Ten thousand years ago, magic and monsters emerged into the world, long before the rise of any civilization. These monsters, capable of annihilating entire countries with a single strike, left humanity defenseless. With no understanding of magic, humans were unable to wield it for the first four thousand years. Even once they discovered the secrets of magic, they remained powerless for another century, facing the terrifying creatures with no means of defense.
However, by the will of a higher power, the monsters were sealed away in the deepest places of the ocean, allowing humanity the time to grow stronger and advance. For centuries, this peace allowed civilization to thrive. But in the year 1502, the first monster in millennia resurfaced in China. From that day forward, monsters began to crawl out from the depths of the earth, once again threatening the surface world. Yet, this time, humanity was prepared.
Over the centuries, however, magic began to weaken. What was once a powerful force became increasingly unreliable, eventually transforming into what were known as "Divinities." Now, it was a fifty-percent chance that any child born would possess a Divinity, with the abilities granted based on their personality.
1789, July 14, France, Paris.
A young woman stood behind the counter in a bakery, the day unfolding like any other. The front door swung open, and the bell above it rang. The woman smiled softly at the man who had just walked in; he wore a vest that indicated his high status, and she wondered if he might be from a royal family.
"Welcome, can I help you?" the woman asked, maintaining her gentle smile, though deep down, she felt uneasy. The man slicked his hair to the side as he smiled at her.
"Two loaves of bread, please."
She nodded and walked to the back storage of the bakery where the bread was kept. As she entered, a young girl approached her. They looked alike, though the woman was slightly taller.
"Aveline…? What are you doing here?! I told you to stay at the house."
Aveline, the young girl, had rich brown hair that cascaded past her shoulders in soft waves. Her peach-toned skin glowed gently, and her light green eyes sparkled with warmth and innocence. She wore a simple light pink jupe, and her small feet were bare, the soles of her feet dirty from walking around outside.
Aveline looked up at the woman, who was her mother, and sighed, her gaze dropping to the worn wooden floor. She twiddled with her fingers nervously before lifting her eyes back up to her mother.
"I was… bored?"
Her mother sighed softly, extending her right hand to gently rest on Aveline's head. She stroked her hair in slow, soothing motions, her expression a mixture of affection and mild exasperation. With a tender smile, her voice softened, though her tone remained serious. "Head home. I get home early. This gives us time to have fun later, okay?"
Aveline sighed again, her small shoulders slumping before she stepped forward to wrap her arms around her mother in a tight hug. After a moment, she pulled back, looking up at her with a resigned expression.
"Fine…"
Aveline reached out and grabbed a loaf of bread, then walked out of the storage room. She glanced briefly at the man who was waiting for his order, and he looked back at her.
"Hello, Young Miss."
Aveline avoided making eye contact with him, instead waving her left hand casually before pulling open the front door and stepping outside. The cool air of Paris greeted her as she stepped onto the rock-patterned streets. People bustled around her—men and women walking beside her, some engaged in conversation while others remained silent. A few leaned against walls, and people constantly moved in and out of buildings.
Aveline grunted, feeling the rough rocks dig into the soles of her bare feet. She began to take larger steps, her face scrunching slightly in discomfort. As she walked, she looked up at the sky; it was overcast, and the clouds seemed thick as if a storm was on the horizon. A smile tugged at her lips.
"Itbetterrainalldayandnight,thenIcanhaveanamazingsleep…" she thought.
Aveline continued walking down the streets until a drunken man stumbled toward her. She shook her head, rolling her eyes, and easily weaved around him. "Notdealingwiththat," she thought, her pace unbroken. She glanced back at the man one last time, then noticed something curious. A street performer stood nearby, speaking to a bird—a red parrot. The man extended his hand toward the parrot, and in an instant, it exploded into a swirl of leaves. Aveline's eyes widened in amazement, and the crowd around the man gasped in surprise.
The performer stood up, a grin spreading across his face, and extended his arms wide. With a swift motion, he summoned a dozen parrots, each one materializing in midair. They flapped their wings and soared above the crowd.
"This is what a divinity looks like, people!" he shouted proudly, his voice carrying through the bustling street. The crowd murmured in awe, some of them stepping back in shock, others staring in wonder at the spectacle.
Aveline looked down at her hand, wondering if she had a divinity—and if she did, what it would be. She imagined conjuring up flames, but nothing happened. She tried imagining ice, wind, lightning, rocks, light, darkness, blood—anything—but nothing came to life. "Ineedtostoptrying.Ineedtostartcoping."
Aveline continued to gaze at her left hand, the weight of her thoughts heavy in the air, before taking a bite of her bread. She swallowed quickly, trying to push aside the frustration, and resumed walking toward home.
Suddenly, the sound of heavy footsteps echoed through the street. Aveline took a cautious step back, wondering who could be making such loud, hurried noise. Around the corner, more than a dozen people appeared, running toward her at a frantic pace. Her confusion deepened, and she froze in place.
It wasn't until she saw men wielding cutlasses in their hands that she realized the danger. Panic surged through her, and she began to run. "What's going on?!" she asked, fear rising in her chest.
As she sprinted, she glanced at a man running alongside her, hoping for an explanation. But he didn't even acknowledge her. His face was filled with sheer terror, his eyes wide, his breath labored. Suddenly, something grazed Aveline's left ear. She felt a warm fluid trickle down her face. Instinctively, she touched her ear with her left hand, only to look down and see blood—dark and shocking against her pale skin.
Around her, people fell to the ground as bullets began to fly, echoing through the streets, and panic rippled through the crowd.
The first thing that came to Aveline's mind was her mother. Without hesitation, she sprinted as fast as she could toward the bakery, her heart pounding in her chest. But her path was abruptly blocked by a line of French soldiers, each one holding a musket firmly in their grasp.
Her eyes widened in shock and fear, her breath catching in her throat as her life began to flash before her eyes. Panic gripped her, rendering her motionless. Suddenly, the man who had been running beside her extended his hand, summoning a ball of ice. The sphere gleamed dangerously, its outer layer covered with sharp, rough spikes. His voice trembled with desperation as he screamed,
"MOVE! PLEASE!"
Before he could take another step, blood splattered across Aveline's face. The sharp, metallic scent filled her nostrils as the man was shot four times in quick succession, each bullet aimed precisely at his head. His body crumpled to the ground, lifeless.
Aveline stood frozen in terror, her mind reeling from the sight. The soldiers, without hesitation, shifted their muskets, now aiming directly at her and the terrified people behind her.
The French soldiers hesitated for a moment before pulling the trigger, and bullets rained toward them. Time seemed to slow as Aveline watched the world around her blur in a haze. She felt a sudden, sharp pain in her chest, and her body began to collapse toward the ground. Blood flowed freely from her nose, warm and sticky as it dripped down her face.
She struck the ground with a harsh thud, the cold stone streets meeting her with unforgiving force. Her vision blurred further, fading in and out as the blood continued to pour from her, staining the earth beneath her. With each breath, her body grew weaker. Aveline could feel herself slipping, darkness closing in as her life began to fade.