Once upon a time, in an age when heroes still walked among men and monsters roamed freely in the dark corners of the world, there lived a legendary heroine.
She was known as Seraphina the Blade of Dawn—the strongest warrior of her era. Feared by demons. Revered by kings. A single swing of her blade could shatter mountains; a single glare could silence warlords.
But even the mightiest heart longs for peace.
Wounded after countless battles, Seraphina vanished from the world stage. She wandered aimlessly until one quiet day, in a small village hidden in a sea of golden wheat, she met a man.
He was no warrior. Just a kind, soft-spoken man with warm eyes and a peaceful smile. His name was Lucien.
Tired of bloodshed, Seraphina chose to hide her identity. No titles. No swords. Just a woman seeking a quiet life. She and Lucien fell in love, and their days passed like a dream.
In time, their love bore fruit—she became pregnant.
But fate does not let go so easily.
---
The Truth Revealed
One afternoon, while walking alone through the forest, Seraphina felt it—a strange pressure in the air. An aura she had not sensed in years.
She followed the trail, trembling.
What she found shattered her world.
Lucien, the gentle man she loved... stood in a clearing, cloaked in dark energy. Horns. Wings. A form cloaked in shadow.
He was no mere man.
He was the Demon Lord Azareth, the king of the underworld who had vanished long ago—just like her.
They had both been hiding. Both craving the same thing. Peace.
Her heart ached. She still loved him. But the child growing inside her... she could not let it be born in darkness.
She fled that very night.
---
A Hero's Last Stand
Seraphina disappeared into a secret sanctuary guarded by divine wards, deep in the snow-covered mountains. For months, she lived in hiding, preparing to raise her child far from war and ruin.
But Azareth found her.
With him came the darkness of the underworld, spreading like wildfire across the sacred land.
In response, the forces of light rallied. Her brothers came—valiant knights, wielding divine steel. And at their front was Alaric Lionheart, Seraphina's father—the fabled Hero of Light.
The mountains trembled as blade met claw, as light clashed with shadow. It was a war of gods and monsters.
In the end, the Hero of Light drove his sacred sword through Azareth's heart.
The Demon Lord fell.
But victory came at a cost.
As the final echo of battle faded, Seraphina collapsed in her father's arms. Blood stained her robes. Her strength was gone.
Tears streamed down her face as she felt her child stir one last time.
> "His name... is Cassian..."
---
And with her final breath,
Seraphina the Blade of Dawn died.
And Cassian Lionheart was born—
a child of light and shadow.
A hero's grandson.
A demon's son.
---
Eleven Years Later…
The world had moved on. Peace returned.
Now, at ten years old, Cassian Lionheart lived in the countryside under the care of his grandfather, the Hero of Light himself—Alaric.
Cassian's days were quiet. Chopping firewood, feeding animals, running through the woods.
But something was... off.
Cassian could lift logs twice his size. His cuts healed overnight. Animals avoided him. Sometimes, when he was angry, his vision shimmered red for a split second.
He never told anyone.
One evening, as the sun dipped below the hills, he sat beside his grandfather on the porch, watching the wind blow through the grass.
> "Grandpa," Cassian asked softly, "why am I... different from the other kids?"
Alaric looked at him, eyes filled with a strange sadness. He placed a strong hand on the boy's head and smiled.
> "That's because you carry the blood of a hero, Cassian. The Lionheart clan was born to protect the weak."
Cassian nodded slowly, trying to believe it.
But a small part of him whispered:
> What about the rest of me?
---
The Training Begins
From that day, Alaric began to train him.
Swordsmanship. Stance. Breathing. Honor. Discipline.
"Strength must be used for others," his grandfather said. "Not for pride. Not for rage."
Cassian trained hard. He admired his grandfather. He wanted to be like him.
But late at night, when the moon hung full and cold, Cassian would sometimes wake in a sweat. His dreams were filled with fire and claws... and voices that spoke in a language he didn't understand.
One night, while sparring with a wooden sword, he got angry.
Too angry.
He struck the training dummy—splintering it into burning cinders with a force that wasn't just physical.
He stood there, panting. His eyes glowing faintly red.
> What... was that?
His grandfather saw it. But he said nothing—only turned and walked inside.
Cassian clenched his fists.
He still didn't know the truth.
But something was waking inside him.
Something not of light.
---
And so, the journey begins.
Cassian Lionheart—
a boy born of two worlds—
takes his first step toward destiny.