Chapter 2 — The Prelude
Lei's eyes snapped open.
He was in a dark place, swallowed by total blackness. His eyes were useless here… But his other senses kicked in.
The cold bit deep, sharp and merciless. He immediately knew: he wasn't inside a house. Not even outside. He was… somewhere else.
And that strange feeling… He wasn't really breathing.
Then he realized one thing.
Just one.
He was awake.
And trapped.
He didn't know where, or why.
He only remembered one thing.
His name: Lei.
---
Meanwhile, on the surface, a small isolated village, nestled deep in a snowy forest, trembled in terror.
A Nightmare was attacking.
Screams tore through the night. Houses burned. Villagers ran, screaming, desperately trying to escape the unspeakable.
Suddenly…
The ground shook violently. The earth cracked beneath their feet. Panic froze in the eyes of the inhabitants.
A heavy thud. A deafening blast.
The ice on the nearby lake shattered violently, sending shards flying in every direction.
A figure emerged from the frozen crater.
Slow. Inhuman.
Hovering above the water.
Lei.
Alone.
Without thinking, without even understanding why, he charged straight at the monster.
His fist crashed down, shattering the creature in a spray of blood.
But it wasn't enough.
The Nightmare roared, rising again to strike back. The blow sent Lei flying into a tree, which shattered under the impact.
He got up, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth.
No time to think. Just… act.
He charged again.
His fist struck the monster's left side, tearing through flesh, opening a breach in its defenses.
The beast tried to retaliate, but Lei spun on the spot and with a spinning kick smashed its jaw.
The Nightmare didn't have time to get up.
Lei was already on top of it,
his face twisted into an uncontrollable grin.
He struck.
Again.
And again.
Until the monster was nothing but a broken corpse.
Breathing hard. Eyes cold. Face stained with blood.
He turned to the villagers — all frozen, speechless, shocked.
"You're safe now," he said simply.
Silence. Not a sound. All eyes fixed on him, stunned.
"What?" Lei raised an eyebrow.
The silence grew heavy. Oppressive.
Until a small voice, clear and pure, broke the tension:
"Who are you, mister?"
He turned his head. A little girl was staring up at him, eyes shining with innocence.
"Me? I'm Lei. And you, little one?"
"I'm Lise. Not 'little'!"
Lei laughed, genuine.
"Sorry, sorry!"
Lise smiled, tilting her head curiously:
"Where do you live, big brother Lei?"
"Hmm… I don't know. Maybe… maybe nowhere… I can't remember."
"What?! But… if you don't have a home… you can come live with me!"
He looked surprised. Then smiled softly.
"Really? Thanks… that's… kind of you."
"Awesome! I've got a new roommate now!" she laughed.
They shared a look, a spark of connection. A spontaneous laugh bubbled up between them.
Slowly, the villagers began to approach. Cautious at first. Then curious. And soon reassured. Everyone understood Lei was no threat.
---
A few hours later, inside Lise's small house, a knock came at the door.
Lei stood and opened it.
A boy about his age stood there — tousled blond hair, sparkling golden eyes.
"Who are you?" Lei asked.
"Hans. And you?"
"I'm Lei."
"You friends with Lise?"
"Apparently, yeah. Come in, she's in the kitchen."
Around a meal… questionable (so spicy it could knock out a demon), the three shared a simple moment. Warm. Human.
Hans laughed when he saw Lei staring despairingly at his plate. He gave him a playful tap on the back of the head:
"Don't worry, it won't kill you… I think."
Laughter followed.
---
But far away, in places no one could imagine…
In the draconic kingdom, a powerful, deep voice echoed, tinged with fear and disbelief:
"Ho-How is this possible…? The prophecy said seven years from now… so why… now?! I must warn the elders… and the king…"
In the divine realm, at the heart of a celestial chamber, a man woke with a start, his face twisted in terror.
"He… He's here… The prophecy… it's coming true…"
In a dark, forgotten place, two red eyes gleamed in the shadows.
"At last…"
And in a ravaged forest, among the corpses of Nightmares, a being sat on a throne of flesh, whispering in a cold breath:
"The dice have been cast…"
In the abyss, deep at the bottom of the ocean, a cavernous voice boomed:
"This will be a massacre… unlike any before."
---
Back in Lise's house.
The night was calm.
Lei slept.
But his sleep was restless. His breath short. Sweat beading on his forehead.
In his dream, he saw a woman of unreal beauty. Jet-black hair. Eyes of blue mixed with gold, hypnotic.
On her lap, a little boy smiled, innocent.
"Do you want me to tell you a secret… a secret forgotten long ago?" the woman whispered softly.
"Yes…" the child replied.
"Once upon a time… angels, dragons, and humans lived in harmony…"
Suddenly, the world caught fire.
The sky, the sea, the land… everything burned. Flames devoured the universe, reducing it all to ash, like burning paper.
"NOOOO!!" Lei screamed.
He woke with a start, gasping, drenched in sweat.
Lise was there, gently shaking him, worried.
"You okay, big brother? You looked like… like you came back from the dead…"
---
End of Chapter 2