Long ago…
the world did not live in fear.
But that world no longer existed.
Now, only fragments remained.
Two lands survived the fall—one of them was Elderonia.
A place where humanity still held on.
Barely.
A small village on the outskirts of Elderonia stood quietly beneath a fading sky.
Wooden houses lined the narrow paths. A watchtower stood near the entrance, worn by time but still standing. Smoke rose gently from cooking fires, and the evening air carried the faint sounds of daily life.
It was peaceful.
Too peaceful.
At the far edge of the village, an old man stood alone.
His eyes, clouded with age, stared far beyond the hills. His breathing was uneven. His hands trembled slightly—not from weakness…
…but from fear.
He had seen this before.
A long time ago.
A nightmare that should have never returned.
Then—
The ground trembled.
At first, it was faint.
Almost unnoticeable.
But then it grew.
Stronger.
Heavier.
Violent.
The old man's eyes widened.
"No… not again…"
On the horizon, something moved.
A shadow.
No—
Many shadows.
Huge. Towering. Distorted shapes rising above the hills like giants crawling out of hell itself.
The old man stumbled back, his voice cracking as he screamed with everything he had—
"THEY HAVE COME! RUN!!"
Panic exploded across the village.
People froze.
Then chaos erupted.
Mothers grabbed their children. Men shouted orders that no one followed. Doors slammed open. Feet pounded against the ground.
And then—
The sky darkened.
A massive figure stepped into view.
It was… wrong.
Its body stretched unnaturally, limbs too long, too twisted. Its hollow eyes held nothing—no emotion, no thought… only emptiness.
A Westling.
Three stories tall.
And it wasn't alone.
BOOOOM!!!
A single step crushed an entire house.
Wood shattered. Flames erupted. Dust filled the air.
Screams followed.
More Westlings appeared—each one larger, more terrifying than the last.
They didn't roar.
They didn't hesitate.
They simply… destroyed.
"RYO!!"
A voice cut through the chaos.
A boy turned.
Ryo.
His breathing was sharp, uneven. His eyes reflected the burning world around him.
"Taro—!"
Another boy ran toward him, grabbing his arm.
"We have to go! NOW!"
Taro's voice shook, but his grip was firm.
Ryo didn't respond.
His eyes were locked on something else.
His home.
Or what was left of it.
Flames devoured the structure. The roof collapsed inward. Everything he had known—
Gone.
"RYO!! MOVE!!"
Taro pulled him hard.
Reality snapped back.
They ran.
The ground shook violently beneath their feet.
Debris fell around them. Fire spread rapidly. The air burned their lungs with every breath.
Behind them—
A Westling turned.
Its hollow gaze locked onto them.
"Don't look back!" Taro shouted.
But Ryo did.
And for a moment—
Time stopped.
That thing…
It wasn't just a monster.
It felt like death itself had taken form.
THOOOM!!!
The Westling's arm slammed down.
The ground exploded.
Taro shoved Ryo aside at the last second—
"WATCH OUT!!"
Both boys hit the ground hard, rolling through ash and debris.
Ryo coughed violently, his ears ringing.
"Taro…!"
"I'm fine—just get up!!"
They stood.
And ran again.
The village exit was close.
So close.
Hope flickered.
"RYO! THIS WAY!" Taro shouted, pointing toward the narrow path between two wooden houses.
They ran toward it—
Then—
CRAAAAACK!!!
A loud, splintering sound tore through the air.
Ryo's eyes widened.
A tall wooden watchtower near the edge of the village had been struck.
Flames erupted upward, forming a wall of fire.
Ryo stumbled back.
"TARO!!"
On the other side—
"Tch—Ryo! Go around—!"
Another shadow fell over Taro.
Ryo's heart dropped.
A Westling.
Right behind him.
"RUN, TARO!!"
"I CAN'T—!"
The creature's arm began to rise.
Time slowed.
Everything blurred.
Ryo moved without thinking.
He ran toward the flames.
"TARO, MOVE!!"
But before he could reach—
BOOOOOOM!!!
The ground shattered again.
The impact threw Ryo backward.
Hard.
He crashed into the ground, his vision spinning.
"...Taro…?"
Smoke.
Fire.
Silence.
Ryo forced himself up.
His body screamed in pain, but he ignored it.
"TARO!!!"
No answer.
Only the sound of flames burning everything away.
The fire spread wider.
The path between them was gone.
Completely gone.
Ryo's fists tightened.
"No… no… no…!"
He tried to move forward—
But the heat pushed him back.
There was no way through.
No way across.
Another tremor shook the ground.
More Westlings were coming.
Closer.
Ryo staggered backward.
His breathing broke.
His voice cracked—
"…Taro…"
No response.
For the first time—
Tears formed.
But survival screamed louder than grief.
Ryo turned.
And ran.
Behind him, the village burned.
Ahead of him—
Nothing but an unknown world.
That day—
Ryo lost everything.
His home.
His past.
And the one person who stood beside him.
But something else was born in its place.
Not hope.
Not yet.
Something darker.
Something deeper.
Something that would one day shake the world itself.
Far behind the flames…
a shadow moved.
Watching.
Waiting.
And the story…
had only just begun.