That night, four men stood guard at the village hall, while two others patrolled the perimeter to ensure their safety. In the midst of the haunting night silence, a villager suddenly emerged from the darkness. The man arrived breathless, charging through the cold night mist, lit only by a single torch whose flames danced wildly against the wind.
The guards at the hall started in surprise at his sudden arrival. With a stammering voice and eyes filled with disbelief, the man cried out that a miracle had occurred. He himself seemed unable to grasp what his eyes had just witnessed. He began to speak feverishly about the wonder in his backyard: vegetable and fruit plants that had been withered for so long were now blooming and flourishing with unnatural speed.
"The plants are bearing fruit... the radishes are swelling right before my eyes! You won't believe it unless you see it for yourselves!" he shrieked hysterically. "Bamboo shoots are sprouting, mustard greens, soybeans, tomatoes... they have all grown into giants! Believe me!"
The guards exchanged glances, their faces etched with doubt, questioning the man's sanity.
"You are likely just dreaming from exhaustion. Go back to your home; it is already midnight," one of the guards commanded with a dismissive tone.
"I am not dreaming! Come, I will show you. Please, follow me to my house!" the villager pleaded desperately.
Reluctantly, they followed him. Along the way, their steps faltered again and again in sheer awe; pear trees that for previous seasons had been adorned only with piles of green leaves without ever producing a single thing, now revealed their ripe, succulent fruit. Apple trees had suddenly become laden with heavy harvests. They also saw paddies that had been empty just hours ago, now showing golden grains of rice bowing under their own weight.
As if unable to trust their own vision, the guards woke several residents whose houses they passed to ensure they were not hallucinating. And indeed, the phenomenon was real. What they saw was no dream.
"At last... the Gods have answered our prayers," one of them murmured, his voice trembling with wonder.
"We should not be too loud; we don't want to wake the entire village so abruptly," whispered another, trying to suppress his mounting excitement.
"Agreed. Tomorrow morning, we shall bear witness to this extraordinary event before Arata and the rest of the villagers," another replied.
Each of them eventually returned to their posts, while the guards continued their duties with a newfound, overflowing spirit.
...
The next morning, the village awakened to an unprecedented uproar. The village square and the town hall were instantly packed to capacity. People were singing, dancing, and shouting in gratitude toward the heavens. Some even prostrated themselves to worship the earth, unable to believe the miracle laid out before them this morning.
The dawn was greeted by an extraordinary commotion that stretched from the courtyards to the hall. Voices rose in song and cheers of thanks; many fell to their knees, touching their foreheads to the ground as if still unconvinced that the wonder before their eyes was real.
With surging spirits, the villagers rushed toward Arata's house to deliver the joyous news. They shouted with glee, calling out their leader's name in a boisterous chorus. Hearing the ruckus, Arata—whose heart was still shrouded in deep sorrow following Takihiro's departure—tried to remain steadfast to fulfill his duty as the village elder. He hurried outside.
"What has happened?" Arata asked, his face etched with grave concern.
However, that anxiety instantly vanished when he saw the faces of the people before him. These were not faces of fear, but expressions of overflowing happiness.
"Lord Arata! Look outside!" they cried enthusiastically. "You wouldn't believe it if we simply told you. Come with us; the entire village is waiting for you!"
"But what exactly is going on?" Arata asked, still plagued by confusion amidst his people's cheers.
The villagers escorted Arata toward the town hall, shouting joyfully. Along the way, Arata's eyes swept across his surroundings; he felt both bewildered and astonished by what was presented before him. The lush, green landscape that he and the villagers had yearned for so long was now present in an impossible way.
"No... this is not what I saw yesterday. What has happened to these plants? Is this truly real? Or am I still trapped in a dream?" he questioned doubtfully in his heart.
"Look, Lord Arata! Your prayers have been granted by the Gods. The universe has heard! The rice, wheat, fruit, and vegetables have all blossomed. They are all producing a bountiful harvest! Even the hens in my coop have suddenly laid so many eggs!" one villager shouted with a beaming face.
"It's true! The pear tree in front of my house, which was previously only covered in leaves, now has branches bending under the weight of the fruit!" another villager added.
As a leader, Arata did not fully surrender to the euphoria. His logic continued to churn, sensing something unnatural in what he saw.
"This is strange," he whispered to himself. "How is it possible for rice to turn golden and ripen in just one night? Less than a single night! Radishes and bamboo shoots growing to harvest-size this quickly... it makes no sense."
"Oh, Gods... is this truly a blessing, or something else entirely?"
In the midst of the boisterous atmosphere, Arata chose to hide his worries deep within his chest. He was fully aware that if he voiced those doubts now, he would only shatter the joy of the citizens who had suffered for so long. Despite his anxieties, he could not deny that a glimmer of hope had finally returned to shine upon their village.
However, in the intervals of the noise, his thoughts drifted back to Takihiro. It crossed his mind to immediately send a messenger to catch up with his son and bring him home—since the reason for his departure now seemed to have been erased by this miracle. Yet, a powerful instinct in the depths of his heart blocked that desire. An inner whisper told him that what he was seeing now was not the end of everything, but rather the beginning of something much larger and more unexpected.
...
The remnants of joy still lingered in every corner of the village that afternoon. However, Arata chose to distance himself from the festivities; he walked along the narrow path leading toward the temple. Upon arriving, he stood frozen, staring at the mound of earth he had seen only yesterday. It had completely transformed into a solid hill of stone, blanketed in thick moss and entwined with roots that appeared ancient.
Arata was struck silent. His mind drifted, attempting to reassemble the fragments of the strange events he had experienced. He gazed at the sky with a vacant look, as memories of the night he prostrated himself at the temple began to surface one by one. Piece by piece, those memories merged into a sequence of events that finally began to make sense in his mind.
However, his reverie was suddenly shattered by the boisterous voices of the villagers arriving in droves. They came carrying massive timber and various carpentry tools. With a spirit of communal cooperation, the villagers began to repair the collapsed temple gate, replacing it with new, stronger wood.
The gate was rebuilt not merely as an entrance, but as a sacred marker for the temple that now lay buried beneath the earth. From that day forward, the villagers regarded the stone hill as a hallowed place—an altar where they brought their offerings, prayers, and hopes. They named it: The Holy Stone Temple.
---
Something Beyond the Dimension
Tellios is a peaceful planet shimmering with a glinting blue radiance throughout its atmosphere. This planet is not so different from Earth; in fact, the two share an incredibly tight cosmic bond. The frequency of Tellios is synchronized with Earth, even though they are separated by a dimensional veil. Its inhabitants mirror humans in their daily lives and activities.
However, the most striking difference is the brilliant blue luminescence radiating from its surface—a signature trait that makes Tellios appear both mystical and unique. This proximity of frequency and cosmic ties brings a dual impact to Earth, both positive and negative. Often, major events occurring on Tellios create a direct resonance on Earth, and vice versa. The two worlds are, in a sense, dancing upon the same wave of destiny.
The planet Tellios is graced with an abundance of cosmic elements: materials resembling Glass, Gems, and Metal. These three elements dominate every layer of its land, from crystalline mountains to the planet's dense core. The existence of these elements is the primary source of power for the three Great Protectors of the planet: Mire, Jole, and Fero.
Mire is a protector blessed with the ability to manipulate light through the medium of Glass. She can refract and focus stellar energy into invisible weapons or shields. Jole is a guardian of immense endurance, mastering pure and hard elements like Gems. His strength is unshakable, symbolizing a purity and resolve that cannot be destroyed. Fero is the protector who commands the element of Metal. With his control over iron and all manner of metallic minerals, he is the vanguard of Tellios's physical defense and combat power.
These three protectors serve as the pillars maintaining the balance of Tellios's frequency, keeping it in harmony with Earth.
The Fall of the Guardians
Yet now, Tellios faces its darkest fate. Zili, a three-eyed tyrant of massive stature and ruthless temperament, seems to dance upon the destruction of the three protectors. Under the might of Zili and his armada, Mire, Jole, and Fero have finally fallen.
In pursuing his ambitions, Zili relies on a trusted officer named Dixor. Zili places absolute faith in this grand, steel-armored being. His form is terrifying, resembling a male lion with a dragon's tail capable of lashing through the vacuum of space. The cosmic predator stands firm as both the frontline vanguard and the ultimate weapon of annihilation for anyone daring to block his master's path.
Dixor was tasked with traversing dimensions to other planets—hiding in the shadows to study their weaknesses before launching full-scale invasions. Their goal is singular: to plunder the most precious treasures from every planet they visit.
Tellios, once glowing blue, now lies in ruins. The planet's fall was caused not only by Zili's armada but also by the betrayal of Gera, a Tellian war officer who defected to work with Dixor. A horrific silence now blankets the crystalline plains; the bodies of the three great guardians lie lifeless before Zili, marking the end of Tellios's era of peace.
The Hunt for the Vault
The three protectors lay stiff before Zili. "Find that Vault! Do not stop until it is ours!" he thundered.
Instantly, Dixor nodded. From his mechanical body, he released three nightmare drones: Cov, resembling a bird of prey; Zed, shaped like a steel tiger; and Nox, slithering like a black serpent.
"Kill anyone who refuses to speak!" Zili ordered coldly. Dixor and his drones moved wildly, shattering crystal buildings and slaughtering the helpless inhabitants of Tellios.
Gera, the officer who betrayed his nation, was suddenly crawled with regret as he witnessed the devastation. He stepped in front of Dixor. "I will tell you where the object is, but I beg of you... let the people of Tellios live!"
Dixor instead lunged, pinning Gera down with his massive claws. "Do not try to betray me, you sycophant! You sold out your own race, and now you dare try to deceive me?" Dixor snarled.
"I beg you... let them live. You will get what you are looking for!" Gera wailed.
"You had better not be lying, or you will join those protectors!" Dixor threatened. Gera then activated a hologram from his hand, revealing the coordinates they sought. After obtaining the data, Dixor threw Gera toward Nox. The mechanical snake immediately coiled around Gera's body with crushing force.
"Hold him. I will decide whether he is worthy of death or not," Dixor said. He looked up at the sky; from his eyes beamed a digital light processing the coordinate numbers. He immediately contacted Zili, reporting the location where the Vault had fallen.
"Retrieve it immediately. Obliterate anything that stands in your way!" Zili commanded.
Dixor turned to Nox. "Finish him."
In an instant, Nox crushed Gera's bones. The traitor died a miserable death at the hands of his own ally. "Prepare the troops, we depart!" Dixor declared as the three drones merged back into his body.
The Last Act of Defiance
Zili laughed loudly in front of the bodies of Mire, Jole, and Fero. "I know your souls are no longer here. I was wrong to underestimate your abilities, Mire, but believe me, we will meet again. Your strength will be entirely mine. As long as you do not return to these bodies, your power is meaningless!"
"Bring these husks to Aranos!" Zili ordered his troops. That ship was not merely a vehicle for Zili; it was a coffin for every planet he had ever visited. Some desperate Tellians chose to join Zili just to survive, while the rest were left to suffer on their shattered planet. Zili departed Tellios into the darkness of space, while Dixor launched toward the coordinates provided by Gera.
In truth, moments before death claimed her, Mire had performed one final, desperate act. She opened a dimensional portal, fusing the remaining energy of the Glass, Gem, and Metal elements—and their three souls—into a container called the Vault.
With her last bit of strength, Mire hurled the Vault through the dimensional gate. She chose Earth because its frequency and atmosphere were in perfect harmony with Tellios. In her heart, Mire hoped that a successor would find the Vault, guard its power, and one day, avenge Tellios against Zili.