"Power, once sought, binds its wielder as much as it grants freedom. 

In the pursuit of strength, one must always be wary of the cost of losing oneself."

The heavy doors of the guild hall creaked open as Lia stepped inside. Her boots echoed on polished stone-tiled hall, eyes sharp as they scanned the space. The hall was massive—arched ceilings, tall stained glass windows that caught the sunlight, and sculptures of legendary warriors lined the walls. A huge banner bearing the Orion Constellation symbol hung above, fluttering lightly from the breeze.

Around her, laughter rang out—deep, bold, and full of confidence. Strong-looking people lounged across the room, some leaning back in chairs, others exchanging jokes mid-spar. The air buzzed with pressure so thick it would crush a normal person flat.

Lia didn’t flinch.

She glanced up at the banner and murmured under her breath, “Orion Constellation Guild, huh.”

A voice answered, rich with amusement, “Keen as ever, Wanderer.”

From across the hall, a broad-shouldered man walked toward the large seat at the front. His red cloak marked his rank, and his presence commanded attention.

“The guildmaster…” Lia noted calmly.

He sat with ease, fingers drumming against the armrest. “No need for introductions. You already have our attention. But still, let us introduce ourselves one by one—”

“Drop the formalities,” Lia cut in, voice steady but firm. “Why did you summon a merchant to the capital’s guild hall?”

The guildmaster chuckled, not offended in the slightest. “Mm! Straight to the point. I respect that.” He leaned forward. “You were invited because of your immense magic potential. At our first meeting, I thought my senses were off. But now? You must feel it too, don’t you? That power.”

“Power?” Lia repeated. Her tone remained even, but her brow furrowed slightly.

A man leaned over the table nearby, long hair tied back loosely. “No need to stress, kid. It ain't shady business, I promise.”

He flashed a casual smile.

“Name’s Zephyr. I handle long and mid-range combat. Wind affinity, spirit-blessed. It’s nice to meet you.”

Before Lia could respond, another voice chimed in, teasing and playful.

“You’re a new recruit, huh? You’re such a cutie. Don’t worry—Red Blockhead over there just talks in riddles.”

A woman with soft eyes and a graceful aura gave a warm smile.

“I’m Seraphina. I’m the guild’s only healer, though I can fight too. My affinity’s wood, granted by the goddess of nature.”

From across the hall, another voice piped up.

“Seph! You’re playing favorites already?” the woman said with a half-laugh. “Though… she is cute. And honestly? Kinda terrifying.”

She stepped closer, eyes cool as frost. “I’m Eira. I specialize in defense and long-range spells. Ice affinity. Hope we get along, newbie.”

Lia gave a polite nod to each of them, eyes quietly observing, still composed.

The guildmaster smiled. “Only one here who's scary is you, Eira.”

Eira’s head turned slowly, her eyes narrowing.

“Huh? You wanna fight?”

A wave of sighs swept the room.

One of the men whispered to himself, “Yup, that’s more like her.”

Another woman stepped forward, hands on her hips. “Come on, stop it already. Let people introduce themselves.”

She looked at Lia, smiling apologetically. “I’m Myra. Water affinity. I work support in battle... and I try to keep these overgrown kids in line.”

Lia’s gaze flicked to the side as another man leaned against a nearby pillar, arms crossed.

“Family, huh?” he said with a crooked grin. “Let’s just hope you don’t blow us up before breakfast. With that aura, you could fry a small town.”

Lia’s eyes narrowed slightly. “What do you mean by that?”

Zephyr tilted his head. “You really don’t feel it? It’s pouring out of you. It’s like your mana doesn’t stop leaking.”

“I don’t feel anything...” Lia muttered.

A rough voice cut in. “Then you’ve been wasting more mana than a broken temple crystal.”

Lia turned to see a woman with short, sharp red hair step forward. Her presence felt like fire barely held in check.

“Stop being dramatic, Thorne,” she scolded the man who had spoken before. “I’m Ember. Fire affinity. Support and long-range combat. Blessed by the holy flame, same as the guildmaster.”

“Thorne,” the man added with a sigh. “Thunder affinity. Mid-range and front-line. Not as sharp as these guys, but I hit hard enough.”

A deep laugh filled the hall.

“Power’s not enough on its own,” came a gravelly voice from the back. “She’ll need control.”

A large man stepped forward, arms like tree trunks. “I’m Granite. Earth affinity, tank of the guild. Welcome aboard.”

Ignis, the guildmaster, rose to his feet.

“Alright then,” he said clearly. “I now announce her as the guild’s new 8th General.”

The hall fell silent. A second later—

“WHAT?!” Ember and Thorne shouted at once.

“She’s only nineteen!” Ember protested. “She doesn’t even know how to control her mana! Are you insane?!”

Thorne crossed his arms. “You’re making a call this big with no training?! Should we zap your brain back to normal?”

Ignis didn’t flinch. “Train her.”

The room went still again.

He met their eyes calmly. “Train her the way you train yourselves.”

A moment passed, and then he turned to Lia.

“Well, I haven’t introduced myself properly either. I am Ignis, Guildmaster of the Orion Guild.”

Lia’s eyes didn’t waver, but her jaw tightened. “You’re all deciding this without me? I have a job. A little brother. I’m not here to play soldier.”

“You’re not playing,” Ignis replied smoothly. “And as for your brother… It’s already done. We finalized the negotiation yesterday. His enrollment is confirmed. Top academy in the capital. He’ll be here by next week.”

Lia’s composure cracked just slightly.

“…What?”

She blinked.

“Don’t mess with me. You couldn’t have done all that—”

“We did,” Ignis said.

Lia for a moment, didn’t knew what to say.

The Guildmaster smirked. “I’ve told you before, Lia,” he said, resting his elbows on the polished wooden table, his voice calm yet laced with quiet amusement.

“But I’ll say it again… I have my ways.”

His sharp grin deepened, eyes glinting under the warm light of the chamber.

“Welcome to the Orion Guild—or should I say, The Hunter’s Eye Guild. Our eighth general… Lia Lumestria Caerhiel.”

The name echoed.

Something cracked.

Lia blinked—and the world shattered.

She opened her eyes to the sound of chaos.

Mountains torn apart. Screams. Dust choking the sky. Rubble flew beneath her as she hovered mid-air, above a battlefield scorched in fury.

Her heart was still.

Emotionless.

Her presence—wrong. Heavy. Something ancient stirred inside her, pressing out through her skin like heat behind glass.

Below, soldiers clashed. Explosions shook the torn earth. And in the reflection of Lia’s right eye—a trembling image of the guildmaster. His face was pale, twisted in horror.

Blood streaked across her face. Her right arm, mangled and raw, hung limp. Yet she barely noticed.

His voice cracked through the storm.

“Stop it! You’re going berserk! Lia—you’ll destroy everything!”

But she didn’t look at him.

Instead, she turned her gaze to the Demon Lord.

The moment her eyes locked onto him—he moved. Blinding fast.

In less than a breath, he appeared before her. A weapon—broad and blunt—swung straight toward her.

She raised her damaged arm.

CRACK!

The blow hit like a meteor. Her body bent from the force, bones groaning as she was sent crashing to the ground. A comet of light and blood. She struck the earth hard, a crater exploding out from where she landed.

Dust swallowed her.

Silence for a second—then a sharp breath.

Inside her chest, the cold presence stirred again. Divine. Detached.

“Did I misjudge this body’s strength?”

“No. I’m simply pushing it farther than expected.”

Light flickered around her broken arm. With a twist, she snapped it back into place. Her face barely flinched.

Then—she flew.

A blast of dust trailed behind her as she rose high. At the peak, a sword of light took shape in her hand—clean, perfect, radiant.

The Demon Lord blinked, startled.

Too late.

SLASH!

The blade cut through his shoulder. The ground split beneath him. A canyon of destruction opened wide, glowing with holy fire.

Generals nearby froze in place. Blood sprayed. Smoke rose. No one moved.

He staggered, growling.

“You… can’t def—”

Lia’s quiet laugh cut through his words.

"Mmm... Ahh... Ahaha... This feels so good... I like it... No— I love it! Ahaha... Hahaha!"**

She tilted her head. Her breath quickened. Then, her voice dropped into a whisper colder than the wind.

“But playtime is over.”

A small, pearl-shaped light appeared in her palm. It pulsed. Then stretched. Lines etched themselves in the air, forming into a glowing octahedral cage. Eight shimmering faces surrounded the Demon Lord.

He screamed—loud and deep—as the cage closed around him.

Then, she waved her hand.

Hundreds of magic circles bloomed inside the cage, spinning, shifting, and firing beams of light from every angle. The air warped. The color of magic turned blinding, then… too bright to be light. It began darkening, burning into the sky itself.

A massive circular sigil formed under the cage.

Lia coughed. Blood slipped down her chin. Her body trembled—but she didn’t fall.

“LIA!” the guildmaster shouted, his voice raw. “If you keep going—the island won’t survive! We’ll have to stop you ourselves!”

She didn’t flinch.

Didn’t even blink.

Then—magic rose.

The generals attacked all at once. Flames, lightning, blades of wind, falling meteors, spears of ice, phoenix-fire—the entire sky roared with power.

Lia lifted her fingers.

A golden ripple spread out.

The spells stopped mid-air.

They hung for a moment, frozen—then vanished into a golden void, swallowed by divine light.

The air thinned.

Mana itself drained out of the world around her. Swords dimmed. Enchantments broke. Spells flickered and died.

The generals felt it.

Fear!

Lia stood, breathing slow, blood leaking from her eye socket. Her veins glowed gold, pulsing with power a human body wasn’t meant to hold. Yet still—she endured.

Then she vanished.

Thorne, the strongest of them, moved on instinct.

But she was already in front of him.

“Lia—” he shouted. “What happened to you?!”

He swung his sword.

CLASH!

Another strike.

She parried with brutal precision, her movements sharp and unrelenting.

SLASH!

His right arm flew through the air, severed clean.

He staggered, barely catching himself.

“Damn it—!”

BOOM!

Granite leapt in, his greatsword drawn—but her strike shattered it.

Before anyone could regroup, Lia shot upward, her scream tearing through the sky. Another blade appeared in her hand. She descended like divine wrath, her swings carving entire chunks out of the land.

Blood sprayed.

One by one—Seraphina, Ember, Granite—fell.

The battlefield was drenched.

But still, the others pressed on, hoping—praying—that she would snap out of it.

Then—it happened.

A golden burst erupted from her back.

Her sword disappeared. Her glowing veins dimmed. Her eye rolled back. And she fell—lifeless—into the ground.

THAASH!

The Light Goddess was gone.

Lia’s body hit the earth, cracking the stone beneath. The divine power that once kept her standing drained away like water from a broken cup.

She blinked once—barely able to see.

Figures rushed toward her—blurry, distant.

“Wh…at…was tha—”

Darkness swallowed her.

Lia Lumestria Caerhiel—the one who had wielded the power of the Goddess—was gone.

The battlefield was still.

Weapons lowered. Heads bowed. The wind blew cold over bloodied soil.

None could speak.

She had been divine.

Unstoppable.

But even gods, when wearing mortal skin, could break.

The guildmaster stood quietly. His face, once proud, was now a haunted mask.

Then—the earth shook.

From the broken land, something rose.

Not demon. Not god.

Something older.

Drawn not by summoning—but by the aftermath. By the mana itself.

The guildmaster’s eyes widened.

“This…” he whispered. “This wasn’t a victory.”

Eira, youngest of the group, clenched her fists.

“She… she was supposed to save us…”

“She did,” the guildmaster said. “But at a cost none of us were ready for.”

History would forget the truth.

"They’d call it a victory. Call her a hero. Say she saved the world.

But the survivors knew.

They knew the truth.

They had seen her wield the light of a god—and shatter beneath it.

They had seen the world nearly fall apart.

And they had felt it.

The stir.

The ripple.

The awakening."

Centuries passed.

"Nations changed. Stories twisted into myths. The war faded into bedtime tales.

But beneath it all…

Something remembered.

And in an era that no longer feared the dark—

The dark began to wake."

Chapter End

Author Note: Thank you so much for reading all the way to the end of the prologue. It truly means a lot. 🖤

This was just the beginning—a small glimpse into the world, the chaos, and the quiet bonds that hold everything together. From here on, new journeys begin, truths unravel, and choices will shape everything.

If you enjoyed it even a little, I’d love to hear your thoughts. A quick review or comment would go a long way and help this story grow.

See you in Chapter 1—
Where the real story begins.

—AizuKin