The village of Orvale was quiet that evening, wrapped in the gentle hum of crickets and the faint glow of lanterns. The air smelled of fresh soil and cooking fires, carrying the rhythm of ordinary life. For a time, the world felt safe.
Beneath a sprawling oak at the edge of the fields, Kaen sat with his friends—Riku, Lira, and Daren. Their laughter broke into the night, light and careless, the kind of laughter that only children still untouched by the cruelty of the world could share.
Riku tugged at Kaen's sleeve, her eyes sparkling. "Someday, when I'm stronger, I'll explore the far mountains. They say beyond them lies a city made of shining glass!"
Kaen chuckled. "And when you get lost, I'll have to come save you, won't I?"
Daren groaned, lying back in the grass. "You two dream too much. I just want a quiet life. No beasts, no warriors—just peace."
But before Kaen could reply, the earth answered in tremors. At first, it was subtle, like the rumble of distant thunder. Then the ground beneath them shook violently. Dust fell from the oak branches above.
"W–what was that?" Riku's voice cracked, her laughter replaced by fear.
They turned—and saw it.
From beyond the ridge, massive shadows broke into the village. Dinosaurs, their scales glistening in the torchlight, their claws tearing into stone and wood alike. Their roars thundered across the night, drowning every other sound.
The peaceful village of Orvale collapsed into chaos.
People screamed, scattering in all directions. Mothers pulled children into their arms, men grabbed farming tools as makeshift weapons, and the stone walls that had stood for generations crumbled like sand. Fire spread where tails and claws struck, turning the air thick with smoke and ash.
"Run! Everyone, run!" voices screamed through the madness.
Kaen's heart pounded in his ears. He grabbed Riku's trembling hand and pulled her to her feet. Daren stumbled behind them, face pale as chalk.
Everywhere, villagers ran, their cries piercing the night.
And then it came.
A towering dinosaur burst through the haze, its hide scarred, its jaws dripping with fire. Its eyes glowed like molten embers, burning with rage. Each step it took shook the earth, the very air warping with the heat that gathered in its throat.
Kaen froze. His body screamed to flee, yet his legs barely moved. Riku whimpered beside him, her grip tightening around his wrist.
The beast lowered its head, claws raised—death itself closing in.
But before the strike could land, a blur shot across the battlefield. A smaller dinosaur darted with unnatural speed, and upon its back rode a figure clad in black armor. His blade gleamed under the firelight, metal so sharp it seemed forged to cut through the world itself.
One swift strike—and the monster's head fell.
The creature collapsed with a thunderous crash, flames sputtering out from its jaws.
Kaen's eyes widened. He had never seen such power, never imagined a man could slay a beast with a single swing. The armored warrior did not pause, did not acknowledge the lives he had just saved—he simply steered his mount toward the next threat, vanishing into the smoke like a phantom.
Kaen's lips parted, but no words came. Shock filled him, yet his heart screamed louder than awe—Run home.
And then, through the chaos, a commanding voice rose above the screams.
"Children! Head to the safe place! Go—don't look back! We'll handle this!"
It was Ragna, one of the village defenders. His presence was a flame of order in the storm, his sword already dripping with the blood of beasts. Without hesitation, he charged forward, joining the others in a desperate stand.
Kaen tightened his grip on Riku and motioned for Daren. Together, they sprinted through the inner streets. Smoke burned their lungs, the fires crackled like angry spirits, and still the roars followed them.
But Kaen had only one thought left.
Home. I have to get home.
His chest ached with hope as he turned the familiar corner to his street. He pictured his mother waiting by the door, his little siblings huddled safely inside, his home untouched.
But hope shattered in an instant.
His house was gone.
The walls he had known since childhood lay flattened into rubble. Wooden beams splintered like broken bones. Ash coated the ground where his family's hearth once glowed warm. The home of his memories had been crushed beneath claws and fire, erased from the earth as if it had never existed.
Kaen staggered forward. His eyes widened, his throat tightened. The world around him seemed to fade—the roars, the flames, the screams—all swallowed by the silence inside him.
It was a silence more terrifying than the monsters themselves.
And with that image of ruins burned into his heart… the first night of terror ended.