Six hundred years ago, the world underwent a disastrous war.

Flip.

The mortals, forsaken by the Zodiacs, turned away from them and began worshiping the Gods. This significant change infuriated the arrogant Zodiacs, prompting them to plot the destruction of the Gods. The mortal existence hung in the balance as the transcendent beings turned the continent of Amea into their battleground.

Flip.

Humans at this time were different from other mortals. Unlike the elves and dwarves, they did not possess mana cores. That’s why, compared to other mortals, they prayed the hardest. When the war had reached a stalemate, the strongest god, Ymer—the Sky Goddess—rewarded humans for their strong devotion. 

She forged mana cores for all devout humans and granted a man named James Selis the privilege of having him and his descendants serve as apostles of her power. However, not all humans received Ymer’s blessing. When Ymer and several other gods found themselves back in the midst of war after the stalemate, the unfaithful humans who had not undergone the forging of their mana cores were labeled as nerics.

Flip. Flip.

The results of the war were disappointing at first, as the Gods brutally lost against the Zodiacs. But then, mortals found solace when the Zodiacs failed to reappear in the mortal realm—Gaia. James Selis had become a king and established the Kingdom of Selis. It was a kingdom that unified all humans, passed down the powers of Ymer, and rivaled Egon, the dwarf kingdom, and Vozar, the elf kingdom.

Flip.

The name of the war was the Celestial War, and it marked the origin of the neric curse.

The neric curse.

Neric Curse.

“We’re cursed, huh?” said Elric as he glared at the first history book his mother ever gave him. 

He tossed the book onto the inn’s kitchen floor, burying his head in his hands.

Four days. It’s been four days since she was taken away.

Elric had tried reading to take his mind off the forceful capture of his aunt, but that only seemed to worsen his mood. The introductory history book, detailing early Selisian history and condemning his very existence, felt like a cruel reminder of his current situation.

It seems like waiting is the only thing a cursed neric can do, Elric thought bleakly.

Knock, knock.

Elric jerked his head up at the sudden sound.

Could that be–

His legs moved quicker than his thoughts, and in no time, he eagerly swung the door of the inn open. His smile dropped as he found no one there.

A prank? Elric wondered. Who would joke with me during a time like this?

Venturing further outside, there was still no one. Elric took a deep breath and raised his head to gaze at the night sky, once again finding comfort in the unchanging stars. This night was the first time he had stepped out in four days.

As he turned back towards the inn, his countenance shifted dramatically, and any comfort he had felt vanished and transformed into despair. 

To the far left of the inn’s entrance, wearing only a burlap sack, Serena lay lifeless on the ground.

“A-Aunt Serena...”

With staggering legs, Elric approached her, sinking to his knees as he cradled her unmoving body with his trembling hands.

Tears streamed down his face.

“What are you doing, Aunt Serena? We have to go somewhere far away, remember?” Elric whispered, his voice choked with grief. The last ten years flashed before his eyes—the warmth of Serena’s smile, her infectious laughter, and the tender moments they had shared. 

Breathing became difficult for Elric. The weight of the loss pressed deeply on his chest. In response, he hugged his aunt even tighter, and as he clung, he could sense a familiar wetness. Slowly raising his trembling hand, Elric saw that it was stained with blood. His terrified gaze traveled down his aunt’s legs, revealing the heavily bruised appendages.

“AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!”

Elric’s agonized scream shattered the silence of the night, jolting the entire village awake.

“Heuk…heuk….” An anguished cry uncontrollably escaped his lips—the most intense cry he had ever experienced.

Such a cry was Elric’s first.

And it would be his last.

* * *

With their faces touched by the first rays of dawn, the villagers of Vailee all gathered behind the Sinclair family’s inn and surrounded a simple wooden casket. Resting beside a freshly dug grave, the casket was uncovered, revealing Serena gently confined in its somber embrace.

“Let us remember Serena not with sorrow but with the warmth of the memories she gifted us,” said Old Lady Agatha, ending her eulogy.

Slowly, the forlorn villagers approached the casket one by one, each holding a single wildflower to place on Serena’s final resting place. As the flowers accumulated, a vibrant tapestry of colors emerged, enhancing Serena’s beauty even in her eternal slumber. The sun climbed higher, casting a golden glow over the gathering, as if nature itself were offering its condolences. 

Finally, there stood two figures who had yet to cast their flowers down.

The first was Tip. After getting struck by Jasper’s aura bullet, he remained unconscious for three days. When he came to, he was devastated to discover his complete and utter defeat against the Simmons family’s knight, realizing Serena was still taken away in the end. When he heard Elric’s tormented scream, he hoped his thoughts had been wrong. He had hoped that the nobles would have been merciful and that Serena would return with a smile. 

But no.

That would have been a privilege. And nerics don’t deserve privileges. 

Tip clenched his jaw as he fully accepted the cruel reality of this world. One could beg a million times, but as long as they were weak, they wouldn’t make a sound to the strong. An indescribable emotion flickered in his eyes. He then gently placed his flower on Serena’s heart before joining the rest of the villagers.

The second figure was none other than Elric. As Tip walked past him, Elric, with his bloodshot eyes, looked down at the flower cradled in his hands. It was the very same one he had chosen on his sixth birthday. Just as he did back then, he arranged it into the shape of a ring. Bending down, he set the flower ring atop Serena’s clasped hands. The casket was then closed, and with a solemn grace, it was lowered into the waiting clutches of the empty grave.

Till the end, Serena, staying true to the meaning of her name, appeared especially serene.

* * *

Elric couldn’t sleep.

Dimly lit, his room projected shadows that danced across the walls while he grappled with his thoughts. The air was heavy with unspoken tension, and Elric’s thoughts echoed like haunting whispers and swirled like malevolent spirits around him.

"If you had just been honest with Serena, none of this would have happened," taunted the first voice, oozing malice.

Stop it.

Another whisper joined: "Did you stay thinking you could eventually defeat Leonard?"

The room seemed to close in on Elric as the voices intensified. "You should have just run away! Leonard was right; your stupid pride kept you here," hissed a mocking tone.

Shut up!

Then a voice, louder and more haunting than the rest, emerged. "Were you scared of the outside world? Were you scared that there were many Leonards out there?" The words deeply echoed, resonating with the fear that Elric had tried so hard to bury.

“I said, shut up!” he yelled. 

But the voices persisted, exposing the doubts that clawed at Elric’s conscience. It’s as if he were drowning in a sea of guilt after getting swept through a storm of frustration and regret. His fists clenched; he was desperate to silence the cacophony inside his head.

“We’ll make sure to visit you on your birthday every year.”

Elric suddenly remembered the permanent return of his parents. His birthday, March 3rd, was only two weeks away. 

That’s right, he thought. Mom and dad will be back soon. I won’t make the same mistake twice. This time, I’ll definitely protect my family!

The chorus of sinister whispers grudgingly faded away. There was one thing they hadn’t accounted for:

Hope.

* * *

“You’re here again.”

As he sat, Elric spoke with his back turned to the frequent visitor and his gaze fixed upon his aunt’s grave. 

Approaching him from behind, Hanna held on to the warm bowl of soup she and her grandmother had prepared as lunch for him. 

“Yeah! And today, it’s mushroom soup!” she exclaimed cheerfully while raising the bowl.

“......”

Receiving no reaction from Elric, Hanna lowered the bowl in disappointment. It had been four weeks since Serena’s burial, and Elric’s distant demeanor had only become more pronounced in the last week. Sitting beside him, Hanna gave a nervous look.

“Are you acting like this because of your parents?”

Elric flinched. 

He didn’t want to admit it, but she was right. 

His parents never failed to arrive on time when they visited, yet they just so happened to be late when they decided to permanently return? Then again, it was only a two-week delay. A carriage journey from the capital to Vailee typically takes ten days if there are no complications. Was he worrying for no reason? Lots of things can delay a carriage journey. He glanced at Hanna, who seemed too anxious to press the conversation further. And was he worrying others instead? 

Without responding to Hanna’s question, Elric grabbed the bowl from her hands and scarfed down the lukewarm meal. 

“Thanks,” he dryly said as he finished eating.

“You don’t have to thank me. It’s the least I could do…” Hanna’s voice weakened as her gaze drifted to Serena’s grave. Ever since Elric saved her from those heinous nobles, she blamed herself for all his misfortunes. If she were the one who died, Elric wouldn’t have gotten all those scars. He wouldn’t be so distressed while waiting for his parents. Serena would still be–

“Hey, don’t do that. Don’t blame yourself.”

Oh. She was crying.

Hanna brushed away the tears that had fallen on their own. “Sorry. It seems this is all I ever do.”

Elric offered her a sad smile, recognizing the reflection of his former self from just a few weeks prior. With a soft voice, he uttered, “You’ve always been like a little sister to me, Hanna. I don’t regret what I did for you. I simply did what any older brother would do. So please, don’t burden yourself with any blame.” 

Hanna looked at him with her face stained with dried tear streaks. She wanted to believe him, she really did, but instead, she felt like all she did was inappropriately paint herself as the victim. 

“I-I’ll return for dinner!” she announced abruptly as she hastily stood up.

Elric silently watched her depart and sighed; even he felt the hollowness of his own words.

*

Later, as dinnertime approached, Elric went to greet Hanna’s familiar knock at the inn’s entrance.

“Hanna? You’re a bit earl–”

His words caught in his throat as he looked at the unexpected figure before him.

“It’s been awhile. Did you miss me?”