The long-awaited semester break finally arrived. After several months filled with exams, assignments, and campus activities, these six friends were finally able to plan a vacation together. They planned to go to a remote village outside the city, a place where they could relax, enjoy nature, and, of course, get away from the boring routine of college.
Rikuya, who would later become Damian Kade, sat in the driver's seat while driving with an excited expression. Beside him, Kurou, his best friend who was always full of energy and funny, sat with a cheerful attitude. In the back seat, Ryuji and Renji had started arguing about what activities they would do first there, while the quieter Haruto just sat quietly, looking a little bored, and Tetsuya, who always looked serious, preferred to stare at the road outside.
Their journey was initially calm until Kurou's loud voice broke the silence.
"We're going to have so much fun, guys!" he exclaimed excitedly, making some birds outside the window even fly away in surprise.
Renji glanced sharply, his gaze full of laziness and a little annoyance. "Gosh, Kurou, don't be so noisy," he muttered, trying to stay calm even though his ears were ringing a little.
Kurou just laughed out loud, not bothered in the slightest. "What the heck? I'm excited!" he said while lightly hitting Renji's shoulder.
Ryuji, who was sitting near the window, just shook his head slowly, then turned his head outside, staring at the sky that was starting to darken. "Okay, okay. Hopefully we can get there without any problems," he said in a tone that was half hopeful, half resigned.
However, during that trip, fate did not give them the chance to go on vacation. A large truck approached at high speed from the opposite direction. Rikuya, who was driving, panicked and tried to avoid it, but fate had other plans. Their car overturned, sliding into a ravine at an increasingly high speed.
Rikuya, who was sitting in the driver's seat, could only hold his breath. Everything was going so fast, and before he could say anything, their car was falling freely into the ravine.
Everything felt dark.
A few moments later, Rikuya felt himself waking up, his body lying on the soft ground. He was panting, as if he had just woken up from a nightmare. When he opened his eyes, it was no longer the city view that he saw, but a vast grassland that was very foreign to him.
Rikuya opened his eyes wide until his eyes looking around him, and with confusion because this felt very real.
"Eh? What happened?" Rikuya muttered softly, his voice almost drowned in silence, as if he was in a large room alone.
He fell silent, trying to remember the previous incident. Suddenly, a foreign entity's voice was heard.
"Welcome, children. A new world awaits."
The voice was very clear, but it was not clear who was speaking, like a whisper of the wind that had no origin. But strangely, Rikuya could feel it so real, as if the voice could directly penetrate his mind.
Instantly, a white light flashed in front of him. In the blink of an eye, five figures appeared around him - his friends. Familiar faces, but now full of confusion. Their eyes met, searching for the answer to the puzzle that had just begun.
"Rikuya… this… which world is this?" Kurou asked, his voice nervous and his gaze darting around.
Ryuji stepped forward, his eyes scanning the surroundings warily. "This is not the world we know," he muttered warily.
Suddenly, a bright light enveloped them. Warm, but also too bright to look at directly.
From within the light, a mysterious figure emerged. It looked like an old man with a long beard and a long white robe.
But his presence was so strong, they could barely stand. It felt like a great pressure was directly touching their bodies.
The deep, echoing voice sounded again.
"I am the God of Realms. You have been chosen to live here, in the world of Altareon."
Kurou stared ahead in confusion. "Altareon…?" he muttered, trying to make sense of the unfamiliar word.
"Yes," the figure replied. "This world is full of kingdoms and great power that await you all. But before that, there is one important thing you must know." The voice paused for a moment. Silence. A silence as oppressive as the air before a storm.
"You will live with new names. And when this life begins, the memories of your faces and names in the old world... will be lost forever."
Those words made Rikuya freeze. He fell silent. New names? Losing past names? What is the meaning of all this?
His mind was full of questions... but none of them were answered. Only the harsh reality that he began to realize—their destinies had changed, and the way home might no longer be available.
"You will receive powers and duties in this world," the voice continued. "You will be separated, sent to different kingdoms. But when you turn seventeen... you will be reunited in one place: the best school in the world."
Ryuji immediately raised an eyebrow. "Huh? What do you mean?"
"Each of you will receive a special power, according to the circumstances I have prepared for you all. That power will grow over time. Your duty is to become stronger, and your destiny will await you in the future."
Rikuya looked at his friends. Their expressions were almost the same—confused and anxious. But before that fear could turn to panic, God's voice spoke again in a softer tone.
"Now, you will begin your new life."
Then suddenly, their bodies felt light. Like they were floating.
In the blink of an eye, everything was dark.
And when they opened their eyes… they were no longer in the same place.
Before Damian Kade was five years old, there probably wasn't much interesting to tell about his life. If you were hoping for an epic story about a great adventure or a duel against a ferocious monster... well, it looks like you'll have to be patient first.
Because in reality, at that time, Damian's life revolved around the daily activities of a typical baby: eating, sleeping, crying, laughing... then repeating it again, endlessly, like a wheel that keeps turning.
It was really boring, at least according to Damian himself.
There was no sword training, no magic training, and there wasn't even an attempt to find out about the world he was starting to live in.
His life was filled only with the sound of his mother's laughter, Celia Kade, and the warm hugs of his father, Darius Kade, who always looked at him proudly.
However... to be honest, there was one little thing that, for Damian, felt very special at that time.
A golden moment in his life that he would never forget.
Every time his mother carried him with a gentle smile and a tight hug, little Damian always automatically found "the most comfortable place in the world".
Yes, right on his mother's chest, resting peacefully as if the whole world could stop spinning at that very moment. What baby could resist such comfort?
He would reach out, holding on tightly... maybe a little too tightly, sometimes making Celia smile shyly as she said, "Gosh, Damian, kid, you have to learn manners early on, you know?"
Of course, little Damian already understood such things. Before this, he already had a life. For him at that time, the world was simple: Eat, sleep, laugh... and find the best hug in the world.
So, without further ado, we will skip this phase of his life. Because, honestly, if we continue to tell it, the story of little Damian before the age of five will probably only be filled with funny mumblings, hungry cries in the middle of the night, and endless innocent actions.
The big world of Altareon was waiting, and Damian's real journey was just about to begin.
Five years later...
On a bright morning, in a small, cozy kitchen filled with the aroma of warm soup and the sound of pots clinking softly, a young boy with light blue hair sat on a wooden chair, swinging his legs and smiling broadly.
His name was Damian Kade. This little boy may look ordinary, but noble blood ran through his veins—the blood of a great hero from Frostvale.
However, behind his innocent smile and bright blue eyes, there was a secret that no one knew—not even his own family.
Damian was no ordinary boy. Long before he was born in this world, in another life, in a world very different from Altareon, his name was Rikuya. Although his memories of his name and physical form in the old world were gone, Damian still had a fresh memory of what he should do in the future.
His father, Darius Kade, was a figure respected not only in Frostvale but also throughout the north. Long ago, when he was young, Darius led a large army in "The Great Northern War"—a brutal war involving the three great kingdoms of the north. With tactical ingenuity, boundless courage, and incredible strength, Darius successfully led his troops to defend Frostvale from destruction and ultimately won the war.
In honor of his services, the kingdom bestowed upon him the title of "Noble Defender of the North," making him one of the few people to be nobled not by bloodline but by true accomplishment.
Now, at the age of 37, Darius lives quietly with his family, but is still respected by many, even though he spends more time at home than on the battlefield.
Meanwhile, in this fragrant kitchen, there is another figure who means a lot to Damian—his mother, Celia Kade. The 35-year-old woman is busy stirring a large pot of soup, occasionally stealing glances at her son with a loving smile.
Celia is an incredibly loving mother... and perhaps, in Damian's opinion, a little too overprotective. How could she not be?
One day, when Damian slipped in the bathroom and only suffered a few bruises, Celia panicked and immediately took him to the best doctor in Frostvale, making the entire clinic busy as if welcoming a royal guest.
For Celia, Damian was everything. And Damian, although often embarrassed by the excessive attention, was very grateful to have a mother like her.
Now, Damian lives his days in the kingdom of Frostvale—a kingdom located at the northern tip of Altareon, where snow falls almost all year round, and the air always carries the fresh scent of ice.
"Frostvale is one of the coldest places in the world," Damian said proudly one day, remembering his mother's words. "But I think... home is still the warmest place."
As he watched his mother cooking, Damian smiled. The outside world may be harsh, full of dangers, and big fights. But here, amidst the smell of warm cooking and his mother's excessive hugs, Damian knew—this place was the beginning of his extraordinary story.
Damian, who is now 5 years old, plays in the front yard of the house.
Innocently, he sneezes loudly.
Miraculously, his breath froze the entire small pond in front of the house.
The surface of the water turned into a thick layer of ice in an instant.
His mother, who saw the incident, immediately screamed in surprise.
"Damian, what are you doing?!"
At that moment, Damian's mother began to wonder if Damian had different powers from ordinary people, because in this world, there are only 4 magic elements, namely fire, water, wind, and ground.
Damian was silent. He himself did not understand what had just happened. It felt like something big came out of him—something he had never realized.
A few days later, his curiosity led Damian to the home library.
He began reading various books about the world of Altareon: about the great kingdoms, about magic, and about the mysterious power that flows in this world.
A few weeks later….
Damian concluded that:
The world of Altareon is a world that is very different from Earth, because here there is something called "mana". In this book, it is written that everyone in this world has mana, which is a pure energy that flows in their bodies since birth. Mana is the main source of power in this world - used to strengthen the body, control magic, and even master an artifact. The size of each individual's mana is different, depending on their talent, training, and life experiences. In this world, true power does not only belong to those who are born strong, but to anyone who is willing to struggle to understand, train, and master their own mana.
In this world, there are only 4 magic elements, namely fire, water, wind, and ground
This world has 4 parts, namely North, South, East, and West
The total number of kingdoms in this world is 14. North has 4 kingdoms, South has 4 kingdoms, East has 3 kingdoms, and West has 3 kingdoms.
From there, Damian learned one important thing—this world is vast, full of secrets, and he is now a part of all of them.
But some questions still haunt his mind.
"Where are his friends now, and are they okay?"
"What is the real purpose of Damian and his friends?"
"And why does he feel like he has a different power from the powers written in the books?"
With a spirit that slowly grew in his heart, Damian decided on one thing.
He had to find out and he had to become stronger, in order to find the answers to the questions on his mind.