Peace was once a blessing.
Now, it was a variable, as unstable and unpredictable as lightning.
War, however… had become the constant.
On the planet Koltera, the third child of the celestial giant known as the Eternal Flame, magic wasn't just a force — it was a living presence. It breathed, evolved, and whispered through every mountain, creature, and heartbeat. Its influence shaped kingdoms, toppled empires, and created beings straight out of nightmares and legends.
And in the middle of this world of chaos?
Me.
An orphan with no special destiny.
At least… that's what I believed back then.
But I wasn't truly alone.
I had Grandpa Enro — the man who raised me, taught me, scolded me, and protected me.
He was my father, mentor, shelter…
even though he was practically old enough to be nature's fossil.
He always laughed when I told him that.
I thought he would always be there.
I was wrong.
—
Year 2906 – 27th of Solwyn
The sky that day looked gloomy - sad, as if happiness had been drained through it.
Winds roared across the hills so violently that even seasoned warriors would've taken cover. Clouds hung low — black and heavy — swallowing every sliver of sunlight. There was no dawn, no warmth, only a cold so sharp it felt like a warning.
For a moment, I genuinely wondered if we had somehow drifted into Arctiz, the frozen continent of eternal storms.
Strange, isn't it?
How the world can shift suddenly, without a whisper of warning?
That was the day my life shifted too.
And the day it all began.
—
Our Lonely Home
Our house — if you could call it that — was a crooked wooden cabin sitting on a cliff that overlooked the countryside of the U.N: United Nexus. People said the Nexus was the beating heart of the world, a place of floating markets powered by magic, glowing forests, and cities powered by ancient crystals.
But I barely saw any of it.
Grandpa kept me away from humans, away from crowds.
"A blade sharpens best in solitude," he always said.
"And eyes stay clearer when they don't see too much."
"Nature is Man's true friend, Humans are what threatens it"
At the time, I thought it was just his old-man paranoia.
Now?
I know better.
—
We woke up early, ate our usual breakfast — thick bread, boiled roots, and Grandpa's terrible bitter tea that "builds character." Everything was normal… except one thing.
Grandpa told me to train two hours earlier than usual.
That alone should've set off alarms in my head.
But I was a stubborn, lazy, overconfident fourteen year old, so of course it didn't.
"Focus, Raizen," Grandpa said as he tapped his staff on the ground. Sparks of lightning flickered around it like playful fireflies.
"You know I'll surpass you by summer, right?" I smirked.
"You better prepare your old bones."
He raised an eyebrow.
"You can't even land a single hit on me yet. Summer won't save you."
I groaned and cupped my hands.
Lightning was Grandpa's natural affinity — he wielded it like it was part of his bloodstream. He could summon storms, bend lightning arcs, even travel as pure electricity.
Me?
I could… spark a little.
If I didn't electrocute myself first.
Still, I followed his instructions:
Tense your nerves.
Picture the shape – Feel the weight – Let it form.
A faint ball of crackling lightning started shaping itself in my palm -
The air around me thickened - heavy, electric, alive.
The lightning slowly gathered in my palms, until —
ZAP!
"OW — DAMMIT!"
I dropped to the ground, smoke curling around my hair.
"FOCUS!" Grandpa barked, smacking my back.
"STOP HITTING ME, I'M FRAGILE!"
"You're not fragile. You're dramatic."
He rolled his eyes. "Again."
I tried again.
I took a deep breath - tensed my nerves - "picture the ball", I said to myself.
I slowly released the tension and prayed to myself that this time there would be something more than just sparks.
And to my surprise. This time -
There was nothing.
No spark.
No glimmer.
Just disappointment.
"This is pointless, Gramps," I muttered, turning away.
That's when he began coughing.
"Rai… come back."
I turned. His eyes were wide — almost glowing.
"There wasn't just a spark this time," he said breathlessly.
"You manifested pure lightning. Though I had to absorb it before it tore you apart."
My heart stopped.
"ARE YOU SERIOUS?!" I grabbed his hands, shaking them excitedly.
"I finally did it? I REALLY DID IT?!"
"You did," he smiled faintly.
"But you must rest. This power is not born from you… your body is unprepared."
I nodded rapidly, too happy to argue.
"I'M A GENIUS!" I yelled, sprinting inside the house.
Grandpa chuckled.
But the smile faded quickly.
As Grandpa was preparing to head back in, he felt a tingling sensation in the back of his neck.
Grandpa Enro turned around and looked toward the clouds.
Lightning flashed — not his.
Something older.
Darker.
Almost. Celestial.. Yet Demonic.
And then he saw him.
A tall figure standing on air itself, cloaked in storm clouds, eyes burning with molten gold.
He had been watching us the entire time.
"You've found me…" Grandpa whispered, gripping his staff tightly.
"Vulcor."
And the sky growled in response.