The world had long forgotten the meaning of mercy. Fear, blood, hatred, betrayal… these were the only colors left in a land drowning beneath its own ashes. Across a grey, forsaken plain, the scent of iron clung to the drifting smoke—mixed with the final breaths of the fallen. Abandoned swords pierced the earth, and nameless bodies lay scattered like broken history. Viscera-eaters prowled among the corpses, joined by crows and vultures in a feast worthy of the world's last days. Inside a half-ruined chapel, rain slipped through the shattered roof, dripping onto cold stone. At the doorway stood a knight clad in white armor—now stained with blood and regret. His sword was nearly broken; his leg bled with every breath he took. From within came the agonized screams of a dying woman… then another voice followed, harsh and desperate: "Push, my lady! Push!" And then—cutting through thunder and rain— came the cry of a newborn. A life birthed from the guts of despair and war. "A girl," the handmaiden said. The mother, fading fast, pulled the tiny child to her chest. Tears shimmered in her eyes as she whispered her final prophecy: "This child… will be the dawn of this world. She will bring the light back." She gave her a name: Aurora, heiress of the Griffin Clan. With trembling breath, she looked to her servant. "Mary… even if it costs you your life… let this child live." "I will protect her," Mary replied. The mother nodded weakly. "Thank you… Mary… and you, William… I'm sorry I dragged you both into this." And then her eyes closed forever. Mary's screams filled the chapel, echoing through broken stone: "My lady! No! No!" At the doorway, the knight—William—felt tears burn down his cracked cheek. "Lord Henry… I failed to protect your wife. What kind of knight am I…? But by my honor and my life… I will protect your daughter." At that moment… the heavens tore open. A colossal black ship emerged from a rift in the sky, its crimson sails glowing like fresh blood. William's face drained of color. "The… the Naglfar… How did they find us? Damn it all!"
The Naglfar descended upon the battlefield like a carrion lord claiming its feast. Its hull scraped over broken armor and torn bodies before the gates groaned open unleashing dozens of soldiers clad in blood‑red steel. At their head marched four knights, silent as tombstones. William rose to meet them, broken sword trembling in his grasp. "If you want my lord's daughter," he growled, "you'll take her over my corpse." The leader stepped forward, his voice cold as rusted iron. "We offer second chances… yet you never learn. I'll make your death as pitiful as your master's." From behind the ruined chapel wall, Mary emerged— the infant wrapped in a torn scrap of the mother's dress. What she found froze her breath: William, on his knees, defeated beneath the shadow of the Bloody Ones' commander. He turned his head just enough to see her. His voice cracked. "Mary… take the child. Run. Make sure she lives." Without hesitation, Mary raised her hand. "Transformation magic… Icalos." Light consumed her shape— and in her place, a white bird burst into the storm, clutching the newborn and soaring into the darkened sky. One of the red‑armored knights stepped beside his commander. "My lord… shall I strike her down?" The commander's helm tilted upward, following the fading speck of white. "No," he murmured. "I will deal with her myself." Mary struggled against the storming wind, the newborn clutched to her chest. The commander of the Bloody Ones stepped forward. With nothing but a finger, he gestured downward— and gravity itself seemed to betray her, pinning Mary to the earth. She hugged Aurora tightly, closing her eyes. "Eleanora… our mother, Guardian of the Sacred Tree… protect us, and let your light guide this child." The commander advanced, eyes fixed on Mary and the infant. "Finally… finally, the key is in my grasp." Yet before his hand could touch the child, they vanished. As if the wind itself had swallowed them whole. Mary opened her eyes to find herself in a field of flowers under a rainy night sky. Smoke rose from a nearby village. She whispered to herself, voice trembling, "What happened? Where am I?" Holding Aurora close, she walked until she reached a small chapel. She laid the child down gently and left a note: "Aurora Griffen." She whispered an apology to the sleeping girl. "Forgive me… but this is the only way to keep you safe." And then, swallowed by the storm, she disappeared into the night.