain and spiral pattern tattoo was clearly visible.

An unusual black line spread from his shoulder, curling down his upper arm, and then tightly coiling around his entire arm. On the back of his hand, a more intricate pattern was formed, a black spiral centered on the skin of the back of his right arm.

He reached out with his left hand, his fingers gently touching the layer of tattoos on his skin, a strange sensation spreading throughout his body.

Suddenly, his head felt heavier. His vision was spinning slightly, as if the ground beneath him was moving for no reason. His vision began to blur, every breath he took felt heavy, his heartbeat quickened.

In the eerie silence, a voice echoed in his mind, as if coming from his own head.

"Wake up..."

Instantly the dizziness hit him even harder. His hand fell to the ground, while cold sweat poured down his temples. The voice disappeared, leaving behind a silence that was far more piercing than before.

"That voice... What was that? Where did it come from?"

His breathing was still heavy, his chest rising and falling, taking in and releasing it, but his body refused to stay still. With a single breath, he straightened himself and stood up. His knees felt weak for a moment, but as soon as he took the first step, he immediately ran.

Small branches broke beneath his feet, leaves were pushed aside as he pushed through the bushes. The cold wind hit his face, his head still felt heavy and dizzy, as if the world had spun before him.

Then, in the midst of his hurried steps.

Rustling

His ears caught a sound from behind the bushes in front of him. A movement, not just the wind blowing the leaves, this time it was heavier and very real.

He stopped, his body stiffened and could not move. His eyes narrowed to stare with full alertness, his breathing slowed and concentrated.

The bushes in front of him shook, dry leaves rustled as the leaves shifted. His breath was held, his body became even more tense. Then, from the gap in the leaves a girl appeared.

Blonde hair fell to her shoulders, sky blue eyes full of alertness. She wore a light blue robe with gold accents, with a four-pointed star brooch between her chest.

She looked young, probably the same age as him. But the most striking thing was her shocked expression, her mouth wide open, her eyebrows furrowed and her cheeks turning red.

The girl's blue eyes widened, "Wh-why did you...!?" Her voice caught in her throat, while her gaze quickly shifted elsewhere.

Only then did she realize. Her body, was not covered by a single piece of cloth.

The young man reflexively covered his body with both of his hands, realizing how vulnerable he was right now. His heart was beating fast, not only because of the overwhelming shame, but also because of the girl's sharp and alert gaze.

A blue light gathered in the girl's hand, forming a sharp silver knife. A cold aura radiated from her weapon, adding to the tension between them.

"Who are you? And... What are you doing?" Her voice was sharp, full of alertness. Her eyes no longer looked surprised, but alert, as if she was ready to attack at any moment.

The young man swallowed, feeling very nervous. He wanted to answer, but had a very big problem, he didn't know at all. There was no memory, no familiar name crossed his mind. All that was left was breathing and uncomfortable silence.

He was silent for a moment, trying to dig into the memory that felt empty like a white sheet of paper without any scribbles. There was no definite answer to that question, but he remembered the chain tattoo on his hand and answered as best he could.

"Cain..." he said, his voice hoarse and his eyes staring weakly at the girl. "My name is Cain."

The girl did not lower her knife, merely looking at Cain with a complicated gaze as if considering the truth of his words.

Cain took a deep breath. "Other than that… I don't remember anything," he shook his head slowly. "I probably have amnesia."

The girl remained silent, but her expression changed slightly, from wary to doubtful. However, her grip on the knife did not loosen one bit.

"So you want me to believe you?" she asked in a flat tone, her eyes never leaving Cain.

Cain raised both of his hands slowly, signaling that he meant no offense. "Believe it or not, I really don't know why I'm here. I only realized it when I woke up in the grass earlier."

The girl stared at him for a moment, then let out a slow breath. Although still wary, she seemed to be considering Cain's words.

Then she shook her head slowly, her expression reflecting a mixture of confusion and frustration. This situation was truly strange, and Cain's naked presence made it even harder for her to stay focused.

The girl sighed, "…I can't leave you like this, I can't focus when you're like that," she muttered, more to herself.

She reached out her hand, and in an instant, arcane energy began to gather in the air, forming faint strands of light that slowly coalesced into a simple piece of clothing, a long shirt and pants that fit Cain's body just right.

"Wear this."

Cain stared at the clothes floating in front of him, then turned to the girl with a little hesitation.

"I won't wait forever," she said in a firm tone, her eyes narrowed as if warning him not to cause any more trouble.

With no other choice, Cain immediately grabbed it and put the clothes on. The material felt foreign to his skin, but it was much better than wearing nothing at all.

Cain straightened the clothes he had just put on, still feeling a little awkward with the girl's presence constantly observing him.

"I am Rin Valmont," the girl finally introduced herself, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "A Xenova user of the Fabricator branch, with A-rank talent."

Cain raised an eyebrow slightly, though the name sounded foreign to him, there was something in his voice that held a certain pride. Fabricator… Rank A… What is that? He didn't know.

"My destination is the Dungeon in Solmora City," Rin continued, her voice sounding more relaxed now. "And you? You really don't remember anything other than your name?"

Cain sighed. "Yeah… I told you, I have amnesia. Even my name feels like a blur."

Rin stared at him closely, searching for any sign of a lie, before finally letting out a long sigh.

Then she frowned in realization, looking at Cain with a confused expression. "I still don't get it… How did you survive this far?" she asked. "You woke up in the middle of a forest like this, all alone, with amnesia… and you don't have a single wound."

Cain stared at Rin, trying to find an answer in his blank mind. "I don't know either," he answered honestly.

Rin sighed, clearly still having trouble understanding Cain's situation.

Cain, who was still trying to make sense of the conversation, finally asked, "You mentioned Xenova, Xenova users, Fabricators, and A-rank talents… What do you mean?"

Rin's eyes widened, the expression on her face changing to a mix of shock and exhaustion. "Wait… you don't know what that is?"

Cain shook his head.

Rin pressed her temples, trying to calm herself down. "So… you're asking about something that everyone in this world has known since childhood?"

Cain shrugged. "I thought it was important enough for me to ask."

Rin closed her eyes for a moment, then sighed long. "This is going to be a very long explanation…" he muttered. It was quite difficult to explain it if someone had no knowledge whatsoever, because they had no idea.

Rin tried to calm her mind before explaining. "Okay, listen carefully. Xenova is a fundamental energy that has changed the world since the appearance of the Dungeon. Everyone has it in certain amounts, and there are various ways to use it. Fabricators, like me, are one of the six main branches of Xenova users, which allows us to create objects from the energy itself."

Cain nodded slowly, trying to understand every word Rin said. However, before he could ask another question, a rustling sound from the bushes near them caught both of their attention.

Rin reflexively created an energy knife in her hand, while Cain, despite not knowing what was happening, immediately prepared himself in a defensive position. Both of their eyes were fixed on the source of the sound, the tension in the air increasing.

"Get ready," Rin whispered, her eyes sharply staring at the moving bushes.

Cain clenched his fists. For some reason, even though he didn't remember anything, his body felt ready to face danger.

The leaves shook. Cain felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. Was it a wild animal? Or something more dangerous? Rin's breath hitched, and his grip on his knife tightened.

The rustling sound grew closer. Then, something emerged from the darkness…